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diff --git a/733-h/733-h.htm b/733-h/733-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..456bf3c --- /dev/null +++ b/733-h/733-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,34352 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire, Volume 3 by Edward Gibbon</title> +<link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> +<style type="text/css"> + + body { margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + div.chapter {page-break-before: always; margin-top: 4em;} + p { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +p.letter {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; } + +p.center {text-align: center; + text-indent: 0em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; } + +a:link {color:blue; text-decoration:none} +a:visited {color:blue; text-decoration:none} +a:hover {color:red} + +</style> + </head> + <body> + +<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold;'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, by Edward Gibbon</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and +most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms +of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online +at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you +are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the +country where you are located before using this eBook. +</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire<br /> +Volume 3</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Edward Gibbon</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Commentator: H. H. Milman</div> +<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0'>Release Date: November, 1996 [eBook #733]<br /> +[Most recently updated: March 14, 2021]</div> +<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> +<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: David Reed and David Widger</div> +<div style='margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE ***</div> + +<h1>HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE</h1> + +<h2>Edward Gibbon, Esq.</h2> + +<h2>With notes by the Rev. H. H. Milman</h2> + +<h3>Vol. 3</h3> + +<h4>1782 (Written), 1845 (Revised)</h4> + +<hr /> + +<h2>Contents</h2> + +<p> +<a href="#chap27.1">Chapter XXVII: Civil Wars, Reign Of Theodosius.—Part +I. </a> +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Death Of Gratian.—Ruin Of Arianism.—St. Ambrose.—First +Civil War, Against Maximus.—Character, Administration, And +Penance Of Theodosius.—Death Of Valentinian II.—Second +Civil War, Against Eugenius.—Death Of Theodosius. +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap27.2">Chapter XXVII: Civil Wars, Reign Of Theodosius.—Part +II. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap27.3">Chapter XXVII: Civil Wars, Reign Of Theodosius.—Part +III. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap27.4">Chapter XXVII: Civil Wars, Reign Of Theodosius.—Part +IV. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap27.5">Chapter XXVII: Civil Wars, Reign Of Theodosius.—Part +V. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap28.1">Chapter XXVIII: Destruction Of Paganism.—Part +I. </a> +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Final Destruction Of Paganism.—Introduction Of The Worship +Of Saints, And Relics, Among The Christians. +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap28.2">Chapter XXVIII: Destruction Of Paganism.—Part +II. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap28.3">Chapter XXVIII: Destruction Of Paganism.—Part +III. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap29.1">Chapter XXIX: Division Of Roman Empire +Between Sons Of Theodosius.—Part I. </a> +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Final Division Of The Roman Empire Between The Sons Of +Theodosius.—Reign Of Arcadius And Honorius—Administration +Of Rufinus And Stilicho.—Revolt And Defeat Of Gildo In +Africa. +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap29.2">Chapter XXIX: Division Of Roman Empire +Between Sons Of Theodosius.—Part II. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap30.1">Chapter XXX: Revolt Of The Goths.—Part +I. </a> +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Revolt Of The Goths.—They Plunder Greece.—Two Great +Invasions Of Italy By Alaric And Radagaisus.—They Are +Repulsed By Stilicho.—The Germans Overrun Gaul.—Usurpation +Of Constantine In The West.—Disgrace And Death Of Stilicho. +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap30.2">Chapter XXX: Revolt Of The Goths.—Part +II. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap30.3">Chapter XXX: Revolt Of The Goths.—Part +III. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap30.4">Chapter XXX: Revolt Of The Goths.—Part +IV. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap30.5">Chapter XXX: Revolt Of The Goths.—Part +V. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap31.1">Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation +Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part I. </a> +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Invasion Of Italy By Alaric.—Manners Of The Roman Senate +And People.—Rome Is Thrice Besieged, And At Length +Pillaged, By The Goths.—Death Of Alaric.—The Goths +Evacuate Italy.—Fall Of Constantine.—Gaul And Spain Are +Occupied By The Barbarians. —Independence Of Britain. +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap31.2">Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation +Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part II. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap31.3">Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation +Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part III. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap31.4">Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation +Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part IV. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap31.5">Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation +Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part V. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap31.6">Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation +Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part VI. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap31.7">Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation +Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part VII. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap32.1">Chapter XXXII: Emperors Arcadius, Eutropius, +Theodosius II.—Part I. </a> +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Arcadius Emperor Of The East.—Administration And Disgrace +Of Eutropius.—Revolt Of Gainas.—Persecution Of St. John +Chrysostom.—Theodosius II. Emperor Of The East.—His Sister +Pulcheria.—His Wife Eudocia.—The Persian War, And Division +Of Armenia. +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap32.2">Chapter XXXII: Emperors Arcadius, Eutropius, +Theodosius II.—Part II. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap32.3">Chapter XXXII: Emperors Arcadius, Eutropius, +Theodosius II.—Part III. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap33.1">Chapter XXXIII: Conquest Of Africa By The +Vandals.—Part I. </a> +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Death Of Honorius.—Valentinian III.—Emperor Of The East. +—Administration Of His Mother Placidia—Ætius And +Boniface.—Conquest Of Africa By The Vandals. +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap33.2">Chapter XXXIII: Conquest Of Africa By The +Vandals.—Part II. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap34.1">Chapter XXXIV: Attila.—Part I. </a> +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +The Character, Conquests, And Court Of Attila, King Of The +Huns.—Death Of Theodosius The Younger.—Elevation Of +Marcian To The Empire Of The East. +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap34.2">Chapter XXXIV: Attila.—Part II. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap34.3">Chapter XXXIV: Attila.—Part III. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap35.1">Chapter XXXV: Invasion By Attila.—Part +I. </a> +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Invasion Of Gaul By Attila.—He Is Repulsed By Ætius And +The Visigoths.—Attila Invades And Evacuates Italy.—The +Deaths Of Attila, Ætius, And Valentinian The Third. +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap35.2">Chapter XXXV: Invasion By Attila.—Part +II. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap35.3">Chapter XXXV: Invasion By Attila.—Part +III. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap36.1">Chapter XXXVI: Total Extinction Of The +Western Empire.—Part I. </a> +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Sack Of Rome By Genseric, King Of The Vandals.—His Naval +Depredations.—Succession Of The Last Emperors Of The West, +Maximus, Avitus, Majorian, Severus, Anthemius, Olybrius, +Glycerius, Nepos, Augustulus.—Total Extinction Of The +Western Empire.—Reign Of Odoacer, The First Barbarian King +Of Italy. +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap36.2">Chapter XXXVI: Total Extinction Of The +Western Empire.—Part II. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap36.3">Chapter XXXVI: Total Extinction Of The +Western Empire.—Part III. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap36.4">Chapter XXXVI: Total Extinction Of The +Western Empire.—Part IV. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap36.5">Chapter XXXVI: Total Extinction Of The +Western Empire.—Part V. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap37.1">Chapter XXXVII: Conversion Of The Barbarians +To Christianity.—Part I. </a> +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Origin Progress, And Effects Of The Monastic Life.— +Conversion Of The Barbarians To Christianity And Arianism.— +Persecution Of The Vandals In Africa.—Extinction Of +Arianism Among The Barbarians. +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap37.2">Chapter XXXVII: Conversion Of The Barbarians +To Christianity.—Part II. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap37.3">Chapter XXXVII: Conversion Of The Barbarians +To Christianity.—Part III. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap37.4">Chapter XXXVII: Conversion Of The Barbarians +To Christianity.—Part IV. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap38.1">Chapter XXXVIII: Reign Of Clovis.—Part +I. </a> +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Reign And Conversion Of Clovis.—His Victories Over The +Alemanni, Burgundians, And Visigoths.—Establishment Of The +French Monarchy In Gaul.—Laws Of The Barbarians.—State Of +The Romans.—The Visigoths Of Spain.—Conquest Of Britain By +The Saxons. +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap38.2">Chapter XXXVIII: Reign Of Clovis.—Part +II. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap38.3">Chapter XXXVIII: Reign Of Clovis.—Part +III. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap38.4">Chapter XXXVIII: Reign Of Clovis.—Part +IV. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap38.5">Chapter XXXVIII: Reign Of Clovis.—Part +V. </a> +</p> + +<p> +<a href="#chap38.6">Chapter XXXVIII: Reign Of Clovis.—Part +VI. </a> +</p> + +<hr /> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap27.1"></a> +Chapter XXVII: Civil Wars, Reign Of Theodosius.—Part I. +</h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Death Of Gratian.—Ruin Of Arianism.—St. Ambrose.—First + Civil War, Against Maximus.—Character, Administration, And + Penance Of Theodosius.—Death Of Valentinian II.—Second + Civil War, Against Eugenius.—Death Of Theodosius. +</pre> + <p> + The fame of Gratian, before he had accomplished the twentieth year of his + age, was equal to that of the most celebrated princes. His gentle and + amiable disposition endeared him to his private friends, the graceful + affability of his manners engaged the affection of the people: the men of + letters, who enjoyed the liberality, acknowledged the taste and eloquence, + of their sovereign; his valor and dexterity in arms were equally applauded + by the soldiers; and the clergy considered the humble piety of Gratian as + the first 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 of Theodosius to the author of his + greatness, and of the public safety. Gratian survived those memorable + events only four or five years; but he survived his reputation; and, + before he fell a victim to rebellion, he had lost, in a great measure, the + respect and confidence of the Roman world. + </p> + <p> + The remarkable alteration of his character 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 the that gentle youth + appears to have escaped. A more attentive view of the life of Gratian may + perhaps suggest the true cause of the disappointment of the public hopes. + His 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 father was continually employed + to bestow on him those advantages, which he might perhaps 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 labored to form the mind + and body of the young prince. <a href="#linknote-27.1" name="linknoteref-27.1" + id="linknoteref-27.1">1</a> The knowledge which they painfully communicated + was displayed with ostentation, and celebrated with lavish praise. His + soft and tractable disposition received the fair impression of their + judicious precepts, and the absence of passion might easily be mistaken + for the strength of reason. His preceptors gradually rose to the rank and + consequence of ministers of state: <a href="#linknote-27.2" + name="linknoteref-27.2" id="linknoteref-27.2">2</a> and, as they wisely + dissembled their secret authority, he seemed to act with firmness, with + propriety, and with judgment, on the most important occasions of his life + and reign. But the influence of this elaborate instruction did not + penetrate beyond the surface; and the skilful preceptors, who so + accurately guided the steps of their royal pupil, could not infuse into + his feeble and indolent character the vigorous and independent principle + of action which renders the laborious pursuit of glory essentially + necessary to the happiness, and almost to the existence, of the hero. As + soon as time and accident had removed those faithful counsellors from the + throne, the emperor of the West insensibly descended to the level of his + natural genius; abandoned the reins of government to the ambitious hands + which were stretched forwards to grasp them; and amused his leisure with + the most frivolous gratifications. A public sale of favor and injustice + was instituted, both in the court and in the provinces, by the worthless + delegates of his power, whose merit it was made sacrilege to question. <a + href="#linknote-27.3" name="linknoteref-27.3" id="linknoteref-27.3">3</a> The + conscience of the credulous prince was directed by saints and bishops; <a + href="#linknote-27.4" name="linknoteref-27.4" id="linknoteref-27.4">4</a> who + procured an Imperial edict to punish, as a capital offence, the violation, + the neglect, or even the ignorance, of the divine law. <a + href="#linknote-27.5" name="linknoteref-27.5" id="linknoteref-27.5">5</a> Among the + various arts which had exercised the youth of Gratian, he had applied + himself, with singular inclination and success, to manage the horse, to + draw the bow, and to dart the javelin; and these qualifications, which + might be useful to a soldier, were prostituted to the viler purposes of + hunting. Large parks were enclosed for the Imperial pleasures, and + plentifully stocked with every species of wild beasts; and Gratian + neglected the duties, and even the dignity, of his rank, to consume whole + days in the vain display of his dexterity and boldness in the chase. The + pride and wish of the Roman emperor to excel in an art, in which he might + be surpassed by the meanest of his slaves, reminded the numerous + spectators of the examples of Nero and Commodus, but the chaste and + temperate Gratian was a stranger to their monstrous vices; and his hands + were stained only with the blood of animals. <a href="#linknote-27.6" + name="linknoteref-27.6" id="linknoteref-27.6">6</a> The behavior of Gratian, + which degraded his character in the eyes of mankind, could not have + disturbed the security of his reign, if the army 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 familiar conversation + of the camp; and the health, the comforts, the rewards, the honors, of his + faithful troops, appeared to be the objects of his attentive concern. But, + after Gratian more freely indulged his prevailing taste for hunting and + shooting, he naturally connected himself with the most dexterous ministers + of his favorite 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 enclosures of + Gaul. Gratian admired the talents and customs of these favorite guards, to + whom alone he intrusted the defence of his person; and, as if he meant to + insult the public opinion, he frequently showed himself to the soldiers + and people, with the dress and arms, the long bow, the sounding quiver, + and the fur garments of a Scythian warrior. The unworthy spectacle of a + Roman prince, who had renounced the dress and manners of his country, + filled the minds of the legions with grief and indignation. <a + href="#linknote-27.7" name="linknoteref-27.7" id="linknoteref-27.7">7</a> Even the + Germans, so strong and formidable in 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 licentious murmur was echoed through the + camps and garrisons of the West; and as the mild indolence of Gratian + neglected to extinguish the first symptoms of discontent, the want of love + and respect was not supplied by the influence of fear. But the subversion + of an established government is always a work of some real, and of much + apparent, difficulty; and the throne of Gratian was protected by the + sanctions of custom, law, religion, and the nice balance of the civil and + military powers, which had been established by the policy of Constantine. + It is not very important to inquire from what cause 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 tyrants and usurpers; <a href="#linknote-27.8" + name="linknoteref-27.8" id="linknoteref-27.8">8</a> the legions of that + sequestered island had been long famous for a spirit of presumption and + arrogance; <a href="#linknote-27.9" name="linknoteref-27.9" id="linknoteref-27.9">9</a> + and the name of Maximus was proclaimed, by the tumultuary, but unanimous + voice, both of the soldiers and of the provincials. The emperor, or the + rebel,—for this title was not yet ascertained by fortune,—was + a native of Spain, the countryman, the fellow-soldier, and the rival of + Theodosius whose elevation he had not seen without some emotions of envy + and resentment: the events of his life had long since fixed him in + Britain; and I should not be unwilling to find some evidence for the + marriage, which he is said to have contracted with the daughter of a + wealthy lord of Caernarvonshire. <a href="#linknote-27.10" + name="linknoteref-27.10" id="linknoteref-27.10">10</a> But this provincial rank + might justly be considered as a state of exile and obscurity; and if + Maximus had obtained any civil or military office, he was not invested + with the authority either of governor or general. <a href="#linknote-27.11" + name="linknoteref-27.11" id="linknoteref-27.11">11</a> His abilities, and even + his integrity, are acknowledged by the partial writers of the age; and the + merit must indeed have been conspicuous that could extort such a + confession in favor of the vanquished enemy of Theodosius. The discontent + of Maximus might incline him to censure the conduct of his sovereign, and + to encourage, perhaps, without any views of ambition, the murmurs 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 positive declaration, that he was compelled to accept the dangerous + present of the Imperial purple. <a href="#linknote-27.12" + name="linknoteref-27.12" id="linknoteref-27.12">12</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.1" id="linknote-27.1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.1">return</a>)<br /> [ Valentinian was less + attentive to the religion of his son; since he intrusted the education of + Gratian to Ausonius, a professed Pagan. (Mem. de l’Academie des + Inscriptions, tom. xv. p. 125-138). The poetical fame of Ausonius condemns + the taste of his age.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.2" id="linknote-27.2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.2">return</a>)<br /> [ Ausonius was successively + promoted to the Prætorian praefecture of Italy, (A.D. 377,) and of Gaul, + (A.D. 378;) and was at length invested with the consulship, (A.D. 379.) He + expressed his gratitude in a servile and insipid piece of flattery, (Actio + Gratiarum, p. 699-736,) which has survived more worthy productions.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.3" id="linknote-27.3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.3">return</a>)<br /> [ Disputare de principali + judicio non oportet. Sacrilegii enim instar est dubitare, an is dignus + sit, quem elegerit imperator. Codex Justinian, l. ix. tit. xxix. leg. 3. + This convenient law was revived and promulgated, after the death of + Gratian, by the feeble court of Milan.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.4" id="linknote-27.4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.4">return</a>)<br /> [ Ambrose composed, for his + instruction, a theological treatise on the faith of the Trinity: and + Tillemont, (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. v. p. 158, 169,) ascribes to the + archbishop the merit of Gratian’s intolerant laws.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.5" id="linknote-27.5"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.5">return</a>)<br /> [ Qui divinae legis + sanctitatem nesciendo omittunt, aut negligende violant, et offendunt, + sacrilegium committunt. Codex Justinian. l. ix. tit. xxix. leg. 1. + Theodosius indeed may claim his share in the merit of this comprehensive + law.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.6" id="linknote-27.6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.6">return</a>)<br /> [ Ammianus (xxxi. 10) and the + younger Victor acknowledge the virtues of Gratian; and accuse, or rather + lament, his degenerate taste. The odious parallel of Commodus is saved by + “licet incruentus;” and perhaps Philostorgius (l. x. c. 10, and Godefroy, + p. 41) had guarded with some similar reserve, the comparison of Nero.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.7" id="linknote-27.7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.7">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. iv. p. 247) and + the younger Victor ascribe the revolution to the favor of the Alani, and + the discontent of the Roman troops Dum exercitum negligeret, et paucos ex + Alanis, quos ingenti auro ad sa transtulerat, anteferret veteri ac Romano + militi.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.8" id="linknote-27.8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.8">return</a>)<br /> [ Britannia fertilis + provincia tyrannorum, is a memorable expression, used by Jerom in the + Pelagian controversy, and variously tortured in the disputes of our + national antiquaries. The revolutions of the last age appeared to justify + the image of the sublime Bossuet, “sette ile, plus orageuse que les mers + qui l’environment.”] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.9" id="linknote-27.9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.9">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus says of the British + soldiers.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.10" id="linknote-27.10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.10">return</a>)<br /> [ Helena, the daughter of + Eudda. Her chapel may still be seen at Caer-segont, now Caer-narvon. + (Carte’s Hist. of England, vol. i. p. 168, from Rowland’s Mona Antiqua.) + The prudent reader may not perhaps be satisfied with such Welsh evidence.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.11" id="linknote-27.11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.11">return</a>)<br /> [ Camden (vol. i. + introduct. p. ci.) appoints him governor at Britain; and the father of our + antiquities is followed, as usual, by his blind progeny. Pacatus and + Zosimus had taken some pains to prevent this error, or fable; and I shall + protect myself by their decisive testimonies. Regali habitu exulem suum, + illi exules orbis induerunt, (in Panegyr. Vet. xii. 23,) and the Greek + historian still less equivocally, (Maximus) (l. iv. p. 248.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.12" id="linknote-27.12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.12">return</a>)<br /> [ Sulpicius Severus, + Dialog. ii. 7. Orosius, l. vii. c. 34. p. 556. They both acknowledge + (Sulpicius had been his subject) his innocence and merit. It is singular + enough, that Maximus should be less favorably treated by Zosimus, the + partial adversary of his rival.] + </p> + <p> + But there was danger likewise in refusing the empire; and from the moment + that Maximus had violated his allegiance to his lawful sovereign, he could + not hope to reign, or even to live, if he confined his moderate ambition + within the narrow limits of Britain. He boldly and wisely resolved to + prevent the designs of Gratian; the youth of the island crowded to his + standard, and he invaded Gaul with a fleet and army, which were long + afterwards remembered, as the emigration of a considerable part of the + British nation. <a href="#linknote-27.13" name="linknoteref-27.13" + id="linknoteref-27.13">13</a> The emperor, in his peaceful residence of + Paris, was alarmed by their hostile approach; and the darts which he idly + wasted on lions and bears, might have been employed more honorably against + the rebels. But his 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. The armies of + Gaul, instead of opposing the march of Maximus, received him with joyful + and loyal acclamations; and the shame of the desertion 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 neighborhood of Paris. + The emperor of the West fled towards Lyons, with a train of only three + hundred horse; and, in the cities along the road, where he hoped to find + refuge, or at least a passage, he was taught, by cruel experience, that + 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 suffered himself to + be fatally deceived by the perfidious governor of the Lyonnese province. + Gratian was amused by protestations of doubtful fidelity, and the hopes of + a support, which could not be effectual; till the arrival of Andragathius, + the general of the cavalry of Maximus, put an end to his suspense. That + resolute officer executed, without remorse, the orders or the intention of + the usurper. Gratian, as he rose from supper, was delivered into the hands + of the assassin: and his body was denied to the pious and pressing + entreaties of his brother Valentinian. <a href="#linknote-27.14" + name="linknoteref-27.14" id="linknoteref-27.14">14</a> The death of the emperor + was followed by that of his powerful general Mellobaudes, the king of the + Franks; who maintained, to the last moment of his life, the ambiguous + reputation, which is the just recompense of obscure and subtle policy. <a + href="#linknote-27.15" name="linknoteref-27.15" id="linknoteref-27.15">15</a> These + executions might be necessary to the public safety: but the successful + usurper, whose power was acknowledged by all the provinces of the West, + had the merit, and the satisfaction, of boasting, that, except those who + had perished by the chance of war, his triumph was not stained by the + blood of the Romans. <a href="#linknote-27.16" name="linknoteref-27.16" + id="linknoteref-27.16">16</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.13" id="linknote-27.13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.13">return</a>)<br /> [ Archbishop Usher + (Antiquat. Britan. Eccles. p. 107, 108) has diligently collected the + legends of the island, and the continent. The whole emigration consisted + of 30,000 soldiers, and 100,000 plebeians, who settled in Bretagne. Their + destined brides, St. Ursula with 11,000 noble, and 60,000 plebeian, + virgins, mistook their way; landed at Cologne, and were all most cruelly + murdered by the Huns. But the plebeian sisters have been defrauded of + their equal honors; and what is still harder, John Trithemius presumes to + mention the children of these British virgins.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.14" id="linknote-27.14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.14">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. iv. p. 248, + 249) has transported the death of Gratian from Lugdunum in Gaul (Lyons) to + Singidunum in Moesia. Some hints may be extracted from the Chronicles; + some lies may be detected in Sozomen (l. vii. c. 13) and Socrates, (l. v. + c. 11.) Ambrose is our most authentic evidence, (tom. i. Enarrat. in Psalm + lxi. p. 961, tom ii. epist. xxiv. p. 888 &c., and de Obitu Valentinian + Consolat. Ner. 28, p. 1182.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.15" id="linknote-27.15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.15">return</a>)<br /> [ Pacatus (xii. 28) + celebrates his fidelity; while his treachery is marked in Prosper’s + Chronicle, as the cause of the ruin of Gratian. Ambrose, who has occasion + to exculpate himself, only condemns the death of Vallio, a faithful + servant of Gratian, (tom. ii. epist. xxiv. p. 891, edit. Benedict.) * + Note: Le Beau contests the reading in the chronicle of Prosper upon which + this charge rests. Le Beau, iv. 232.—M. * Note: According to + Pacatus, the Count Vallio, who commanded the army, was carried to Chalons + to be burnt alive; but Maximus, dreading the imputation of cruelty, caused + him to be secretly strangled by his Bretons. Macedonius also, master of + the offices, suffered the death which he merited. Le Beau, iv. 244.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.16" id="linknote-27.16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.16">return</a>)<br /> [ He protested, nullum ex + adversariis nisi in acissie occubu. Sulp. Jeverus in Vit. B. Martin, c. + 23. The orator Theodosius bestows reluctant, and therefore weighty, praise + on his clemency. Si cui ille, pro ceteris sceleribus suis, minus crudelis + fuisse videtur, (Panegyr. Vet. xii. 28.)] + </p> + <p> + The events of this revolution had passed in such rapid succession, that it + would have been impossible for Theodosius to march to the relief of his + benefactor, before he received the intelligence of his defeat and death. + During the season of sincere grief, or ostentatious mourning, the Eastern + emperor was interrupted by the arrival of the principal chamberlain of + Maximus; and the choice of a venerable old man, for an office which was + usually exercised by eunuchs, announced to the court of Constantinople the + gravity and temperance of the British usurper. + </p> + <p> + The ambassador condescended to justify, or excuse, the conduct of his + master; and to protest, in specious language, that the murder of Gratian + had been perpetrated, without his knowledge or consent, by the precipitate + zeal of the soldiers. But he proceeded, in a firm and equal tone, to offer + Theodosius the alternative of peace, or war. The speech of the ambassador + concluded with a spirited declaration, that although Maximus, as a Roman, + and as the father of his people, would choose rather to employ his forces + in the common defence of the republic, he was armed and prepared, if his + friendship should be rejected, to dispute, in a field of battle, the + empire of the world. An immediate and peremptory answer was required; but + it was extremely difficult for Theodosius to satisfy, on this important + occasion, either the feelings of his own mind, or the expectations of the + public. The imperious voice of honor and gratitude called aloud for + revenge. From the liberality of Gratian, he had received the Imperial + diadem; his patience would encourage the odious suspicion, 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 principles 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 + honor 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, if an 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 doubtful and destructive + 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 with the possession of the + countries beyond the Alps. The brother of Gratian was confirmed and + secured in the sovereignty of Italy, Africa, and the Western Illyricum; + and some honorable conditions were inserted in the treaty, to protect the + memory, and the laws, of the deceased emperor. <a href="#linknote-27.17" + name="linknoteref-27.17" id="linknoteref-27.17">17</a> 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 solemn reconciliation, Theodosius secretly cherished the + intention of perfidy and revenge. <a href="#linknote-27.18" + name="linknoteref-27.18" id="linknoteref-27.18">18</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.17" id="linknote-27.17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.17">return</a>)<br /> [ Ambrose mentions the laws + of Gratian, quas non abrogavit hostia (tom. ii epist. xvii. p. 827.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.18" id="linknote-27.18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.18">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. iv. p. 251, + 252. We may disclaim his odious suspicions; but we cannot reject the + treaty of peace which the friends of Theodosius have absolutely forgotten, + or slightly mentioned.] + </p> + <p> + The contempt of Gratian for the Roman soldiers had exposed him to the + fatal effects of their resentment. His profound veneration for the + Christian clergy was rewarded by the applause and gratitude of a powerful + order, which has claimed, in every age, the privilege of dispensing + honors, both on earth and in heaven. <a href="#linknote-27.19" + name="linknoteref-27.19" id="linknoteref-27.19">19</a> The orthodox bishops + bewailed his death, and their own irreparable loss; but they were soon + comforted by the discovery, that Gratian 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 abilities of a more vigorous character. Among + the benefactors of the church, the fame of Constantine has been rivalled + by the glory of Theodosius. If Constantine had the advantage of erecting + the standard of the cross, the emulation of his successor assumed the + merit of subduing the Arian heresy, and of abolishing the worship of idols + in the Roman world. Theodosius was the first of the emperors baptized in + the true faith of the Trinity. Although he was born of a Christian family, + the maxims, or at least the practice, of the age, encouraged him to delay + the ceremony of his initiation; till he was admonished of the danger of + delay, by the serious illness which threatened his life, towards the end + of the first year of his reign. Before he again took the field against the + Goths, he received the sacrament of baptism <a href="#linknote-27.20" + name="linknoteref-27.20" id="linknoteref-27.20">20</a> from Acholius, the + orthodox bishop of Thessalonica: <a href="#linknote-27.21" + name="linknoteref-27.21" id="linknoteref-27.21">21</a> and, as the emperor + ascended from the holy font, still glowing with 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 + the Imperial style) that all the nations, which are governed by our + clemency and moderation, should steadfastly adhere to the religion which + was taught by St. Peter to the Romans; which faithful tradition has + preserved; and which is now professed by the pontiff Damasus, and by + Peter, bishop of Alexandria, a man of apostolic holiness. According to the + discipline of the apostles, and the doctrine of the gospel, let us believe + the sole deity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; under an equal + majesty, and a pious Trinity. We authorize the followers of this doctrine + to assume the title of Catholic Christians; and as we judge, that all + others are extravagant madmen, we brand them with the infamous name of + Heretics; and declare that their conventicles shall no longer usurp the + respectable appellation of churches. Besides the condemnation of divine + justice, they must expect to suffer the severe penalties, which our + authority, guided by heavenly wisdom, shall think proper to inflict upon + them.” <a href="#linknote-27.22" name="linknoteref-27.22" id="linknoteref-27.22">22</a> + The faith of a soldier is commonly the fruit of instruction, rather than + of inquiry; but as the emperor always fixed his eyes on the visible + landmarks of orthodoxy, which he had so prudently constituted, his + religious opinions were never affected by the specious texts, the subtle + arguments, and the ambiguous creeds of the Arian doctors. Once indeed he + expressed a faint inclination to converse with the eloquent and learned + Eunomius, who lived in retirement at a small distance from Constantinople. + But the dangerous interview was prevented by the prayers of the empress + Flaccilla, who trembled for the salvation of her husband; and the mind of + Theodosius was confirmed by a theological argument, adapted to the rudest + capacity. He had lately bestowed on his eldest son, Arcadius, the name and + honors 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 behavior, 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 voice, “Such is the treatment, O + emperor! which the King of heaven has prepared for those impious men, who + affect to worship the Father, but refuse to acknowledge the equal majesty + of his divine Son.” Theodosius immediately embraced the bishop of Iconium, + and never forgot the important lesson, which he had received from this + dramatic parable. <a href="#linknote-27.23" name="linknoteref-27.23" + id="linknoteref-27.23">23</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.19" id="linknote-27.19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.19">return</a>)<br /> [ Their oracle, the + archbishop of Milan, assigns to his pupil Gratian, a high and respectable + place in heaven, (tom. ii. de Obit. Val. Consol p. 1193.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.20" id="linknote-27.20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.20">return</a>)<br /> [ For the baptism of + Theodosius, see Sozomen, (l. vii. c. 4,) Socrates, (l. v. c. 6,) and + Tillemont, (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. v. p. 728.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.21" id="linknote-27.21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.21">return</a>)<br /> [ Ascolius, or Acholius, + was honored by the friendship, and the praises, of Ambrose; who styles him + murus fidei atque sanctitatis, (tom. ii. epist. xv. p. 820;) and + afterwards celebrates his speed and diligence in running to + Constantinople, Italy, &c., (epist. xvi. p. 822.) a virtue which does + not appertain either to a wall, or a bishop.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.22" id="linknote-27.22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.22">return</a>)<br /> [ Codex Theodos. l. xvi. + tit. i. leg. 2, with Godefroy’s Commentary, tom. vi. p. 5-9. Such an edict + deserved the warmest praises of Baronius, auream sanctionem, edictum pium + et salutare.—Sic itua ad astra.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.23" id="linknote-27.23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.23">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen, l. vii. c. 6. + Theodoret, l. v. c. 16. Tillemont is displeased (Mem. Eccles. tom. vi. p. + 627, 628) with the terms of “rustic bishop,” “obscure city.” Yet I must + take leave to think, that both Amphilochius and Iconium were objects of + inconsiderable magnitude in the Roman empire.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap27.2"></a> +Chapter XXVII: Civil Wars, Reign Of Theodosius.—Part II. +</h2> + <p> + Constantinople was the principal seat and fortress of Arianism; and, in a + long interval of forty years, <a href="#linknote-27.24" name="linknoteref-27.24" + id="linknoteref-27.24">24</a> the faith of the princes and prelates, who + reigned in the capital of the East, was rejected in the purer schools of + Rome and Alexandria. The archiepiscopal throne of Macedonius, which had + been polluted with so much Christian blood, was successively filled by + Eudoxus and Damophilus. Their diocese enjoyed a free importation of vice + and error from every province of the empire; the eager pursuit of + religious controversy afforded a new occupation to the busy idleness of + the metropolis; and 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 full of mechanics and slaves, + who are all of them profound theologians; 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 by way of reply, that 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.” <a href="#linknote-27.25" + name="linknoteref-27.25" id="linknoteref-27.25">25</a> The heretics, of various + denominations, subsisted in peace under the protection of the Arians of + Constantinople; who endeavored to secure the attachment of those obscure + sectaries, while they abused, with unrelenting severity, the victory which + they had obtained over the followers of the council of Nice. During the + partial reigns of Constantius and Valens, the feeble remnant of the + Homoousians was deprived of the public and private exercise of their + religion; and it has been observed, in pathetic language, that the + scattered flock was left without a shepherd to wander on the mountains, or + to be devoured by rapacious wolves. <a href="#linknote-27.26" + name="linknoteref-27.26" id="linknoteref-27.26">26</a> But, as their zeal, + instead of being subdued, derived strength and vigor from oppression, they + seized the first moments of imperfect freedom, which they had acquired by + the death of Valens, to form themselves into a regular congregation, under + the conduct of an episcopal pastor. Two natives of Cappadocia, Basil, and + Gregory Nazianzen, <a href="#linknote-27.27" name="linknoteref-27.27" + id="linknoteref-27.27">27</a> were distinguished above all their + contemporaries, <a href="#linknote-27.28" name="linknoteref-27.28" + id="linknoteref-27.28">28</a> by the rare union of profane eloquence and of + orthodox piety. + </p> + <p> + These orators, who might sometimes be compared, by themselves, and by the + public, to the most celebrated of the ancient Greeks, were united by the + ties of the strictest friendship. They had cultivated, with equal ardor, + the same liberal studies in the schools of Athens; they had retired, with + equal devotion, to the same solitude in the deserts of Pontus; and every + spark of emulation, or envy, appeared to be totally extinguished in the + holy and ingenuous breasts of Gregory and Basil. But the exaltation of + Basil, from a private life to the archiepiscopal throne of Caesarea, + discovered to the world, and perhaps to himself, the pride of his + character; and the first favor which he condescended to bestow on his + friend, was received, and perhaps was intended, as a cruel insult. <a + href="#linknote-27.29" name="linknoteref-27.29" id="linknoteref-27.29">29</a> + Instead of employing the superior talents of Gregory in some useful and + conspicuous station, the haughty prelate selected, among the fifty + bishoprics of his extensive province, the wretched village of Sasima, <a + href="#linknote-27.30" name="linknoteref-27.30" id="linknoteref-27.30">30</a> + without water, without verdure, without society, situate at the junction + of three highways, and frequented only by the incessant passage of rude + and clamorous wagoners. Gregory submitted with reluctance to this + humiliating exile; he was ordained bishop of Sasima; but he solemnly + protests, that he never consummated his spiritual marriage with this + disgusting bride. He afterwards consented to undertake the government of + his native church of Nazianzus, <a href="#linknote-27.31" + name="linknoteref-27.31" id="linknoteref-27.31">31</a> of which his father had + been bishop above five-and-forty years. But as he was still conscious that + he deserved another audience, and another theatre, he accepted, with no + unworthy ambition, the honorable invitation, which was addressed to him + from the 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 Anastasia was chosen to express the resurrection of the + Nicene faith. This private conventicle was afterwards converted into a + magnificent church; and the credulity of the succeeding age was prepared + to believe the miracles and visions, which attested the presence, or at + least the protection, of the Mother of God. <a href="#linknote-27.32" + name="linknoteref-27.32" id="linknoteref-27.32">32</a> The pulpit of the + Anastasia was the scene of the labors and triumphs of Gregory Nazianzen; + and, in the space of two years, he experienced all the spiritual + adventures which constitute the prosperous or adverse fortunes of a + missionary. <a href="#linknote-27.33" name="linknoteref-27.33" + id="linknoteref-27.33">33</a> The Arians, who were provoked by the boldness + of his enterprise, represented his doctrine, as if he had preached three + distinct and equal Deities; and the devout populace was excited to + suppress, by violence and tumult, the irregular assemblies of the + Athanasian heretics. From the cathedral of St. Sophia there issued a + motley crowd “of common beggars, who had forfeited their claim to pity; of + monks, who had the appearance of goats or satyrs; and of women, more + terrible than so many Jezebels.” The doors of the 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 disgraced and distracted by intestine faction. A stranger who assumed + the name of Maximus, <a href="#linknote-27.34" name="linknoteref-27.34" + id="linknoteref-27.34">34</a> and the cloak of a Cynic philosopher, + insinuated himself into the confidence of Gregory; deceived and abused his + favorable opinion; and forming a secret connection with some bishops of + Egypt, attempted, by a clandestine ordination, to supplant his patron in + the episcopal seat of Constantinople. These mortifications might sometimes + tempt the Cappadocian missionary to regret his obscure solitude. But his + fatigues were rewarded by the daily increase of his fame and his + congregation; and he enjoyed the pleasure of observing, that the greater + part of his numerous audience retired from his sermons satisfied with the + eloquence of the preacher, <a href="#linknote-27.35" name="linknoteref-27.35" + id="linknoteref-27.35">35</a> or dissatisfied with the manifold imperfections + of their faith and practice. <a href="#linknote-27.36" name="linknoteref-27.36" + id="linknoteref-27.36">36</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.24" id="linknote-27.24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.24">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen, l. vii. c. v. + Socrates, l. v. c. 7. Marcellin. in Chron. The account of forty years must + be dated from the election or intrusion of Eusebius, who wisely exchanged + the bishopric of Nicomedia for the throne of Constantinople.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.25" id="linknote-27.25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.25">return</a>)<br /> [ See Jortin’s Remarks on + Ecclesiastical History, vol. iv. p. 71. The thirty-third Oration of + Gregory Nazianzen affords indeed some similar ideas, even some still more + ridiculous; but I have not yet found the words of this remarkable passage, + which I allege on the faith of a correct and liberal scholar.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.26" id="linknote-27.26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.26">return</a>)<br /> [ See the thirty-second + Oration of Gregory Nazianzen, and the account of his own life, which he + has composed in 1800 iambics. Yet every physician is prone to exaggerate + the inveterate nature of the disease which he has cured.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.27" id="linknote-27.27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.27">return</a>)<br /> [ I confess myself deeply + indebted to the two lives of Gregory Nazianzen, composed, with very + different views, by Tillemont (Mem. Eccles. tom. ix. p. 305-560, 692-731) + and Le Clerc, (Bibliothèque Universelle, tom. xviii. p. 1-128.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.28" id="linknote-27.28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.28">return</a>)<br /> [ Unless Gregory Nazianzen + mistook thirty years in his own age, he was born, as well as his friend + Basil, about the year 329. The preposterous chronology of Suidas has been + graciously received, because it removes the scandal of Gregory’s father, a + saint likewise, begetting children after he became a bishop, (Tillemont, + Mem. Eccles. tom. ix. p. 693-697.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.29" id="linknote-27.29"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 29 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.29">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregory’s Poem on his own + Life contains some beautiful lines, (tom. ii. p. 8,) which burst from the + heart, and speak the pangs of injured and lost friendship. ——In + the Midsummer Night’s Dream, Helena addresses the same pathetic complaint + to her friend Hermia:—Is all the counsel that we two have shared. + The sister’s vows, &c. Shakspeare had never read the poems of Gregory + Nazianzen; he was ignorant of the Greek language; but his mother tongue, + the language of Nature, is the same in Cappadocia and in Britain.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.30" id="linknote-27.30"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 30 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.30">return</a>)<br /> [ This unfavorable portrait + of Sasimae is drawn by Gregory Nazianzen, (tom. ii. de Vita sua, p. 7, 8.) + Its precise situation, forty-nine miles from Archelais, and thirty-two + from Tyana, is fixed in the Itinerary of Antoninus, (p. 144, edit. + Wesseling.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.31" id="linknote-27.31"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 31 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.31">return</a>)<br /> [ The name of Nazianzus has + been immortalized by Gregory; but his native town, under the Greek or + Roman title of Diocaesarea, (Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. ix. p. 692,) is + mentioned by Pliny, (vi. 3,) Ptolemy, and Hierocles, (Itinerar. Wesseling, + p. 709). It appears to have been situate on the edge of Isauria.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.32" id="linknote-27.32"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 32 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.32">return</a>)<br /> [ See Ducange, Constant. + Christiana, l. iv. p. 141, 142. The Sozomen (l. vii. c. 5) is interpreted + to mean the Virgin Mary.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.33" id="linknote-27.33"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 33 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.33">return</a>)<br /> [ Tillemont (Mem. Eccles. + tom. ix. p. 432, &c.) diligently collects, enlarges, and explains, the + oratorical and poetical hints of Gregory himself.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.34" id="linknote-27.34"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 34 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.34">return</a>)<br /> [ He pronounced an oration + (tom. i. Orat. xxiii. p. 409) in his praise; but after their quarrel, the + name of Maximus was changed into that of Heron, (see Jerom, tom. i. in + Catalog. Script. Eccles. p. 301). I touch slightly on these obscure and + personal squabbles.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.35" id="linknote-27.35"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 35 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.35">return</a>)<br /> [ Under the modest emblem + of a dream, Gregory (tom. ii. Carmen ix. p. 78) describes his own success + with some human complacency. Yet it should seem, from his familiar + conversation with his auditor St. Jerom, (tom. i. Epist. ad Nepotian. p. + 14,) that the preacher understood the true value of popular applause.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.36" id="linknote-27.36"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 36 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.36">return</a>)<br /> [ Lachrymae auditorum + laudes tuae sint, is the lively and judicious advice of St. Jerom.] + </p> + <p> + The Catholics of Constantinople were animated with joyful confidence by + the baptism and edict of Theodosius; and they impatiently waited the + effects of his gracious promise. Their hopes were speedily accomplished; + and the emperor, as soon as he had finished the operations of the + campaign, made his public entry into the capital at the head of a + victorious army. The next day after his arrival, he summoned Damophilus to + his presence, and offered that Arian prelate the hard alternative of + subscribing the Nicene creed, or of instantly resigning, to the orthodox + believers, the use and possession of the episcopal palace, the cathedral + of St. Sophia, and all the churches of Constantinople. The zeal of + Damophilus, which in a Catholic saint would have been justly applauded, + embraced, without hesitation, a life of poverty and exile, <a + href="#linknote-27.37" name="linknoteref-27.37" id="linknoteref-27.37">37</a> and + his removal was immediately followed by the purification of the Imperial + city. The Arians might complain, with some appearance of justice, that an + inconsiderable congregation of sectaries should usurp the hundred + churches, which they were insufficient to fill; whilst the far greater + part of the people was cruelly excluded from every place of religious + worship. Theodosius was still inexorable; but as the angels who protected + the Catholic cause were only visible to the eyes of faith, he prudently + reenforced those heavenly legions with the more effectual aid of temporal + and carnal weapons; and the church of St. Sophia was occupied by a large + body of the 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 own + hand, respectfully placed him on the archiepiscopal throne of + Constantinople. But the saint (who had not subdued the imperfections of + human virtue) was 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 of the imprecations of a + great party, whom, as men and citizens, it was impossible for him to + despise. He beheld the innumerable multitude of either sex, and of every + age, who crowded the streets, the windows, 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 of his installation, + the capital of the East wore the appearance of a city taken by storm, and + in the hands of a Barbarian conqueror. <a href="#linknote-27.38" + name="linknoteref-27.38" id="linknoteref-27.38">38</a> About six weeks + afterwards, Theodosius declared his resolution of expelling from all the + churches of his dominions the bishops and their clergy who should + obstinately refuse to believe, or at least to profess, the doctrine of the + council of Nice. His lieutenant, Sapor, was armed with the ample powers of + a general law, a special commission, and a military force; <a + href="#linknote-27.39" name="linknoteref-27.39" id="linknoteref-27.39">39</a> and + this ecclesiastical revolution was conducted with so much discretion and + vigor, that the religion of the emperor was established, without tumult or + bloodshed, in all the provinces of the East. The writings of the Arians, + if they had been permitted to exist, <a href="#linknote-27.40" + name="linknoteref-27.40" id="linknoteref-27.40">40</a> would perhaps contain the + lamentable story of the persecution, which afflicted the church under the + reign of the impious Theodosius; and the sufferings of their holy + confessors might 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 resistance; and that, in their adversity, + the Arians displayed much less firmness than had been exerted by the + orthodox party under the reigns of Constantius and Valens. The moral + character and conduct of the 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 theological faith. Both parties, in the schools, as well as in the + temples, acknowledged and worshipped the divine majesty of Christ; and, as + we are always prone to impute our own sentiments and passions to the + Deity, it would be deemed more prudent and respectful to exaggerate, than + to circumscribe, the adorable perfections of the Son of God. The disciple + of Athanasius exulted in the proud confidence, that he had entitled + himself to the divine favor; while the follower of Arius must have been + tormented by the secret apprehension, that he was guilty, perhaps, of an + unpardonable offence, by the scanty praise, and parsimonious honors, which + he bestowed on the Judge of the World. The opinions of Arianism might + satisfy a cold and speculative mind: 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 believing age. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.37" id="linknote-27.37"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 37 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.37">return</a>)<br /> [ Socrates (l. v. c. 7) and + Sozomen (l. vii. c. 5) relate the evangelical words and actions of + Damophilus without a word of approbation. He considered, says Socrates, + that it is difficult to resist the powerful, but it was easy, and would + have been profitable, to submit.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.38" id="linknote-27.38"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 38 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.38">return</a>)<br /> [ See Gregory Nazianzen, + tom. ii. de Vita sua, p. 21, 22. For the sake of posterity, the bishop of + Constantinople records a stupendous prodigy. In the month of November, it + was a cloudy morning, but the sun broke forth when the procession entered + the church.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.39" id="linknote-27.39"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 39 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.39">return</a>)<br /> [ Of the three + ecclesiastical historians, Theodoret alone (l. v. c. 2) has mentioned this + important commission of Sapor, which Tillemont (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. + v. p. 728) judiciously removes from the reign of Gratian to that of + Theodosius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.40" id="linknote-27.40"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 40 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.40">return</a>)<br /> [ I do not reckon + Philostorgius, though he mentions (l. ix. c. 19) the explosion of + Damophilus. The Eunomian historian has been carefully strained through an + orthodox sieve.] + </p> + <p> + The hope, that truth and wisdom would be found in the assemblies of the + orthodox clergy, induced the emperor to convene, at Constantinople, a + synod of one hundred and fifty bishops, who proceeded, without much + difficulty or delay, to complete the theological system which had been + established in the council of Nice. The vehement disputes of the fourth + century had been chiefly employed on the nature of the Son of God; and the + various opinions which were embraced, concerning the Second, were extended + and transferred, by a natural analogy, to the Third person of the Trinity. + <a href="#linknote-27.41" name="linknoteref-27.41" id="linknoteref-27.41">41</a> + Yet it was found, or it was thought, necessary, by the victorious + adversaries of Arianism, to explain the ambiguous language of some + respectable doctors; to confirm the faith of the Catholics; and to condemn + an unpopular and inconsistent sect of Macedonians; who freely admitted + that the Son was consubstantial to the Father, while they were fearful of + seeming to acknowledge the existence of Three Gods. A final and unanimous + 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 world; and their grateful reverence has assigned + to the bishops of Theodosius the second rank among the general councils. + <a href="#linknote-27.42" name="linknoteref-27.42" id="linknoteref-27.42">42</a> + Their knowledge of religious truth may have been preserved by tradition, + or it may have been communicated by inspiration; but the sober evidence of + history will not allow much weight to the personal authority of the + Fathers of Constantinople. In an age when the ecclesiastics had + scandalously degenerated from the model of apostolic purity, the most + worthless and corrupt were always the most eager to frequent, and disturb, + the episcopal assemblies. The conflict and fermentation of so many + opposite interests and tempers inflamed the passions of the bishops: 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 prudent 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 influence, the turbulent synod was + blindly impelled by the absurd or selfish motives of pride, hatred, or + resentment. The death of Meletius, which happened at the council of + Constantinople, presented the most favorable opportunity of terminating + the schism of Antioch, by suffering his aged rival, Paulinus, peaceably to + end his days in the episcopal chair. The faith and virtues of Paulinus + were unblemished. But his cause was supported by the Western churches; and + the bishops of the synod resolved to perpetuate the mischiefs of discord, + by the hasty ordination of a perjured candidate, <a href="#linknote-27.43" + name="linknoteref-27.43" id="linknoteref-27.43">43</a> rather than to betray the + imagined dignity of the East, which had been illustrated by the birth and + death of the Son of God. Such unjust and disorderly proceedings forced the + gravest members of the assembly to dissent and to secede; and the + clamorous majority which remained masters of the field of battle, could be + compared only to wasps or magpies, to a flight of cranes, or to a flock of + geese. <a href="#linknote-27.44" name="linknoteref-27.44" id="linknoteref-27.44">44</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.41" id="linknote-27.41"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 41 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.41">return</a>)<br /> [ Le Clerc has given a + curious extract (Bibliothèque Universelle, tom. xviii. p. 91-105) of the + theological sermons which Gregory Nazianzen pronounced at Constantinople + against the Arians, Eunomians, Macedonians, &c. He tells the + Macedonians, who deified the Father and the Son without the Holy Ghost, + that they might as well be styled Tritheists as Ditheists. Gregory himself + was almost a Tritheist; and his monarchy of heaven resembles a + well-regulated aristocracy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.42" id="linknote-27.42"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 42 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.42">return</a>)<br /> [ The first general council + of Constantinople now triumphs in the Vatican; but the popes had long + hesitated, and their hesitation perplexes, and almost staggers, the humble + Tillemont, (Mem. Eccles. tom. ix. p. 499, 500.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.43" id="linknote-27.43"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 43 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.43">return</a>)<br /> [ Before the death of + Meletius, six or eight of his most popular ecclesiastics, among whom was + Flavian, had abjured, for the sake of peace, the bishopric of Antioch, + (Sozomen, l. vii. c. 3, 11. Socrates, l. v. c. v.) Tillemont thinks it his + duty to disbelieve the story; but he owns that there are many + circumstances in the life of Flavian which seem inconsistent with the + praises of Chrysostom, and the character of a saint, (Mem. Eccles. tom. x. + p. 541.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.44" id="linknote-27.44"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 44 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.44">return</a>)<br /> [ Consult Gregory + Nazianzen, de Vita sua, tom. ii. p. 25-28. His general and particular + opinion of the clergy and their assemblies may be seen in verse and prose, + (tom. i. Orat. i. p. 33. Epist. lv. p. 814, tom. ii. Carmen x. p. 81.) + Such passages are faintly marked by Tillemont, and fairly produced by Le + Clerc.] + </p> + <p> + A suspicion may possibly arise, that so unfavorable a picture of + ecclesiastical synods has been drawn by the partial hand of some obstinate + heretic, or some malicious infidel. But the name of the sincere historian + who has conveyed this instructive 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 of Arianism, and the pillar of the orthodox + faith; a distinguished member of the council of Constantinople, 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, <a href="#linknote-27.45" name="linknoteref-27.45" + id="linknoteref-27.45">45</a> 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 Constantinople derived from the choice of + the people, and the approbation of the emperor. But Gregory soon became + the victim of malice and envy. The bishops of the East, his strenuous + adherents, provoked by his moderation in the affairs of Antioch, abandoned + him, without support, to the adverse faction of the Egyptians; who + disputed the validity of his election, and rigorously asserted the + obsolete canon, that prohibited the licentious practice of episcopal + translations. The pride, or the humility, of Gregory prompted him to + decline a contest which might have been imputed to ambition and avarice; + and he publicly offered, not without some mixture of indignation, to + renounce the government of a church which had been restored, and almost + created, by his labors. His resignation was accepted by the synod, and by + the emperor, with more readiness than he seems to have expected. At the + time when he might have hoped to enjoy the fruits of his victory, his + episcopal throne was filled by the senator Nectarius; and the new + archbishop, accidentally recommended by his easy temper and venerable + aspect, was obliged to delay the ceremony of his consecration, till he had + previously despatched the rites of his baptism. <a href="#linknote-27.46" + name="linknoteref-27.46" id="linknoteref-27.46">46</a> After this remarkable + experience of the ingratitude of princes and prelates, Gregory retired + once more to his obscure solitude of Cappadocia; where he employed the + remainder of his life, about eight years, in the exercises of poetry and + devotion. The title of Saint has been added to his name: but the + tenderness of his heart, <a href="#linknote-27.47" name="linknoteref-27.47" + id="linknoteref-27.47">47</a> and the elegance of his genius, reflect a more + pleasing lustre on the memory of Gregory Nazianzen. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.45" id="linknote-27.45"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 45 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.45">return</a>)<br /> [ See Gregory, tom. ii. de + Vita sua, p. 28-31. The fourteenth, twenty-seventh, and thirty-second + Orations were pronounced in the several stages of this business. The + peroration of the last, (tom. i. p. 528,) in which he takes a solemn leave + of men and angels, the city and the emperor, the East and the West, &c., + is pathetic, and almost sublime.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.46" id="linknote-27.46"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 46 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.46">return</a>)<br /> [ The whimsical ordination + of Nectarius is attested by Sozomen, (l. vii. c. 8;) but Tillemont + observes, (Mem. Eccles. tom. ix. p. 719,) Apres tout, ce narre de Sozomene + est si honteux, pour tous ceux qu’il y mele, et surtout pour Theodose, + qu’il vaut mieux travailler a le detruire, qu’a le soutenir; an admirable + canon of criticism!] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.47" id="linknote-27.47"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 47 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.47">return</a>)<br /> [ I can only be understood + to mean, that such was his natural temper when it was not hardened, or + inflamed, by religious zeal. From his retirement, he exhorts Nectarius to + prosecute the heretics of Constantinople.] + </p> + <p> + It was not enough that Theodosius had suppressed the insolent reign of + Arianism, or that he had abundantly revenged the injuries which the + Catholics sustained from the zeal of Constantius and Valens. The orthodox + emperor considered every heretic as a rebel against the supreme powers of + heaven and of earth; and each of those powers might exercise their + peculiar jurisdiction over the soul and body of the guilty. The decrees of + the council of Constantinople had ascertained the true standard of the + faith; and the ecclesiastics, who governed the conscience of Theodosius, + suggested the most effectual methods of persecution. In the space of + fifteen years, he promulgated at least fifteen severe edicts against the + heretics; <a href="#linknote-27.48" name="linknoteref-27.48" id="linknoteref-27.48">48</a> + more especially against those who rejected the doctrine of the Trinity; + and to deprive them of every hope of escape, he sternly enacted, that if + any laws or rescripts should be alleged in their favor, the judges should + consider them as the illegal productions either of fraud or forgery. The + penal statutes were directed against the ministers, the assemblies, and + the persons of the heretics; and the passions of the legislator were + expressed in the language of declamation and invective. I. The heretical + teachers, who usurped the sacred titles of Bishops, or Presbyters, were + not only excluded from the privileges and emoluments so liberally granted + to the orthodox clergy, but they were exposed to the heavy penalties of + exile and confiscation, if they presumed to preach the doctrine, or to + practise the rites, of their accursed sects. A fine of ten pounds of gold + (above four hundred pounds sterling) was imposed on every person who + should dare to confer, or receive, 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 which 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 night, in + cities or in the country, were equally proscribed 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 of the heretics could proceed only from the + obstinate temper of their minds; and that such a temper was a fit object + of censure and punishment. The anathemas of the church were fortified by a + sort of civil excommunication; which separated them from their + fellow-citizens, by a peculiar brand of infamy; and this declaration of + the supreme magistrate tended to justify, or at least to excuse, the + insults of a fanatic populace. The sectaries were gradually disqualified + from the possession of honorable or lucrative employments; and Theodosius + was satisfied with his own justice, when he decreed, that, as the + Eunomians distinguished the nature of the Son from that of the Father, + they should be incapable of making their wills or of receiving any + advantage from testamentary donations. The guilt of the Manichaean heresy + was esteemed of such magnitude, that it could be expiated only by the + death of the offender; and the same capital punishment was inflicted on + the Audians, or Quartodecimans, <a href="#linknote-27.49" + name="linknoteref-27.49" id="linknoteref-27.49">49</a> who should dare to + perpetrate the atrocious crime of celebrating on an improper day the + festival of Easter. Every Roman might exercise the right of public + accusation; but the office of Inquisitors of the Faith, a name so + deservedly 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 reclaim, or terrify, his refractory subjects. <a + href="#linknote-27.50" name="linknoteref-27.50" id="linknoteref-27.50">50</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.48" id="linknote-27.48"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 48 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.48">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Theodosian Code, + l. xvi. tit. v. leg. 6—23, with Godefroy’s commentary on each law, + and his general summary, or Paratitlon, tom vi. p. 104-110.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.49" id="linknote-27.49"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 49 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.49">return</a>)<br /> [ They always kept their + Easter, like the Jewish Passover, on the fourteenth day of the first moon + after the vernal equinox; and thus pertinaciously opposed the Roman Church + and Nicene synod, which had fixed Easter to a Sunday. Bingham’s + Antiquities, l. xx. c. 5, vol. ii. p. 309, fol. edit.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.50" id="linknote-27.50"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 50 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.50">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen, l. vii. c. 12.] + </p> + <p> + The theory of persecution was established by Theodosius, whose justice and + piety have been applauded by the saints: but the practice of it, in the + fullest extent, was reserved for his rival and colleague, Maximus, the + first, among the Christian princes, who shed the blood of his Christian + subjects on account of their religious opinions. The cause of the + Priscillianists, <a href="#linknote-27.51" name="linknoteref-27.51" + id="linknoteref-27.51">51</a> a recent sect of heretics, who disturbed the + provinces of Spain, was transferred, by appeal, from the synod of Bordeaux + to the Imperial consistory of Treves; and by the sentence of the + Prætorian praefect, seven persons were tortured, condemned, and executed. + The first of these was Priscillian <a href="#linknote-27.52" + name="linknoteref-27.52" id="linknoteref-27.52">52</a> himself, bishop of Avila, + in Spain; who adorned the advantages of birth and fortune, by the + accomplishments of eloquence and learning. <a href="#linknote-27.53" + name="linknoteref-27.53" id="linknoteref-27.53">53</a> Two presbyters, and two + deacons, accompanied their beloved master in his death, which they + esteemed as a glorious martyrdom; and the number of religious victims was + completed by the execution of Latronian, a poet, who rivalled the fame of + the ancients; and of Euchrocia, a noble matron of Bordeaux, the widow of + the orator Delphidius. <a href="#linknote-27.54" name="linknoteref-27.54" + id="linknoteref-27.54">54</a> Two bishops who had embraced the sentiments of + Priscillian, were condemned to a distant and dreary exile; <a + href="#linknote-27.55" name="linknoteref-27.55" id="linknoteref-27.55">55</a> and + some indulgence was shown to the meaner criminals, who assumed the merit + of an early repentance. If any credit could be allowed to confessions + extorted by fear or pain, and to vague reports, the offspring of malice + and credulity, the heresy of the Priscillianists would be found to include + the various abominations of magic, of impiety, and of lewdness. <a + href="#linknote-27.56" name="linknoteref-27.56" id="linknoteref-27.56">56</a> + Priscillian, who wandered about the world in the company of his spiritual + sisters, was accused of praying stark naked in the midst of the + congregation; and it was confidently asserted, that the effects of his + criminal intercourse with the daughter of Euchrocia had been suppressed, + by means still more odious and criminal. But an accurate, or rather a + candid, inquiry will discover, that if the Priscillianists violated the + laws of nature, it was not by the licentiousness, but by the austerity, of + their lives. They absolutely condemned the use of the marriage-bed; and + the peace of families was often disturbed by indiscreet separations. They + enjoyed, or recommended, a total abstinence from all animal food; and their + continual prayers, fasts, and vigils, inculcated a rule of strict and + perfect devotion. The speculative tenets of the sect, concerning the + person of Christ, and the nature of the human soul, were derived from the + Gnostic and Manichaean 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 Priscillian suffered languished, and + gradually disappeared: his tenets were rejected by the clergy and people, + but his death was the subject of a long and vehement controversy; while + some arraigned, and others applauded, the justice of his sentence. It is + with pleasure that we can observe the humane inconsistency of the most + illustrious saints and bishops, Ambrose of Milan, <a href="#linknote-27.57" + name="linknoteref-27.57" id="linknoteref-27.57">57</a> and Martin of Tours, <a + href="#linknote-27.58" name="linknoteref-27.58" id="linknoteref-27.58">58</a> who, + on this occasion, asserted the cause of toleration. They pitied the + unhappy men, who had been executed at Treves; they refused to hold + communion with their episcopal murderers; and if Martin deviated from that + generous resolution, his motives were laudable, and his repentance was + exemplary. The bishops 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 feelings of + nature resisted the artificial prejudices of theology. The humanity of + Ambrose and Martin was confirmed by the scandalous irregularity of the + proceedings against Priscillian and his adherents. The civil and + ecclesiastical ministers had transgressed the limits of their respective + provinces. The secular judge had presumed to receive an appeal, and to + pronounce a definitive sentence, in a matter of faith, and episcopal + jurisdiction. The bishops had disgraced themselves, by exercising the + functions of accusers in a criminal prosecution. The cruelty of Ithacius, + <a href="#linknote-27.59" name="linknoteref-27.59" id="linknoteref-27.59">59</a> + who beheld the tortures, and solicited the death, of the heretics, + provoked the just indignation of mankind; and the vices of that profligate + 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 methodized 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 of + the offender, is expressed in the mild language of pity and intercession. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.51" id="linknote-27.51"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 51 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.51">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Sacred History of + Sulpicius Severus, (l. ii. p. 437-452, edit. Ludg. Bat. 1647,) a correct + and original writer. Dr. Lardner (Credibility, &c., part ii. vol. ix. + p. 256-350) has labored this article with pure learning, good sense, and + moderation. Tillemont (Mem. Eccles. tom. viii. p. 491-527) has raked + together all the dirt of the fathers; a useful scavenger!] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.52" id="linknote-27.52"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 52 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.52">return</a>)<br /> [ Severus Sulpicius + mentions the arch-heretic with esteem and pity Faelix profecto, si non + pravo studio corrupisset optimum ingenium prorsus multa in eo animi et + corporis bona cerneres. (Hist. Sacra, l ii. p. 439.) Even Jerom (tom. i. + in Script. Eccles. p. 302) speaks with temper of Priscillian and + Latronian.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.53" id="linknote-27.53"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 53 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.53">return</a>)<br /> [ The bishopric (in Old + Castile) is now worth 20,000 ducats a year, (Busching’s Geography, vol. + ii. p. 308,) and is therefore much less likely to produce the author of a + new heresy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.54" id="linknote-27.54"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 54 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.54">return</a>)<br /> [ Exprobrabatur mulieri + viduae nimia religio, et diligentius culta divinitas, (Pacat. in Panegyr. + Vet. xii. 29.) Such was the idea of a humane, though ignorant, + polytheist.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.55" id="linknote-27.55"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 55 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.55">return</a>)<br /> [ One of them was sent in + Sillinam insulam quae ultra Britannianest. What must have been the ancient + condition of the rocks of Scilly? (Camden’s Britannia, vol. ii. p. 1519.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.56" id="linknote-27.56"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 56 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.56">return</a>)<br /> [ The scandalous calumnies + of Augustin, Pope Leo, &c., which Tillemont swallows like a child, and + Lardner refutes like a man, may suggest some candid suspicions in favor of + the older Gnostics.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.57" id="linknote-27.57"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 57 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.57">return</a>)<br /> [ Ambros. tom. ii. Epist. + xxiv. p. 891.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.58" id="linknote-27.58"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 58 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.58">return</a>)<br /> [ In the Sacred History, + and the Life of St. Martin, Sulpicius Severus uses some caution; but he + declares himself more freely in the Dialogues, (iii. 15.) Martin was + reproved, however, by his own conscience, and by an angel; nor could he + afterwards perform miracles with so much ease.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.59" id="linknote-27.59"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 59 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.59">return</a>)<br /> [ The Catholic Presbyter + (Sulp. Sever. l. ii. p. 448) and the Pagan Orator (Pacat. in Panegyr. Vet. + xii. 29) reprobate, with equal indignation, the character and conduct of + Ithacius.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap27.3"></a> +Chapter XXVII: Civil Wars, Reign Of Theodosius.—Part III. +</h2> + <p> + Among the ecclesiastics, who illustrated the reign of Theodosius, Gregory + Nazianzen was distinguished by the talents of an eloquent preacher; the + reputation of miraculous gifts added weight and dignity to the monastic + virtues of Martin of Tours; <a href="#linknote-27.60" name="linknoteref-27.60" + id="linknoteref-27.60">60</a> but the palm of episcopal vigor and ability was + justly claimed by the intrepid Ambrose. <a href="#linknote-27.61" + name="linknoteref-27.61" id="linknoteref-27.61">61</a> He was descended from a + noble family of Romans; his father had exercised the important office of + Prætorian praefect of Gaul; and the son, after passing through the + studies of a liberal education, attained, in the regular gradation of + civil honors, the station of consular of Liguria, a province which + included the Imperial residence of Milan. At the age of thirty-four, and + before he had received the sacrament of baptism, Ambrose, to his own + surprise, and to that of the world, was suddenly transformed from a + governor to an archbishop. Without the least mixture, as it is said, of + art or intrigue, the whole body of the people unanimously saluted him with + the episcopal title; the concord and perseverance of their acclamations + were ascribed to a praeternatural impulse; and the reluctant magistrate + was compelled to undertake a spiritual office, for which he was not + prepared by the habits and occupations of his former life. But the active + force of his genius soon qualified him to exercise, with zeal and + prudence, the duties of his ecclesiastical jurisdiction; 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 control the administration of the + empire. Gratian loved and revered him as a father; and the elaborate + treatise on the faith of the Trinity was designed for the instruction of + the 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 different embassies, to the + court of Treves. He exercised, with equal firmness and dexterity, the + powers of his spiritual and political characters; and perhaps contributed, + by his authority and eloquence, to check the ambition of Maximus, and to + protect the peace of Italy. <a href="#linknote-27.62" name="linknoteref-27.62" + id="linknoteref-27.62">62</a> Ambrose had devoted his life, and his + abilities, to the service of the church. Wealth was the object of his + contempt; he had renounced his private patrimony; and he sold, without + hesitation, the consecrated plate, for the redemption of captives. The + clergy and people of Milan were attached to their archbishop; and he + deserved the esteem, without soliciting the favor, or apprehending the + displeasure, of his feeble sovereigns. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.60" id="linknote-27.60"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 60 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.60">return</a>)<br /> [ The Life of St. Martin, + and the Dialogues concerning his miracles contain facts adapted to the + grossest barbarism, in a style not unworthy of the Augustan age. So + natural is the alliance between good taste and good sense, that I am + always astonished by this contrast.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.61" id="linknote-27.61"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 61 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.61">return</a>)<br /> [ The short and superficial + Life of St. Ambrose, by his deacon Paulinus, (Appendix ad edit. Benedict. + p. i.—xv.,) has the merit of original evidence. Tillemont (Mem. + Eccles. tom. x. p. 78-306) and the Benedictine editors (p. xxxi.—lxiii.) + have labored with their usual diligence.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.62" id="linknote-27.62"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 62 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.62">return</a>)<br /> [ Ambrose himself (tom. ii. + Epist. xxiv. p. 888—891) gives the emperor a very spirited account + of his own embassy.] + </p> + <p> + The government of Italy, and of the young emperor, naturally devolved to + his mother Justina, a woman of beauty and spirit, but who, in the midst of + an orthodox people, had the misfortune of professing the Arian heresy, + which she endeavored to instil into the mind of her son. Justina was + persuaded, that a Roman emperor might claim, in his own dominions, the + public exercise of his religion; and she proposed to the archbishop, as a + moderate and reasonable concession, that he should resign the use of a + single church, either in the city or the suburbs of Milan. But the conduct + of Ambrose was governed by very different principles. <a + href="#linknote-27.63" name="linknoteref-27.63" id="linknoteref-27.63">63</a> The + palaces of the earth might indeed belong to Caesar; but 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 minister of God. The + privileges of Christianity, temporal as well 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 + archbishop, who refused to hold 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 impious sacrilege; and Justina, + who resented the refusal as an act of insolence and rebellion, hastily + determined to exert the Imperial prerogative of her son. As she desired to + perform her public devotions on the approaching festival of Easter, + Ambrose was ordered to appear before the council. He obeyed the summons + with the respect of a faithful subject, but he was followed, without his + consent, by an innumerable people; they pressed, with impetuous zeal, + against the gates of the palace; and the affrighted ministers of + Valentinian, instead of pronouncing a sentence of exile on the archbishop + of Milan, humbly requested that he would interpose his authority, to + protect the person of the emperor, and to restore the tranquility of the + capital. But the promises which Ambrose received and communicated were + soon violated by a perfidious court; and, during six of the most solemn + days, which Christian piety had 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. The splendid 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 ventured to show themselves in the + streets, were exposed to the most imminent danger of their lives; and + Ambrose enjoyed the merit and reputation of rescuing his personal enemies + from the hands of the enraged multitude. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.63" id="linknote-27.63"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 63 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.63">return</a>)<br /> [ His own representation of + his principles and conduct (tom. ii. Epist. xx xxi. xxii. p. 852-880) is + one of the curious monuments of ecclesiastical antiquity. It contains two + letters to his sister Marcellina, with a petition to Valentinian and the + sermon de Basilicis non madendis.] + </p> + <p> + But while he labored to restrain the effects of their zeal, the pathetic + vehemence of his sermons continually inflamed the angry and seditious + temper of the people of Milan. The characters 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 most 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 merchants 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 + the ministers of Valentinian imprudently confessed, 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 timely compliance with the will of his sovereign. The reply of Ambrose + was couched in the most humble and respectful terms, which might, however, + be interpreted as a serious declaration of civil war. “His life and + fortune were in the hands of the emperor; but he would never betray the + church of Christ, or degrade the dignity of the episcopal character. In + such a cause he was prepared to suffer whatever the malice of the daemon + could inflict; and he only wished to die in the presence of his faithful + flock, and at the foot of the altar; he had not contributed to excite, but + it was in the power of God alone to appease, the rage of the people: he + deprecated the scenes of blood and confusion which were likely to ensue; + and it was his fervent prayer, that he might not survive to behold the + ruin of a flourishing city, and perhaps the desolation of all Italy.” <a + href="#linknote-27.64" name="linknoteref-27.64" id="linknoteref-27.64">64</a> The + obstinate bigotry of Justina would have endangered the empire of her son, + if, in this contest with the church and people of Milan, she could have + depended on the active obedience of the troops of the palace. A large body + of Goths had 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 foreign mercenaries, that they would not entertain any + scruples in the execution of the most sanguinary orders. They were + encountered, on the sacred threshold, by the archbishop, who, thundering + 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 + had 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 Catholics in possession of all the churches of Milan; and to + dissemble, till a more convenient season, her intentions of revenge. The + mother of Valentinian 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. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.64" id="linknote-27.64"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 64 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.64">return</a>)<br /> [ Retz had a similar + message from the queen, to request that he would appease the tumult of + Paris. It was no longer in his power, &c. A quoi j’ajoutai tout ce que + vous pouvez vous imaginer de respect de douleur, de regret, et de + soumission, &c. (Mémoires, tom. i. p. 140.) Certainly I do not compare + either the causes or the men yet the coadjutor himself had some idea (p. + 84) of imitating St. Ambrose] + </p> + <p> + The laws of the empire, some of which were inscribed with the name of + Valentinian, still condemned the Arian heresy, and seemed to excuse the + resistance of the Catholics. By the influence of Justina, 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, that all + persons who should infringe this sacred and salutary constitution, should + be capitally punished, as the enemies of the public peace. <a + href="#linknote-27.65" name="linknoteref-27.65" id="linknoteref-27.65">65</a> The + character and language of the archbishop of Milan may justify the + suspicion, that his conduct 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 tyranny. A sentence of easy and honorable + 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. But the authority of the saints, who + have preached and practised the maxims of passive loyalty, appeared to + Ambrose of less moment than the extreme and pressing danger of the church. + He boldly refused to obey; and his refusal was supported by the unanimous + consent of his faithful people. <a href="#linknote-27.66" + name="linknoteref-27.66" id="linknoteref-27.66">66</a> 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 + blockade, were unwilling to risk the attack, of that impregnable fortress. + The numerous poor, who had been relieved by the liberality of Ambrose, + embraced the fair occasion of signalizing their zeal and gratitude; and as + the patience of the multitude might have been exhausted by the length and + uniformity of nocturnal vigils, he prudently introduced into the church of + Milan the useful institution of 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 martyrs, Gervasius and + Protasius, <a href="#linknote-27.67" name="linknoteref-27.67" id="linknoteref-27.67">67</a> + had been deposited above three hundred years. Immediately under the + pavement of the church two perfect skeletons were found, <a + href="#linknote-27.68" name="linknoteref-27.68" id="linknoteref-27.68">68</a> with + the heads separated from their bodies, and a plentiful effusion of blood. + The holy relics were presented, in solemn pomp, to the veneration of the + people; and every circumstance of this fortunate discovery was admirably + adapted to promote the designs of Ambrose. The bones of the martyrs, their + blood, their garments, were supposed to contain a healing power; and the + praeternatural influence was communicated to the most distant objects, + without losing any part of its original virtue. The extraordinary cure of + a blind man, <a href="#linknote-27.69" name="linknoteref-27.69" + id="linknoteref-27.69">69</a> and the reluctant confessions of several + daemoniacs, appeared to justify the faith and sanctity of Ambrose; and the + truth of those miracles is attested by Ambrose himself, by his secretary + Paulinus, and by his proselyte, the celebrated Augustin, who, at that + time, professed 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 representations which were exhibited by the + contrivance, and at the expense, of the archbishop. <a href="#linknote-27.70" + name="linknoteref-27.70" id="linknoteref-27.70">70</a> Their effect, however, on + the minds of the people, was rapid and irresistible; and the feeble + sovereign of Italy found himself unable to contend with the favorite of + Heaven. The powers likewise of the earth interposed in the defence of + Ambrose: the disinterested advice of Theodosius was the genuine result of + piety and friendship; and the mask of religious zeal concealed the hostile + and ambitious designs of the tyrant of Gaul. <a href="#linknote-27.71" + name="linknoteref-27.71" id="linknoteref-27.71">71</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.65" id="linknote-27.65"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 65 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.65">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen alone (l. vii. c. + 13) throws this luminous fact into a dark and perplexed narrative.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.66" id="linknote-27.66"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 66 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.66">return</a>)<br /> [ Excubabat pia plebs in + ecclesia, mori parata cum episcopo suo.... Nos, adhuc frigidi, excitabamur + tamen civitate attonita atque curbata. Augustin. Confession. l. ix. c. 7] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.67" id="linknote-27.67"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 67 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.67">return</a>)<br /> [ Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. + tom. ii. p. 78, 498. Many churches in Italy, Gaul, &c., were dedicated + to these unknown martyrs, of whom St. Gervaise seems to have been more + fortunate than his companion.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.68" id="linknote-27.68"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 68 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.68">return</a>)<br /> [ Invenimus mirae + magnitudinis viros duos, ut prisca aetas ferebat, tom. ii. Epist. xxii. p. + 875. The size of these skeletons was fortunately, or skillfully, suited to + the popular prejudice of the gradual decrease of the human stature, which + has prevailed in every age since the time of Homer.—Grandiaque + effossis mirabitur ossa sepulchris.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.69" id="linknote-27.69"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 69 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.69">return</a>)<br /> [ Ambros. tom. ii. Epist. + xxii. p. 875. Augustin. Confes, l. ix. c. 7, de Civitat. Dei, l. xxii. c. + 8. Paulin. in Vita St. Ambros. c. 14, in Append. Benedict. p. 4. The blind + man’s name was Severus; he touched the holy garment, recovered his sight, + and devoted the rest of his life (at least twenty-five years) to the + service of the church. I should recommend this miracle to our divines, if + it did not prove the worship of relics, as well as the Nicene creed.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.70" id="linknote-27.70"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 70 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.70">return</a>)<br /> [ Paulin, in Tit. St. + Ambros. c. 5, in Append. Benedict. p. 5.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.71" id="linknote-27.71"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 71 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.71">return</a>)<br /> [ Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. + tom. x. p. 190, 750. He partially allow the mediation of Theodosius, and + capriciously rejects that of Maximus, though it is attested by Prosper, + Sozomen, and Theodoret.] + </p> + <p> + The reign of Maximus might have ended in peace and prosperity, could he + have contented himself with the possession of three ample countries, which + now constitute the three most flourishing kingdoms of modern Europe. But + the aspiring usurper, whose sordid ambition was not dignified by the love + of glory and of arms, considered his actual forces as the instruments only + of his future greatness, and his success was the immediate cause of his + destruction. The wealth which he extorted <a href="#linknote-27.72" + name="linknoteref-27.72" id="linknoteref-27.72">72</a> from the oppressed + provinces of Gaul, Spain, and Britain, was employed in levying and + maintaining a formidable army of Barbarians, collected, for the most part, + from the fiercest nations of Germany. The conquest of Italy was the object + of his hopes and preparations: and he secretly meditated the ruin of an + innocent youth, whose government was abhorred and despised by his Catholic + subjects. But as Maximus wished to occupy, without resistance, the passes + of the Alps, he received, with perfidious smiles, Domninus of Syria, the + ambassador of Valentinian, and pressed him to accept the aid of a + considerable body of troops, for the service of a Pannonian war. The + penetration of Ambrose had discovered the snares of an enemy under the + professions of friendship; <a href="#linknote-27.73" name="linknoteref-27.73" + id="linknoteref-27.73">73</a> but the Syrian Domninus was corrupted, or + deceived, by the liberal favor 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 fortresses of the Alps. But the crafty tyrant + followed, with hasty and silent footsteps, in the rear; and, as he + diligently intercepted all intelligence of his motions, the gleam of + armor, 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 accuse their own 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 within 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 the same fate from the hands of the same + assassin. Maximus entered Milan in triumph; and if the wise archbishop + refused a dangerous and criminal connection with the usurper, he might + indirectly contribute to the success of his arms, by inculcating, from the + pulpit, the duty of resignation, rather than that of resistance. <a + href="#linknote-27.74" name="linknoteref-27.74" id="linknoteref-27.74">74</a> The + unfortunate Justina reached Aquileia in safety; but she distrusted the + strength of the fortifications: she dreaded the event of a siege; and she + resolved to implore the protection of the great Theodosius, whose power + and virtue were celebrated in all the countries of the West. A vessel was + secretly provided to transport the Imperial family; they embarked with + precipitation in one of the obscure harbors of Venetia, or Istria; + traversed the whole extent of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas; turned the + extreme promontory of Peloponnesus; and, after a long, but successful + navigation, reposed themselves in the port of Thessalonica. All the + subjects 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 Aemona, on the verge of Italy, had not presumed to stop the + career of his inglorious victory, Maximus would have obtained, without a + struggle, the sole possession of the Western empire. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.72" id="linknote-27.72"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 72 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.72">return</a>)<br /> [ The modest censure of + Sulpicius (Dialog. iii. 15) inflicts a much deeper wound than the + declamation of Pacatus, (xii. 25, 26.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.73" id="linknote-27.73"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 73 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.73">return</a>)<br /> [ Esto tutior adversus + hominem, pacis involurco tegentem, was the wise caution of Ambrose (tom. + ii. p. 891) after his return from his second embassy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.74" id="linknote-27.74"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 74 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.74">return</a>)<br /> [ Baronius (A.D. 387, No. + 63) applies to this season of public distress some of the penitential + sermons of the archbishop.] + </p> + <p> + Instead of inviting his royal guests to take the palace of Constantinople, + Theodosius had some unknown reasons to fix their residence at + Thessalonica; but these reasons did not proceed from contempt or + indifference, as he speedily made a visit to that city, accompanied by the + greatest part of his court and senate. After the first tender expressions + of friendship and sympathy, the pious emperor of the East gently + admonished Justina, that the guilt of heresy was sometimes punished in + this world, as well as in the next; and that the public profession of the + Nicene faith would be the most efficacious step to promote the restoration + of her 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 alleged on the side of honor and justice, had acquired, since the + death of Gratian, a considerable 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 + injuries. Neither oaths nor treaties could restrain the boundless ambition + of Maximus; and the delay of vigorous and decisive measures, instead of + prolonging the blessings of peace, would expose the Eastern empire to the + danger of a hostile invasion. The Barbarians, who had passed the Danube, + had lately assumed the character of soldiers and subjects, but their + native fierceness was yet untamed: and the operations of a war, which + would exercise their valor, and diminish their numbers, might tend to + relieve the provinces from an intolerable oppression. Notwithstanding + these specious and solid reasons, 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 reconciliation; and his + magnanimous character was not disgraced by the apprehensions which he felt + for the safety of his infant sons, and the welfare of his exhausted + people. In this moment of anxious doubt, while the fate of the Roman world + depended on the resolution of a single man, the charms of the princess + Galla most powerfully pleaded the cause of her brother Valentinian. <a + href="#linknote-27.75" name="linknoteref-27.75" id="linknoteref-27.75">75</a> The + heart of Theodosius wa softened by the tears of beauty; his affections + were insensibly engaged by the graces of youth and innocence: the art of + Justina managed and directed the impulse of passion; and the celebration + of the royal nuptials was the assurance and signal of the civil war. The + unfeeling critics, who consider every amorous weakness as an indelible + stain on the memory of a great and orthodox emperor, are inclined, on this + occasion, to dispute the suspicious evidence of the historian Zosimus. For + my own part, I shall frankly confess, that I am willing to find, or even + to seek, in the revolutions of the world, some traces of the mild and + tender sentiments of domestic life; and amidst the crowd of fierce and + ambitious conquerors, I can distinguish, with peculiar complacency, a + gentle hero, who may be supposed to receive his armor from the hands of + love. The alliance of the Persian king was secured by the faith of + treaties; the martial Barbarians were persuaded to follow the standard, or + to respect the frontiers, of an active and liberal monarch; and the + dominions of Theodosius, from the Euphrates to the Adriatic, 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 distracted + the attention of Maximus. He had reason to fear, that a chosen body of + troops, under the command of the intrepid Arbogastes, would direct their + march along the banks of the Danube, and boldly penetrate through the + Rhaetian provinces into the centre of Gaul. A powerful fleet was equipped + in the harbors of Greece and Epirus, with an apparent design, that, as + soon as the passage had been opened by a naval victory, Valentinian and + his mother should land in Italy, proceed, without delay, to Rome, and + occupy the majestic seat of religion and empire. In the mean while, + Theodosius himself advanced at the head of a brave and disciplined army, + to encounter his unworthy rival, who, after the siege of Aemona, <a + href="#linknote-27.7511" name="linknoteref-27.7511" id="linknoteref-27.7511">7511</a> + had fixed his camp in the neighborhood of Siscia, a city of Pannonia, + strongly fortified by the broad and rapid stream of the Save. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.75" id="linknote-27.75"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 75 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.75">return</a>)<br /> [ The flight of + Valentinian, and the love of Theodosius for his sister, are related by + Zosimus, (l. iv. p. 263, 264.) Tillemont produces some weak and ambiguous + evidence to antedate the second marriage of Theodosius, (Hist. des + Empereurs, to. v. p. 740,) and consequently to refute ces contes de + Zosime, qui seroient trop contraires a la piete de Theodose.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.7511" id="linknote-27.7511"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7511 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.7511">return</a>)<br /> [ Aemonah, Laybach. + Siscia Sciszek.—M.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap27.4"></a> +Chapter XXVII: Civil Wars, Reign Of Theodosius.—Part IV. +</h2> + <p> + The veterans, who still remembered the long resistance, and successive + resources, of the tyrant Magnentius, might prepare themselves for the + labors of three bloody campaigns. But the contest with his successor, who, + like him, had usurped the throne of the West, was easily decided in the + term of two months, <a href="#linknote-27.76" name="linknoteref-27.76" + id="linknoteref-27.76">76</a> and within the space of two hundred miles. The + superior genius of the emperor of the East might prevail over the feeble + Maximus, who, in this important crisis, showed himself destitute of + military skill, or personal courage; but the abilities of Theodosius were + seconded by the advantage which he possessed of a numerous and active + cavalry. The Huns, the Alani, and, after their example, the Goths + themselves, were formed into squadrons of archers; who fought on + horseback, and confounded the steady valor of the Gauls and Germans, 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 into the 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 on the opposite + side. Marcellinus, the tyrant’s brother, advanced to support them with 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 Maximus threw down their arms at the feet of + the conqueror. Without suspending his march, to receive the loyal + acclamations of the citizens of Aemona, Theodosius pressed forwards to + terminate the war by the death or captivity of his rival, who fled before + him with the diligence of fear. From the summit of the Julian Alps, he + descended with such incredible speed into the plain of Italy, that he + reached Aquileia on the evening 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 the effort of a victorious + enemy; and the despair, the disaffection, the indifference of the soldiers + and people, hastened the downfall of the wretched Maximus. He was dragged + from his throne, rudely stripped of the Imperial ornaments, the robe, the + diadem, and the purple slippers; and conducted, like a malefactor, to the + camp and presence of Theodosius, at a place about three miles from + Aquileia. The behavior of the emperor was not intended to insult, and he + showed disposition to pity and forgive, the tyrant of the West, who had + never been his personal enemy, and was now become the object of his + contempt. Our sympathy is the most forcibly excited by the misfortunes to + which we are exposed; and the spectacle of a proud competitor, 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, and 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 + separated his head from his body. The intelligence of his defeat and death + was received with sincere or well-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 Arbogastes; and all the military plans of Theodosius + were successfully executed. When he had thus terminated the civil war, + with less difficulty and bloodshed than he might naturally expect, he + employed the winter months of his residence at Milan, to restore the state + of the afflicted provinces; and early in the spring he made, after the + example of Constantine and Constantius, his triumphal entry into the + ancient capital of the Roman empire. <a href="#linknote-27.77" + name="linknoteref-27.77" id="linknoteref-27.77">77</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.76" id="linknote-27.76"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 76 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.76">return</a>)<br /> [ See Godefroy’s Chronology + of the Laws, Cod. Theodos, tom l. p. cxix.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.77" id="linknote-27.77"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 77 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.77">return</a>)<br /> [ Besides the hints which + may be gathered from chronicles and ecclesiastical history, Zosimus (l. + iv. p. 259—267,) Orosius, (l. vii. c. 35,) and Pacatus, (in Panegyr. + Vet. xii. 30-47,) supply the loose and scanty materials of this civil war. + Ambrose (tom. ii. Epist. xl. p. 952, 953) darkly alludes to the well-known + events of a magazine surprised, an action at Petovio, a Sicilian, perhaps + a naval, victory, &c., Ausonius (p. 256, edit. Toll.) applauds the + peculiar merit and good fortune of Aquileia.] + </p> + <p> + The orator, who may be silent without danger, may praise without + difficulty, and without reluctance; <a href="#linknote-27.78" + name="linknoteref-27.78" id="linknoteref-27.78">78</a> and posterity will + confess, that the character of Theodosius <a href="#linknote-27.79" + name="linknoteref-27.79" id="linknoteref-27.79">79</a> might furnish the subject + of a sincere and ample panegyric. The wisdom of his laws, and the success + of his arms, rendered his administration respectable in the eyes both of + his subjects and of his enemies. He loved and practised the virtues of + domestic life, which seldom hold their residence in the palaces of kings. + Theodosius was chaste and temperate; he enjoyed, without excess, the + sensual and social pleasures of the table; and the warmth of his amorous + passions was never diverted from their lawful objects. The proud titles of + Imperial greatness were adorned by the tender names of a faithful husband, + an indulgent father; his uncle was raised, by his affectionate esteem, to + the rank of a second parent: Theodosius embraced, as his own, the children + of his brother and sister; and the expressions of his regard were extended + to the most distant and obscure branches of his numerous kindred. His + familiar friends were judiciously selected from among those persons, who, + in the equal intercourse of private life, had appeared before his eyes + without a mask; the consciousness of personal and superior merit enabled + him to despise the accidental distinction of the purple; and he proved by + his conduct, that he had forgotten all the injuries, while he most + gratefully remembered all the favors and services, which he had received + before he ascended the throne of the Roman empire. The serious or lively + tone of his conversation was adapted to the age, the rank, or the + character of his subjects, whom he admitted into his society; and the + affability of his manners displayed the image of his mind. Theodosius + respected the simplicity of the good and virtuous: every art, every + talent, of a useful, or even of an innocent nature, was rewarded by his + judicious liberality; and, except the heretics, whom he persecuted with + implacable hatred, the diffusive circle of his benevolence was + circumscribed only by the limits of the human race. The government of a + mighty empire may assuredly suffice to occupy the time, and the abilities, + of a mortal: yet the diligent prince, without aspiring to the unsuitable + reputation of profound learning, always reserved some moments of his + leisure for the instructive amusement of reading. History, which enlarged + his experience, was his favorite study. The annals of Rome, in the long + period of eleven hundred years, presented him with a various and splendid + picture of human life: and it has been particularly observed, that + whenever he perused the cruel acts of Cinna, of Marius, or of Sylla, he + warmly expressed 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 prosperity was that of his moderation; and his clemency + appeared the most conspicuous after the danger and success of a 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 showed himself much more + attentive to relieve the innocent than to chastise the guilty. The + oppressed subjects of the West, who would have deemed themselves happy in + the restoration of their lands, were astonished to receive a sum of money + equivalent to their losses; and the liberality of the conqueror supported + the aged mother, and educated the orphan daughters, of Maximus. <a + href="#linknote-27.80" name="linknoteref-27.80" id="linknoteref-27.80">80</a> A + character thus accomplished might almost excuse the extravagant + supposition of the orator Pacatus; that, if the elder Brutus could be + permitted to revisit the earth, the stern republican would abjure, at the + feet of Theodosius, his hatred of kings; and ingenuously confess, that + such a monarch was the most faithful guardian of the happiness and dignity + of the Roman people. <a href="#linknote-27.81" name="linknoteref-27.81" + id="linknoteref-27.81">81</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.78" id="linknote-27.78"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 78 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.78">return</a>)<br /> [ Quam promptum laudare + principem, tam tutum siluisse de principe, (Pacat. in Panegyr. Vet. xii. + 2.) Latinus Pacatus Drepanius, a native of Gaul, pronounced this oration + at Rome, (A.D. 388.) He was afterwards proconsul of Africa; and his friend + Ausonius praises him as a poet second only to Virgil. See Tillemont, Hist. + des Empereurs, tom. v. p. 303.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.79" id="linknote-27.79"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 79 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.79">return</a>)<br /> [ See the fair portrait of + Theodosius, by the younger Victor; the strokes are distinct, and the + colors are mixed. The praise of Pacatus is too vague; and Claudian always + seems afraid of exalting the father above the son.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.80" id="linknote-27.80"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 80 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.80">return</a>)<br /> [ Ambros. tom. ii. Epist. + xl. p. 55. Pacatus, from the want of skill or of courage, omits this + glorious circumstance.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.81" id="linknote-27.81"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 81 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.81">return</a>)<br /> [ Pacat. in Panegyr. Vet. + xii. 20.] + </p> + <p> + Yet the piercing eye of the founder of the republic must have discerned + two essential imperfections, which might, perhaps, have abated his recent + love of despostism. The virtuous mind of Theodosius was often relaxed by + indolence, <a href="#linknote-27.82" name="linknoteref-27.82" id="linknoteref-27.82">82</a> + and it was sometimes inflamed by passion. <a href="#linknote-27.83" + name="linknoteref-27.83" id="linknoteref-27.83">83</a> In the pursuit of an + important object, his active courage was capable of the most vigorous + exertions; but, as soon as the design was accomplished, or the danger was + surmounted, the hero sunk into inglorious repose; and, forgetful that the + time of a prince is the property of his people, resigned himself to the + enjoyment of the innocent, but trifling, pleasures of a luxurious court. + The natural disposition of Theodosius was hasty and choleric; and, in a + station where none could resist, and few would dissuade, the fatal + consequence of his resentment, the humane monarch was justly alarmed by + the consciousness of his infirmity and of his power. It was the constant + study of his life to suppress, or regulate, the intemperate sallies of + passion and the success of his efforts enhanced 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. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.82" id="linknote-27.82"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 82 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.82">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. iv. p. 271, + 272. His partial evidence is marked by an air of candor and truth. He + observes these vicissitudes of sloth and activity, not as a vice, but as a + singularity in the character of Theodosius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.83" id="linknote-27.83"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 83 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.83">return</a>)<br /> [ This choleric temper is + acknowledged and excused by Victor Sed habes (says Ambrose, in decent and + many language, to his sovereign) nature impetum, quem si quis lenire + velit, cito vertes ad misericordiam: si quis stimulet, in magis + exsuscitas, ut eum revocare vix possis, (tom. ii. Epist. li. p. 998.) + Theodosius (Claud. in iv. Hon. 266, &c.) exhorts his son to moderate + his anger.] + </p> + <p> + The lively impatience of the inhabitants of Antioch was never satisfied + with their own situation, or with the character and conduct of their + successive sovereigns. The Arian subjects of Theodosius deplored the loss + of their churches; and as three rival bishops disputed the throne of + Antioch, the sentence which decided their pretensions excited the murmurs + of the two unsuccessful congregations. The exigencies of the Gothic war, + and the inevitable expense that accompanied the conclusion of the peace, + had constrained the emperor to aggravate the 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 received a liberal + donative, than to the subjects, whose voluntary offerings had been long + since converted into an extraordinary and oppressive 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 the redress of + their grievances. They 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 invectives; and, from + the subordinate powers of government, the invectives of the people + insensibly rose to attack the sacred character of the emperor himself. + Their fury, provoked by a feeble opposition, discharged itself on the + images of the Imperial family, which were erected, as objects of public + veneration, in the most conspicuous places of the city. The statues of + Theodosius, of his father, of his wife Flaccilla, of his two sons, + Arcadius and Honorius, were insolently thrown down from their pedestals, + broken in pieces, or dragged with contempt 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 arrival of a body of + archers: and Antioch had leisure to reflect on the nature and consequences + of her crime. <a href="#linknote-27.84" name="linknoteref-27.84" + id="linknoteref-27.84">84</a> According to the duty of his office, the + governor of the province despatched a faithful narrative of the whole + transaction: while the trembling citizens intrusted the confession of + their crime, and the assurances of their repentance, to the zeal of + Flavian, their bishop, and to the eloquence of the senator Hilarius, the + friend, and most probably the disciple, of Libanius; whose genius, on this + melancholy occasion, was not useless to his country. <a href="#linknote-27.85" + name="linknoteref-27.85" id="linknoteref-27.85">85</a> 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 rumor agitated the hopes and fears of the Antiochians, and + they heard with terror, that their sovereign, exasperated by the insult + which had been offered to his own statues, and more especially, to those + of his beloved wife, had resolved to level with the ground the offending + city; and to massacre, without distinction of age or sex, the criminal + inhabitants; <a href="#linknote-27.86" name="linknoteref-27.86" + id="linknoteref-27.86">86</a> many of whom were actually driven, by their + apprehensions, to seek a refuge in the mountains of Syria, and the + adjacent desert. At length, twenty-four days after the sedition, the + general Hellebicus and Caesarius, master of the offices, declared the will + of the emperor, and the sentence of Antioch. That proud capital was + degraded from the rank of a city; and 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. <a + href="#linknote-27.87" name="linknoteref-27.87" id="linknoteref-27.87">87</a> The + baths, the Circus, and the theatres were shut: and, that every source of + plenty and pleasure might at the same time be intercepted, the + distribution of corn was abolished, by the severe instructions of + Theodosius. His commissioners then proceeded to inquire into the guilt of + individuals; of those who had perpetrated, and of those who had not + prevented, the destruction of the sacred statues. The tribunal of + Hellebicus and Caesarius, encompassed with armed soldiers, was erected in + the midst of the Forum. The noblest, and most wealthy, of the citizens of + Antioch appeared before them in chains; the examination was assisted by + the use of torture, and their sentence was pronounced or suspended, + according to the judgment of these extraordinary magistrates. The houses + of the criminals were exposed to sale, their wives and children were + suddenly reduced, from affluence and luxury, to the most abject distress; + and a bloody execution was expected to conclude the horrors of the day, <a + href="#linknote-27.88" name="linknoteref-27.88" id="linknoteref-27.88">88</a> which + the preacher of Antioch, the eloquent Chrysostom, has represented as a + lively image of the last and universal judgment of the world. But the + ministers of Theodosius performed, with reluctance, the cruel task which + had been assigned them; they dropped a gentle tear over the calamities of + the people; and they listened with reverence to the pressing solicitations + of the monks and hermits, who descended in swarms from the mountains. <a + href="#linknote-27.89" name="linknoteref-27.89" id="linknoteref-27.89">89</a> + Hellebicus and Caesarius were persuaded to suspend the execution of their + sentence; and it was agreed that the former should remain at Antioch, + while the latter returned, with all possible speed, to Constantinople; and + presumed once more to consult the will of his sovereign. The resentment of + Theodosius had already subsided; the deputies of the people, both the + bishop and the orator, had obtained a favorable audience; and the + reproaches of the emperor were the complaints of injured friendship, + rather than the stern menaces of pride and power. A free and general + pardon was granted to the city and citizens of Antioch; the prison doors + were thrown open; the senators, who despaired of their lives, recovered + the possession of their houses and estates; and the capital of the East + was restored to the enjoyment of her ancient dignity and splendor. + Theodosius condescended to praise the senate of Constantinople, who had + generously interceded for their distressed brethren: he rewarded the + eloquence of Hilarius with the government of Palestine; and dismissed the + bishop of Antioch with the warmest expressions of his respect and + gratitude. A thousand new statues 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 + important duty, the indulgence of mercy is the most exquisite pleasure, of + a sovereign. <a href="#linknote-27.90" name="linknoteref-27.90" + id="linknoteref-27.90">90</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.84" id="linknote-27.84"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 84 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.84">return</a>)<br /> [ The Christians and Pagans + agreed in believing that the sedition of Antioch was excited by the + daemons. A gigantic woman (says Sozomen, l. vii. c. 23) paraded the + streets with a scourge in her hand. An old man, says Libanius, (Orat. xii. + p. 396,) transformed himself into a youth, then a boy, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.85" id="linknote-27.85"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 85 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.85">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, in his short and + disingenuous account, (l. iv. p. 258, 259,) is certainly mistaken in + sending Libanius himself to Constantinople. His own orations fix him at + Antioch.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.86" id="linknote-27.86"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 86 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.86">return</a>)<br /> [ Libanius (Orat. i. p. 6, + edit. Venet.) declares, that under such a reign the fear of a massacre was + groundless and absurd, especially in the emperor’s absence, for his + presence, according to the eloquent slave, might have given a sanction to + the most bloody acts.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.87" id="linknote-27.87"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 87 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.87">return</a>)<br /> [ Laodicea, on the + sea-coast, sixty-five miles from Antioch, (see Noris Epoch. Syro-Maced. + Dissert. iii. p. 230.) The Antiochians were offended, that the dependent + city of Seleucia should presume to intercede for them.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.88" id="linknote-27.88"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 88 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.88">return</a>)<br /> [ As the days of the tumult + depend on the movable festival of Easter, they can only be determined by + the previous determination of the year. The year 387 has been preferred, + after a laborious inquiry, by Tillemont (Hist. des. Emp. tom. v. p. + 741-744) and Montfaucon, (Chrysostom, tom. xiii. p. 105-110.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.89" id="linknote-27.89"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 89 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.89">return</a>)<br /> [ Chrysostom opposes their + courage, which was not attended with much risk, to the cowardly flight of + the Cynics.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.90" id="linknote-27.90"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 90 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.90">return</a>)<br /> [ The sedition of Antioch + is represented in a lively, and almost dramatic, manner by two orators, + who had their respective shares of interest and merit. See Libanius (Orat. + xiv. xv. p. 389-420, edit. Morel. Orat. i. p. 1-14, Venet. 1754) and the + twenty orations of St. John Chrysostom, de Statuis, (tom. ii. p. 1-225, + edit. Montfaucon.) I do not pretend to much personal acquaintance with + Chrysostom but Tillemont (Hist. des. Empereurs, tom. v. p. 263-283) and + Hermant (Vie de St. Chrysostome, tom. i. p. 137-224) had read him with + pious curiosity and diligence.] + </p> + <p> + The sedition of Thessalonica is ascribed to a more shameful cause, and was + productive of much more dreadful consequences. That great city, the + metropolis of all the Illyrian provinces, had been protected from the + dangers of the Gothic war by strong fortifications and a numerous + garrison. Botheric, the general of those troops, and, as it should seem + from his name, a Barbarian, had among his slaves a beautiful boy, who + excited the impure desires of one of the charioteers of the Circus. The + insolent and brutal lover was thrown into prison by the order of Botheric; + and he sternly rejected the importunate clamors of the multitude, who, on + the day of the public games, lamented the absence of their favorite; and + considered the skill of a charioteer as an object of more importance than + his virtue. The resentment of the people was imbittered by some previous + disputes; and, as the strength of the garrison had been drawn 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 licentious + fury. Botheric, and several of his principal officers, were inhumanly + murdered; their mangled bodies were dragged about the streets; and the + emperor, 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 Botheric might contribute to + exasperate the grief and indignation of his master. + </p> + <p> + The fiery and choleric temper of Theodosius was impatient of the dilatory + forms of a judicial inquiry; and he hastily resolved, that the blood of + his lieutenant should be expiated by the blood of the guilty people. Yet + his mind still fluctuated between the counsels of clemency and of revenge; + the zeal of the bishops had almost extorted from the reluctant emperor the + promise of a general pardon; his passion was again inflamed by the + flattering suggestions of his minister Rufinus; and, after Theodosius had + despatched the messengers of death, he 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. The people of Thessalonica were treacherously + invited, in the name of their sovereign, to the 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 complete, the soldiers, who had + secretly been posted round the Circus, received the signal, not of the + races, but of a general massacre. The promiscuous carnage continued three + hours, without discrimination of strangers or natives, of age or sex, of + innocence or guilt; the most moderate accounts state the number of the + slain at seven thousand; and it is affirmed by some writers that more than + fifteen thousand victims were sacrificed to the names of Botheric. A + foreign merchant, who had probably no concern in his murder, offered his + own life, and all his wealth, to supply the place of one of his two sons; + but, while the father hesitated with equal tenderness, while he was + doubtful to choose, and unwilling to condemn, the soldiers determined his + suspense, by plunging their daggers at the same moment into the breasts of + the defenceless youths. The apology of the assassins, that they were + obliged to produce the prescribed number of heads, serves only to + increase, by an appearance of order and design, the horrors of the + massacre, which was executed by the commands of Theodosius. The guilt of + the emperor is aggravated by his long and frequent residence at + Thessalonica. The situation of the unfortunate city, the aspect of the + streets and buildings, the dress and faces of the inhabitants, were + familiar, and even present, to his imagination; and Theodosius possessed a + quick and lively sense of the existence of the people whom he destroyed. + <a href="#linknote-27.91" name="linknoteref-27.91" id="linknoteref-27.91">91</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.91" id="linknote-27.91"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 91 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.91">return</a>)<br /> [ The original evidence of + Ambrose, (tom. ii. Epist. li. p. 998.) Augustin, (de Civitat. Dei, v. 26,) + and Paulinus, (in Vit. Ambros. c. 24,) is delivered in vague expressions + of horror and pity. It is illustrated by the subsequent and unequal + testimonies of Sozomen, (l. vii. c. 25,) Theodoret, (l. v. c. 17,) + Theophanes, (Chronograph. p. 62,) Cedrenus, (p. 317,) and Zonaras, (tom. + ii. l. xiii. p. 34.) Zosimus alone, the partial enemy of Theodosius, most + unaccountably passes over in silence the worst of his actions.] + </p> + <p> + The respectful attachment of the emperor for the orthodox clergy, had + disposed him to love and admire the character of Ambrose; who united all + the episcopal virtues in the most eminent degree. The friends and + ministers of Theodosius imitated the example of their sovereign; and he + observed, with more surprise than displeasure, that all his secret + counsels were immediately communicated to the archbishop; who acted from + the laudable persuasion, that every measure of civil government may have + some connection with the glory of God, and the interest of the true + religion. The monks and populace of Callinicum, <a href="#linknote-27.9111" + name="linknoteref-27.9111" id="linknoteref-27.9111">9111</a> an obscure town on + the frontier of Persia, excited by their own fanaticism, and by that of + their bishop, had tumultuously burnt a conventicle of the Valentinians, + and a synagogue of the Jews. The seditious prelate was condemned, by the + magistrate of the province, either to rebuild the synagogue, or to repay + the damage; and this moderate sentence was confirmed by the emperor. But + it was not confirmed by the archbishop of Milan. <a href="#linknote-27.92" + name="linknoteref-27.92" id="linknoteref-27.92">92</a> He dictated an epistle of + censure and reproach, more suitable, perhaps, if the emperor had received + the mark of circumcision, and renounced the faith of his baptism. Ambrose + considers the toleration of the Jewish, as the persecution of the + Christian, religion; boldly declares that he himself, and every true + believer, would eagerly dispute with the bishop of Callinicum the merit of + the deed, and the crown of martyrdom; and laments, in the most pathetic + terms, that the execution of the sentence would be fatal to the fame and + salvation of Theodosius. As this private admonition did not produce an + immediate effect, the archbishop, from his pulpit, <a href="#linknote-27.93" + name="linknoteref-27.93" id="linknoteref-27.93">93</a> publicly addressed the + emperor on his throne; <a href="#linknote-27.94" name="linknoteref-27.94" + id="linknoteref-27.94">94</a> nor would he consent to offer the oblation of + the altar, till he had obtained from Theodosius a solemn and positive + declaration, which secured the impunity of the bishop and monks of + Callinicum. The recantation of Theodosius was sincere; <a + href="#linknote-27.95" name="linknoteref-27.95" id="linknoteref-27.95">95</a> and, + during the term of his residence at Milan, his affection for Ambrose was + continually increased by the habits of pious and familiar conversation. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.9111" id="linknote-27.9111"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9111 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.9111">return</a>)<br /> [ Raeca, on the + Euphrates—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.92" id="linknote-27.92"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 92 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.92">return</a>)<br /> [ See the whole transaction + in Ambrose, (tom. ii. Epist. xl. xli. p. 950-956,) and his biographer + Paulinus, (c. 23.) Bayle and Barbeyrac (Morales des Peres, c. xvii. p. + 325, &c.) have justly condemned the archbishop.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.93" id="linknote-27.93"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 93 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.93">return</a>)<br /> [ His sermon is a strange + allegory of Jeremiah’s rod, of an almond tree, of the woman who washed and + anointed the feet of Christ. But the peroration is direct and personal.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.94" id="linknote-27.94"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 94 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.94">return</a>)<br /> [ Hodie, Episcope, de me + proposuisti. Ambrose modestly confessed it; but he sternly reprimanded + Timasius, general of the horse and foot, who had presumed to say that the + monks of Callinicum deserved punishment.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.95" id="linknote-27.95"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 95 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.95">return</a>)<br /> [ Yet, five years + afterwards, when Theodosius was absent from his spiritual guide, he + tolerated the Jews, and condemned the destruction of their synagogues. + Cod. Theodos. l. xvi. tit. viii. leg. 9, with Godefroy’s Commentary, tom. + vi. p. 225.] + </p> + <p> + When Ambrose was informed of the massacre of Thessalonica, his mind was + filled with horror and anguish. He retired into the country to 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 of the crime; + which could only be effaced by the tears of penitence. The episcopal vigor + of Ambrose was tempered by prudence; and he contented himself with + signifying <a href="#linknote-27.96" name="linknoteref-27.96" id="linknoteref-27.96">96</a> + an indirect sort of excommunication, by the assurance, that he had been + warned in a vision not to offer the oblation in the name, or in the + presence, of Theodosius; and by the advice, that he would confine himself + to the use of prayer, without presuming to approach the altar of Christ, + or to receive the holy eucharist with those hands that were still polluted + with the blood of an innocent people. The emperor was deeply affected by + his own reproaches, and by those of his spiritual father; and after he had + bewailed the mischievous and irreparable consequences of his rash fury, he + proceeded, in the accustomed manner, to perform his devotions in the great + church of Milan. He was stopped in the porch by the archbishop; who, in + the tone 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 of the offended Deity. Theodosius + humbly represented, that if he had contracted the guilt of homicide, + David, the man after God’s own heart, had been guilty, not only of murder, + but of adultery. “You have imitated David in his crime, imitate then his + repentance,” was the reply of the undaunted Ambrose. The rigorous + conditions of peace and pardon were accepted; and the public penance of + the emperor Theodosius has been recorded as one of the most honorable + events in the annals of the church. According to the mildest rules of + ecclesiastical discipline, which were established in the fourth century, + the crime of homicide was expiated by the penitence of twenty years: <a + href="#linknote-27.97" name="linknoteref-27.97" id="linknoteref-27.97">97</a> and + as it was impossible, in the period of human life, to purge the + accumulated guilt of the massacre of Thessalonica, the murderer should + have been excluded from the holy communion till the hour of his death. But + the archbishop, consulting the maxims of religious policy, granted some + indulgence to the rank of his illustrious penitent, who humbled in the + dust the pride of the diadem; and the public edification might be admitted + as a weighty reason to abridge the duration of his punishment. It was + sufficient, that the emperor of the Romans, stripped of the ensigns of + royalty, should appear in a mournful and suppliant posture; and that, in + the midst of the church of Milan, he should humbly solicit, with sighs and + tears, the pardon of his sins. <a href="#linknote-27.98" name="linknoteref-27.98" + id="linknoteref-27.98">98</a> In this spiritual cure, Ambrose employed the + various methods of mildness and severity. After a delay of about eight + months, Theodosius was restored to the communion of the faithful; and the + edict which interposes a salutary interval of thirty days between the + sentence and the execution, may be accepted as the worthy fruits of his + repentance. <a href="#linknote-27.99" name="linknoteref-27.99" + id="linknoteref-27.99">99</a> Posterity has applauded the virtuous firmness + of the archbishop; and the example of Theodosius may prove the beneficial + influence of those principles, which could force a monarch, exalted above + the apprehension 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 to + the voice, and tractable to the hand, of his keeper.” <a + href="#linknote-27.100" name="linknoteref-27.100" id="linknoteref-27.100">100</a> + The motions of the royal animal will therefore depend on the inclination, + and interest, of the man who has acquired such dangerous authority over + him; and the priest, who holds in his hands the conscience of a king, may + inflame, or moderate, his sanguinary passions. The cause of humanity, and + that of persecution, have been asserted, by the same Ambrose, with equal + energy, and with equal success. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.96" id="linknote-27.96"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 96 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.96">return</a>)<br /> [ Ambros. tom. ii. Epist. + li. p. 997-1001. His epistle is a miserable rhapsody on a noble subject. + Ambrose could act better than he could write. His compositions are + destitute of taste, or genius; without the spirit of Tertullian, the + copious elegance of Lactantius the lively wit of Jerom, or the grave + energy of Augustin.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.97" id="linknote-27.97"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 97 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.97">return</a>)<br /> [ According to the + discipline of St. Basil, (Canon lvi.,) the voluntary homicide was four + years a mourner; five a hearer; seven in a prostrate state; and four in a + standing posture. I have the original (Beveridge, Pandect. tom. ii. p. + 47-151) and a translation (Chardon, Hist. des Sacremens, tom. iv. p. + 219-277) of the Canonical Epistles of St. Basil.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.98" id="linknote-27.98"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 98 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.98">return</a>)<br /> [ The penance of Theodosius + is authenticated by Ambrose, (tom. vi. de Obit. Theodos. c. 34, p. 1207,) + Augustin, (de Civitat. Dei, v. 26,) and Paulinus, (in Vit. Ambros. c. 24.) + Socrates is ignorant; Sozomen (l. vii. c. 25) concise; and the copious + narrative of Theodoret (l. v. c. 18) must be used with precaution.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.99" id="linknote-27.99"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 99 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.99">return</a>)<br /> [ Codex Theodos. l. ix. + tit. xl. leg. 13. The date and circumstances of this law are perplexed + with difficulties; but I feel myself inclined to favor the honest efforts + of Tillemont (Hist. des Emp. tom. v. p. 721) and Pagi, (Critica, tom. i. + p. 578.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.100" id="linknote-27.100"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 100 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.100">return</a>)<br /> [ Un prince qui aime la + religion, et qui la craint, est un lion qui cede a la main qui le flatte, + ou a la voix qui l’appaise. Esprit des Loix, l. xxiv. c. 2.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap27.5"></a> +Chapter XXVII: Civil Wars, Reign Of Theodosius.—Part V. +</h2> + <p> + After the defeat and death of the tyrant of Gaul, the Roman world was in + the possession of Theodosius. He derived from the choice of Gratian his + honorable title to the provinces of the East: he had acquired the West by + the right of conquest; and the three years which he spent in Italy were + usefully employed to restore the authority of the laws, and to correct the + abuses which had prevailed with impunity under the usurpation of Maximus, + and the minority of Valentinian. The name of Valentinian was regularly + inserted in the public acts: but the tender age, and doubtful faith, of + the son of Justina, appeared to require the prudent care of an orthodox + guardian; and his specious ambition might have excluded the unfortunate + youth, without a struggle, and almost without a murmur, from the + administration, and even from the inheritance, of the empire. If + Theodosius had consulted the rigid maxims of interest and policy, his + conduct would have been justified by his friends; but the generosity of + his behavior on this memorable occasion has extorted the applause of his + most inveterate enemies. He seated Valentinian on the throne of Milan; + and, without stipulating any present or future advantages, restored him to + the absolute dominion of all the provinces, from which he had been driven + by the arms of Maximus. To the restitution of his ample patrimony, + Theodosius added the free and generous gift of the countries beyond the + Alps, which his successful valor had recovered from the assassin of + Gratian. <a href="#linknote-27.101" name="linknoteref-27.101" + id="linknoteref-27.101">101</a> Satisfied with the glory which he had + acquired, by revenging the death of his benefactor, and delivering the + West from the yoke of tyranny, the emperor returned from Milan to + Constantinople; and, in the peaceful possession of the East, insensibly + relapsed into his former habits of luxury and indolence. Theodosius + discharged his obligation to the brother, he indulged his conjugal + tenderness to the sister, of Valentinian; and posterity, which admires the + pure and singular glory of his elevation, must applaud his unrivalled + generosity in the use of victory. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.101" id="linknote-27.101"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 101 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.101">return</a>)<br /> [ It is the niggard + praise of Zosimus himself, (l. iv. p. 267.) Augustin says, with some + happiness of expression, Valentinianum.... misericordissima veneratione + restituit.] + </p> + <p> + The empress Justina did not long survive her return to Italy; and, though + she beheld the triumph of Theodosius, she was not allowed to influence the + government of her son. <a href="#linknote-27.102" name="linknoteref-27.102" + id="linknoteref-27.102">102</a> The pernicious attachment to the Arian sect, + which Valentinian had imbibed from her example and instructions, was soon + erased by the lessons of a more 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 + favorable opinion of the virtues of the young emperor of the West. <a + href="#linknote-27.103" name="linknoteref-27.103" id="linknoteref-27.103">103</a> + They applauded his chastity and temperance, his contempt of pleasure, his + application to business, and his tender affection for his two sisters; + which could not, however, seduce his impartial equity to pronounce an + unjust sentence against the meanest of his subjects. But this amiable + youth, before he had accomplished the twentieth year of his age, was + oppressed by domestic treason; and the empire was again involved in the + horrors of a civil war. Arbogastes, <a href="#linknote-27.104" + name="linknoteref-27.104" id="linknoteref-27.104">104</a> 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 Theodosius; + contributed, by his valor and military conduct, to the destruction of the + tyrant; and was appointed, after the victory, 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 was universally esteemed as the + pillar of the state, the bold and crafty Barbarian was secretly determined + either to rule, or to ruin, the empire of the West. The important commands + of the army were distributed among the Franks; the creatures of Arbogastes + were promoted to all the honors and offices of the civil government; the + progress of the conspiracy removed every faithful servant from the + presence of Valentinian; and the emperor, without power and without + intelligence, insensibly sunk into the precarious and dependent condition + of a captive. <a href="#linknote-27.105" name="linknoteref-27.105" + id="linknoteref-27.105">105</a> The indignation which he expressed, though it + might arise only from the rash and impatient temper of youth, may be + candidly ascribed to the generous spirit of a prince, who felt that he was + not unworthy to reign. He secretly invited the archbishop of Milan to + undertake the office of a mediator; as the pledge of his sincerity, and + the guardian of his safety. He contrived to apprise the emperor of the + East of his helpless 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 new + provocation, the emperor, without strength or counsel, too hastily + resolved to risk an immediate contest with his powerful general. He + received Arbogastes on the throne; and, as the count approached with some + appearance of respect, delivered to him a paper, which dismissed him from + all his employments. “My authority,” replied Arbogastes, with insulting + coolness, “does not depend on the smile or the frown of a monarch;” and he + contemptuously threw the paper on the 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 some degree of violence that he + was prevented from using the deadly weapon against his enemy, or against + himself. A few days after this extraordinary quarrel, in which he had + exposed his resentment and his weakness, the unfortunate Valentinian was + found strangled in his apartment; and some pains were employed to disguise + the manifest guilt of Arbogastes, and to persuade the world, that the + death of the young emperor had been the voluntary effect of his own + despair. <a href="#linknote-27.106" name="linknoteref-27.106" + id="linknoteref-27.106">106</a> His body was conducted with decent pomp to + the sepulchre of Milan; and the archbishop pronounced a funeral oration to + commemorate his virtues and his misfortunes. <a href="#linknote-27.107" + name="linknoteref-27.107" id="linknoteref-27.107">107</a> On this occasion the + humanity of Ambrose tempted him to make a singular breach in his + theological system; and to comfort the weeping sisters of Valentinian, by + the firm assurance, that their pious brother, though he had not received + the sacrament of baptism, was introduced, without difficulty, into the + mansions of eternal bliss. <a href="#linknote-27.108" name="linknoteref-27.108" + id="linknoteref-27.108">108</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.102" id="linknote-27.102"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 102 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.102">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen, l. vii. c. 14. + His chronology is very irregular.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.103" id="linknote-27.103"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 103 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.103">return</a>)<br /> [ See Ambrose, (tom. ii. + de Obit. Valentinian. c. 15, &c. p. 1178. c. 36, &c. p. 1184.) + When the young emperor gave an entertainment, he fasted himself; he + refused to see a handsome actress, &c. Since he ordered his wild + beasts to to be killed, it is ungenerous in Philostor (l. xi. c. 1) to + reproach him with the love of that amusement.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.104" id="linknote-27.104"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 104 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.104">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. iv. p. 275) + praises the enemy of Theodosius. But he is detested by Socrates (l. v. c. + 25) and Orosius, (l. vii. c. 35.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.105" id="linknote-27.105"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 105 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.105">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregory of Tours (l. + ii. c. 9, p. 165, in the second volume of the Historians of France) has + preserved a curious fragment of Sulpicius Alexander, an historian far more + valuable than himself.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.106" id="linknote-27.106"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 106 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.106">return</a>)<br /> [ Godefroy (Dissertat. + ad. Philostorg. p. 429-434) has diligently collected all the circumstances + of the death of Valentinian II. The variations, and the ignorance, of + contemporary writers, prove that it was secret.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.107" id="linknote-27.107"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 107 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.107">return</a>)<br /> [ De Obitu Valentinian. + tom. ii. p. 1173-1196. He is forced to speak a discreet and obscure + language: yet he is much bolder than any layman, or perhaps any other + ecclesiastic, would have dared to be.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.108" id="linknote-27.108"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 108 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.108">return</a>)<br /> [ See c. 51, p. 1188, c. + 75, p. 1193. Dom Chardon, (Hist. des Sacramens, tom. i. p. 86,) who owns + that St. Ambrose most strenuously maintains the indispensable necessity of + baptism, labors to reconcile the contradiction.] + </p> + <p> + The prudence of Arbogastes had prepared the success of his ambitious + designs: and the provincials, in whose breast every sentiment of + patriotism or loyalty was 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 + more advisable to reign under the name of some dependent Roman. He + bestowed the purple on the rhetorician Eugenius; <a href="#linknote-27.109" + name="linknoteref-27.109" id="linknoteref-27.109">109</a> whom he had already + raised from the place of his domestic secretary to the rank of master of + the offices. In the course, both of his private and public service, the + count had always approved the attachment and abilities of Eugenius; his + learning and eloquence, supported by the gravity of his manners, + recommended him to the esteem of the people; and the reluctance with which + he seemed to ascend the throne, may inspire a favorable prejudice of his + virtue and moderation. The ambassadors of the new emperor were immediately + despatched to the court of Theodosius, to communicate, with affected + grief, the unfortunate accident of the death of Valentinian; and, without + 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 unanimous suffrage of the armies and provinces of the + West. <a href="#linknote-27.110" name="linknoteref-27.110" id="linknoteref-27.110">110</a> + Theodosius was justly provoked, that the perfidy of a Barbarian, should + have destroyed, in a moment, the labors, and the fruit, of his former + victory; and he was excited by the tears of his beloved wife, <a + href="#linknote-27.111" name="linknoteref-27.111" id="linknoteref-27.111">111</a> + to revenge the fate of 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 Eugenius; and almost + two years were consumed in the preparations of the civil war. Before he + formed any decisive resolution, the pious emperor was anxious to discover + the will of Heaven; and as the progress of Christianity had silenced the + oracles of Delphi and Dodona, he consulted an Egyptian monk, who + possessed, in the opinion of the age, the gift of miracles, and the + knowledge of futurity. Eutropius, one of the favorite eunuchs of the + palace of Constantinople, embarked for Alexandria, from whence he sailed + up the Nile, as far as the city of Lycopolis, or of Wolves, in the remote + province of Thebais. <a href="#linknote-27.112" name="linknoteref-27.112" + id="linknoteref-27.112">112</a> In the neighborhood of that city, and on the + summit of a lofty mountain, the holy John <a href="#linknote-27.113" + name="linknoteref-27.113" id="linknoteref-27.113">113</a> had constructed, with + his own hands, an humble cell, in which he had dwelt above fifty years, + without opening his door, without seeing the face of a 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 meditation; but on Saturdays and + Sundays he regularly opened a small window, and gave audience to the crowd + of suppliants who successively flowed from every part of the Christian + world. The eunuch of Theodosius approached the window with respectful + steps, proposed his questions concerning the event of the civil war, and + soon returned with a favorable oracle, which animated the courage of the + emperor by the assurance of a bloody, but infallible victory. <a + href="#linknote-27.114" name="linknoteref-27.114" id="linknoteref-27.114">114</a> + The accomplishment of the prediction was forwarded by all the means that + human prudence could supply. The industry of the two master-generals, + Stilicho and Timasius, was directed to recruit the numbers, and to revive + the discipline of the Roman legions. The formidable troops of Barbarians + marched under the ensigns of their national chieftains. The Iberian, the + Arab, and the Goth, who gazed on each other with mutual astonishment, were + enlisted in the service of the same prince; <a href="#linknote-27.1141" + name="linknoteref-27.1141" id="linknoteref-27.1141">1141</a> and the renowned + Alaric acquired, in the school of Theodosius, the knowledge of the art of + war, which he afterwards so fatally exerted for the destruction of Rome. + <a href="#linknote-27.115" name="linknoteref-27.115" id="linknoteref-27.115">115</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.109" id="linknote-27.109"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 109 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.109">return</a>)<br /> [ Quem sibi Germanus + famulam delegerat exul, is the contemptuous expression of Claudian, (iv. + Cons. Hon. 74.) Eugenius professed Christianity; but his secret attachment + to Paganism (Sozomen, l. vii. c. 22, Philostorg. l. xi. c. 2) is probable + in a grammarian, and would secure the friendship of Zosimus, (l. iv. p. + 276, 277.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.110" id="linknote-27.110"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 110 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.110">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. iv. p. 278) + mentions this embassy; but he is diverted by another story from relating + the event.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.111" id="linknote-27.111"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 111 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.111">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosim. l. iv. p. 277. + He afterwards says (p. 280) that Galla died in childbed; and intimates, + that the affliction of her husband was extreme but short.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.112" id="linknote-27.112"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 112 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.112">return</a>)<br /> [ Lycopolis is the modern + Siut, or Osiot, a town of Said, about the size of St. Denys, which drives + a profitable trade with the kingdom of Senaar, and has a very convenient + fountain, “cujus potu signa virgini tatis eripiuntur.” See D’Anville, + Description de l’Egypte, p. 181 Abulfeda, Descript. Egypt. p. 14, and the + curious Annotations, p. 25, 92, of his editor Michaelis.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.113" id="linknote-27.113"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 113 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.113">return</a>)<br /> [ The Life of John of + Lycopolis is described by his two friends, Rufinus (l. ii. c. i. p. 449) + and Palladius, (Hist. Lausiac. c. 43, p. 738,) in Rosweyde’s great + Collection of the Vitae Patrum. Tillemont (Mem. Eccles. tom. x. p. 718, + 720) has settled the chronology.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.114" id="linknote-27.114"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 114 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.114">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen, l. vii. c. 22. + Claudian (in Eutrop. l. i. 312) mentions the eunuch’s journey; but he most + contemptuously derides the Egyptian dreams, and the oracles of the Nile.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.1141" id="linknote-27.1141"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1141 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.1141">return</a>)<br /> [ Gibbon has embodied + the picturesque verses of Claudian:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + .... Nec tantis dissona linguis + Turba, nec armorum cultu diversion unquam] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.115" id="linknote-27.115"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 115 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.115">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. iv. p. 280. + Socrates, l. vii. 10. Alaric himself (de Bell. Getico, 524) dwells with + more complacency on his early exploits against the Romans. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> +.... Tot Augustos Hebro qui teste fugavi. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Yet his vanity could scarcely have proved this plurality of flying + emperors.] + </p> + <p> + The emperor of the West, or, to speak more properly, his general + Arbogastes, was instructed by the misconduct and misfortune of Maximus, + how dangerous it might prove to extend the line of defence against a + skilful antagonist, who was free to press, or to suspend, to contract, or + to multiply, his various methods of attack. <a href="#linknote-27.116" + name="linknoteref-27.116" id="linknoteref-27.116">116</a> Arbogastes fixed his + station on the confines of Italy; the troops of Theodosius were permitted + to occupy, without resistance, the provinces of Pannonia, as far as the + foot of the Julian Alps; and even the passes of the mountains were + negligently, or perhaps artfully, abandoned to the bold invader. He + descended from the hills, and beheld, with 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 + the Frigidus, <a href="#linknote-27.117" name="linknoteref-27.117" + id="linknoteref-27.117">117</a> or Cold River. <a href="#linknote-27.118" + name="linknoteref-27.118" id="linknoteref-27.118">118</a> This narrow theatre of + the war, circumscribed by the Alps and the Adriatic, did not allow much + room for the operations of military skill; the spirit of Arbogastes would + have disdained a pardon; his guilt extinguished the hope of a negotiation; + and Theodosius was impatient to satisfy his glory and revenge, by the + chastisement of the assassins of 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 + of honorable danger to the Goths, and cherished a secret wish, that the + bloody conflict 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 of + Theodosius. The emperor retired to the adjacent hills; where he passed a + disconsolate night, without sleep, without provisions, and without hopes; + <a href="#linknote-27.119" name="linknoteref-27.119" id="linknoteref-27.119">119</a> + except that strong assurance, which, under the most desperate + circumstances, the independent mind may derive from the contempt of + fortune and of life. The triumph of Eugenius was celebrated by the + insolent and dissolute joy of his camp; whilst the active and vigilant + Arbogastes secretly detached a considerable body of troops to occupy the + passes of the mountains, and to encompass the rear of the Eastern army. + The dawn of day discovered to the eyes of Theodosius the extent and the + extremity of his danger; but his apprehensions were soon dispelled, by a + friendly message from the leaders of those troops who expressed their + inclination to desert the standard of the tyrant. The honorable and + lucrative rewards, which they stipulated as the price of their perfidy, + were granted without hesitation; and as ink and paper could not easily be + procured, the emperor subscribed, on his own tablets, the ratification of + the treaty. The spirit of his soldiers was revived by this seasonable + reenforcement; and they again marched, with confidence, to surprise the + camp of a tyrant, whose principal officers appeared to distrust, either + the justice or the success of his arms. In the heat of the battle, a + violent tempest, <a href="#linknote-27.120" name="linknoteref-27.120" + id="linknoteref-27.120">120</a> such as is often felt among the Alps, + suddenly arose from the East. The army of Theodosius was sheltered by + their position from the impetuosity of the wind, which blew a cloud of + dust in the faces of the enemy, disordered their ranks, wrested their + weapons from their hands, and diverted, or repelled, their ineffectual + javelins. This accidental advantage was skilfully improved, the violence + of the storm was magnified by the superstitious terrors 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 deaths of his two rivals were distinguished only by the difference + of their characters. The rhetorician Eugenius, who had almost acquired the + dominion of the world, was reduced to implore the mercy of the conqueror; + and the unrelenting soldiers separated his head from his body as he lay + prostrate at the feet of Theodosius. Arbogastes, after the loss of a + battle, in which he had discharged the duties of a soldier and a general, + wandered several days among the mountains. But when he was convinced that + his cause was desperate, and his escape impracticable, the intrepid + Barbarian imitated the example of the ancient Romans, and turned his sword + against his own breast. The fate of the empire was determined in a narrow + corner of Italy; and the legitimate successor of the house of Valentinian + embraced the archbishop of Milan, and graciously received the submission + of the provinces of the West. Those provinces were involved in the guilt + of rebellion; while the inflexible courage of Ambrose alone had resisted + the claims of successful usurpation. With a manly freedom, which might + have been fatal to any other subject, the archbishop rejected the gifts of + Eugenius, <a href="#linknote-27.1201" name="linknoteref-27.1201" + id="linknoteref-27.1201">1201</a> declined his correspondence, and withdrew + himself from Milan, to avoid the odious presence of a tyrant, whose + downfall he predicted in discreet and ambiguous language. The merit of + Ambrose was applauded by the conqueror, who secured the attachment of the + people by his alliance with the church; and the clemency of Theodosius is + ascribed to the humane intercession of the archbishop of Milan. <a + href="#linknote-27.121" name="linknoteref-27.121" id="linknoteref-27.121">121</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.116" id="linknote-27.116"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 116 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.116">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian (in iv. Cons. + Honor. 77, &c.) contrasts the military plans of the two usurpers:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + .... Novitas audere priorem + Suadebat; cautumque dabant exempla sequentem. + Hic nova moliri praeceps: hic quaerere tuta + Providus. Hic fusis; colectis viribus ille. + Hic vagus excurrens; hic claustra reductus + Dissimiles, sed morte pares......] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.117" id="linknote-27.117"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 117 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.117">return</a>)<br /> [ The Frigidus, a small, + though memorable, stream in the country of Goretz, now called the Vipao, + falls into the Sontius, or Lisonzo, above Aquileia, some miles from the + Adriatic. See D’Anville’s ancient and modern maps, and the Italia Antiqua + of Cluverius, (tom. i. c. 188.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.118" id="linknote-27.118"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 118 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.118">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian’s wit is + intolerable: the snow was dyed red; the cold ver smoked; and the channel + must have been choked with carcasses the current had not been swelled with + blood. Confluxit populus: totam pater undique secum Moverat Aurorem; + mixtis hic Colchus Iberis, Hic mitra velatus Arabs, hic crine decoro + Armenius, hic picta Saces, fucataque Medus, Hic gemmata tiger tentoria + fixerat Indus.—De Laud. Stil. l. 145.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.119" id="linknote-27.119"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 119 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.119">return</a>)<br /> [ Theodoret affirms, that + St. John, and St. Philip, appeared to the waking, or sleeping, emperor, on + horseback, &c. This is the first instance of apostolic chivalry, which + afterwards became so popular in Spain, and in the Crusades.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.120" id="linknote-27.120"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 120 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.120">return</a>)<br /> [ Te propter, gelidis + Aquilo de monte procellis + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Obruit adversas acies; revolutaque tela + Vertit in auctores, et turbine reppulit hastas + + O nimium dilecte Deo, cui fundit ab antris + Aeolus armatas hyemes; cui militat Aether, + Et conjurati veniunt ad classica venti. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + These famous lines of Claudian (in iii. Cons. Honor. 93, &c. A.D. 396) + are alleged by his contemporaries, Augustin and Orosius; who suppress the + Pagan deity of Aeolus, and add some circumstances from the information of + eye-witnesses. Within four months after the victory, it was compared by + Ambrose to the miraculous victories of Moses and Joshua.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.1201" id="linknote-27.1201"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1201 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.1201">return</a>)<br /> [ Arbogastes and his + emperor had openly espoused the Pagan party, according to Ambrose and + Augustin. See Le Beau, v. 40. Beugnot (Histoire de la Destruction du + Paganisme) is more full, and perhaps somewhat fanciful, on this remarkable + reaction in favor of Paganism, but compare p 116.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.121" id="linknote-27.121"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 121 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.121">return</a>)<br /> [ The events of this + civil war are gathered from Ambrose, (tom. ii. Epist. lxii. p. 1022,) + Paulinus, (in Vit. Ambros. c. 26-34,) Augustin, (de Civitat. Dei, v. 26,) + Orosius, (l. vii. c. 35,) Sozomen, (l. vii. c. 24,) Theodoret, (l. v. c. + 24,) Zosimus, (l. iv. p. 281, 282,) Claudian, (in iii. Cons. Hon. 63-105, + in iv. Cons. Hon. 70-117,) and the Chronicles published by Scaliger.] + </p> + <p> + After the defeat of Eugenius, the merit, as well as the authority, of + Theodosius was cheerfully acknowledged by all the inhabitants of the Roman + world. The experience of his past conduct encouraged the most pleasing + expectations of his future reign; and the age of the emperor, which did + not exceed fifty years, seemed to extend the prospect of the public + felicity. His death, only four months after his victory, was considered by + 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 luxury + had secretly nourished the principles of disease. <a href="#linknote-27.122" + name="linknoteref-27.122" id="linknoteref-27.122">122</a> The strength of + Theodosius was unable to support the sudden and violent transition from + the palace to the camp; and the increasing symptoms of a dropsy announced + the speedy dissolution of the emperor. The opinion, and perhaps the + interest, of the public had confirmed the division of the Eastern and + Western empires; and the two royal youths, Arcadius and Honorius, who had + already obtained, from the tenderness of their father, the title of + Augustus, were destined to fill the thrones of Constantinople and of Rome. + Those princes were not permitted to share the danger and glory of the + civil war; <a href="#linknote-27.123" name="linknoteref-27.123" + id="linknoteref-27.123">123</a> but as soon as Theodosius had triumphed over + his unworthy rivals, he called his younger son, 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 Honorius at Milan was welcomed + by a splendid exhibition of the games of the Circus; and the emperor, + though he was oppressed by the weight of his disorder, contributed by his + presence to the public joy. But the remains of his strength were exhausted + by the painful effort which he made to assist at the spectacles of the + morning. 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 appeared the most + valuable in their eyes. The Romans were terrified by the impending dangers + of a feeble and divided administration, and every disgraceful moment of + the unfortunate reigns of Arcadius and Honorius revived the memory of + their irreparable loss. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.122" id="linknote-27.122"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 122 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.122">return</a>)<br /> [ This disease, ascribed + by Socrates (l. v. c. 26) to the fatigues of war, is represented by + Philostorgius (l. xi. c. 2) as the effect of sloth and intemperance; for + which Photius calls him an impudent liar, (Godefroy, Dissert. p. 438.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.123" id="linknote-27.123"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 123 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.123">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus supposes, that + the boy Honorius accompanied his father, (l. iv. p. 280.) Yet the quanto + flagrabrant pectora voto is all that flattery would allow to a + contemporary poet; who clearly describes the emperor’s refusal, and the + journey of Honorius, after the victory (Claudian in iii. Cons. 78-125.)] + </p> + <p> + In the faithful picture of the virtues of Theodosius, his imperfections + have not been dissembled; the act of cruelty, and the habits of indolence, + which tarnished the glory of one of the greatest of the Roman princes. An + historian, perpetually adverse to the fame of Theodosius, has exaggerated + his vices, and their pernicious effects; he boldly asserts, that every + rank of subjects imitated the effeminate manners of their sovereign; and + that every species of corruption polluted the course of public and private + life; and that the feeble restraints of order and decency were + insufficient to resist the progress of that degenerate spirit, which + sacrifices, without a blush, the consideration of duty and interest to the + base indulgence of sloth and appetite. <a href="#linknote-27.124" + name="linknoteref-27.124" id="linknoteref-27.124">124</a> The complaints of + contemporary writers, who deplore the increase of luxury, and depravation + of manners, are commonly expressive of their peculiar temper and + situation. There are few observers, who possess a clear and comprehensive + view of the revolutions 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 of truth, that the + luxury of the Romans was more shameless 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 improvements, which had + gradually increased the stock of national riches. A long period of + calamity or decay must have checked the industry, and diminished the + wealth, of the people; and their profuse luxury must 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 expense, and promise a + slow and distant advantage. The frequent examples of ruin and desolation + tempted them not to spare the remains of a patrimony, which might, every + hour, become the prey of the rapacious Goth. And the mad prodigality which + prevails in the confusion of a shipwreck, or a siege, may serve to explain + the progress of luxury amidst the misfortunes and terrors of a sinking + nation. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.124" id="linknote-27.124"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 124 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.124">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. iv. p. + 244.] + </p> + <p> + The effeminate luxury, which infected the manners of courts and cities, + had instilled a secret and destructive poison into the camps of 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 armor, 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 less able, and less willing, to support the fatigues of the + service; they complained of the weight of the armor, which they seldom + wore; and they successively obtained the permission of laying aside both + their cuirasses and their helmets. The heavy weapons of their ancestors, + the short sword, and the formidable pilum, which had subdued the world, + insensibly dropped from their feeble hands. As the use of the shield is + incompatible with that of the bow, they reluctantly marched into the + field; condemned to suffer either the pain of wounds, or the ignominy of + flight, and always disposed to prefer the more shameful alternative. The + cavalry of the Goths, the Huns, and the Alani, had felt the benefits, and + adopted the use, of defensive armor; and, as they excelled in the + management of missile weapons, they easily overwhelmed the naked and + trembling legions, whose heads and breasts were exposed, without defence, + to the arrows of the Barbarians. The loss of armies, the destruction of + cities, and the dishonor of the Roman name, ineffectually solicited the + successors of Gratian to restore the helmets and the cuirasses of the + infantry. The enervated soldiers abandoned their own and the public + defence; and their pusillanimous indolence may be considered as the + immediate cause of the downfall of the empire. <a href="#linknote-27.125" + name="linknoteref-27.125" id="linknoteref-27.125">125</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-27.125" id="linknote-27.125"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 125 (<a href="#linknoteref-27.125">return</a>)<br /> [ Vegetius, de Re + Militari, l. i. c. 10. The series of calamities which he marks, compel us + to believe, that the Hero, to whom he dedicates his book, is the last and + most inglorious of the Valentinians.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap28.1"></a> +Chapter XXVIII: Destruction Of Paganism.—Part I. +</h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Final Destruction Of Paganism.—Introduction Of The Worship + Of Saints, And Relics, Among The Christians. +</pre> + <p> + The ruin of Paganism, in the age of Theodosius, is perhaps the only + example of the total extirpation of any ancient and popular superstition; + and may therefore deserve to be considered as a singular event in the + history of the human mind. The Christians, more especially the clergy, had + impatiently supported the prudent delays of Constantine, and the equal + toleration of the elder Valentinian; nor could they deem their conquest + perfect or secure, as long as their adversaries were permitted to exist. + The influence which Ambrose and his brethren had acquired over the youth + of Gratian, and the piety of Theodosius, was employed to infuse the maxims + of persecution into the breasts of their Imperial proselytes. 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: that the + magistrate is, in some measure, guilty of the crimes which he neglects to + prohibit, or to punish; and, that the idolatrous worship of fabulous + deities, and real daemons, is the most abominable crime against the + supreme majesty of the Creator. The laws of Moses, and the examples of + Jewish history, <a href="#linknote-28.1" name="linknoteref-28.1" + id="linknoteref-28.1">1</a> were hastily, perhaps erroneously, applied, by + the clergy, to the mild and universal reign of Christianity. <a + href="#linknote-28.2" name="linknoteref-28.2" id="linknoteref-28.2">2</a> The + zeal of the emperors was excited to vindicate their own honor, and that of + the Deity: and the temples of the Roman world were subverted, about sixty + years after the conversion of Constantine. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.1" id="linknote-28.1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.1">return</a>)<br /> [ St. Ambrose (tom. ii. de + Obit. Theodos. p. 1208) expressly praises and recommends the zeal of + Josiah in the destruction of idolatry The language of Julius Firmicus + Maternus on the same subject (de Errore Profan. Relig. p. 467, edit. + Gronov.) is piously inhuman. Nec filio jubet (the Mosaic Law) parci, nec + fratri, et per amatam conjugera gladium vindicem ducit, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.2" id="linknote-28.2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.2">return</a>)<br /> [ Bayle (tom. ii. p. 406, + in his Commentaire Philosophique) justifies, and limits, these intolerant + laws by the temporal reign of Jehovah over the Jews. The attempt is + laudable.] + </p> + <p> + From the age of Numa to the reign of Gratian, the Romans preserved the + regular succession of the several colleges of the sacerdotal order. <a + href="#linknote-28.3" name="linknoteref-28.3" id="linknoteref-28.3">3</a> + Fifteen Pontiffs exercised their supreme 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 observed the face of the heavens, and prescribed the actions of + heroes, according to the flight of birds. Fifteen keepers of the Sibylline + books (their name of Quindecemvirs was derived from their number) + occasionally consulted the history of future, and, as it should seem, of + contingent, events. Six Vestals devoted their virginity to the guard of + the sacred fire, and of the unknown pledges of the duration of Rome; which + no mortal had been suffered to behold with impunity. <a + href="#linknote-28.4" name="linknoteref-28.4" id="linknoteref-28.4">4</a> + Seven Epulos prepared the table of the gods, conducted the solemn + procession, and regulated the ceremonies of the annual festival. The three + Flamens of Jupiter, 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 King of the Sacrifices + represented the person of Numa, and of his successors, in the religious + functions, which could be performed only by royal hands. The + confraternities of the Salians, the Lupercals, &c., practised such + rites as might extort a smile of contempt from every reasonable man, with + a lively confidence of recommending themselves to the favor of the + immortal gods. The authority, which the Roman priests had formerly + obtained in the counsels of the republic, was gradually abolished by the + establishment of monarchy, and the removal of 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 continued, more especially the + college of pontiffs, to exercise in the capital, and sometimes in the + provinces, the rights of their ecclesiastical and civil jurisdiction. + Their robes of purple, chariotz of state, and sumptuous entertainments, + attracted the admiration of the people; and they received, from the + consecrated lands, and the public revenue, an ample stipend, which + liberally supported the splendor of the priesthood, and all the expenses + of the religious worship of the state. As the service of the altar was not + incompatible with the command of armies, the Romans, after their + consulships and triumphs, aspired to the place of pontiff, or of augur; + the seats of Cicero <a href="#linknote-28.5" name="linknoteref-28.5" + id="linknoteref-28.5">5</a> and Pompey were filled, in the fourth century, + by the most illustrious members of the senate; and the dignity of their + birth reflected additional splendor on their sacerdotal character. The + fifteen priests, who composed the college of pontiffs, enjoyed a more + distinguished rank as the companions of their sovereign; and the Christian + emperors condescended to accept the robe and ensigns, which were + appropriated to the office of supreme pontiff. But when Gratian ascended + the throne, more scrupulous or more enlightened, he sternly rejected those + profane symbols; <a href="#linknote-28.6" name="linknoteref-28.6" + id="linknoteref-28.6">6</a> applied to the service of the state, or of the + church, the revenues of the priests and vestals; abolished their honors + and immunities; and dissolved the ancient fabric of Roman superstition, + which was supported by the opinions and habits of eleven hundred years. + Paganism was still the constitutional religion of the senate. The hall, or + temple, in which they assembled, was adorned by the statue and altar of + Victory; <a href="#linknote-28.7" name="linknoteref-28.7" + id="linknoteref-28.7">7</a> a majestic female standing on a globe, with + flowing garments, expanded wings, and a crown of laurel in her + outstretched hand. <a href="#linknote-28.8" name="linknoteref-28.8" + id="linknoteref-28.8">8</a> The senators were sworn on the altar of the + goddess to observe the laws of the emperor and of the empire: and a solemn + offering of wine and incense was the ordinary prelude of their public + deliberations. <a href="#linknote-28.9" name="linknoteref-28.9" + id="linknoteref-28.9">9</a> The removal of this ancient monument was the + only injury which Constantius had offered to the superstition of the + Romans. The altar of Victory was again restored by Julian, tolerated by + Valentinian, and once more banished from the senate by the zeal of + Gratian. <a href="#linknote-28.10" name="linknoteref-28.10" + id="linknoteref-28.10">10</a> But the emperor yet spared the statues of the + gods which were exposed to the public veneration: four hundred and + twenty-four temples, or chapels, still remained to satisfy the devotion of + the people; and in every quarter of Rome the delicacy of the Christians + was offended by the fumes of idolatrous sacrifice. <a href="#linknote-28.11" + name="linknoteref-28.11" id="linknoteref-28.11">11</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.3" id="linknote-28.3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.3">return</a>)<br /> [ See the outlines of the + Roman hierarchy in Cicero, (de Legibus, ii. 7, 8,) Livy, (i. 20,) + Dionysius Halicarnassensis, (l. ii. p. 119-129, edit. Hudson,) Beaufort, + (Republique Romaine, tom. i. p. 1-90,) and Moyle, (vol. i. p. 10-55.) The + last is the work of an English whig, as well as of a Roman antiquary.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.4" id="linknote-28.4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.4">return</a>)<br /> [ These mystic, and perhaps + imaginary, symbols have given birth to various fables and conjectures. It + seems probable, that the Palladium was a small statue (three cubits and a + half high) of Minerva, with a lance and distaff; that it was usually + enclosed in a seria, or barrel; and that a similar barrel was placed by + its side to disconcert curiosity, or sacrilege. See Mezeriac (Comment. sur + les Epitres d’Ovide, tom i. p. 60—66) and Lipsius, (tom. iii. p. 610 + de Vesta, &c. c 10.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.5" id="linknote-28.5"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.5">return</a>)<br /> [ Cicero frankly (ad + Atticum, l. ii. Epist. 5) or indirectly (ad Familiar. l. xv. Epist. 4) + confesses that the Augurate is the supreme object of his wishes. Pliny is + proud to tread in the footsteps of Cicero, (l. iv. Epist. 8,) and the + chain of tradition might be continued from history and marbles.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.6" id="linknote-28.6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.6">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. iv. p. 249, + 250. I have suppressed the foolish pun about Pontifex and Maximus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.7" id="linknote-28.7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.7">return</a>)<br /> [ This statue was + transported from Tarentum to Rome, placed in the Curia Julia by Caesar, + and decorated by Augustus with the spoils of Egypt.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.8" id="linknote-28.8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.8">return</a>)<br /> [ Prudentius (l. ii. in + initio) has drawn a very awkward portrait of Victory; but the curious + reader will obtain more satisfaction from Montfaucon’s Antiquities, (tom. + i. p. 341.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.9" id="linknote-28.9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.9">return</a>)<br /> [ See Suetonius (in August. + c. 35) and the Exordium of Pliny’s Panegyric.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.10" id="linknote-28.10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.10">return</a>)<br /> [ These facts are + mutually allowed by the two advocates, Symmachus and Ambrose.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.11" id="linknote-28.11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.11">return</a>)<br /> [ The Notitia Urbis, more + recent than Constantine, does not find one Christian church worthy to be + named among the edifices of the city. Ambrose (tom. ii. Epist. xvii. p. + 825) deplores the public scandals of Rome, which continually offended the + eyes, the ears, and the nostrils of the faithful.] + </p> + <p> + But the Christians formed the least numerous party in the senate of Rome: + <a href="#linknote-28.12" name="linknoteref-28.12" id="linknoteref-28.12">12</a> + and it was only by their absence, that they could express their dissent + from the legal, though profane, acts of a Pagan majority. In that + assembly, the dying embers of freedom were, for a moment, revived and + inflamed by the breath of fanaticism. Four respectable deputations were + successively voted to the Imperial court, <a href="#linknote-28.13" + name="linknoteref-28.13" id="linknoteref-28.13">13</a> to represent the + grievances 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, <a href="#linknote-28.14" + name="linknoteref-28.14" id="linknoteref-28.14">14</a> a wealthy and noble + senator, who united the sacred characters of pontiff and augur with the + civil dignities of proconsul of Africa and praefect of the city. The + breast of Symmachus was animated by the warmest zeal for the cause of + expiring Paganism; and his religious antagonists lamented the abuse of his + genius, and the inefficacy of his moral virtues. <a href="#linknote-28.15" + name="linknoteref-28.15" id="linknoteref-28.15">15</a> The orator, whose + petition is extant to the emperor Valentinian, was conscious of the + difficulty and danger of the office which he had assumed. He cautiously + avoids every topic which might appear to reflect on the religion of his + sovereign; humbly declares, that prayers and entreaties are his only arms; + and artfully draws his arguments from the schools of rhetoric, rather than + from those of philosophy. Symmachus endeavors to seduce the imagination of + a young prince, by displaying the attributes of the goddess of victory; he + insinuates, that the confiscation of the revenues, which were consecrated + to the service of the gods, was a measure unworthy of his liberal and + disinterested character; and he maintains, that the Roman sacrifices would + be deprived of their force and energy, if they were no longer celebrated + at the expense, as well as in the name, of the republic. Even scepticism + is made to supply an apology for superstition. The great and + incomprehensible secret of the universe eludes the inquiry of man. Where + reason cannot instruct, custom may be permitted to guide; and every nation + seems to consult the dictates of prudence, by a faithful attachment to + those rites and opinions, which have received the sanction of ages. If + those ages have been crowned with glory and prosperity, if the devout + people have frequently obtained the blessings which they have solicited at + the altars of the gods, it must appear still more advisable to persist in + the same salutary practice; and not to risk the unknown perils that may + attend any rash innovations. The test of antiquity and success was applied + with singular advantage to the religion of Numa; and Rome herself, the + celestial genius that presided over the fates of the city, is introduced + by the orator to plead her own cause before the tribunal of the emperors. + “Most excellent princes,” says the venerable matron, “fathers of your + country! pity and respect my age, which has hitherto flowed in an + uninterrupted course of piety. Since I do not repent, permit me to + continue in the practice of my ancient rites. Since I am born free, allow + me to enjoy my domestic institutions. This religion has reduced the world + under my laws. These rites have repelled Hannibal from the city, and the + Gauls from the Capitol. Were my gray hairs reserved for such intolerable + disgrace? I am ignorant of the new system that I am required to adopt; but + I am well assured, that the correction of old age is always an ungrateful + and ignominious office.” <a href="#linknote-28.16" name="linknoteref-28.16" + id="linknoteref-28.16">16</a> The fears of the people supplied what the + discretion of the orator had suppressed; and the calamities, which + afflicted, or threatened, the declining empire, were unanimously imputed, + by the Pagans, to the new religion of Christ and of Constantine. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.12" id="linknote-28.12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.12">return</a>)<br /> [ Ambrose repeatedly + affirms, in contradiction to common sense (Moyle’s Works, vol. ii. p. + 147,) that the Christians had a majority in the senate.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.13" id="linknote-28.13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.13">return</a>)<br /> [ The first (A.D. 382) to + Gratian, who refused them audience; the second (A.D. 384) to Valentinian, + when the field was disputed by Symmachus and Ambrose; the third (A.D. 388) + to Theodosius; and the fourth (A.D. 392) to Valentinian. Lardner (Heathen + Testimonies, vol. iv. p. 372-399) fairly represents the whole + transaction.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.14" id="linknote-28.14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.14">return</a>)<br /> [ Symmachus, who was + invested with all the civil and sacerdotal honors, represented the emperor + under the two characters of Pontifex Maximus, and Princeps Senatus. See + the proud inscription at the head of his works. * Note: Mr. Beugnot has + made it doubtful whether Symmachus was more than Pontifex Major. + Destruction du Paganisme, vol. i. p. 459.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.15" id="linknote-28.15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.15">return</a>)<br /> [ As if any one, says + Prudentius (in Symmach. i. 639) should dig in the mud with an instrument + of gold and ivory. Even saints, and polemic saints, treat this adversary + with respect and civility.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.16" id="linknote-28.16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.16">return</a>)<br /> [ See the fifty-fourth + Epistle of the tenth book of Symmachus. In the form and disposition of his + ten books of Epistles, he imitated the younger Pliny; whose rich and + florid style he was supposed, by his friends, to equal or excel, (Macrob. + Saturnal. l. v. c. i.) But the luxcriancy of Symmachus consists of barren + leaves, without fruits, and even without flowers. Few facts, and few + sentiments, can be extracted from his verbose correspondence.] + </p> + <p> + But the hopes of Symmachus were repeatedly baffled by the firm and + dexterous opposition of the archbishop of Milan, who fortified the + emperors against the fallacious eloquence of the advocate of Rome. In this + controversy, Ambrose condescends to speak the language of a philosopher, + and to ask, with some contempt, why it should be thought necessary to + introduce an imaginary and invisible power, as the cause of those + victories, which were sufficiently explained by the valor and discipline + of the legions. He justly derides the absurd reverence for antiquity, + which could only tend to discourage the improvements of art, and to + replunge the human race into their original barbarism. From thence, + gradually rising to a more lofty and theological tone, he pronounces, that + Christianity alone is the doctrine of truth and salvation; and that every + mode of Polytheism conducts its deluded votaries, through the paths of + error, to the abyss of eternal perdition. <a href="#linknote-28.17" + name="linknoteref-28.17" id="linknoteref-28.17">17</a> Arguments like these, + when they were suggested by a favorite bishop, had power to prevent the + restoration of the altar of Victory; but the same arguments fell, with + much more energy and effect, from the mouth of a conqueror; and the gods + of antiquity were dragged in triumph at the chariot-wheels of Theodosius. + <a href="#linknote-28.18" name="linknoteref-28.18" id="linknoteref-28.18">18</a> + In a full meeting of the senate, the emperor proposed, according to the + forms of the republic, the important question, Whether the worship of + Jupiter, or that of Christ, should be the religion of the Romans. <a + href="#linknote-28.1811" name="linknoteref-28.1811" id="linknoteref-28.1811">1811</a> + The liberty of suffrages, which he affected to allow, was destroyed by the + hopes and fears that his presence inspired; and the arbitrary exile of + Symmachus was a recent admonition, that it might be dangerous to oppose + the wishes of the monarch. On a regular division of the senate, Jupiter + was condemned and degraded by the sense of a very large majority; and it + is rather surprising, that any members should be found bold enough to + declare, by their speeches and votes, that they were still attached to the + interest of an abdicated deity. <a href="#linknote-28.19" + name="linknoteref-28.19" id="linknoteref-28.19">19</a> The hasty conversion + of the senate must be attributed either to supernatural or to sordid + motives; and many of these reluctant proselytes betrayed, on every + favorable occasion, their 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 fashion of the times, and to the + entreaties of their wives and children, <a href="#linknote-28.20" + name="linknoteref-28.20" id="linknoteref-28.20">20</a> who were instigated + and governed by the clergy of Rome and the monks of the East. The edifying + example of the Anician family was soon imitated by the rest of the + nobility: the Bassi, the Paullini, the Gracchi, embraced the Christian + religion; and “the luminaries of the world, the venerable assembly of + Catos (such are the high-flown expressions of Prudentius) were impatient + to strip themselves of their pontifical garment; to cast the skin of the + old serpent; to assume the snowy robes of baptismal innocence, and to + humble the pride of the consular fasces before tombs of the martyrs.” <a + href="#linknote-28.21" name="linknoteref-28.21" id="linknoteref-28.21">21</a> + The citizens, who subsisted by their own industry, and the populace, who + were supported by the public liberality, filled the churches of the + Lateran, and Vatican, with an incessant throng of devout proselytes. The + decrees of the senate, which proscribed the worship of idols, were + ratified by the general consent of the Romans; <a href="#linknote-28.22" + name="linknoteref-28.22" id="linknoteref-28.22">22</a> the splendor of the + Capitol was defaced, and the solitary temples were abandoned to ruin and + contempt. <a href="#linknote-28.23" name="linknoteref-28.23" + id="linknoteref-28.23">23</a> Rome submitted to the yoke of the Gospel; and + the vanquished provinces had not yet lost their reverence for the name and + authority of Rome. <a href="#linknote-28.2311" name="linknoteref-28.2311" + id="linknoteref-28.2311">2311</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.17" id="linknote-28.17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.17">return</a>)<br /> [ See Ambrose, (tom. ii. + Epist. xvii. xviii. p. 825-833.) The former of these epistles is a short + caution; the latter is a formal reply of the petition or libel of + Symmachus. The same ideas are more copiously expressed in the poetry, if + it may deserve that name, of Prudentius; who composed his two books + against Symmachus (A.D. 404) while that senator was still alive. It is + whimsical enough that Montesquieu (Considerations, &c. c. xix. tom. + iii. p. 487) should overlook the two professed antagonists of Symmachus, + and amuse himself with descanting on the more remote and indirect + confutations of Orosius, St. Augustin, and Salvian.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.18" id="linknote-28.18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.18">return</a>)<br /> [ See Prudentius (in + Symmach. l. i. 545, &c.) The Christian agrees with the Pagan Zosimus + (l. iv. p. 283) in placing this visit of Theodosius after the second civil + war, gemini bis victor caede Tyranni, (l. i. 410.) But the time and + circumstances are better suited to his first triumph.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.1811" id="linknote-28.1811"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1811 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.1811">return</a>)<br /> [ M. Beugnot (in his + Histoire de la Destruction du Paganisme en Occident, i. p. 483-488) + questions, altogether, the truth of this statement. It is very remarkable + that Zosimus and Prudentius concur in asserting the fact of the question + being solemnly deliberated by the senate, though with directly opposite + results. Zosimus declares that the majority of the assembly adhered to the + ancient religion of Rome; Gibbon has adopted the authority of Prudentius, + who, as a Latin writer, though a poet, deserves more credit than the Greek + historian. Both concur in placing this scene after the second triumph of + Theodosius; but it has been almost demonstrated (and Gibbon—see the + preceding note—seems to have acknowledged this) by Pagi and + Tillemont, that Theodosius did not visit Rome after the defeat of + Eugenius. M. Beugnot urges, with much force, the improbability that the + Christian emperor would submit such a question to the senate, whose + authority was nearly obsolete, except on one occasion, which was almost + hailed as an epoch in the restoration of her ancient privileges. The + silence of Ambrose and of Jerom on an event so striking, and redounding so + much to the honor of Christianity, is of considerable weight. M. Beugnot + would ascribe the whole scene to the poetic imagination of Prudentius; but + I must observe, that, however Prudentius is sometimes elevated by the + grandeur of his subject to vivid and eloquent language, this flight of + invention would be so much bolder and more vigorous than usual with this + poet, that I cannot but suppose there must have been some foundation for + the story, though it may have been exaggerated by the poet, or + misrepresented by the historian.—M] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.19" id="linknote-28.19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.19">return</a>)<br /> [ Prudentius, after + proving that the sense of the senate is declared by a legal majority, + proceeds to say, (609, &c.)— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Adspice quam pleno subsellia nostra Senatu + Decernant infame Jovis pulvinar, et omne + Idolum longe purgata ex urbe fugandum, + Qua vocat egregii sententia Principis, illuc + Libera, cum pedibus, tum corde, frequentia transit. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Zosimus ascribes to the conscript fathers a heathenish courage, which few + of them are found to possess.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.20" id="linknote-28.20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.20">return</a>)<br /> [ Jerom specifies the + pontiff Albinus, who was surrounded with such a believing family of + children and grandchildren, as would have been sufficient to convert even + Jupiter himself; an extraordinary proselyted (tom. i. ad Laetam, p. 54.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.21" id="linknote-28.21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.21">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Exultare Patres videas, pulcherrima mundi + Lumina; Conciliumque senum gestire Catonum + Candidiore toga niveum pietatis amictum + Sumere; et exuvias deponere pontificales. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The fancy of Prudentius is warmed and elevated by victory] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.22" id="linknote-28.22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.22">return</a>)<br /> [ Prudentius, after he + has described the conversion of the senate and people, asks, with some + truth and confidence, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Et dubitamus adhuc Romam, tibi, Christe, dicatam + In leges transisse tuas?] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.23" id="linknote-28.23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.23">return</a>)<br /> [ Jerom exults in the + desolation of the Capitol, and the other temples of Rome, (tom. i. p. 54, + tom. ii. p. 95.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.2311" id="linknote-28.2311"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2311 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.2311">return</a>)<br /> [ M. Beugnot is more + correct in his general estimate of the measures enforced by Theodosius for + the abolition of Paganism. He seized (according to Zosimus) the funds + bestowed by the public for the expense of sacrifices. The public + sacrifices ceased, not because they were positively prohibited, but + because the public treasury would no longer bear the expense. The public + and the private sacrifices in the provinces, which were not under the same + regulations with those of the capital, continued to take place. In Rome + itself, many pagan ceremonies, which were without sacrifice, remained in + full force. The gods, therefore, were invoked, the temples were + frequented, the pontificates inscribed, according to ancient usage, among + the family titles of honor; and it cannot be asserted that idolatry was + completely destroyed by Theodosius. See Beugnot, p. 491.—M.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap28.2"></a> +Chapter XXVIII: Destruction Of Paganism.—Part II. +</h2> + <p> + The filial piety of the emperors themselves engaged them to proceed, with + some caution and tenderness, in the reformation of the eternal city. Those + absolute monarchs acted with less regard to the prejudices of the + provincials. The pious labor which had been suspended near twenty years + since the death of Constantius, <a href="#linknote-28.24" + name="linknoteref-28.24" id="linknoteref-28.24">24</a> was vigorously + resumed, and finally accomplished, by the zeal of Theodosius. Whilst that + warlike prince yet struggled with the Goths, not for the glory, but for + the safety, of the republic, he ventured to offend a considerable party of + his subjects, by some acts which might perhaps secure the protection of + Heaven, but which must seem rash and unseasonable in the eye of human + prudence. The success of his first experiments against the Pagans + encouraged the pious emperor to reiterate and enforce his edicts of + proscription: the same laws which had been originally published in the + provinces of the East, were applied, after the defeat of Maximus, to the + whole extent of the Western empire; and every victory of the orthodox + Theodosius contributed to the triumph of the Christian and Catholic faith. + <a href="#linknote-28.25" name="linknoteref-28.25" id="linknoteref-28.25">25</a> + He attacked superstition in her most vital part, by prohibiting the use of + sacrifices, which he declared to be criminal as well as infamous; and if + the terms of his edicts more strictly condemned the impious curiosity + which examined the entrails of the victim, <a href="#linknote-28.26" + name="linknoteref-28.26" id="linknoteref-28.26">26</a> every subsequent + explanation tended to involve in the same guilt the general practice of + immolation, which essentially constituted the religion 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. A special + commission was granted to Cynegius, the Prætorian praefect of the East, + and afterwards to the counts Jovius and Gaudentius, two officers of + distinguished rank in the West; by which they 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. <a + href="#linknote-28.27" name="linknoteref-28.27" id="linknoteref-28.27">27</a> + 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 architecture; and the + emperor himself was interested not to deface the splendor of his own + cities, or to diminish the value of his own possessions. Those stately + edifices might be suffered to remain, as so many lasting trophies of the + victory of Christ. In the decline of the arts they might be usefully + converted into magazines, manufactures, or places of public assembly: and + perhaps, when the walls of the temple had been sufficiently purified by + holy rites, the worship of the true Deity might be allowed to expiate the + ancient guilt of idolatry. But as long as they subsisted, the Pagans + fondly cherished the secret hope, that an auspicious revolution, a second + Julian, might again restore the altars of the gods: and the earnestness + with which they addressed their unavailing prayers to the throne, <a + href="#linknote-28.28" name="linknoteref-28.28" id="linknoteref-28.28">28</a> + increased the zeal of the Christian reformers to extirpate, without mercy, + the root of superstition. The laws of the emperors exhibit some symptoms + of a milder disposition: <a href="#linknote-28.29" name="linknoteref-28.29" + id="linknoteref-28.29">29</a> but their cold and languid efforts were + insufficient to stem the torrent of enthusiasm and rapine, which was + conducted, or rather impelled, by the spiritual rulers of the church. In + Gaul, the holy Martin, bishop of Tours, <a href="#linknote-28.30" + name="linknoteref-28.30" id="linknoteref-28.30">30</a> marched at the head + of his faithful monks to destroy the idols, the temples, and the + consecrated trees of his extensive diocese; and, in the execution of this + arduous task, the prudent reader will judge whether Martin was supported + by the aid of miraculous powers, or of carnal weapons. In Syria, the + divine and excellent Marcellus, <a href="#linknote-28.31" + name="linknoteref-28.31" id="linknoteref-28.31">31</a> as he is styled by + Theodoret, a bishop animated with apostolic fervor, resolved to level with + the ground the stately temples within the diocese of Apamea. His attack + was resisted by the skill and solidity with which the temple of Jupiter + had been constructed. The building was seated on an eminence: on each of + the four sides, the lofty roof was supported by fifteen massy columns, + sixteen feet in circumference; and the large stone, of which they were + composed, were firmly cemented with lead and iron. The force of the + strongest and sharpest tools had been tried without effect. It was found + necessary to undermine the foundations of the columns, which fell down as + soon as the temporary wooden props had been consumed with fire; and the + difficulties of the enterprise are described under the allegory of a black + daemon, who retarded, though he could not defeat, the operations of the + Christian engineers. Elated with victory, Marcellus took the field in + person against the powers of darkness; a numerous troop of soldiers and + gladiators marched under the episcopal banner, and he successively + attacked the villages and country temples of the diocese of Apamea. + Whenever any resistance or danger was apprehended, the champion of the + faith, whose lameness would not allow him either to fight or fly, placed + himself at a convenient distance, beyond the reach of darts. But this + prudence was the occasion of his death: he was surprised and slain by a + body of exasperated rustics; and the synod of the province pronounced, + without hesitation, that the holy Marcellus had sacrificed his life in the + cause of God. In the support of this cause, the monks, who rushed with + tumultuous fury from the desert, distinguished themselves by their zeal + and diligence. They deserved the enmity of the Pagans; and some of them + might deserve the reproaches of avarice and intemperance; of avarice, + which they gratified with holy plunder, and of intemperance, which they + indulged at the expense of the people, who foolishly admired their + tattered garments, loud psalmody, and artificial paleness. <a + href="#linknote-28.32" name="linknoteref-28.32" id="linknoteref-28.32">32</a> + A small number of temples was protected by the fears, the venality, the + taste, or the prudence, of the civil and ecclesiastical governors. The + temple of the Celestial Venus at Carthage, whose sacred precincts formed a + circumference of two miles, was judiciously converted into a Christian + church; <a href="#linknote-28.33" name="linknoteref-28.33" + id="linknoteref-28.33">33</a> and a similar consecration has preserved + inviolate the majestic dome of the Pantheon at Rome. <a + href="#linknote-28.34" name="linknoteref-28.34" id="linknoteref-28.34">34</a> + But in almost every province of the Roman world, an army of fanatics, + without authority, and without discipline, invaded the peaceful + inhabitants; and the ruin of the fairest structures of antiquity still + displays the ravages of those Barbarians, who alone had time and + inclination to execute such laborious destruction. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.24" id="linknote-28.24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.24">return</a>)<br /> [ Libanius (Orat. pro + Templis, p. 10, Genev. 1634, published by James Godefroy, and now + extremely scarce) accuses Valentinian and Valens of prohibiting + sacrifices. Some partial order may have been issued by the Eastern + emperor; but the idea of any general law is contradicted by the silence of + the Code, and the evidence of ecclesiastical history. Note: See in + Reiske’s edition of Libanius, tom. ii. p. 155. Sacrific was prohibited by + Valens, but not the offering of incense.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.25" id="linknote-28.25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.25">return</a>)<br /> [ See his laws in the + Theodosian Code, l. xvi. tit. x. leg. 7-11.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.26" id="linknote-28.26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.26">return</a>)<br /> [ Homer’s sacrifices are + not accompanied with any inquisition of entrails, (see Feithius, + Antiquitat. Homer. l. i. c. 10, 16.) The Tuscans, who produced the first + Haruspices, subdued both the Greeks and the Romans, (Cicero de + Divinatione, ii. 23.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.27" id="linknote-28.27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.27">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. iv. p. 245, + 249. Theodoret. l. v. c. 21. Idatius in Chron. Prosper. Aquitan. l. iii. + c. 38, apud Baronium, Annal. Eccles. A.D. 389, No. 52. Libanius (pro + Templis, p. 10) labors to prove that the commands of Theodosius were not + direct and positive. * Note: Libanius appears to be the best authority for + the East, where, under Theodosius, the work of devastation was carried on + with very different degrees of violence, according to the temper of the + local authorities and of the clergy; and more especially the neighborhood + of the more fanatican monks. Neander well observes, that the prohibition + of sacrifice would be easily misinterpreted into an authority for the + destruction of the buildings in which sacrifices were performed. + (Geschichte der Christlichen religion ii. p. 156.) An abuse of this kind + led to this remarkable oration of Libanius. Neander, however, justly + doubts whether this bold vindication or at least exculpation, of Paganism + was ever delivered before, or even placed in the hands of the Christian + emperor.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.28" id="linknote-28.28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.28">return</a>)<br /> [ Cod. Theodos, l. xvi. + tit. x. leg. 8, 18. There is room to believe, that this temple of Edessa, + which Theodosius wished to save for civil uses, was soon afterwards a heap + of ruins, (Libanius pro Templis, p. 26, 27, and Godefroy’s notes, p. 59.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.29" id="linknote-28.29"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 29 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.29">return</a>)<br /> [ See this curious + oration of Libanius pro Templis, pronounced, or rather composed, about the + year 390. I have consulted, with advantage, Dr. Lardner’s version and + remarks, (Heathen Testimonies, vol. iv. p. 135-163.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.30" id="linknote-28.30"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 30 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.30">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Life of Martin + by Sulpicius Severus, c. 9-14. The saint once mistook (as Don Quixote + might have done) a harmless funeral for an idolatrous procession, and + imprudently committed a miracle.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.31" id="linknote-28.31"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 31 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.31">return</a>)<br /> [ Compare Sozomen, (l. + vii. c. 15) with Theodoret, (l. v. c. 21.) Between them, they relate the + crusade and death of Marcellus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.32" id="linknote-28.32"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 32 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.32">return</a>)<br /> [ Libanius, pro Templis, + p. 10-13. He rails at these black-garbed men, the Christian monks, who eat + more than elephants. Poor elephants! they are temperate animals.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.33" id="linknote-28.33"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 33 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.33">return</a>)<br /> [ Prosper. Aquitan. l. + iii. c. 38, apud Baronium; Annal. Eccles. A.D. 389, No. 58, &c. The + temple had been shut some time, and the access to it was overgrown with + brambles.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.34" id="linknote-28.34"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 34 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.34">return</a>)<br /> [ Donatus, Roma Antiqua + et Nova, l. iv. c. 4, p. 468. This consecration was performed by Pope + Boniface IV. I am ignorant of the favorable circumstances which had + preserved the Pantheon above two hundred years after the reign of + Theodosius.] + </p> + <p> + In this wide and various prospect of devastation, the spectator may + distinguish the ruins of the temple of Serapis, at Alexandria. <a + href="#linknote-28.35" name="linknoteref-28.35" id="linknoteref-28.35">35</a> + Serapis does not appear to have been one of the native gods, or monsters, + who sprung from the fruitful soil of superstitious Egypt. <a + href="#linknote-28.36" name="linknoteref-28.36" id="linknoteref-28.36">36</a> + The first of the Ptolemies had been commanded, by a dream, to import the + mysterious stranger from the coast of Pontus, where he had been long + adored by the inhabitants of Sinope; but his attributes and his reign were + so imperfectly understood, that it became a subject of dispute, whether he + represented the bright orb of day, or the gloomy monarch of the + subterraneous regions. <a href="#linknote-28.37" name="linknoteref-28.37" + id="linknoteref-28.37">37</a> The Egyptians, who were obstinately devoted + to the religion of their fathers, refused to admit this foreign deity + within the walls of their cities. <a href="#linknote-28.38" + name="linknoteref-28.38" id="linknoteref-28.38">38</a> But the obsequious + priests, who were seduced by the liberality of the Ptolemies, submitted, + without resistance, to the power of the god of Pontus: an honorable and + domestic genealogy was provided; and this fortunate usurper was introduced + into the throne and bed of Osiris, <a href="#linknote-28.39" + name="linknoteref-28.39" id="linknoteref-28.39">39</a> the husband of Isis, + and the celestial monarch of Egypt. Alexandria, which claimed his peculiar + protection, gloried in the name of the city of Serapis. His temple, <a + href="#linknote-28.40" name="linknoteref-28.40" id="linknoteref-28.40">40</a> + which rivalled the pride and magnificence of the Capitol, was erected on + the spacious summit of an artificial mount, raised one hundred steps above + the level of the adjacent parts of the city; and the interior cavity was + strongly supported by arches, and distributed into vaults and + subterraneous apartments. The consecrated buildings were surrounded by a + quadrangular portico; the stately halls, 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 + splendor from its ashes. <a href="#linknote-28.41" name="linknoteref-28.41" + id="linknoteref-28.41">41</a> After the edicts of Theodosius had severely + prohibited the sacrifices of the Pagans, they were still tolerated in the + city and temple of Serapis; and this singular indulgence was imprudently + ascribed to the superstitious terrors of the Christians themselves; as if + they had feared to abolish those ancient rites, which could alone secure + the inundations of the Nile, the harvests of Egypt, and the subsistence of + Constantinople. <a href="#linknote-28.42" name="linknoteref-28.42" + id="linknoteref-28.42">42</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.35" id="linknote-28.35"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 35 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.35">return</a>)<br /> [ Sophronius composed a + recent and separate history, (Jerom, in Script. Eccles. tom. i. p. 303,) + which has furnished materials to Socrates, (l. v. c. 16.) Theodoret, (l. + v. c. 22,) and Rufinus, (l. ii. c. 22.) Yet the last, who had been at + Alexandria before and after the event, may deserve the credit of an + original witness.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.36" id="linknote-28.36"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 36 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.36">return</a>)<br /> [ Gerard Vossius (Opera, + tom. v. p. 80, and de Idoloaltria, l. i. c. 29) strives to support the + strange notion of the Fathers; that the patriarch Joseph was adored in + Egypt, as the bull Apis, and the god Serapis. * Note: Consult du Dieu + Serapis et son Origine, par J D. Guigniaut, (the translator of Creuzer’s + Symbolique,) Paris, 1828; and in the fifth volume of Bournouf’s + translation of Tacitus.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.37" id="linknote-28.37"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 37 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.37">return</a>)<br /> [ Origo dei nondum + nostris celebrata. Aegyptiorum antistites sic memorant, &c., Tacit. + Hist. iv. 83. The Greeks, who had travelled into Egypt, were alike + ignorant of this new deity.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.38" id="linknote-28.38"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 38 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.38">return</a>)<br /> [ Macrobius, Saturnal, l. + i. c. 7. Such a living fact decisively proves his foreign extraction.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.39" id="linknote-28.39"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 39 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.39">return</a>)<br /> [ At Rome, Isis and + Serapis were united in the same temple. The precedency which the queen + assumed, may seem to betray her unequal alliance with the stranger of + Pontus. But the superiority of the female sex was established in Egypt as + a civil and religious institution, (Diodor. Sicul. tom. i. l. i. p. 31, + edit. Wesseling,) and the same order is observed in Plutarch’s Treatise of + Isis and Osiris; whom he identifies with Serapis.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.40" id="linknote-28.40"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 40 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.40">return</a>)<br /> [ Ammianus, (xxii. 16.) + The Expositio totius Mundi, (p. 8, in Hudson’s Geograph. Minor. tom. + iii.,) and Rufinus, (l. ii. c. 22,) celebrate the Serapeum, as one of the + wonders of the world.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.41" id="linknote-28.41"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 41 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.41">return</a>)<br /> [ See Mémoires de l’Acad. + des Inscriptions, tom. ix. p. 397-416. The old library of the Ptolemies + was totally consumed in Caesar’s Alexandrian war. Marc Antony gave the + whole collection of Pergamus (200,000 volumes) to Cleopatra, as the + foundation of the new library of Alexandria.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.42" id="linknote-28.42"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 42 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.42">return</a>)<br /> [ Libanius (pro Templis, + p. 21) indiscreetly provokes his Christian masters by this insulting + remark.] + </p> + <p> + At that time <a href="#linknote-28.43" name="linknoteref-28.43" + id="linknoteref-28.43">43</a> the archiepiscopal throne of Alexandria was + filled by Theophilus, <a href="#linknote-28.44" name="linknoteref-28.44" + id="linknoteref-28.44">44</a> the perpetual enemy of peace and virtue; a + bold, bad man, whose hands were alternately polluted with gold and with + blood. His pious indignation was excited by the honors of Serapis; and the + insults which he offered to an ancient temple of Bacchus, <a + href="#linknote-28.4411" name="linknoteref-28.4411" id="linknoteref-28.4411">4411</a> + convinced the Pagans that he meditated a more important and dangerous + enterprise. In the tumultuous capital of Egypt, the slightest provocation + was sufficient to inflame a civil war. The votaries of Serapis, whose + strength and numbers were much inferior to those of their antagonists, + rose in arms at the instigation of the philosopher Olympius, <a + href="#linknote-28.45" name="linknoteref-28.45" id="linknoteref-28.45">45</a> + who exhorted them to die in the defence of the altars of the gods. These + Pagan fanatics fortified themselves in the temple, or rather fortress, of + Serapis; repelled the besiegers by daring sallies, and a resolute defence; + and, by the inhuman cruelties which they exercised on their Christian + prisoners, obtained the last consolation of despair. The efforts of the + prudent magistrate were usefully exerted for the establishment of a truce, + till the answer of Theodosius should determine the fate of Serapis. The + two parties assembled, without arms, in the principal square; and the + Imperial rescript was publicly read. But when a sentence of destruction + against the idols of Alexandria was pronounced, the Christians set up a + shout of joy and exultation, whilst the unfortunate Pagans, whose fury had + given way to consternation, retired with hasty and silent steps, and + eluded, by their flight or obscurity, the resentment of their enemies. + Theophilus proceeded to demolish the temple of Serapis, without any other + difficulties, than those which he found in the weight and solidity of the + materials: but these obstacles proved so insuperable, that he was obliged + to leave the foundations; and to content himself with reducing the edifice + itself to a heap of rubbish, a part of which was soon afterwards cleared + away, to make room for a church, erected in honor of the Christian + martyrs. The valuable library of Alexandria was pillaged or destroyed; and + near twenty years afterwards, the appearance of the empty shelves excited + the regret and indignation of every spectator, whose mind was not totally + darkened by religious prejudice. <a href="#linknote-28.46" + name="linknoteref-28.46" id="linknoteref-28.46">46</a> The compositions of + ancient genius, so many of which have irretrievably perished, might surely + have been excepted from the wreck of idolatry, for the amusement and + instruction of succeeding ages; and either the zeal or the avarice of the + archbishop, <a href="#linknote-28.47" name="linknoteref-28.47" + id="linknoteref-28.47">47</a> might have 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 + metal were contemptuously broken, and cast into the streets, Theophilus + labored to expose the frauds and vices of the ministers of the idols; + their dexterity in the management of the loadstone; their secret methods + of introducing a human actor into a hollow statue; <a + href="#linknote-28.4711" name="linknoteref-28.4711" id="linknoteref-28.4711">4711</a> + and their scandalous abuse of the confidence of devout husbands and + unsuspecting females. <a href="#linknote-28.48" name="linknoteref-28.48" + id="linknoteref-28.48">48</a> Charges like these may seem to deserve some + degree of credit, as they are not repugnant to the crafty and interested + spirit of superstition. But the same spirit is equally prone to the base + practice of insulting and calumniating a fallen enemy; and our belief is + naturally checked by the reflection, that it is much less difficult to + invent a fictitious story, than to support a practical fraud. The colossal + statue of Serapis <a href="#linknote-28.49" name="linknoteref-28.49" + id="linknoteref-28.49">49</a> was involved in the ruin of his temple and + religion. A great number of plates of different metals, artificially + joined together, composed the majestic figure of the deity, who touched on + either side the walls of the sanctuary. The aspect of Serapis, his sitting + posture, and the sceptre, which he bore in his left hand, were extremely + similar to the ordinary representations of Jupiter. He was distinguished + from Jupiter by the basket, or bushel, which was placed on his head; and + by the emblematic monster which he held in his right hand; the head 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 of + the god, the heavens and the earth would instantly return to their + original chaos. An intrepid soldier, animated by zeal, and armed with a + weighty battle-axe, ascended the ladder; and even the Christian multitude + expected, with some anxiety, the event of the combat. <a + href="#linknote-28.50" name="linknoteref-28.50" id="linknoteref-28.50">50</a> + He aimed a vigorous stroke against the cheek of Serapis; the cheek fell to + the ground; the thunder was still silent, and both the heavens and the + earth continued to preserve their accustomed order and tranquillity. The + victorious soldier repeated his blows: the huge idol was overthrown, and + broken in pieces; and the limbs of Serapis were ignominiously dragged + through the streets of Alexandria. His mangled carcass was burnt in the + Amphitheatre, amidst the shouts of the populace; and many persons + attributed their conversion to this discovery of the impotence of their + tutelar deity. The popular modes of religion, that propose any visible and + material objects of worship, have the advantage of adapting and + familiarizing themselves to the senses of mankind: but this advantage is + counterbalanced by the various and inevitable accidents to which the faith + of the idolater is exposed. It is scarcely possible, that, in every + disposition of mind, he should preserve his implicit reverence for the + idols, or the relics, which the naked eye, and the profane hand, are + unable to distinguish from the most common productions of art or nature; + and if, in the hour of danger, their secret and miraculous virtue does not + operate for their own preservation, he scorns the vain apologies of his + priests, and justly derides the object, and the folly, of his + superstitious attachment. <a href="#linknote-28.51" name="linknoteref-28.51" + id="linknoteref-28.51">51</a> After the fall of Serapis, some hopes were + still entertained by the Pagans, that the Nile would refuse his annual + supply to the impious masters of Egypt; and the extraordinary delay of the + inundation seemed to announce the displeasure of the river-god. But this + delay was soon compensated by the rapid swell of the waters. They suddenly + rose to such an unusual height, as to comfort the discontented party with + the pleasing expectation of a deluge; till the peaceful river again + subsided to the well-known and fertilizing level of sixteen cubits, or + about thirty English feet. <a href="#linknote-28.52" name="linknoteref-28.52" + id="linknoteref-28.52">52</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.43" id="linknote-28.43"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 43 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.43">return</a>)<br /> [ We may choose between + the date of Marcellinus (A.D. 389) or that of Prosper, ( A.D. 391.) + Tillemont (Hist. des Emp. tom. v. p. 310, 756) prefers the former, and + Pagi the latter.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.44" id="linknote-28.44"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 44 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.44">return</a>)<br /> [ Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. + tom. xi. p. 441-500. The ambiguous situation of Theophilus—a saint, + as the friend of Jerom a devil, as the enemy of Chrysostom—produces + a sort of impartiality; yet, upon the whole, the balance is justly + inclined against him.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.4411" id="linknote-28.4411"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4411 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.4411">return</a>)<br /> [ No doubt a temple + of Osiris. St. Martin, iv 398-M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.45" id="linknote-28.45"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 45 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.45">return</a>)<br /> [ Lardner (Heathen + Testimonies, vol. iv. p. 411) has alleged beautiful passage from Suidas, + or rather from Damascius, which show the devout and virtuous Olympius, not + in the light of a warrior, but of a prophet.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.46" id="linknote-28.46"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 46 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.46">return</a>)<br /> [ Nos vidimus armaria + librorum, quibus direptis, exinanita ea a nostris hominibus, nostris + temporibus memorant. Orosius, l. vi. c. 15, p. 421, edit. Havercamp. + Though a bigot, and a controversial writer. Orosius seems to blush.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.47" id="linknote-28.47"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 47 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.47">return</a>)<br /> [ Eunapius, in the Lives + of Antoninus and Aedesius, execrates the sacrilegious rapine of + Theophilus. Tillemont (Mem. Eccles. tom. xiii. p. 453) quotes an epistle + of Isidore of Pelusium, which reproaches the primate with the idolatrous + worship of gold, the auri sacra fames.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.4711" id="linknote-28.4711"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4711 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.4711">return</a>)<br /> [ An English + traveller, Mr. Wilkinson, has discovered the secret of the vocal Memnon. + There was a cavity in which a person was concealed, and struck a stone, + which gave a ringing sound like brass. The Arabs, who stood below when Mr. + Wilkinson performed the miracle, described sound just as the author of the + epigram.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.48" id="linknote-28.48"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 48 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.48">return</a>)<br /> [ Rufinus names the + priest of Saturn, who, in the character of the god, familiarly conversed + with many pious ladies of quality, till he betrayed himself, in a moment + of transport, when he could not disguise the tone of his voice. The + authentic and impartial narrative of Aeschines, (see Bayle, Dictionnaire + Critique, Scamandre,) and the adventure of Mudus, (Joseph. Antiquitat. + Judaic. l. xviii. c. 3, p. 877 edit. Havercamp,) may prove that such + amorous frauds have been practised with success.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.49" id="linknote-28.49"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 49 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.49">return</a>)<br /> [ See the images of + Serapis, in Montfaucon, (tom. ii. p. 297:) but the description of + Macrobius (Saturnal. l. i. c. 20) is much more picturesque and + satisfactory.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.50" id="linknote-28.50"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 50 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.50">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Sed fortes tremuere manus, motique verenda + Majestate loci, si robora sacra ferirent + In sua credebant redituras membra secures. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + (Lucan. iii. 429.) “Is it true,” (said Augustus to a veteran of Italy, at + whose house he supped) “that the man who gave the first blow to the golden + statue of Anaitis, was instantly deprived of his eyes, and of his life?”—“I + was that man, (replied the clear-sighted veteran,) and you now sup on one + of the legs of the goddess.” (Plin. Hist. Natur. xxxiii. 24)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.51" id="linknote-28.51"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 51 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.51">return</a>)<br /> [ The history of the + reformation affords frequent examples of the sudden change from + superstition to contempt.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.52" id="linknote-28.52"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 52 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.52">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen, l. vii. c. 20. + I have supplied the measure. The same standard, of the inundation, and + consequently of the cubit, has uniformly subsisted since the time of + Herodotus. See Freret, in the Mem. de l’Academie des Inscriptions, tom. + xvi. p. 344-353. Greaves’s Miscellaneous Works, vol. i. p. 233. The + Egyptian cubit is about twenty-two inches of the English measure. * Note: + Compare Wilkinson’s Thebes and Egypt, p. 313.—M.] + </p> + <p> + The temples of the Roman empire were deserted, or destroyed; but the + ingenious superstition of the Pagans still attempted to elude the laws of + Theodosius, by which all sacrifices had been severely prohibited. The + inhabitants of the country, whose conduct was less opposed to the eye of + malicious 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 entertainment was + sanctified by the use of incense, and by the hymns which were sung in + honor of the gods. But it was alleged, that, as no part of the animal was + made a burnt-offering, as no altar was provided to receive the blood, and + as the previous oblation of salt cakes, and the concluding ceremony of + libations, were carefully omitted, these festal meetings did not involve + the guests in the guilt, or penalty, of an illegal sacrifice. <a + href="#linknote-28.53" name="linknoteref-28.53" id="linknoteref-28.53">53</a> + Whatever might be the truth of the facts, or the merit of the distinction, + <a href="#linknote-28.54" name="linknoteref-28.54" id="linknoteref-28.54">54</a> + these vain pretences were swept away by the last edict of Theodosius, + which inflicted a deadly wound on the superstition of the Pagans. <a + href="#linknote-28.55" name="linknoteref-28.55" id="linknoteref-28.55">55</a> + <a href="#linknote-28.5511" name="linknoteref-28.5511" + id="linknoteref-28.5511">5511</a> This prohibitory law is expressed in the + most absolute and comprehensive terms. “It is our will and pleasure,” says + the emperor, “that none of our subjects, whether magistrates or private + citizens, however exalted or however 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 a guiltless 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 atrocious, are abolished, as highly injurious to the truth and honor + of religion; luminaries, garlands, frankincense, and libations of wine, + are specially enumerated and condemned; and the harmless claims of the + domestic genius, of the household gods, are included in 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, without delay, + a heavy fine 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 the laws of Theodosius, which + were repeatedly enforced by his sons and grandsons, with the loud and + unanimous applause of the Christian world. <a href="#linknote-28.56" + name="linknoteref-28.56" id="linknoteref-28.56">56</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.53" id="linknote-28.53"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 53 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.53">return</a>)<br /> [ Libanius (pro Templis, + p. 15, 16, 17) pleads their cause with gentle and insinuating rhetoric. + From the earliest age, such feasts had enlivened the country: and those of + Bacchus (Georgic. ii. 380) had produced the theatre of Athens. See + Godefroy, ad loc. Liban. and Codex Theodos. tom. vi. p. 284.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.54" id="linknote-28.54"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 54 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.54">return</a>)<br /> [ Honorius tolerated + these rustic festivals, (A.D. 399.) “Absque ullo sacrificio, atque ulla + superstitione damnabili.” But nine years afterwards he found it necessary + to reiterate and enforce the same proviso, (Codex Theodos. l. xvi. tit. x. + leg. 17, 19.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.55" id="linknote-28.55"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 55 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.55">return</a>)<br /> [ Cod. Theodos. l. xvi. + tit. x. leg. 12. Jortin (Remarks on Eccles. History, vol. iv. p. 134) + censures, with becoming asperity, the style and sentiments of this + intolerant law.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.5511" id="linknote-28.5511"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5511 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.5511">return</a>)<br /> [ Paganism maintained + its ground for a considerable time in the rural districts. Endelechius, a + poet who lived at the beginning of the fifth century, speaks of the cross + as Signum quod perhibent esse crucis Dei, Magnis qui colitur solus + inurbibus. In the middle of the same century, Maximus, bishop of Turin, + writes against the heathen deities as if their worship was still in full + vigor in the neighborhood of his city. Augustine complains of the + encouragement of the Pagan rites by heathen landowners; and Zeno of + Verona, still later, reproves the apathy of the Christian proprietors in + conniving at this abuse. (Compare Neander, ii. p. 169.) M. Beugnot shows + that this was the case throughout the north and centre of Italy and in + Sicily. But neither of these authors has adverted to one fact, which must + have tended greatly to retard the progress of Christianity in these + quarters. It was still chiefly a slave population which cultivated the + soil; and however, in the towns, the better class of Christians might be + eager to communicate “the blessed liberty of the gospel” to this class of + mankind; however their condition could not but be silently ameliorated by + the humanizing influence of Christianity; yet, on the whole, no doubt the + servile class would be the least fitted to receive the gospel; and its + general propagation among them would be embarrassed by many peculiar + difficulties. The rural population was probably not entirely converted + before the general establishment of the monastic institutions. Compare + Quarterly Review of Beugnot. vol lvii. p. 52—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.56" id="linknote-28.56"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 56 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.56">return</a>)<br /> [ Such a charge should + not be lightly made; but it may surely be justified by the authority of + St. Augustin, who thus addresses the Donatists: “Quis nostrum, quis + vestrum non laudat leges ab Imperatoribus datas adversus sacrificia + Paganorum? Et certe longe ibi poera severior constituta est; illius quippe + impietatis capitale supplicium est.” Epist. xciii. No. 10, quoted by Le + Clerc, (Bibliothèque Choisie, tom. viii. p. 277,) who adds some judicious + reflections on the intolerance of the victorious Christians. * Note: Yet + Augustine, with laudable inconsistency, disapproved of the forcible + demolition of the temples. “Let us first extirpate the idolatry of the + hearts of the heathen, and they will either themselves invite us or + anticipate us in the execution of this good work,” tom. v. p. 62. Compare + Neander, ii. 169, and, in p. 155, a beautiful passage from Chrysostom + against all violent means of propagating Christianity.—M.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap28.3"></a> +Chapter XXVIII: Destruction Of Paganism.—Part III. +</h2> + <p> + In the cruel reigns of Decius and Diocletian, Christianity had been + proscribed, as a revolt from the ancient and hereditary religion of the + empire; and the unjust suspicions which were entertained of a dark and + dangerous faction, were, in some measure, countenanced by the inseparable + union and rapid conquests of the Catholic church. But the same excuses of + fear and ignorance cannot be applied to the Christian emperors who + violated the precepts of humanity and of the Gospel. The experience of + ages had betrayed the weakness, as well as folly, of Paganism; the light + of reason and of faith had already exposed, to the greatest part of + mankind, the vanity of idols; and the declining sect, which still adhered + to their worship, might have been permitted to enjoy, in peace and + obscurity, the religious costumes 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 martyrs of Jupiter and Apollo might have embraced the glorious + opportunity of devoting their lives and fortunes at the foot of their + altars. But 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 substance against + which they were directed; and the ready obedience of the Pagans protected + them from the pains and penalties of the Theodosian Code. <a + href="#linknote-28.57" name="linknoteref-28.57" id="linknoteref-28.57">57</a> + 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. If they were + sometimes tempted by a sally of passion, or by the hopes of concealment, + to indulge their favorite superstition, their humble repentance disarmed + the severity of the Christian magistrate, and they seldom refused to atone + for their rashness, by submitting, with some secret reluctance, to the + yoke of the Gospel. The churches were filled with the increasing multitude + of these unworthy proselytes, who had conformed, from temporal motives, to + the reigning religion; and whilst they devoutly imitated the postures, and + recited the prayers, of the faithful, they satisfied their conscience by + the silent and sincere invocation of the gods of antiquity. <a + href="#linknote-28.58" name="linknoteref-28.58" id="linknoteref-28.58">58</a> + If the Pagans wanted 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 <a href="#linknote-28.59" name="linknoteref-28.59" + id="linknoteref-28.59">59</a> of the peasants of Syria, and the populace of + Alexandria, to the rage of private 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 the usurper. The clergy vehemently exclaimed, that + he aggravated the crime of rebellion by the guilt of apostasy; that, by + his permission, the altar of victory was again restored; and that the + idolatrous 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 labored to deserve the + favor of Heaven by the extirpation of idolatry. <a href="#linknote-28.60" + name="linknoteref-28.60" id="linknoteref-28.60">60</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.57" id="linknote-28.57"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 57 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.57">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius, l. vii. c. 28, + p. 537. Augustin (Enarrat. in Psalm cxl apud Lardner, Heathen Testimonies, + vol. iv. p. 458) insults their cowardice. “Quis eorum comprehensus est in + sacrificio (cum his legibus sta prohiberentur) et non negavit?”] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.58" id="linknote-28.58"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 58 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.58">return</a>)<br /> [ Libanius (pro Templis, + p. 17, 18) mentions, without censure the occasional conformity, and as it + were theatrical play, of these hypocrites.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.59" id="linknote-28.59"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 59 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.59">return</a>)<br /> [ Libanius concludes his + apology (p. 32) by declaring to the emperor, that unless he expressly + warrants the destruction of the temples, the proprietors will defend + themselves and the laws.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.60" id="linknote-28.60"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 60 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.60">return</a>)<br /> [ Paulinus, in Vit. + Ambros. c. 26. Augustin de Civitat. Dei, l. v. c. 26. Theodoret, l. v. c. + 24.] + </p> + <p> + A nation of slaves is always prepared to applaud the clemency of their + master, who, in the abuse of absolute power, does not proceed to the last + extremes of injustice and oppression. Theodosius might undoubtedly have + proposed to his Pagan subjects the alternative of baptism or of death; and + the eloquent Libanius has praised the moderation of a prince, who never + enacted, by any positive law, that all his subjects should immediately + embrace and practise the religion of their sovereign. <a + href="#linknote-28.61" name="linknoteref-28.61" id="linknoteref-28.61">61</a> + The profession of Christianity was not made an essential qualification for + the enjoyment of the civil rights of society, nor were any peculiar + hardships imposed on the sectaries, who credulously received the fables of + Ovid, and obstinately 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 honors + of the empire. <a href="#linknote-28.6111" name="linknoteref-28.6111" + id="linknoteref-28.6111">6111</a> Theodosius distinguished his liberal + regard for virtue and genius by the consular dignity, which he bestowed on + Symmachus; <a href="#linknote-28.62" name="linknoteref-28.62" + id="linknoteref-28.62">62</a> and by the personal friendship which he + expressed to Libanius; <a href="#linknote-28.63" name="linknoteref-28.63" + id="linknoteref-28.63">63</a> and the two eloquent apologists of Paganism + were never required either to change or to dissemble their religious + opinions. The Pagans were indulged in the most licentious freedom of + speech and writing; the historical and philosophic remains of Eunapius, + Zosimus, <a href="#linknote-28.64" name="linknoteref-28.64" + id="linknoteref-28.64">64</a> and the fanatic teachers of the school of + Plato, betray the most furious animosity, and contain the sharpest + invectives, against the sentiments and conduct of their victorious + adversaries. If these audacious libels were publicly known, we must + applaud the good sense of the Christian princes, who viewed, with a smile + of contempt, the last struggles of superstition and despair. <a + href="#linknote-28.65" name="linknoteref-28.65" id="linknoteref-28.65">65</a> + But the Imperial laws, which prohibited the sacrifices and ceremonies of + Paganism, were rigidly executed; and every hour contributed to destroy the + influence of a religion, which was supported by custom, rather than by + argument. The devotion or 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 solid foundation of the religious + sentiments of the people, which derive their force from imitation and + habit. The interruption 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 priests, of temples, and of books. <a + href="#linknote-28.66" name="linknoteref-28.66" id="linknoteref-28.66">66</a> + The ignorant vulgar, whose minds are still agitated by the blind hopes and + terrors of superstition, will be soon persuaded by their superiors to + direct their vows to the reigning deities of the age; and will insensibly + imbibe an ardent zeal for the support and propagation of the new doctrine, + which spiritual hunger at first compelled them to accept. The generation + that arose in the world after the promulgation of the Imperial laws, was + attracted within the pale of the Catholic church: and so rapid, yet so + gentle, was the fall of Paganism, that only twenty-eight years after the + death of Theodosius, the faint and minute vestiges were no longer visible + to the eye of the legislator. <a href="#linknote-28.67" + name="linknoteref-28.67" id="linknoteref-28.67">67</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.61" id="linknote-28.61"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 61 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.61">return</a>)<br /> [ Libanius suggests the + form of a persecuting edict, which Theodosius might enact, (pro Templis, + p. 32;) a rash joke, and a dangerous experiment. Some princes would have + taken his advice.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.6111" id="linknote-28.6111"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6111 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.6111">return</a>)<br /> [ The most remarkable + instance of this, at a much later period, occurs in the person of + Merobaudes, a general and a poet, who flourished in the first half of the + fifth century. A statue in honor of Merobaudes was placed in the Forum of + Trajan, of which the inscription is still extant. Fragments of his poems + have been recovered by the industry and sagacity of Niebuhr. In one + passage, Merobaudes, in the genuine heathen spirit, attributes the ruin of + the empire to the abolition of Paganism, and almost renews the old + accusation of Atheism against Christianity. He impersonates some deity, + probably Discord, who summons Bellona to take arms for the destruction of + Rome; and in a strain of fierce irony recommends to her other fatal + measures, to extirpate the gods of Rome:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Roma, ipsique tremant furialia murmura reges. + Jam superos terris atque hospita numina pelle: + Romanos populare Deos, et nullus in aris + Vestoe exoratoe fotus strue palleat ignis. + Ilis instructa dolis palatia celsa subibo; + Majorum mores, et pectora prisca fugabo + Funditus; atque simul, nullo discrimine rerum, + Spernantur fortes, nec sic reverentia justis. + Attica neglecto pereat facundia Phoebo: + Indignis contingat honos, et pondera rerum; + Non virtus sed casus agat; tristique cupido; + Pectoribus saevi demens furor aestuet aevi; + Omniaque hoec sine mente Jovis, sine numine sumimo. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Merobaudes in Niebuhr’s edit. of the Byzantines, p. 14.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.62" id="linknote-28.62"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 62 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.62">return</a>)<br /> [ Denique pro meritis + terrestribus aequa rependens + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Munera, sacricolis summos impertit honores. + + Dux bonus, et certare sinit cum laude suorum, + Nec pago implicitos per debita culmina mundi Ire + viros prohibet. + Ipse magistratum tibi consulis, ipse tribunal + + Contulit. + Prudent. in Symmach. i. 617, &c. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Note: I have inserted some lines omitted by Gibbon.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.63" id="linknote-28.63"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 63 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.63">return</a>)<br /> [ Libanius (pro Templis, + p. 32) is proud that Theodosius should thus distinguish a man, who even in + his presence would swear by Jupiter. Yet this presence seems to be no more + than a figure of rhetoric.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.64" id="linknote-28.64"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 64 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.64">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, who styles + himself Count and Ex-advocate of the Treasury, reviles, with partial and + indecent bigotry, the Christian princes, and even the father of his + sovereign. His work must have been privately circulated, since it escaped + the invectives of the ecclesiastical historians prior to Evagrius, (l. + iii. c. 40-42,) who lived towards the end of the sixth century. * Note: + Heyne in his Disquisitio in Zosimum Ejusque Fidem. places Zosimum towards + the close of the fifth century. Zosim. Heynii, p. xvii.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.65" id="linknote-28.65"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 65 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.65">return</a>)<br /> [ Yet the Pagans of + Africa complained, that the times would not allow them to answer with + freedom the City of God; nor does St. Augustin (v. 26) deny the charge.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.66" id="linknote-28.66"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 66 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.66">return</a>)<br /> [ The Moors of Spain, who + secretly preserved the Mahometan religion above a century, under the + tyranny of the Inquisition, possessed the Koran, with the peculiar use of + the Arabic tongue. See the curious and honest story of their expulsion in + Geddes, (Miscellanies, vol. i. p. 1-198.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.67" id="linknote-28.67"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 67 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.67">return</a>)<br /> [ Paganos qui supersunt, + quanquam jam nullos esse credamus, &c. Cod. Theodos. l. xvi. tit. x. + leg. 22, A.D. 423. The younger Theodosius was afterwards satisfied, that + his judgment had been somewhat premature. Note: The statement of Gibbon is + much too strongly worded. M. Beugnot has traced the vestiges of Paganism + in the West, after this period, in monuments and inscriptions with curious + industry. Compare likewise note, p. 112, on the more tardy progress of + Christianity in the rural districts.—M.] + </p> + <p> + The ruin of the Pagan religion is described by the sophists as a dreadful + and amazing prodigy, which covered the earth with darkness, and restored + the ancient dominion 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 martyrs. “The monks” (a + race of filthy animals, to whom Eunapius is tempted to refuse the name of + men) “are the authors of the new worship, which, in the place of those + deities who are conceived by the understanding, has substituted the + meanest and most contemptible slaves. The heads, salted and pickled, of + those infamous malefactors, who for the multitude of their 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 + inflicted 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 prayers and petitions to the Deity, whose + tombs are now consecrated as the objects of the veneration of the people.” + <a href="#linknote-28.68" name="linknoteref-28.68" id="linknoteref-28.68">68</a> + Without approving the malice, it is natural enough to share the surprise + of the sophist, the spectator of a revolution, which raised those obscure + victims of the laws of Rome to the rank of celestial and invisible + 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 honors of the martyrs. One hundred and fifty + years after the glorious deaths of St. Peter and St. Paul, the Vatican and + the Ostian road were distinguished by the tombs, or rather by the + trophies, of those spiritual heroes. <a href="#linknote-28.69" + name="linknoteref-28.69" id="linknoteref-28.69">69</a> In the age which + followed the conversion of Constantine, the emperors, the consuls, and the + generals of armies, devoutly visited the sepulchres of a tentmaker and a + fisherman; <a href="#linknote-28.70" name="linknoteref-28.70" + id="linknoteref-28.70">70</a> and their venerable bones were deposited + under the altars of Christ, on which the bishops of the royal city + continually offered the unbloody sacrifice. <a href="#linknote-28.71" + name="linknoteref-28.71" id="linknoteref-28.71">71</a> The new capital of + the Eastern world, unable to produce any ancient and domestic trophies, + was enriched by the spoils of dependent 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 + the church of the apostles, which the magnificence of Constantine had + founded on the banks of the Thracian Bosphorus. <a href="#linknote-28.72" + name="linknoteref-28.72" id="linknoteref-28.72">72</a> About fifty years + afterwards, the same banks were honored by the presence of Samuel, the + judge and prophet of the people of Israel. His ashes, deposited in a + golden vase, and covered with a silken veil, were delivered by the bishops + into each other’s hands. The relics of Samuel were received by the people + with the same joy and reverence which they would have shown to the living + prophet; the highways, from Palestine to the gates of Constantinople, were + filled with an uninterrupted procession; and the emperor Arcadius himself, + at the head of the most illustrious members of the clergy and senate, + advanced to meet his extraordinary guest, who had always deserved and + claimed the homage of kings. <a href="#linknote-28.73" + name="linknoteref-28.73" id="linknoteref-28.73">73</a> The example of Rome + and Constantinople confirmed the faith and discipline of the Catholic + world. The honors of the saints and martyrs, after a feeble and + ineffectual murmur of profane reason, <a href="#linknote-28.74" + name="linknoteref-28.74" id="linknoteref-28.74">74</a> were universally + established; and in the age of Ambrose and Jerom, something was still + deemed wanting to the sanctity of a Christian church, till it had been + consecrated by some portion of holy relics, which fixed and inflamed the + devotion of the faithful. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.68" id="linknote-28.68"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 68 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.68">return</a>)<br /> [ See Eunapius, in the + Life of the sophist Aedesius; in that of Eustathius he foretells the ruin + of Paganism.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.69" id="linknote-28.69"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 69 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.69">return</a>)<br /> [ Caius, (apud Euseb. + Hist. Eccles. l. ii. c. 25,) a Roman presbyter, who lived in the time of + Zephyrinus, (A.D. 202-219,) is an early witness of this superstitious + practice.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.70" id="linknote-28.70"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 70 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.70">return</a>)<br /> [ Chrysostom. Quod + Christus sit Deus. Tom. i. nov. edit. No. 9. I am indebted for this + quotation to Benedict the XIVth’s pastoral letter on the Jubilee of the + year 1759. See the curious and entertaining letters of M. Chais, tom. + iii.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.71" id="linknote-28.71"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 71 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.71">return</a>)<br /> [ Male facit ergo Romanus + episcopus? qui, super mortuorum hominum, Petri & Pauli, secundum nos, + ossa veneranda ... offeri Domino sacrificia, et tumulos eorum, Christi + arbitratur altaria. Jerom. tom. ii. advers. Vigilant. p. 183.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.72" id="linknote-28.72"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 72 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.72">return</a>)<br /> [ Jerom (tom. ii. p. 122) + bears witness to these translations, which are neglected by the + ecclesiastical historians. The passion of St. Andrew at Patrae is + described in an epistle from the clergy of Achaia, which Baronius (Annal. + Eccles. A.D. 60, No. 34) wishes to believe, and Tillemont is forced to + reject. St. Andrew was adopted as the spiritual founder of Constantinople, + (Mem. Eccles. tom. i. p. 317-323, 588-594.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.73" id="linknote-28.73"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 73 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.73">return</a>)<br /> [ Jerom (tom. ii. p. 122) + pompously describes the translation of Samuel, which is noticed in all the + chronicles of the times.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.74" id="linknote-28.74"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 74 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.74">return</a>)<br /> [ The presbyter + Vigilantius, the Protestant of his age, firmly, though ineffectually, + withstood the superstition of monks, relics, saints, fasts, &c., for + which Jerom compares him to the Hydra, Cerberus, the Centaurs, &c., + and considers him only as the organ of the Daemon, (tom. ii. p. 120-126.) + Whoever will peruse the controversy of St. Jerom and Vigilantius, and St. + Augustin’s account of the miracles of St. Stephen, may speedily gain some + idea of the spirit of the Fathers.] + </p> + <p> + In the long period of twelve hundred years, which elapsed between the + reign of Constantine and the reformation of Luther, the worship of saints + and relics corrupted the pure and perfect simplicity of the Christian + model: and some symptoms of degeneracy may be observed even in the first + generations which adopted and cherished this pernicious innovation. + </p> + <p> + I. The satisfactory experience, that the relics of saints were more + valuable than gold or precious stones, <a href="#linknote-28.75" + name="linknoteref-28.75" id="linknoteref-28.75">75</a> stimulated the clergy + to multiply the treasures of the church. Without much regard for truth or + probability, they invented names for skeletons, and actions for names. The + fame of the apostles, and of the holy men who had imitated their virtues, + was darkened by religious fiction. To the invincible band of genuine and + primitive martyrs, they added myriads of imaginary heroes, who had never + existed, except in the fancy of crafty or credulous legendaries; and there + is reason to suspect, that Tours might not be the only diocese in which + the bones of a malefactor were adored, instead of those of a saint. <a + href="#linknote-28.76" name="linknoteref-28.76" id="linknoteref-28.76">76</a> + A superstitious practice, which tended to increase the temptations of + fraud, and credulity, insensibly extinguished the light of history, and of + reason, in the Christian world. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.75" id="linknote-28.75"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 75 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.75">return</a>)<br /> [ M. de Beausobre (Hist. + du Manicheisme, tom. ii. p. 648) has applied a worldly sense to the pious + observation of the clergy of Smyrna, who carefully preserved the relics of + St. Polycarp the martyr.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.76" id="linknote-28.76"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 76 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.76">return</a>)<br /> [ Martin of Tours (see + his Life, c. 8, by Sulpicius Severus) extorted this confession from the + mouth of the dead man. The error is allowed to be natural; the discovery + is supposed to be miraculous. Which of the two was likely to happen most + frequently?] + </p> + <p> + II. But the progress of superstition would have been much less rapid and + victorious, if the faith of the people had not been assisted by the + seasonable aid of visions and miracles, to ascertain the authenticity and + virtue of the most suspicious relics. In the reign of the younger + Theodosius, Lucian, <a href="#linknote-28.77" name="linknoteref-28.77" + id="linknoteref-28.77">77</a> a presbyter of Jerusalem, and the + ecclesiastical minister of the village of Caphargamala, about twenty miles + from the city, related a very singular dream, which, to remove his doubts, + had been repeated on three successive Saturdays. A venerable figure stood + before him, in the silence of the night, with a long beard, a white robe, + and a gold rod; announced himself by the name of Gamaliel, and revealed to + the astonished presbyter, that his own corpse, with the bodies of his son + Abibas, his friend Nicodemus, and the illustrious Stephen, the first + martyr of the Christian faith, were secretly 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 of Jerusalem of their situation and their wishes. The + doubts and difficulties which still retarded this important discovery were + successively removed by new visions; and the ground was opened by the + bishop, in the presence of an innumerable multitude. The coffins of + Gamaliel, of his son, and of his friend, were found in regular order; but + when the fourth coffin, which contained the remains of Stephen, was shown + to the light, the earth trembled, and an odor, such as that of paradise, + was smelt, which instantly cured the various diseases of seventy-three of + the assistants. The companions of Stephen were left in their peaceful + residence of Caphargamala: but the relics of the first martyr were + transported, in solemn procession, to a church constructed in their honor + on Mount Sion; and the minute particles of those relics, a drop of blood, + <a href="#linknote-28.78" name="linknoteref-28.78" id="linknoteref-28.78">78</a> + or the scrapings of a bone, were acknowledged, in almost every province of + the Roman world, to possess a divine and miraculous virtue. The grave and + learned Augustin, <a href="#linknote-28.79" name="linknoteref-28.79" + id="linknoteref-28.79">79</a> whose understanding scarcely admits the + excuse of credulity, has attested the innumerable prodigies which were + performed in Africa by the relics of St. Stephen; and this marvellous + narrative is inserted in the elaborate work of the City of God, which the + bishop of Hippo designed as a solid and immortal proof of the truth of + Christianity. Augustin solemnly declares, that he has selected those + miracles only which were publicly certified by the persons who were either + the objects, or the spectators, of the power of the martyr. Many prodigies + were omitted, or forgotten; and Hippo had been less favorably treated than + the other cities of the province. And yet the bishop enumerates above + seventy miracles, of which three were resurrections from the dead, in the + space of two years, and within the limits of his own diocese. <a + href="#linknote-28.80" name="linknoteref-28.80" id="linknoteref-28.80">80</a> + If we enlarge our view to all the dioceses, and all the saints, of the + Christian world, it will not be easy to calculate the fables, and the + errors, which issued from this inexhaustible source. But we may surely be + allowed to observe, that a miracle, in that age of superstition and + credulity, lost its name and its merit, since it could scarcely be + considered as a deviation from the ordinary and established laws of + nature. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.77" id="linknote-28.77"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 77 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.77">return</a>)<br /> [ Lucian composed in + Greek his original narrative, which has been translated by Avitus, and + published by Baronius, (Annal. Eccles. A.D. 415, No. 7-16.) The + Benedictine editors of St. Augustin have given (at the end of the work de + Civitate Dei) two several copies, with many various readings. It is the + character of falsehood to be loose and inconsistent. The most incredible + parts of the legend are smoothed and softened by Tillemont, (Mem. Eccles. + tom. ii. p. 9, &c.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.78" id="linknote-28.78"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 78 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.78">return</a>)<br /> [ A phial of St. + Stephen’s blood was annually liquefied at Naples, till he was superseded + by St. Jamarius, (Ruinart. Hist. Persecut. Vandal p. 529.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.79" id="linknote-28.79"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 79 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.79">return</a>)<br /> [ Augustin composed the + two-and-twenty books de Civitate Dei in the space of thirteen years, A.D. + 413-426. Tillemont, (Mem. Eccles. tom. xiv. p. 608, &c.) His learning + is too often borrowed, and his arguments are too often his own; but the + whole work claims the merit of a magnificent design, vigorously, and not + unskilfully, executed.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.80" id="linknote-28.80"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 80 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.80">return</a>)<br /> [ See Augustin de + Civitat. Dei, l. xxii. c. 22, and the Appendix, which contains two books + of St. Stephen’s miracles, by Evodius, bishop of Uzalis. Freculphus (apud + Basnage, Hist. des Juifs, tom. vii. p. 249) has preserved a Gallic or a + Spanish proverb, “Whoever pretends to have read all the miracles of St. + Stephen, he lies.”] + </p> + <p> + III. The innumerable miracles, of which the tombs of the martyrs were the + perpetual theatre, revealed to the pious believer the actual state and + constitution of the invisible world; and his religious speculations + appeared to be founded on the firm basis of fact and experience. Whatever + might be the condition of vulgar souls, in the long interval between the + dissolution and the resurrection of their bodies, it was evident that the + superior spirits of the saints and martyrs did not consume that portion of + their existence in silent and inglorious sleep. <a href="#linknote-28.81" + name="linknoteref-28.81" id="linknoteref-28.81">81</a> It was evident + (without presuming to determine the place of their habitation, or the + nature of their felicity) that they enjoyed the lively and active + consciousness of their happiness, their virtue, and their powers; and that + they had already secured the possession of their eternal reward. The + enlargement of their intellectual faculties surpassed the measure of the + human imagination; since it was proved by experience, that they were + capable of hearing and understanding the various petitions of their + numerous votaries; who, in the same moment of time, but in the most + distant parts of the world, invoked the name and assistance of Stephen or + of Martin. <a href="#linknote-28.82" name="linknoteref-28.82" + id="linknoteref-28.82">82</a> The confidence of their petitioners was + founded on the persuasion, that the saints, who reigned with Christ, cast + an eye of pity upon earth; that they were warmly interested in the + prosperity of the Catholic Church; and that the individuals, who imitated + the example of their faith and piety, were the peculiar and favorite + objects of their most tender regard. Sometimes, indeed, their friendship + 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 residence, their death, their burial, or the possession of + their relics. The meaner passions of pride, avarice, and revenge, may be + deemed unworthy of a celestial breast; yet the saints themselves + condescended to testify their grateful approbation of the liberality of + their votaries; and the sharpest bolts of punishment were hurled against + those impious wretches, who violated their magnificent shrines, or + disbelieved their supernatural power. <a href="#linknote-28.83" + name="linknoteref-28.83" id="linknoteref-28.83">83</a> Atrocious, indeed, + must have been the guilt, and strange would have been the scepticism, of + those men, if they had obstinately resisted the proofs of a divine agency, + which the elements, the whole range of the animal creation, and even the + subtle and invisible operations of the human mind, were compelled to obey. + <a href="#linknote-28.84" name="linknoteref-28.84" id="linknoteref-28.84">84</a> + The immediate, and almost instantaneous, effects that were supposed to + follow the prayer, or the offence, satisfied the Christians of the ample + measure of favor and authority which the saints enjoyed in the presence of + the Supreme God; and it seemed almost superfluous to inquire whether they + were continually obliged to intercede before the throne of grace; or + whether they might not be permitted to exercise, according to the dictates + of their benevolence and justice, the delegated powers of their + subordinate ministry. The imagination, which had been raised by a painful + effort 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 corrupted; and the + Monarchy of heaven, already clouded by metaphysical subtleties, was + degraded by the introduction of a popular mythology, which tended to + restore the reign of polytheism. <a href="#linknote-28.85" + name="linknoteref-28.85" id="linknoteref-28.85">85</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.81" id="linknote-28.81"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 81 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.81">return</a>)<br /> [ Burnet (de Statu + Mortuorum, p. 56-84) collects the opinions of the Fathers, as far as they + assert the sleep, or repose, of human souls till the day of judgment. He + afterwards exposes (p. 91, &c.) the inconveniences which must arise, + if they possessed a more active and sensible existence.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.82" id="linknote-28.82"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 82 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.82">return</a>)<br /> [ Vigilantius placed the + souls of the prophets and martyrs, either in the bosom of Abraham, (in + loco refrigerii,) or else under the altar of God. Nec posse suis tumulis + et ubi voluerunt adesse praesentes. But Jerom (tom. ii. p. 122) sternly + refutes this blasphemy. Tu Deo leges pones? Tu apostolis vincula injicies, + ut usque ad diem judicii teneantur custodia, nec sint cum Domino suo; de + quibus scriptum est, Sequuntur Agnum quocunque vadit. Si Agnus ubique, + ergo, et hi, qui cum Agno sunt, ubique esse credendi sunt. Et cum diabolus + et daemones tote vagentur in orbe, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.83" id="linknote-28.83"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 83 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.83">return</a>)<br /> [ Fleury Discours sur + l’Hist. Ecclesiastique, iii p. 80.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.84" id="linknote-28.84"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 84 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.84">return</a>)<br /> [ At Minorca, the relics + of St. Stephen converted, in eight days, 540 Jews; with the help, indeed, + of some wholesome severities, such as burning the synagogue, driving the + obstinate infidels to starve among the rocks, &c. See the original + letter of Severus, bishop of Minorca (ad calcem St. Augustin. de Civ. + Dei,) and the judicious remarks of Basnage, (tom. viii. p. 245-251.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.85" id="linknote-28.85"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 85 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.85">return</a>)<br /> [ Mr. Hume (Essays, vol. + ii. p. 434) observes, like a philosopher, the natural flux and reflux of + polytheism and theism.] + </p> + <p> + IV. As the objects of religion were gradually reduced to the standard of + the imagination, the rites and ceremonies were introduced that seemed most + powerfully to affect the senses of the vulgar. If, in the beginning of the + fifth century, <a href="#linknote-28.86" name="linknoteref-28.86" + id="linknoteref-28.86">86</a> Tertullian, or Lactantius, <a + href="#linknote-28.87" name="linknoteref-28.87" id="linknoteref-28.87">87</a> + had been suddenly raised from the dead, to assist at the festival of some + popular saint, or martyr, <a href="#linknote-28.88" name="linknoteref-28.88" + id="linknoteref-28.88">88</a> they would have gazed with astonishment, and + indignation, on the profane spectacle, which had succeeded to the pure and + spiritual worship of a Christian congregation. As soon as the doors of the + church were thrown open, they must have been offended by the smoke of + incense, the perfume of flowers, and the glare of lamps and tapers, which + diffused, at noonday, a gaudy, superfluous, and, in their opinion, a + sacrilegious light. If they approached the balustrade of the altar, they + made their way through the prostrate crowd, consisting, for the most part, + of strangers and pilgrims, who resorted to the city on the vigil of the + feast; and who already felt the strong intoxication of fanaticism, and, + perhaps, of wine. Their devout kisses were imprinted on the walls and + pavement of the sacred edifice; and their fervent prayers were directed, + whatever might be the language of their church, to the bones, the blood, + or the ashes of the 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 temporal, + blessings. They implored the preservation of their health, or the cure of + their infirmities; the fruitfulness of their barren wives, or the safety + and happiness of their children. Whenever they undertook any distant or + dangerous journey, they requested, that the holy martyrs would be their + guides and protectors on the road; and if they returned without having + experienced 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 heavenly patrons. The walls were hung round + with symbols of the favors which they had received; eyes, and hands, and + feet, of gold and silver: and edifying pictures, which could not long + escape the abuse of indiscreet or idolatrous devotion, represented the + image, the attributes, and the miracles of the tutelar saint. The same + uniform original spirit of superstition might suggest, in the most distant + ages and countries, the same methods of deceiving the credulity, and of + affecting the senses of mankind: <a href="#linknote-28.89" + name="linknoteref-28.89" id="linknoteref-28.89">89</a> 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 themselves that the ignorant rustics + would more cheerfully renounce the superstitions of Paganism, if they + found some resemblance, some compensation, in the bosom of Christianity. + The religion of Constantine achieved, in less than a century, the final + conquest of the Roman empire: but the victors themselves were insensibly + subdued by the arts of their vanquished rivals. <a href="#linknote-28.90" + name="linknoteref-28.90" id="linknoteref-28.90">90</a> <a + href="#linknote-28.9011" name="linknoteref-28.9011" id="linknoteref-28.9011">9011</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.86" id="linknote-28.86"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 86 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.86">return</a>)<br /> [ D’Aubigne (see his own + Mémoires, p. 156-160) frankly offered, with the consent of the Huguenot + ministers, to allow the first 400 years as the rule of faith. The Cardinal + du Perron haggled for forty years more, which were indiscreetly given. Yet + neither party would have found their account in this foolish bargain.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.87" id="linknote-28.87"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 87 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.87">return</a>)<br /> [ The worship practised + and inculcated by Tertullian, Lactantius Arnobius, &c., is so + extremely pure and spiritual, that their declamations against the Pagan + sometimes glance against the Jewish, ceremonies.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.88" id="linknote-28.88"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 88 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.88">return</a>)<br /> [ Faustus the Manichaean + accuses the Catholics of idolatry. Vertitis idola in martyres.... quos + votis similibus colitis. M. de Beausobre, (Hist. Critique du Manicheisme, + tom. ii. p. 629-700,) a Protestant, but a philosopher, has represented, + with candor and learning, the introduction of Christian idolatry in the + fourth and fifth centuries.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.89" id="linknote-28.89"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 89 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.89">return</a>)<br /> [ The resemblance of + superstition, which could not be imitated, might be traced from Japan to + Mexico. Warburton has seized this idea, which he distorts, by rendering it + too general and absolute, (Divine Legation, vol. iv. p. 126, &c.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.90" id="linknote-28.90"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 90 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.90">return</a>)<br /> [ The imitation of + Paganism is the subject of Dr. Middleton’s agreeable letter from Rome. + Warburton’s animadversions obliged him to connect (vol. iii. p. 120-132,) + the history of the two religions, and to prove the antiquity of the + Christian copy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-28.9011" id="linknote-28.9011"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9011 (<a href="#linknoteref-28.9011">return</a>)<br /> [ But there was + always this important difference between Christian and heathen Polytheism. + In Paganism this was the whole religion; in the darkest ages of + Christianity, some, however obscure and vague, Christian notions of future + retribution, of the life after death, lurked at the bottom, and operated, + to a certain extent, on the thoughts and feelings, sometimes on the + actions.—M.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap29.1"></a> +Chapter XXIX: Division Of Roman Empire Between Sons Of Theodosius.—Part + I. +</h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Final Division Of The Roman Empire Between The Sons Of + Theodosius.—Reign Of Arcadius And Honorius—Administration + Of Rufinus And Stilicho.—Revolt And Defeat Of Gildo In + Africa. +</pre> + <p> + The genius of Rome expired with Theodosius; the last of the successors of + Augustus and Constantine, who appeared in the field at the head of their + armies, and whose authority was universally acknowledged throughout the + whole extent of the empire. The memory of his virtues still continued, + however, to protect the feeble and inexperienced youth of his two sons. + After the death of their father, Arcadius and Honorius were saluted, by + the unanimous consent of mankind, as the lawful emperors of the East, and + of the West; and the oath of fidelity was eagerly taken by every order of + the state; the senates of old and new Rome, the clergy, the magistrates, + the soldiers, and the people. Arcadius, who was then about eighteen years + of age, was born in Spain, in the humble habitation of a private family. + But he received a princely education in the palace of Constantinople; and + his inglorious life was spent in that peaceful and splendid seat of + royalty, from whence he appeared to reign over the provinces of Thrace, + Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt, from the Lower Danube to the confines of + Persia and Æthiopia. His younger brother Honorius, assumed, in the + eleventh year of his age, the nominal government of Italy, Africa, Gaul, + Spain, and Britain; and the troops, which guarded the frontiers of his + kingdom, were opposed, on one side, to the Caledonians, and on the other, + to the Moors. The great and martial praefecture of Illyricum was divided + between the two princes: the defence and possession of the provinces of + Noricum, Pannonia, and Dalmatia still belonged to the Western empire; but + the two large dioceses of Dacia and Macedonia, which Gratian had intrusted + to the valor of Theodosius, were forever united to the empire of the East. + The boundary in Europe was not very different from the line which now + separates the Germans and the Turks; and the respective advantages of + territory, riches, populousness, and military strength, were fairly + balanced and compensated, in this final and permanent division of the + Roman empire. The hereditary sceptre of the sons of Theodosius appeared to + be the gift of nature, and of their father; the generals and ministers had + been accustomed to adore the majesty of the royal infants; and the army + and people were not admonished of their rights, and of their power, by the + dangerous example of a recent election. The gradual discovery of the + weakness of Arcadius and Honorius, and the repeated calamities of their + reign, were not sufficient to obliterate the deep and early impressions of + loyalty. The subjects of Rome, who still reverenced the persons, or rather + the names, of their sovereigns, beheld, with equal abhorrence, the rebels + who opposed, and the ministers who abused, the authority of the throne. + </p> + <p> + Theodosius had tarnished the glory of his reign by the elevation of + Rufinus; an odious favorite, who, in an age of civil and religious + faction, has deserved, from every party, the imputation of every crime. + The strong impulse of ambition and avarice <a href="#linknote-29.1" + name="linknoteref-29.1" id="linknoteref-29.1">1</a> had urged Rufinus to + abandon his native country, an obscure corner of Gaul, <a + href="#linknote-29.2" name="linknoteref-29.2" id="linknoteref-29.2">2</a> to + advance his fortune in the capital of the East: the talent of bold and + ready elocution, <a href="#linknote-29.3" name="linknoteref-29.3" + id="linknoteref-29.3">3</a> qualified him to succeed in the lucrative + profession of the law; and his success in that profession was a regular + step to the most honorable 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 connected with the whole + 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 + dissimulation; <a href="#linknote-29.4" name="linknoteref-29.4" + id="linknoteref-29.4">4</a> his passions were subservient only to the + passions of his master; yet in the horrid massacre of Thessalonica, the + cruel Rufinus inflamed the fury, without imitating the repentance, of + Theodosius. 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 services. + Promotus, the master-general of the infantry, had saved the empire from + the invasion of the Ostrogoths; but he indignantly supported the + preeminence of a rival, whose character and profession he despised; and in + the midst of a public council, the impatient soldier was provoked to + chastise with a blow the indecent pride of the favorite. This act of + violence was represented to the emperor as an insult, which it was + incumbent on his dignity to resent. The disgrace and exile of Promotus + were 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. <a href="#linknote-29.5" name="linknoteref-29.5" + id="linknoteref-29.5">5</a> The sacrifice of a hero gratified his revenge; + the honors of the consulship elated his vanity; but his power was still + imperfect and precarious, as long as the important posts of praefect of + the East, and of praefect of Constantinople, were filled by Tatian, <a + href="#linknote-29.6" name="linknoteref-29.6" id="linknoteref-29.6">6</a> and + his son Proculus; whose united authority balanced, for some time, the + ambition and favor of the master of the offices. The two praefects 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; but the right of pronouncing sentence was + reserved to the president alone, and that president was Rufinus himself. + The father, stripped of the praefecture of the East, was thrown into a + dungeon; but the son, conscious that few ministers can be found innocent, + where an enemy is their judge, had secretly escaped; and Rufinus must have + been satisfied with the least obnoxious victim, if despotism had not + condescended to employ the basest and most ungenerous artifice. The + prosecution was conducted with an appearance of equity and moderation, + which flattered Tatian with the hope of a favorable event: his confidence + was fortified by the solemn assurances, and perfidious oaths, of the + president, who presumed to interpose the sacred name of Theodosius + himself; and the unhappy father was at last persuaded to recall, by a + private letter, the fugitive Proculus. He was instantly seized, examined, + condemned, and beheaded, in one of the suburbs of Constantinople, with a + precipitation which disappointed the clemency of the emperor. Without + respecting the misfortunes of a consular senator, the cruel judges of + Tatian compelled him to behold the execution of his son: the fatal cord + was fastened round his own neck; but in the moment when he expected. and + perhaps desired, the relief of a speedy death, he was permitted to consume + the miserable remnant of his old age in poverty and exile. <a + href="#linknote-29.7" name="linknoteref-29.7" id="linknoteref-29.7">7</a> The + punishment of the two praefects might, perhaps, be excused by the + exceptionable parts of their own conduct; the enmity of Rufinus might be + palliated by the jealous and unsociable nature of ambition. But he + indulged a spirit of revenge equally repugnant to prudence and to justice, + when he degraded their native country of Lycia from the rank of Roman + provinces; stigmatized a guiltless people with a mark of ignominy; and + declared, that the countrymen of Tatian and Proculus should forever remain + incapable of holding any employment of honor or advantage under the + Imperial government. <a href="#linknote-29.8" name="linknoteref-29.8" + id="linknoteref-29.8">8</a> The new praefect of the East (for Rufinus + instantly succeeded to the vacant honors of his adversary) was not + diverted, however, by the most criminal pursuits, from the performance of + the religious duties, which in that age were considered as the most + essential to salvation. In the suburb of Chalcedon, surnamed the Oak, he + had built a magnificent villa; to which he devoutly added a stately + church, consecrated to the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and + continually sanctified by the prayers and penance of a regular society of + monks. A numerous, and almost general, synod of the bishops of the Eastern + empire, was summoned to celebrate, at the same time, the dedication of the + church, and the baptism of the founder. This double ceremony was performed + with extraordinary pomp; and when Rufinus was purified, in the holy font, + from all the sins that he had hitherto committed, a venerable hermit of + Egypt rashly proposed himself as the sponsor of a proud and ambitious + statesman. <a href="#linknote-29.9" name="linknoteref-29.9" + id="linknoteref-29.9">9</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.1" id="linknote-29.1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.1">return</a>)<br /> [ Alecto, envious of the + public felicity, convenes an infernal synod Megaera recommends her pupil + Rufinus, and excites him to deeds of mischief, &c. But there is as + much difference between Claudian’s fury and that of Virgil, as between the + characters of Turnus and Rufinus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.2" id="linknote-29.2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.2">return</a>)<br /> [ It is evident, + (Tillemont, Hist. des Emp. tom. v. p. 770,) though De Marca is ashamed of + his countryman, that Rufinus was born at Elusa, the metropolis of + Novempopulania, now a small village of Gassony, (D’Anville, Notice de + l’Ancienne Gaule, p. 289.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.3" id="linknote-29.3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.3">return</a>)<br /> [ Philostorgius, l. xi c. + 3, with Godefroy’s Dissert. p. 440.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.4" id="linknote-29.4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.4">return</a>)<br /> [ A passage of Suidas is + expressive of his profound dissimulation.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.5" id="linknote-29.5"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.5">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. iv. p. 272, + 273.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.6" id="linknote-29.6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.6">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, who describes + the fall of Tatian and his son, (l. iv. p. 273, 274,) asserts their + innocence; and even his testimony may outweigh the charges of their + enemies, (Cod. Theod. tom. iv. p. 489,) who accuse them of oppressing the + Curiae. The connection of Tatian with the Arians, while he was praefect of + Egypt, (A.D. 373,) inclines Tillemont to believe that he was guilty of + every crime, (Hist. des Emp. tom. v. p. 360. Mem. Eccles. tom vi. p. + 589.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.7" id="linknote-29.7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.7">return</a>)<br /> [—Juvenum rorantia + colla Ante patrum vultus stricta cecidere securi. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Ibat grandaevus nato moriente superstes + Post trabeas exsul. + —-In Rufin. i. 248. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The facts of Zosimus explain the allusions of Claudian; but his classic + interpreters were ignorant of the fourth century. The fatal cord, I found, + with the help of Tillemont, in a sermon of St. Asterius of Amasea.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.8" id="linknote-29.8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.8">return</a>)<br /> [ This odious law is + recited and repealed by Arcadius, (A.D. 296,) on the Theodosian Code, l. + ix. tit. xxxviii. leg. 9. The sense as it is explained by Claudian, (in + Rufin. i. 234,) and Godefroy, (tom. iii. p. 279,) is perfectly clear. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + —-Exscindere cives + Funditus; et nomen gentis delere laborat. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The scruples of Pagi and Tillemont can arise only from their zeal for the + glory of Theodosius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.9" id="linknote-29.9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.9">return</a>)<br /> [ Ammonius.... Rufinum + propriis manibus suscepit sacro fonte mundatum. See Rosweyde’s Vitae + Patrum, p. 947. Sozomen (l. viii. c. 17) mentions the church and + monastery; and Tillemont (Mem. Eccles. tom. ix. p. 593) records this + synod, in which St. Gregory of Nyssa performed a conspicuous part.] + </p> + <p> + The character of Theodosius imposed on his minister the task of hypocrisy, + which disguised, and sometimes restrained, the abuse of power; and Rufinus + was apprehensive of disturbing the indolent slumber of a prince still + capable of exerting the abilities and the virtue, which had raised him to + the throne. <a href="#linknote-29.10" name="linknoteref-29.10" + id="linknoteref-29.10">10</a> But the absence, and, soon afterwards, the + death, of the emperor, confirmed the absolute authority of Rufinus over + the person and dominions of Arcadius; a feeble youth, whom the imperious + praefect considered as his pupil, rather than his sovereign. Regardless of + the public opinion, he indulged his passions without remorse, and without + resistance; and his malignant and rapacious spirit rejected every passion + that might have contributed to his own glory, or the happiness of the + people. His avarice, <a href="#linknote-29.11" name="linknoteref-29.11" + id="linknoteref-29.11">11</a> which seems to have prevailed, in his corrupt + mind, over every other sentiment, attracted the wealth of the East, by the + various arts of partial and general extortion; oppressive taxes, + scandalous bribery, immoderate fines, unjust confiscations, forced or + fictitious testaments, by which the tyrant despoiled of their lawful + inheritance the children of strangers, or enemies; and the public sale of + justice, as well as of favor, which he instituted in the palace of + Constantinople. The ambitious candidate eagerly solicited, at the expense + of the fairest part of his patrimony, the honors and emoluments of some + provincial government; the lives and fortunes of the unhappy people were + abandoned to the most liberal purchaser; and the public discontent was + sometimes appeased by the sacrifice of an unpopular criminal, whose + punishment was profitable only to the praefect of the East, his accomplice + and his judge. If avarice were not the blindest of the human passions, the + motives 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 not spend + without folly, nor possess without danger. Perhaps he vainly imagined, + that he labored 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 + instrument of his ambition. He aspired to place his fortune on a secure + and independent basis, which should no longer depend on the caprice of the + young emperor; yet he neglected to conciliate the hearts of the soldiers + and people, by the liberal distribution of those riches, which he had + acquired with so much toil, and with so 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 + was repressed only by the influence of servile fear. The fate of Lucian + proclaimed to the East, that the praefect, whose industry was much abated + in the despatch of ordinary business, was active and indefatigable in the + pursuit of revenge. Lucian, the son of the praefect Florentius, the + oppressor of Gaul, and the enemy of Julian, had employed a considerable + part of his inheritance, the fruit of rapine and corruption, to purchase + the friendship of Rufinus, and the high office of Count of the East. But + the new magistrate imprudently departed from the maxims of the court, and + of the times; disgraced his benefactor by the contrast of a virtuous and + temperate administration; and presumed to refuse 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 praefect of the + East resolved to execute in person the cruel vengeance, which he meditated + against this ungrateful delegate of his power. He performed with incessant + speed the journey of seven or eight hundred miles, from Constantinople to + Antioch, entered the capital of Syria at the dead of night, and spread + universal consternation among a people ignorant of his design, but not + ignorant of his character. The Count of the fifteen provinces of the East + was dragged, like the vilest malefactor, before the arbitrary tribunal of + Rufinus. Notwithstanding the clearest evidence of his integrity, which was + not impeached even by the voice of an accuser, Lucian was condemned, + almost with out a trial, to suffer a cruel and ignominious punishment. The + ministers of the tyrant, by the orders, and in the presence, of their + master, beat him on the neck with leather thongs armed at the extremities + with lead; and when he fainted under the violence of the pain, he was + removed in a close litter, to conceal his dying agonies from the eyes of + the indignant city. No sooner had Rufinus perpetrated this inhuman act, + the sole object of his expedition, than he returned, amidst the deep and + silent curses of a trembling people, from Antioch to Constantinople; and + his diligence was accelerated by the hope of accomplishing, without delay, + the nuptials of his daughter with the emperor of the East. <a + href="#linknote-29.12" name="linknoteref-29.12" id="linknoteref-29.12">12</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.10" id="linknote-29.10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.10">return</a>)<br /> [ Montesquieu (Esprit des + Loix, l. xii. c. 12) praises one of the laws of Theodosius addressed to + the praefect Rufinus, (l. ix. tit. iv. leg. unic.,) to discourage the + prosecution of treasonable, or sacrilegious, words. A tyrannical statute + always proves the existence of tyranny; but a laudable edict may only + contain the specious professions, or ineffectual wishes, of the prince, or + his ministers. This, I am afraid, is a just, though mortifying, canon of + criticism.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.11" id="linknote-29.11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.11">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + —fluctibus auri Expleri sitis ista nequit— + ***** + Congestae cumulantur opes; orbisque ruinas Accipit una domus. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + This character (Claudian, in. Rufin. i. 184-220) is confirmed by Jerom, a + disinterested witness, (dedecus insatiabilis avaritiae, tom. i. ad + Heliodor. p. 26,) by Zosimus, (l. v. p. 286,) and by Suidas, who copied + the history of Eunapius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.12" id="linknote-29.12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.12">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + —Caetera segnis; + Ad facinus velox; penitus regione remotas + Impiger ire vias. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + This allusion of Claudian (in Rufin. i. 241) is again explained by the + circumstantial narrative of Zosimus, (l. v. p. 288, 289.)] + </p> + <p> + But Rufinus soon experienced, that a prudent minister should constantly + secure his royal captive by the strong, though invisible chain of habit; + and that the merit, and much more easily the favor, of the absent, are + obliterated in a short time from the mind of a weak and capricious + sovereign. While the praefect satiated his revenge at Antioch, a secret + conspiracy of the favorite eunuchs, directed by the great chamberlain + Eutropius, undermined his power in the palace of Constantinople. They + discovered that Arcadius was not inclined to love the daughter of Rufinus, + who had been chosen, without his consent, for his bride; and they + contrived to substitute in her place the fair Eudoxia, the daughter of + Bauto, <a href="#linknote-29.13" name="linknoteref-29.13" + id="linknoteref-29.13">13</a> a general 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 the pious care of his tutor Arsenius, <a + href="#linknote-29.14" name="linknoteref-29.14" id="linknoteref-29.14">14</a> + eagerly listened to the artful and flattering descriptions of the charms + of Eudoxia: he gazed with impatient ardor 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 ornaments, of 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 in triumph to the palace and bed of + Arcadius. <a href="#linknote-29.15" name="linknoteref-29.15" + id="linknoteref-29.15">15</a> The secrecy and success with which this + conspiracy against Rufinus had been conducted, imprinted a mark of + indelible ridicule on the character of a minister, who had suffered + 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 fear, the victory of an aspiring eunuch, who + had secretly captivated the favor of his sovereign; and the disgrace of + his daughter, whose interest was inseparably connected with his own, + wounded the tenderness, or, at least, the pride of Rufinus. At the moment + when he flattered himself that he should become 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 of sense and spirit, to improve the ascendant + which her beauty must acquire over the mind of a fond and youthful + husband. The emperor would soon be instructed to hate, to fear, and to + destroy the powerful subject, whom he had injured; and the consciousness + of guilt deprived Rufinus of every hope, either of safety or comfort, in + the retirement of a private life. But he still possessed the most + effectual means of defending his dignity, and perhaps of oppressing his + enemies. The praefect still exercised an uncontrolled authority over the + civil and military government of the East; and his treasures, if he could + resolve to use them, might be employed to procure proper instruments for + the execution of the blackest designs, that pride, ambition, and revenge + could suggest to a desperate statesman. The character of Rufinus seemed to + justify the accusations that he conspired against the person of his + sovereign, to seat himself on the vacant throne; and that he had secretly + invited the Huns and the Goths to invade the provinces of the empire, and + to increase the public confusion. The subtle praefect, whose life had been + spent in the intrigues of the palace, opposed, with equal arms, the artful + measures of the eunuch Eutropius; but the timid soul of Rufinus was + astonished by the hostile approach of a more formidable rival, of the + great Stilicho, the general, or rather the master, of the empire of the + West. <a href="#linknote-29.16" name="linknoteref-29.16" + id="linknoteref-29.16">16</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.13" id="linknote-29.13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.13">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. iv. p. 243) + praises the valor, prudence, and integrity of Bauto the Frank. See + Tillemont, Hist. des Empereurs, tom. v. p. 771.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.14" id="linknote-29.14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.14">return</a>)<br /> [ Arsenius escaped from + the palace of Constantinople, and passed fifty-five years in rigid penance + in the monasteries of Egypt. See Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. xiv. p. + 676-702; and Fleury, Hist Eccles. tom. v. p. 1, &c.; but the latter, + for want of authentic materials, has given too much credit to the legend + of Metaphrastes.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.15" id="linknote-29.15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.15">return</a>)<br /> [ This story (Zosimus, l. + v. p. 290) proves that the hymeneal rites of antiquity were still + practised, without idolatry, by the Christians of the East; and the bride + was forcibly conducted from the house of her parents to that of her + husband. Our form of marriage requires, with less delicacy, the express + and public consent of a virgin.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.16" id="linknote-29.16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.16">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, (l. v. p. + 290,) Orosius, (l. vii. c. 37,) and the Chronicle of Marcellinus. Claudian + (in Rufin. ii. 7-100) paints, in lively colors, the distress and guilt of + the praefect.] + </p> + <p> + The celestial gift, which Achilles obtained, and Alexander envied, of a + poet worthy to celebrate the actions of heroes has been enjoyed by + Stilicho, in a much higher degree than might have been expected from the + declining state of genius, and of art. The muse of Claudian, <a + href="#linknote-29.17" name="linknoteref-29.17" id="linknoteref-29.17">17</a> + devoted to his service, was always prepared to stigmatize his adversaries, + Rufinus, or Eutropius, with eternal infamy; or to paint, in the most + splendid colors, the victories and virtues of a powerful benefactor. In + the review of a period indifferently supplied with authentic materials, we + cannot refuse to illustrate the annals of Honorius, from the invectives, + or the panegyrics, of a contemporary writer; but as Claudian appears to + have indulged the most ample privilege of a poet and a courtier, some + criticism will be requisite to translate the language of fiction or + exaggeration, into the truth and simplicity of historic prose. His silence + concerning the family of Stilicho may 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 Barbarian cavalry in the service of Valens, seems to countenance the + assertion, that the general, who so long commanded the armies of Rome, was + descended from the savage and perfidious race of the Vandals. <a + href="#linknote-29.18" name="linknoteref-29.18" id="linknoteref-29.18">18</a> + If Stilicho had not possessed the external advantages of strength and + stature, the most flattering bard, in the presence of so many thousand + spectators, would have hesitated to affirm, that he surpassed the measure + of the demi-gods of antiquity; and that whenever he moved, with lofty + steps, through the streets of the capital, the astonished crowd made room + for the stranger, who displayed, in a private condition, the awful majesty + of a hero. From his earliest youth he embraced the profession of arms; his + prudence and valor were soon distinguished in the field; the horsemen and + archers of the East admired his superior dexterity; and in each degree of + his military promotions, the public judgment always prevented and approved + the choice of the sovereign. He was named, by Theodosius, to ratify a + solemn treaty with the monarch of Persia; he supported, during that + important embassy, the dignity of the Roman name; and after he returned to + Constantinople, his merit was rewarded by an intimate and honorable + alliance with the Imperial family. Theodosius had been prompted, by a + pious motive of fraternal affection, to adopt, for his own, the daughter + of his brother Honorius; the beauty and accomplishments of Serena <a + href="#linknote-29.19" name="linknoteref-29.19" id="linknoteref-29.19">19</a> + were universally admired by the obsequious court; and Stilicho obtained + the preference over a crowd of rivals, who ambitiously disputed the hand + of the princess, and the favor of her adopted father. <a + href="#linknote-29.20" name="linknoteref-29.20" id="linknoteref-29.20">20</a> + The assurance 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 successive steps of master of the horse, + and count of the domestics, to the supreme rank of master-general of all + the cavalry and infantry of the Roman, or at least of the Western, empire; + <a href="#linknote-29.21" name="linknoteref-29.21" id="linknoteref-29.21">21</a> + and his enemies confessed, that he invariably disdained to barter for gold + the rewards of merit, or to defraud the soldiers of the pay and + gratifications which they deserved or claimed, from the liberality of the + state. <a href="#linknote-29.22" name="linknoteref-29.22" + id="linknoteref-29.22">22</a> The valor and conduct which he afterwards + displayed, in the defence of Italy, against the arms of Alaric and + Radagaisus, may justify the fame of his early achievements and in an age + less attentive to the laws of honor, or of pride, the Roman generals might + yield the preeminence of rank, to the ascendant of superior genius. <a + href="#linknote-29.23" name="linknoteref-29.23" id="linknoteref-29.23">23</a> + He lamented, and revenged, the murder of Promotus, his rival and his + friend; and the massacre of many thousands of the flying Bastarnae is + represented by the poet as a bloody sacrifice, which the Roman Achilles + offered to the manes of another Patroclus. The virtues and victories of + Stilicho deserved the hatred of Rufinus: and the arts of calumny might + have been successful if the tender and vigilant Serena had not protected + her husband against his domestic foes, whilst he vanquished in the field + the enemies of the empire. <a href="#linknote-29.24" name="linknoteref-29.24" + id="linknoteref-29.24">24</a> 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 Eugenius, he + associated his faithful general to the labors and glories of the civil + war; and in the last moments of his life, the dying monarch recommended to + Stilicho the care of his sons, and of the republic. <a + href="#linknote-29.25" name="linknoteref-29.25" id="linknoteref-29.25">25</a> + The ambition and the abilities of Stilicho were not unequal to the + important trust; and he claimed the guardianship of the two empires, + during the minority of Arcadius and Honorius. <a href="#linknote-29.26" + name="linknoteref-29.26" id="linknoteref-29.26">26</a> The first measure of + his administration, or rather of his reign, displayed to the nations the + vigor and activity of a spirit worthy to command. He passed the Alps in + the depth of winter; descended the stream of the Rhine, from the fortress + of Basil to the marshes of Batavia; reviewed the state of the garrisons; + repressed the enterprises of the Germans; and, after establishing along + the banks a firm and honorable peace, returned, with incredible speed, to + the palace of Milan. <a href="#linknote-29.27" name="linknoteref-29.27" + id="linknoteref-29.27">27</a> The person and court of Honorius were subject + to the master-general of the West; and the armies and provinces of Europe + obeyed, without hesitation, a regular authority, which was exercised in + the name of their young sovereign. Two rivals only remained 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 minister of Constantinople asserted his equal reign over the + emperor, and the empire, of the East. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.17" id="linknote-29.17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.17">return</a>)<br /> [ Stilicho, directly or + indirectly, is the perpetual theme of Claudian. The youth and private life + of the hero are vaguely expressed in the poem on his first consulship, + 35-140.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.18" id="linknote-29.18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.18">return</a>)<br /> [ Vandalorum, imbellis, + avarae, perfidae, et dolosae, gentis, genere editus. Orosius, l. vii. c. + 38. Jerom (tom. i. ad Gerontiam, p. 93) call him a Semi-Barbarian.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.19" id="linknote-29.19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.19">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian, in an + imperfect poem, has drawn a fair, perhaps a flattering, portrait of + Serena. That favorite niece of Theodosius was born, as well as here sister + Thermantia, in Spain; from whence, in their earliest youth, they were + honorably conducted to the palace of Constantinople.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.20" id="linknote-29.20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.20">return</a>)<br /> [ Some doubt may be + entertained, whether this adoption was legal or only metaphorical, (see + Ducange, Fam. Byzant. p. 75.) An old inscription gives Stilicho the + singular title of Pro-gener Divi Theodosius] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.21" id="linknote-29.21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.21">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian (Laus Serenae, + 190, 193) expresses, in poetic language “the dilectus equorum,” and the + “gemino mox idem culmine duxit agmina.” The inscription adds, “count of + the domestics,” an important command, which Stilicho, in the height of his + grandeur, might prudently retain.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.22" id="linknote-29.22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.22">return</a>)<br /> [ The beautiful lines of + Claudian (in i. Cons. Stilich. ii. 113) displays his genius; but the + integrity of Stilicho (in the military administration) is much more firmly + established by the unwilling evidence of Zosimus, (l. v. p. 345.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.23" id="linknote-29.23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.23">return</a>)<br /> [—Si bellica moles + Ingrueret, quamvis annis et jure minori, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Cedere grandaevos equitum peditumque magistros +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Adspiceres. Claudian, Laus Seren. p. 196, &c. A modern general would + deem their submission either heroic patriotism or abject servility.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.24" id="linknote-29.24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.24">return</a>)<br /> [ Compare the poem on the + first consulship (i. 95-115) with the Laus Serenoe (227-237, where it + unfortunately breaks off.) We may perceive the deep, inveterate malice of + Rufinus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.25" id="linknote-29.25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.25">return</a>)<br /> [—Quem fratribus + ipse Discedens, clypeum defensoremque dedisti. Yet the nomination (iv. + Cons. Hon. 432) was private, (iii. Cons. Hon. 142,) cunctos discedere... + jubet; and may therefore be suspected. Zosimus and Suidas apply to + Stilicho and Rufinus the same equal title of guardians, or procurators.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.26" id="linknote-29.26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.26">return</a>)<br /> [ The Roman law + distinguishes two sorts of minority, which expired at the age of fourteen, + and of twenty-five. The one was subject to the tutor, or guardian, of the + person; the other, to the curator, or trustee, of the estate, (Heineccius, + Antiquitat. Rom. ad Jurisprudent. pertinent. l. i. tit. xxii. xxiii. p. + 218-232.) But these legal ideas were never accurately transferred into the + constitution of an elective monarchy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.27" id="linknote-29.27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.27">return</a>)<br /> [ See Claudian, (i. Cons. + Stilich. i. 188-242;) but he must allow more than fifteen days for the + journey and return between Milan and Leyden.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap29.2"></a> +Chapter XXIX: Division Of Roman Empire Between Sons Of Theodosius.—Part + II. +</h2> + <p> + The impartiality which Stilicho affected, as the common guardian of the + royal brothers, engaged him to regulate the equal division of the arms, + the jewels, and the magnificent wardrobe and furniture of the deceased + emperor. <a href="#linknote-29.28" name="linknoteref-29.28" + id="linknoteref-29.28">28</a> But the most important object of the + inheritance consisted of the numerous legions, cohorts, and squadrons, of + Romans, or Barbarians, whom the event of the civil war had united under + the standard of Theodosius. The various multitudes of Europe and Asia, + exasperated by recent animosities, were overawed by the authority of a + single man; and the rigid discipline of Stilicho protected the lands of + the citizens from the rapine of the licentious soldier. <a + href="#linknote-29.29" name="linknoteref-29.29" id="linknoteref-29.29">29</a> + 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 reconducting in person the troops of the East, + and dexterously employed the rumor of a Gothic tumult to conceal his + private designs of ambition and revenge. <a href="#linknote-29.30" + name="linknoteref-29.30" id="linknoteref-29.30">30</a> The guilty soul of + Rufinus was alarmed by the approach of a warrior and a rival, whose enmity + he deserved; he computed, with increasing terror, the narrow space 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 Adriatic, was not far distant from + the city of Thessalonica, when he received a peremptory message, to recall + the troops of the East, and to declare, that his nearer approach would be + considered, by the Byzantine court, as an act of hostility. The prompt and + unexpected obedience of the general of the West, convinced the vulgar of + his loyalty and moderation; and, as he had already engaged the affection + of the Eastern troops, he recommended to their zeal the execution of his + bloody design, which might 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 Barbarians would never + be diverted from his purpose by any consideration of fear or remorse. The + soldiers were easily persuaded to punish the enemy of Stilicho and of + Rome; and such was the general hatred 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. As soon + as they had resolved his death, they condescended to flatter his pride; + the ambitious praefect 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 + accepted by the indignant multitude 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 Rufinus passed along the ranks, + and disguised, with studied courtesy, his innate haughtiness, the wings + insensibly wheeled from the right and left, and enclosed the devoted + victim within the circle of their arms. Before he could reflect on the + danger of his situation, Gainas gave the signal of death; a daring and + forward soldier plunged his sword into the breast of the guilty praefect, + and Rufinus fell, groaned, and expired, at the feet of the affrighted + emperor. If the agonies of a moment could expiate the crimes of a whole + life, or if the outrages inflicted on a breathless corpse could be the + object of pity, our humanity might perhaps be affected by the horrid + circumstances which accompanied the murder of Rufinus. His mangled body + was abandoned to the brutal fury of the populace of either sex, who + hastened in crowds, from every quarter of the city, to trample on the + remains of the haughty minister, at whose frown they had so lately + trembled. His right hand was cut off, and carried through the streets of + Constantinople, in cruel mockery, to extort contributions for the + avaricious tyrant, whose head was publicly exposed, borne aloft on the + point of a long lance. <a href="#linknote-29.31" name="linknoteref-29.31" + id="linknoteref-29.31">31</a> According to the savage maxims of the Greek + republics, his innocent family would have shared the punishment of his + crimes. The wife and daughter of Rufinus were indebted for their safety to + the influence of religion. Her sanctuary protected them from the raging + madness of the people; and they were permitted to spend the remainder of + their lives in the exercise of Christian devotions, in the peaceful + retirement of Jerusalem. <a href="#linknote-29.32" name="linknoteref-29.32" + id="linknoteref-29.32">32</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.28" id="linknote-29.28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.28">return</a>)<br /> [ I. Cons. Stilich. ii. + 88-94. Not only the robes and diadems of the deceased emperor, but even + the helmets, sword-hilts, belts, rasses, &c., were enriched with + pearls, emeralds, and diamonds.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.29" id="linknote-29.29"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 29 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.29">return</a>)<br /> [—Tantoque remoto + Principe, mutatas orbis non sensit habenas. This high commendation (i. + Cons. Stil. i. 149) may be justified by the fears of the dying emperor, + (de Bell. Gildon. 292-301;) and the peace and good order which were + enjoyed after his death, (i. Cons. Stil i. 150-168.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.30" id="linknote-29.30"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 30 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.30">return</a>)<br /> [ Stilicho’s march, and + the death of Rufinus, are described by Claudian, (in Rufin. l. ii. + 101-453, Zosimus, l. v. p. 296, 297,) Sozomen (l. viii. c. 1,) Socrates, + l. vi. c. 1,) Philostorgius, (l. xi c. 3, with Godefory, p. 441,) and the + Chronicle of Marcellinus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.31" id="linknote-29.31"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 31 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.31">return</a>)<br /> [ The dissection of + Rufinus, which Claudian performs with the savage coolness of an anatomist, + (in Rufin. ii. 405-415,) is likewise specified by Zosimus and Jerom, (tom. + i. p. 26.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.32" id="linknote-29.32"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 32 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.32">return</a>)<br /> [ The Pagan Zosimus + mentions their sanctuary and pilgrimage. The sister of Rufinus, Sylvania, + who passed her life at Jerusalem, is famous in monastic history. 1. The + studious virgin had diligently, and even repeatedly, perused the + commentators on the Bible, Origen, Gregory, Basil, &c., to the amount + of five millions of lines. 2. At the age of threescore, she could boast, + that she had never washed her hands, face, or any part of her whole body, + except the tips of her fingers to receive the communion. See the Vitae + Patrum, p. 779, 977.] + </p> + <p> + The servile poet of Stilicho applauds, with ferocious joy, this horrid + deed, which, in the execution, perhaps, of justice, violated every law of + nature and society, profaned the majesty of the prince, and renewed the + dangerous examples of military license. The contemplation of the universal + order and harmony had satisfied Claudian of the existence of the Deity; + but the prosperous impunity of vice appeared to contradict his moral + attributes; and the fate of Rufinus was the only event which could dispel + the religious doubts of the poet. <a href="#linknote-29.33" + name="linknoteref-29.33" id="linknoteref-29.33">33</a> Such an act might + vindicate the honor of Providence, but it did not much contribute to the + happiness of the people. In less than three months they were informed of + the maxims of the new administration, by a singular edict, which + established the exclusive right of the treasury over the spoils of + Rufinus; and silenced, under heavy penalties, the presumptuous claims of + the subjects of the Eastern empire, who had been injured by his rapacious + tyranny. <a href="#linknote-29.34" name="linknoteref-29.34" + id="linknoteref-29.34">34</a> Even Stilicho did not derive from the murder + of his rival the fruit which he had proposed; and though he gratified his + revenge, his ambition was disappointed. Under the name of a favorite, the + weakness of Arcadius required a master, 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 warrior. Till they were divided by the jealousy + of power, the sword of Gainas, and the charms of Eudoxia, supported the + favor 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 Stilicho, were engaged to support, against him, the + independence of the throne of Constantinople. The favorites of Arcadius + fomented a secret and irreconcilable war against a formidable hero, who + aspired to govern, and to defend, the two empires of Rome, and the two + sons of Theodosius. They incessantly labored, 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 + repeatedly attempted by the dagger of hired assassins; and a decree was + obtained from the senate of Constantinople, to declare him an enemy of the + republic, and to confiscate his ample possessions in the provinces of the + East. At a time when the only hope of delaying the ruin of the Roman name + depended on the firm union, and reciprocal aid, of all the nations to whom + it had been gradually communicated, the subjects of Arcadius and Honorius + were instructed, by their respective masters, to view each other in a + foreign, and even hostile, light; to rejoice in their mutual calamities, + and to embrace, as their faithful allies, the Barbarians, whom they + excited to invade the territories of their countrymen. <a + href="#linknote-29.35" name="linknoteref-29.35" id="linknoteref-29.35">35</a> + The natives of Italy affected to despise the servile and effeminate Greeks + of Byzantium, who presumed to imitate the dress, and to usurp the dignity, + of Roman senators; <a href="#linknote-29.36" name="linknoteref-29.36" + id="linknoteref-29.36">36</a> and the Greeks had not yet forgot the + sentiments of hatred and contempt, which their polished ancestors had so + long entertained for the rude inhabitants of the West. The distinction of + two governments, which soon produced the separation of two nations, will + justify my design of suspending the series of the Byzantine history, to + prosecute, without interruption, the disgraceful, but memorable, reign of + Honorius. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.33" id="linknote-29.33"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 33 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.33">return</a>)<br /> [ See the beautiful + exordium of his invective against Rufinus, which is curiously discussed by + the sceptic Bayle, Dictionnaire Critique, Rufin. Not. E.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.34" id="linknote-29.34"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 34 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.34">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Theodosian + Code, l. ix. tit. xlii. leg. 14, 15. The new ministers attempted, with + inconsistent avarice, to seize the spoils of their predecessor, and to + provide for their own future security.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.35" id="linknote-29.35"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 35 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.35">return</a>)<br /> [ See Claudian, (i. Cons. + Stilich, l. i. 275, 292, 296, l. ii. 83,) and Zosimus, (l. v. p. 302.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.36" id="linknote-29.36"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 36 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.36">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian turns the + consulship of the eunuch Eutropius into a national reflection, (l. ii. + 134):— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + —-Plaudentem cerne senatum, + Et Byzantinos proceres Graiosque Quirites: + O patribus plebes, O digni consule patres. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + It is curious to observe the first symptoms of jealousy and schism between + old and new Rome, between the Greeks and Latins.] + </p> + <p> + The prudent Stilicho, instead of persisting to force the inclinations of a + prince, and people, who rejected his government, wisely abandoned Arcadius + to his unworthy favorites; 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 had 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, <a href="#linknote-29.37" + name="linknoteref-29.37" id="linknoteref-29.37">37</a> the brother of the + 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 of Theodosius had adopted + the mischievous expedient of supporting a legal government by the interest + of a powerful family; and the brother of Firmus was invested with the + command of Africa. His ambition soon usurped the administration of + justice, and of the finances, without account, and without control; and he + maintained, during a reign of twelve years, the possession of an office, + from which it was impossible to remove him, without the danger of a civil + war. During those twelve years, the provinces of Africa groaned under the + dominion of a tyrant, who seemed to unite the unfeeling temper of a + stranger with the partial resentments of domestic faction. The forms of + law were often superseded by the use of poison; and if the trembling + guests, who were invited to the table of Gildo, presumed to express fears, + the insolent suspicion served only to excite his fury, and he loudly + summoned the ministers of death. Gildo alternately indulged the passions + of avarice and lust; <a href="#linknote-29.38" name="linknoteref-29.38" + id="linknoteref-29.38">38</a> and if his days were terrible to the rich, + his nights were not less dreadful to husbands and parents. The fairest of + their wives and daughters were prostituted to the embraces of the tyrant; + and afterwards abandoned to a ferocious troop of Barbarians and assassins, + the black, or swarthy, natives of the desert; whom Gildo considered as the + only guardians of his throne. In the civil war between Theodosius and Eugenius, the + count, or rather the sovereign, of Africa, maintained a haughty and + suspicious neutrality; refused to assist either of the contending parties + with troops or vessels, expected the declaration of fortune, and reserved + for the conqueror the vain professions of his allegiance. Such professions + would 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 Rome with the customary tribute, + or rather subsidy, of corn. In every division of the empire, the five + provinces of Africa were invariably assigned to the West; and Gildo had to + govern that extensive country in the name of Honorius, but his knowledge + of the character 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 delusive 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. <a href="#linknote-29.39" name="linknoteref-29.39" + id="linknoteref-29.39">39</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.37" id="linknote-29.37"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 37 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.37">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian may have + exaggerated the vices of Gildo; but his Moorish extraction, his notorious + actions, and the complaints of St. Augustin, may justify the poet’s + invectives. Baronius (Annal. Eccles. A.D. 398, No. 35-56) has treated the + African rebellion with skill and learning.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.38" id="linknote-29.38"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 38 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.38">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Instat terribilis vivis, morientibus haeres, + Virginibus raptor, thalamis obscoenus adulter. + Nulla quies: oritur praeda cessante libido, + Divitibusque dies, et nox metuenda maritis. + Mauris clarissima quaeque + Fastidita datur. + ——De Bello Gildonico, 165, 189. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Baronius condemns, still more severely, the licentiousness of Gildo; as + his wife, his daughter, and his sister, were examples of perfect chastity. + The adulteries of the African soldiers are checked by one of the Imperial + laws.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.39" id="linknote-29.39"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 39 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.39">return</a>)<br /> [ Inque tuam sortem + numerosas transtulit urbes. Claudian (de Bell. Gildonico, 230-324) has + touched, with political delicacy, the intrigues of the Byzantine court, + which are likewise mentioned by Zosimus, (l. v. p. 302.)] + </p> + <p> + When Stilicho had given a firm and decisive answer to the pretensions of + the Byzantine court, he solemnly accused the tyrant of Africa before the + tribunal, 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 of the provincials, and the crimes of Gildo, to + the Roman senate; and the members of that venerable 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 and legitimate sanction to the Roman arms. <a + href="#linknote-29.40" name="linknoteref-29.40" id="linknoteref-29.40">40</a> + 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 since been accustomed + to prefer the solid assurance of bread to the unsubstantial visions of + liberty and greatness. The subsistence of Rome depended on the harvests of + Africa; and it was evident, that a declaration of war would be the signal + of famine. The praefect Symmachus, who presided in the deliberations of + the senate, admonished the minister of his just apprehension, that as soon + as the revengeful Moor should prohibit the exportation of corn, tranquility and + perhaps the safety, of the capital would be threatened by the hungry rage + of a turbulent multitude. <a href="#linknote-29.41" name="linknoteref-29.41" + id="linknoteref-29.41">41</a> The prudence of Stilicho conceived and + executed, without delay, the most effectual measure for the relief of the + Roman people. A large and seasonable supply of corn, collected in the + inland provinces of Gaul, was embarked on the rapid stream of the Rhone, + and transported, by an easy navigation, from the Rhone to the Tyber. + During the whole term of the African war, the granaries of Rome were + continually filled, her dignity was vindicated from the humiliating + dependence, and the minds of an immense people were quieted by the calm + confidence of peace and plenty. <a href="#linknote-29.42" + name="linknoteref-29.42" id="linknoteref-29.42">42</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.40" id="linknote-29.40"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 40 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.40">return</a>)<br /> [ Symmachus (l. iv. + epist. 4) expresses the judicial forms of the senate; and Claudian (i. + Cons. Stilich. l. i. 325, &c.) seems to feel the spirit of a Roman.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.41" id="linknote-29.41"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 41 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.41">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian finely + displays these complaints of Symmachus, in a speech of the goddess of + Rome, before the throne of Jupiter, (de Bell Gildon. 28-128.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.42" id="linknote-29.42"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 42 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.42">return</a>)<br /> [ See Claudian (in + Eutrop. l. i 401, &c. i. Cons. Stil. l. i. 306, &c. i. Cons. + Stilich. 91, &c.)] + </p> + <p> + The cause of Rome, and the conduct of the African war, were intrusted by + Stilicho to a general, active and ardent to avenge his private injuries + on the head of the tyrant. The spirit of discord which prevailed in the + house of Nabal, had excited a deadly quarrel between two of his sons, + Gildo and Mascezel. <a href="#linknote-29.43" name="linknoteref-29.43" + id="linknoteref-29.43">43</a> The usurper pursued, with implacable rage, + the life of his younger brother, whose courage and abilities he feared; + and Mascezel, oppressed by superior power, took refuge in the court of + Milan, where he soon received the cruel intelligence that his two + innocent and helpless children had been murdered by their inhuman uncle. + The affliction of the father was suspended only by the desire of revenge. + The vigilant Stilicho already prepared to collect the naval and military + force of the Western empire; and he had resolved, if the tyrant should be + able to wage an equal and doubtful war, to march against him in person. + But as Italy required his presence, and as it might be dangerous to + weaken the defence of the frontier, he judged it more advisable, that + Mascezel should attempt this arduous adventure at the head of a chosen + body of Gallic veterans, who had lately served under the standard of + Eugenius. These troops, who were exhorted to convince the world that they + could subvert, as well as defend the throne of a usurper, consisted of + the Jovian, the Herculian, and the Augustan legions; of the Nervian + auxiliaries; of the soldiers who displayed in their banners the symbol of + a lion, and of the troops which were distinguished by the auspicious + names of Fortunate, and Invincible. Yet such was the smallness of their + establishments, or the difficulty of recruiting, that these seven bands, + <a href="#linknote-29.44" name="linknoteref-29.44" + id="linknoteref-29.44">44</a> of high dignity and reputation in the + service of Rome, amounted to no more than five thousand effective men. <a + href="#linknote-29.45" name="linknoteref-29.45" + id="linknoteref-29.45">45</a> The fleet of galleys and transports sailed + in tempestuous weather from the port of Pisa, in Tuscany, and steered + their course to the little island of Capraria; which had borrowed that + name from the wild goats, its original inhabitants, whose place was + occupied by a new colony of a strange and savage appearance. “The + whole island (says an ingenious traveller of those times) is filled, or + rather defiled, by men who fly from the light. They call themselves + Monks, or solitaries, because they choose to live alone, without any + witnesses of their actions. They fear the gifts of fortune, from the + apprehension of losing them; and, lest they should be miserable, they + embrace a life of voluntary wretchedness. How absurd is their choice! how + perverse their understanding! 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 exercise on their own bodies the + tortures which are inflicted on fugitive slaves by the hand of + justice.” <a href="#linknote-29.46" name="linknoteref-29.46" + id="linknoteref-29.46">46</a> Such was the contempt of a profane + magistrate for the monks as the chosen servants of God. <a + href="#linknote-29.47" name="linknoteref-29.47" + id="linknoteref-29.47">47</a> Some of them were persuaded, by his + entreaties, to embark on 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, + who, with such a reenforcement, appeared confident of victory, avoided + the dangerous rocks of Corsica, coasted along the eastern side of + Sardinia, and secured his ships against the violence of the south wind, + by casting anchor in the and capacious harbor of Cagliari, at the + distance of one hundred and forty miles from the African shores. <a + href="#linknote-29.48" name="linknoteref-29.48" + id="linknoteref-29.48">48</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.43" id="linknote-29.43"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 43 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.43">return</a>)<br /> [ He was of a mature age; + since he had formerly (A.D. 373) served against his brother Firmus + (Ammian. xxix. 5.) Claudian, who understood the court of Milan, dwells on + the injuries, rather than the merits, of Mascezel, (de Bell. Gild. + 389-414.) The Moorish war was not worthy of Honorius, or Stilicho, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.44" id="linknote-29.44"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 44 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.44">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian, Bell. Gild. + 415-423. The change of discipline allowed him to use indifferently the + names of Legio Cohors, Manipulus. See Notitia Imperii, S. 38, 40.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.45" id="linknote-29.45"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 45 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.45">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius (l. vii. c. 36, + p. 565) qualifies this account with an expression of doubt, (ut aiunt;) + and it scarcely coincides with Zosimus, (l. v. p. 303.) Yet Claudian, + after some declamation about Cadmus, soldiers, frankly owns that Stilicho + sent a small army lest the rebels should fly, ne timeare times, (i. Cons. + Stilich. l. i. 314 &c.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.46" id="linknote-29.46"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 46 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.46">return</a>)<br /> [ Claud. Rutil. Numatian. + Itinerar. i. 439-448. He afterwards (515-526) mentions a religious madman + on the Isle of Gorgona. For such profane remarks, Rutilius and his + accomplices are styled, by his commentator, Barthius, rabiosi canes + diaboli. Tillemont (Mem. Eccles com. xii. p. 471) more calmly observes, + that the unbelieving poet praises where he means to censure.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.47" id="linknote-29.47"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 47 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.47">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius, l. vii. c. 36, + p. 564. Augustin commends two of these savage saints of the Isle of Goats, + (epist. lxxxi. apud Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. xiii. p. 317, and + Baronius, Annal Eccles. A.D. 398 No. 51.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.48" id="linknote-29.48"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 48 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.48">return</a>)<br /> [ Here the first book of + the Gildonic war is terminated. The rest of Claudian’s poem has been lost; + and we are ignorant how or where the army made good their landing in + Afica.] + </p> + <p> + Gildo was prepared to resist the invasion with all the forces of Africa. + By the liberality of his gifts and promises, he endeavored to secure the + doubtful allegiance of the Roman soldiers, whilst he attracted to his + standard the distant tribes of Gaetulia and Æthiopia. He proudly + reviewed an army of seventy thousand men, and boasted, with the rash + presumption which is the forerunner of disgrace, that his numerous + cavalry would trample under their horses’ feet the troops of + Mascezel, and involve, in a cloud of burning sand, the natives of the + cold regions of Gaul and Germany. <a href="#linknote-29.49" + name="linknoteref-29.49" id="linknoteref-29.49">49</a> 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 disorderly host of Barbarians; whose left arm, instead of a + shield, was protected only by mantle; who were totally disarmed as soon + as they had darted their javelin from their right hand; and whose horses + had never been in combat. He fixed his camp of five thousand veterans in + the face of a superior enemy, and, after the delay of three days, gave + the signal of a general engagement. <a href="#linknote-29.50" + name="linknoteref-29.50" id="linknoteref-29.50">50</a> As Mascezel + advanced before the front with fair offers of peace and pardon, he + encountered one of the foremost standard-bearers of the Africans, and, on + his refusal to yield, struck him on the arm with his sword. The arm, and + the standard, sunk under the weight of the blow; and the imaginary act of + submission was hastily repeated by all the standards of the line. At this + the disaffected cohorts proclaimed the name of their lawful sovereign; + the Barbarians, astonished by the defection of their Roman allies, + dispersed, according to their custom, in tumultuary flight; and Mascezel + obtained the honors of an easy, and almost bloodless, victory. <a + href="#linknote-29.51" name="linknoteref-29.51" + id="linknoteref-29.51">51</a> The tyrant escaped from the field of battle + to the sea-shore; and threw himself into 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 harbor of Tabraca, <a + href="#linknote-29.52" name="linknoteref-29.52" + id="linknoteref-29.52">52</a> which had acknowledged, with the rest of + the province, the dominion of Honorius, and the authority 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 despair + saved him from the intolerable torture of supporting the presence of an + injured and victorious brother. <a href="#linknote-29.53" + name="linknoteref-29.53" id="linknoteref-29.53">53</a> 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. <a href="#linknote-29.54" name="linknoteref-29.54" + id="linknoteref-29.54">54</a> Their trial was public and solemn; but the + judges, in the exercise of this obsolete and precarious jurisdiction, + were impatient to punish the African magistrates, who had intercepted the + subsistence of the Roman people. The rich and guilty province was + oppressed by the Imperial ministers, who had a visible interest to + multiply the number 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 ten years, continues and renews the prosecution + of the offences which had been committed in the time of the general + rebellion. <a href="#linknote-29.55" name="linknoteref-29.55" + id="linknoteref-29.55">55</a> The adherents of the tyrant who escaped the + first fury of the soldiers, and the judges, might derive some consolation + from the tragic fate of his brother, who could never obtain his pardon + for the extraordinary services 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; <a href="#linknote-29.56" name="linknoteref-29.56" + id="linknoteref-29.56">56</a> and his death, which, perhaps, was the + effect of passage of a bridge, the Moorish prince, who accompanied the + master-general of the West, was suddenly thrown from 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. <a href="#linknote-29.57" + name="linknoteref-29.57" id="linknoteref-29.57">57</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.49" id="linknote-29.49"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 49 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.49">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius must be + responsible for the account. The presumption of Gildo and his various + train of Barbarians is celebrated by Claudian, Cons. Stil. l. i. 345-355.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.50" id="linknote-29.50"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 50 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.50">return</a>)<br /> [ St. Ambrose, who had + been dead about a year, revealed, in a vision, the time and place of the + victory. Mascezel afterwards related his dream to Paulinus, the original + biographer of the saint, from whom it might easily pass to Orosius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.51" id="linknote-29.51"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 51 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.51">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. v. p. 303) + supposes an obstinate combat; but the narrative of Orosius appears to + conceal a real fact, under the disguise of a miracle.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.52" id="linknote-29.52"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 52 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.52">return</a>)<br /> [ Tabraca lay between the + two Hippos, (Cellarius, tom. ii. p. 112; D’Anville, tom. iii. p. 84.) + Orosius has distinctly named the field of battle, but our ignorance cannot + define the precise situation.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.53" id="linknote-29.53"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 53 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.53">return</a>)<br /> [ The death of Gildo is + expressed by Claudian (i. Cons. Stil. 357) and his best interpreters, + Zosimus and Orosius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.54" id="linknote-29.54"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 54 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.54">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian (ii. Cons. + Stilich. 99-119) describes their trial (tremuit quos Africa nuper, cernunt + rostra reos,) and applauds the restoration of the ancient constitution. It + is here that he introduces the famous sentence, so familiar to the friends + of despotism: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + —-Nunquam libertas gratior exstat, + Quam sub rege pio. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + But the freedom which depends on royal piety, scarcely deserves + appellation] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.55" id="linknote-29.55"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 55 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.55">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Theodosian + Code, l. ix. tit. xxxix. leg. 3, tit. xl. leg. 19.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.56" id="linknote-29.56"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 56 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.56">return</a>)<br /> [ Stilicho, who claimed + an equal share in all the victories of Theodosius and his son, + particularly asserts, that Africa was recovered by the wisdom of his + counsels, (see an inscription produced by Baronius.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.57" id="linknote-29.57"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 57 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.57">return</a>)<br /> [ I have softened the + narrative of Zosimus, which, in its crude simplicity, is almost + incredible, (l. v. p. 303.) Orosius damns the victorious general (p. 538) + for violating the right of sanctuary.] + </p> + <p> + The joy of the African triumph was happily connected with the nuptials of + the emperor Honorius, and of his cousin Maria, the daughter of Stilicho: + and this equal and honorable alliance seemed to invest the powerful + minister with the authority of a parent over his submissive pupil. The + muse of Claudian was not silent on this propitious day; <a + href="#linknote-29.58" name="linknoteref-29.58" + id="linknoteref-29.58">58</a> he sung, in various and lively strains, the + happiness 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 oblivion by the genius of poetry. The picture of the Cyprian grove, + the seat of harmony and love; the triumphant progress of Venus over her + native seas, and the mild influence which her presence diffused in the + palace of Milan, express to every age the natural sentiments of the + heart, in the just and pleasing language of allegorical fiction. But the + amorous impatience which Claudian attributes to the young prince, <a + href="#linknote-29.59" name="linknoteref-29.59" + id="linknoteref-29.59">59</a> must excite the smiles of the court; and + his beauteous spouse (if she deserved the praise of beauty) had not much + to fear or to hope from the passions of her lover. Honorius was only in + the fourteenth year of his age; Serena, the mother of his bride, + deferred, by art of persuasion, the consummation of the royal nuptials; + Maria died a virgin, after she had been ten years a wife; and the + chastity of the emperor was secured by the coldness, or perhaps, the + debility, of his constitution. <a href="#linknote-29.60" + name="linknoteref-29.60" id="linknoteref-29.60">60</a> His subjects, who + attentively studied the character of their young sovereign, discovered + that Honorius was without passions, and consequently without talents; and + that his feeble and languid disposition was alike incapable of + discharging the duties of his rank, or of enjoying the pleasures of his + age. In his early youth he made some progress in the exercises of riding + and drawing the bow: but he soon relinquished these fatiguing + occupations, and the amusement of feeding poultry became the serious and + daily care of the monarch of the West, <a href="#linknote-29.61" + name="linknoteref-29.61" id="linknoteref-29.61">61</a> who resigned the + reins of empire to the firm and skilful hand of his guardian Stilicho. + The experience 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 + attain the age of manhood, without attempting to excite his courage, or + to enlighten his understanding. <a href="#linknote-29.62" + name="linknoteref-29.62" id="linknoteref-29.62">62</a> The predecessors + of Honorius were accustomed to animate by their example, or at least by + their presence, the valor 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 slumber 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 finally subverted, by the arms + of the Barbarians. In the eventful history of a reign of twenty-eight + years, it will seldom be necessary to mention the name of the emperor + Honorius. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.58" id="linknote-29.58"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 58 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.58">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian,as the poet + laureate, composed a serious and elaborate epithalamium of 340 lines; + besides some gay Fescennines, which were sung, in a more licentious tone, + on the wedding night.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.59" id="linknote-29.59"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 59 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.59">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Calet obvius ire + Jam princeps, tardumque cupit discedere solem. + Nobilis haud aliter sonipes. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + (De Nuptiis Honor. et Mariae, and more freely in the Fescennines 112-116) + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Dices, O quoties,hoc mihi dulcius + Quam flavos decics vincere Sarmatas. + .... + Tum victor madido prosilias toro, + Nocturni referens vulnera proelii.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.60" id="linknote-29.60"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 60 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.60">return</a>)<br /> [ See Zosimus, l. v. p. + 333.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.61" id="linknote-29.61"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 61 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.61">return</a>)<br /> [ Procopius de Bell. + Gothico, l. i. c. 2. I have borrowed the general practice of Honorius, + without adopting the singular, and indeed improbable tale, which is + related by the Greek historian.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-29.62" id="linknote-29.62"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 62 (<a href="#linknoteref-29.62">return</a>)<br /> [ The lessons of + Theodosius, or rather Claudian, (iv. Cons. Honor 214-418,) might compose a + fine institution for the future prince of a great and free nation. It was + far above Honorius, and his degenerate subjects.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap30.1"></a> +Chapter XXX: Revolt Of The Goths.—Part I. +</h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Revolt Of The Goths.—They Plunder Greece.—Two Great + Invasions Of Italy By Alaric And Radagaisus.—They Are + Repulsed By Stilicho.—The Germans Overrun Gaul.—Usurpation + Of Constantine In The West.—Disgrace And Death Of Stilicho. +</pre> + <p> + If the subjects of Rome could be ignorant of their obligations to the + great Theodosius, they were too soon convinced, how painfully the spirit + and abilities of their deceased emperor had 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. <a href="#linknote-30.1" name="linknoteref-30.1" id="linknoteref-30.1">1</a> + 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 tranquility and labor, + deserted their farms at the first sound of the trumpet; and eagerly + resumed the weapons which they had reluctantly laid down. The barriers of + the Danube were thrown open; the savage warriors of Scythia issued from + their forests; and the uncommon severity of the winter allowed the poet to + remark, “that they rolled their ponderous wagons over the broad and icy + back of the indignant river.” <a href="#linknote-30.2" + name="linknoteref-30.2" id="linknoteref-30.2">2</a> The unhappy natives of + the provinces to the south of the Danube submitted to the calamities, + which, in the course of twenty years, were almost grown familiar to their + imagination; and the various troops of Barbarians, who gloried in the + Gothic name, were irregularly spread from woody shores of Dalmatia, to the + walls of Constantinople. <a href="#linknote-30.3" name="linknoteref-30.3" + id="linknoteref-30.3">3</a> The interruption, or at least the diminution, + of the subsidy, which the Goths had received from the prudent liberality + of Theodosius, was the specious pretence of their revolt: the affront was + imbittered by their contempt for the unwarlike sons of Theodosius; and + their resentment was inflamed by the weakness, or treachery, of the + minister of Arcadius. The frequent visits of Rufinus to the camp of the + Barbarians whose arms and apparel he affected to imitate, were considered + as a sufficient evidence of his guilty correspondence, and the public + enemy, from a motive either of gratitude or of policy, was attentive, + amidst the general devastation, to spare the private estates of the + unpopular praefect. The Goths, instead of being impelled by the blind and + headstrong passions of their chiefs, were now directed by the bold and + artful genius of Alaric. That renowned leader was descended from the noble + race of the Balti; <a href="#linknote-30.4" name="linknoteref-30.4" + id="linknoteref-30.4">4</a> 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 to demonstrate the folly of their refusal, and the + importance of their loss. Whatever hopes might be entertained of the + conquest of Constantinople, the judicious general soon abandoned an + impracticable enterprise. In the midst of a divided court and a + discontented people, the emperor Arcadius was terrified by the aspect of + the Gothic arms; but the want of wisdom and valor 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 harvest + of fame and riches in a province which had hitherto escaped the ravages of + war. <a href="#linknote-30.5" name="linknoteref-30.5" id="linknoteref-30.5">5</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.1" id="linknote-30.1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.1">return</a>)<br /> [ The revolt of the Goths, + and the blockade of Constantinople, are distinctly mentioned by Claudian, + (in Rufin. l. ii. 7-100,) Zosimus, (l. v. 292,) and Jornandes, (de Rebus + Geticis, c. 29.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.2" id="linknote-30.2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.2">return</a>)<br /> [— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Alii per toga ferocis + Danubii solidata ruunt; expertaque remis + Frangunt stagna rotis. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Claudian and Ovid often amuse their fancy by interchanging the metaphors + and properties of liquid water, and solid ice. Much false wit has been + expended in this easy exercise.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.3" id="linknote-30.3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.3">return</a>)<br /> [ Jerom, tom. i. p. 26. He + endeavors to comfort his friend Heliodorus, bishop of Altinum, for the + loss of his nephew, Nepotian, by a curious recapitulation of all the + public and private misfortunes of the times. See Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. + tom. xii. p. 200, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.4" id="linknote-30.4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.4">return</a>)<br /> [ Baltha or bold: origo + mirifica, says Jornandes, (c. 29.) This illustrious race long continued to + flourish in France, in the Gothic province of Septimania, or Languedoc; + under the corrupted appellation of Boax; and a branch of that family + afterwards settled in the kingdom of Naples (Grotius in Prolegom. ad Hist. + Gothic. p. 53.) The lords of Baux, near Arles, and of seventy-nine + subordinate places, were independent of the counts of Provence, + (Longuerue, Description de la France, tom. i. p. 357).] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.5" id="linknote-30.5"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.5">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. v. p. + 293-295) is our best guide for the conquest of Greece: but the hints and + allusion of Claudian are so many rays of historic light.] + </p> + <p> + The character of the civil and military officers, on whom Rufinus had + devolved the government of Greece, confirmed the public suspicion, that he + had betrayed the ancient seat of freedom and learning to the Gothic + invader. The proconsul Antiochus was the unworthy son of a respectable + father; and Gerontius, who commanded the provincial troops, was much + better qualified to execute the oppressive orders of a tyrant, than to + defend, with courage and ability, a country most remarkably fortified by + the hand of nature. Alaric had traversed, without resistance, the plains + of Macedonia and Thessaly, as far as the foot of Mount Oeta, a steep and + woody range of hills, almost impervious to his cavalry. They stretched + from east to west, to the edge of the sea-shore; and left, between the + precipice and the Malian Gulf, an interval of three hundred feet, which, + in some places, was contracted to a road capable of admitting only a + single carriage. <a href="#linknote-30.6" name="linknoteref-30.6" + id="linknoteref-30.6">6</a> In this narrow pass of Thermopylae, where + Leonidas and the three hundred Spartans had gloriously devoted their + lives, the Goths might have been stopped, or destroyed, by a skilful + general; and perhaps the view of that sacred spot might have kindled some + sparks of military ardor in the breasts of the degenerate Greeks. The + troops which had been posted to defend the Straits of Thermopylae, + retired, as they were directed, without attempting to disturb the secure + and rapid passage of Alaric; <a href="#linknote-30.7" name="linknoteref-30.7" + id="linknoteref-30.7">7</a> and the fertile fields of Phocis and Boeotia + were instantly covered by a deluge of Barbarians who massacred the males + of an age to bear arms, 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 + harbor of the Piraeus. The 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 easily 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, which was provided + by the magistrate, and affected to show that he was not ignorant of the + manners of civilized nations. <a href="#linknote-30.8" + name="linknoteref-30.8" id="linknoteref-30.8">8</a> But the whole territory + of Attica, from the promontory of Sunium to the town of Megara, was + blasted by his baleful presence; and, if we may use the comparison of a + contemporary philosopher, Athens itself resembled the bleeding and empty + skin of a slaughtered victim. The distance between 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, impassable for the march of an enemy. The thick and gloomy woods of + Mount Cithaeron covered the inland country; the Scironian rocks approached + the water’s edge, and hung over the narrow and winding path, which was + confined above six miles along the sea-shore. <a href="#linknote-30.9" + name="linknoteref-30.9" id="linknoteref-30.9">9</a> The passage of those + rocks, so infamous in every age, was terminated by the Isthmus of Corinth; + and a small a body of firm and intrepid soldiers might have successfully + defended a temporary intrenchment of five or six miles from the Ionian to + the Aegean Sea. The confidence of the cities of Peloponnesus in their + natural rampart, had tempted them to neglect the care of their antique + walls; and the avarice of the Roman governors had exhausted and betrayed + the unhappy province. <a href="#linknote-30.10" name="linknoteref-30.10" + id="linknoteref-30.10">10</a> Corinth, Argos, Sparta, yielded without + resistance to the arms of the Goths; and the most fortunate of the + inhabitants were saved, by death, from beholding the slavery of their + families and the conflagration of their cities. <a href="#linknote-30.11" + name="linknoteref-30.11" id="linknoteref-30.11">11</a> The vases and statues + were distributed among the Barbarians, with more regard to the value of + the materials, than to the elegance of the workmanship; the female + captives submitted to the laws of war; the enjoyment of beauty was the + reward of valor; and the Greeks could not reasonably complain of an abuse + which was justified by the example of the heroic times. <a + href="#linknote-30.12" name="linknoteref-30.12" id="linknoteref-30.12">12</a> + The descendants of that extraordinary people, who had considered valor and + discipline as the walls of Sparta, no longer remembered the generous reply + of their ancestors to an invader more formidable than Alaric. “If thou art + a god, thou wilt not hurt those who have never injured thee; if thou art a + man, advance:—and thou wilt find men equal to thyself.” <a + href="#linknote-30.13" name="linknoteref-30.13" id="linknoteref-30.13">13</a> + From Thermopylae to Sparta, the leader of the Goths pursued his victorious + march without encountering any mortal antagonists: but one of the + advocates of expiring Paganism has confidently asserted, that the walls of + Athens were guarded by the goddess Minerva, with her formidable Aegis, and + by the angry phantom of Achilles; <a href="#linknote-30.14" + name="linknoteref-30.14" id="linknoteref-30.14">14</a> and that the + conqueror was dismayed by the presence of the hostile deities of Greece. + In an age of miracles, it would perhaps be unjust to dispute the claim of + the historian Zosimus 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 fame of Achilles, had probably never reached the ear of the + illiterate Barbarian; and the Christian 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 honor, contributed, + at least accidentally, to extirpate the last remains of Paganism: and the + mysteries of Ceres, which had subsisted eighteen hundred years, did not + survive the destruction of Eleusis, and the calamities of Greece. <a + href="#linknote-30.15" name="linknoteref-30.15" id="linknoteref-30.15">15</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.6" id="linknote-30.6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.6">return</a>)<br /> [ Compare Herodotus (l. + vii. c. 176) and Livy, (xxxvi. 15.) The narrow entrance of Greece was + probably enlarged by each successive ravisher.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.7" id="linknote-30.7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.7">return</a>)<br /> [ He passed, says Eunapius, + (in Vit. Philosoph. p. 93, edit. Commelin, 1596,) through the straits, of + Thermopylae.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.8" id="linknote-30.8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.8">return</a>)<br /> [ In obedience to Jerom and + Claudian, (in Rufin. l. ii. 191,) I have mixed some darker colors in the + mild representation of Zosimus, who wished to soften the calamities of + Athens. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Nec fera Cecropias traxissent vincula matres. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Synesius (Epist. clvi. p. 272, edit. Petav.) observes, that Athens, whose + sufferings he imputes to the proconsul’s avarice, was at that time less + famous for her schools of philosophy than for her trade of honey.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.9" id="linknote-30.9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.9">return</a>)<br /> [— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Vallata mari Scironia rupes, + Et duo continuo connectens aequora muro + Isthmos. + —Claudian de Bel. Getico, 188. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The Scironian rocks are described by Pausanias, (l. i. c. 44, p. 107, + edit. Kuhn,) and our modern travellers, Wheeler (p. 436) and Chandler, (p. + 298.) Hadrian made the road passable for two carriages.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.10" id="linknote-30.10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.10">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian (in Rufin. l. + ii. 186, and de Bello Getico, 611, &c.) vaguely, though forcibly, + delineates the scene of rapine and destruction.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.11" id="linknote-30.11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.11">return</a>)<br /> [ These generous lines of + Homer (Odyss. l. v. 306) were transcribed by one of the captive youths of + Corinth: and the tears of Mummius may prove that the rude conqueror, + though he was ignorant of the value of an original picture, possessed the + purest source of good taste, a benevolent heart, (Plutarch, Symposiac. l. + ix. tom. ii. p. 737, edit. Wechel.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.12" id="linknote-30.12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.12">return</a>)<br /> [ Homer perpetually + describes the exemplary patience of those female captives, who gave their + charms, and even their hearts, to the murderers of their fathers, + brothers, &c. Such a passion (of Eriphile for Achilles) is touched + with admirable delicacy by Racine.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.13" id="linknote-30.13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.13">return</a>)<br /> [ Plutarch (in Pyrrho, + tom. ii. p. 474, edit. Brian) gives the genuine answer in the Laconic + dialect. Pyrrhus attacked Sparta with 25,000 foot, 2000 horse, and 24 + elephants, and the defence of that open town is a fine comment on the laws + of Lycurgus, even in the last stage of decay.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.14" id="linknote-30.14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.14">return</a>)<br /> [ Such, perhaps, as Homer + (Iliad, xx. 164) had so nobly painted him.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.15" id="linknote-30.15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.15">return</a>)<br /> [ Eunapius (in Vit. + Philosoph. p. 90-93) intimates that a troop of monks betrayed Greece, and + followed the Gothic camp. * Note: The expression is curious: Vit. Max. t. + i. p. 53, edit. Boissonade.—M.] + </p> + <p> + The last hope of a people who could no longer depend on their arms, their + gods, or their sovereign, was placed in the powerful assistance of the + general of the West; and Stilicho, who had not been permitted to repulse, + advanced to chastise, the invaders of Greece. <a href="#linknote-30.16" + name="linknoteref-30.16" id="linknoteref-30.16">16</a> A numerous fleet was + equipped in the ports of Italy; and the troops, after a short and + prosperous navigation over the Ionian Sea, were safely disembarked on the + isthmus, near the ruins of Corinth. The woody and mountainous country of + Arcadia, the fabulous residence of Pan and the Dryads, became the scene of + a long and doubtful conflict between the 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 of Pholoe, near the + sources of the Peneus, and on the frontiers of Elis; a sacred country, + which had formerly been exempted from the calamities of war. <a + href="#linknote-30.17" name="linknoteref-30.17" id="linknoteref-30.17">17</a> + The camp of the Barbarians was immediately besieged; the waters of the + river <a href="#linknote-30.18" name="linknoteref-30.18" + id="linknoteref-30.18">18</a> were diverted into another channel; and while + they labored under the intolerable pressure of thirst and hunger, a strong + line of circumvallation was formed to 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 their 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 + favorable moment 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 himself from the prison of + Peloponnesus, it was necessary that he should pierce the intrenchments + which surrounded his camp; that he should perform a difficult and + dangerous march of thirty miles, as far as the Gulf of Corinth; and that + he should transport 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 half a mile in breadth. <a href="#linknote-30.19" + name="linknoteref-30.19" id="linknoteref-30.19">19</a> The operations of + Alaric must have been secret, prudent, and rapid; since the Roman general + was confounded by the intelligence, that the Goths, who had eluded his + efforts, were in full possession of the important province of Epirus. This + unfortunate delay allowed Alaric sufficient 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 dominions of Arcadius; and he respected, + in the enemy of Rome, the honorable character of the ally and servant of + the emperor of the East. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.16" id="linknote-30.16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.16">return</a>)<br /> [ For Stilicho’s Greek + war, compare the honest narrative of Zosimus (l. v. p. 295, 296) with the + curious circumstantial flattery of Claudian, (i. Cons. Stilich. l. i. + 172-186, iv. Cons. Hon. 459-487.) As the event was not glorious, it is + artfully thrown into the shade.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.17" id="linknote-30.17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.17">return</a>)<br /> [ The troops who marched + through Elis delivered up their arms. This security enriched the Eleans, + who were lovers of a rural life. Riches begat pride: they disdained their + privilege, and they suffered. Polybius advises them to retire once more + within their magic circle. See a learned and judicious discourse on the + Olympic games, which Mr. West has prefixed to his translation of Pindar.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.18" id="linknote-30.18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.18">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian (in iv. Cons. + Hon. 480) alludes to the fact without naming the river; perhaps the + Alpheus, (i. Cons. Stil. l. i. 185.) + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + —-Et Alpheus Geticis angustus acervis + Tardior ad Siculos etiamnum pergit amores. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Yet I should prefer the Peneus, a shallow stream in a wide and deep bed, + which runs through Elis, and falls into the sea below Cyllene. It had been + joined with the Alpheus to cleanse the Augean stable. (Cellarius, tom. i. + p. 760. Chandler’s Travels, p. 286.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.19" id="linknote-30.19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.19">return</a>)<br /> [ Strabo, l. viii. p. + 517. Plin. Hist. Natur. iv. 3. Wheeler, p. 308. Chandler, p. 275. They + measured from different points the distance between the two lands.] + </p> + <p> + A Grecian philosopher, <a href="#linknote-30.20" name="linknoteref-30.20" + id="linknoteref-30.20">20</a> who visited Constantinople soon after the + death of Theodosius, published his liberal opinions concerning the duties + of kings, and the state of the Roman republic. Synesius observes, 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 exemption from the indispensable duty of defending their + country; which was supported by the arms of Barbarian mercenaries. The + fugitives of Scythia were permitted to disgrace the illustrious dignities + of the empire; their ferocious youth, who disdained the salutary restraint + of laws, were more anxious to acquire the riches, than to imitate the + arts, of a people, the object of their contempt and hatred; and the power + of the Goths was the stone of Tantalus, perpetually suspended over the + peace and safety of the devoted state. The measures which Synesius + recommends, are the dictates of a bold and generous patriot. He exhorts + the emperor to revive the courage of his subjects, by the example of manly + virtue; to banish luxury from the court and from the camp; to substitute, + 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 philosopher + from his school; to rouse the indolent citizen from his dream of pleasure, + and to arm, for the protection of agriculture, the hands of the laborious + husbandman. At the head of such troops, who might deserve the name, and + would display the spirit, of Romans, he animates the son of Theodosius to + encounter 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 Lacedaemonians formerly imposed on the captive + Helots. <a href="#linknote-30.21" name="linknoteref-30.21" + id="linknoteref-30.21">21</a> The court of Arcadius indulged the zeal, + applauded the eloquence, and neglected the advice, of Synesius. Perhaps + 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 was seldom interrupted by reflection, might reject, as wild + and visionary, every proposal, which exceeded the measure of their + capacity, and deviated from the forms and precedents of office. While the + oration of Synesius, and the downfall of the Barbarians, 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 Illyricum. 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 his policy. He issued + his orders to the four magazines and manufactures of offensive and + defensive arms, Margus, Ratiaria, Naissus, and Thessalonica, to provide + his troops with an extraordinary supply of shields, helmets, swords, and + spears; the unhappy provincials were compelled to forge the instruments of + their own destruction; and the Barbarians removed the only defect which + had sometimes disappointed the efforts of their courage. <a + href="#linknote-30.22" name="linknoteref-30.22" id="linknoteref-30.22">22</a> + 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 Barbarian + chieftains, the master-general of Illyricum was elevated, according to + ancient custom, on a shield, and solemnly proclaimed king of the + Visigoths. <a href="#linknote-30.23" name="linknoteref-30.23" + id="linknoteref-30.23">23</a> Armed with this double power, seated on the + verge of the two empires, he alternately sold his deceitful promises to + the courts of Arcadius and Honorius; till he declared and executed his + resolution of invading the dominions of the West. The provinces of Europe + which belonged to the Eastern emperor, were already exhausted; those of + Asia were inaccessible; and the strength of Constantinople had resisted + his attack. But he was tempted by the fame, the beauty, the wealth of + Italy, which he had twice visited; and he secretly aspired to plant the + Gothic standard on the walls of Rome, and to enrich his army with the + accumulated spoils of three hundred triumphs. <a href="#linknote-30.25" + name="linknoteref-30.25" id="linknoteref-30.25">25</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.20" id="linknote-30.20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.20">return</a>)<br /> [ Synesius passed three + years (A.D. 397-400) at Constantinople, as deputy from Cyrene to the + emperor Arcadius. He presented him with a crown of gold, and pronounced + before him the instructive oration de Regno, (p. 1-32, edit. Petav. Paris, + 1612.) The philosopher was made bishop of Ptolemais, A.D. 410, and died + about 430. See Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. xii. p. 490, 554, 683-685.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.21" id="linknote-30.21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.21">return</a>)<br /> [ Synesius de Regno, p. + 21-26.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.22" id="linknote-30.22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.22">return</a>)<br /> [—qui foedera + rumpit + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Ditatur: qui servat, eget: vastator Achivae + Gentis, et Epirum nuper populatus inultam, + Praesidet Illyrico: jam, quos obsedit, amicos + Ingreditur muros; illis responsa daturus, + Quorum conjugibus potitur, natosque peremit. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Claudian in Eutrop. l. ii. 212. Alaric applauds his own policy (de Bell + Getic. 533-543) in the use which he had made of this Illyrian + jurisdiction.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.23" id="linknote-30.23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.23">return</a>)<br /> [ Jornandes, c. 29, p. + 651. The Gothic historian adds, with unusual spirit, Cum suis deliberans + suasit suo labore quaerere regna, quam alienis per otium subjacere. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Discors odiisque anceps civilibus orbis, + Non sua vis tutata diu, dum foedera fallax + Ludit, et alternae perjuria venditat aulae. + —-Claudian de Bell. Get. 565] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.25" id="linknote-30.25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.25">return</a>)<br /> [ Alpibus Italiae ruptis + penetrabis ad Urbem. This authentic prediction was announced by Alaric, or + at least by Claudian, (de Bell. Getico, 547,) seven years before the + event. But as it was not accomplished within the term which has been + rashly fixed the interpreters escaped through an ambiguous meaning.] + </p> + <p> + The scarcity of facts, <a href="#linknote-30.26" name="linknoteref-30.26" + id="linknoteref-30.26">26</a> and the uncertainty of dates, <a + href="#linknote-30.27" name="linknoteref-30.27" id="linknoteref-30.27">27</a> + oppose our attempts to describe the circumstances of the first invasion of + Italy by the arms of Alaric. His march, perhaps from Thessalonica, through + the warlike and hostile country of Pannonia, as far as the foot of the + Julian Alps; his passage of those mountains, which were strongly guarded + by troops and intrenchments; the siege of Aquileia, and the conquest of + the provinces of Istria and Venetia, appear to have employed a + considerable time. Unless his operations were extremely cautious and slow, + the length of the interval would suggest a probable suspicion, that the + Gothic king retreated towards the banks of the Danube; and reenforced his + army with fresh swarms of Barbarians, before he again attempted to + penetrate into the heart of Italy. Since the public and important events + escape the diligence of the historian, he may amuse himself with + contemplating, for a moment, the influence of the arms of Alaric on the + fortunes of two obscure individuals, a presbyter of Aquileia and a + husbandman of Verona. The learned Rufinus, who was summoned by his enemies + to appear before a Roman synod, <a href="#linknote-30.28" + name="linknoteref-30.28" id="linknoteref-30.28">28</a> wisely preferred the + dangers of a besieged city; and the Barbarians, who furiously shook the + walls of Aquileia, might save him from the cruel sentence of another + heretic, who, at the request of the same bishops, was severely whipped, + and condemned to perpetual exile on a desert island. <a + href="#linknote-30.29" name="linknoteref-30.29" id="linknoteref-30.29">29</a> + The old man, <a href="#linknote-30.30" name="linknoteref-30.30" + id="linknoteref-30.30">30</a> who had passed his simple and innocent life + in the neighborhood of Verona, was a stranger to the quarrels both of + kings and of bishops; his pleasures, his desires, his knowledge, were + confined within the little circle of his paternal farm; and a staff + supported his aged steps, on the same ground where he had sported in his + infancy. Yet even this humble and rustic felicity (which Claudian + describes with so much truth and feeling) was still exposed to the + undistinguishing rage of war. His trees, his old contemporary trees, <a + href="#linknote-30.31" name="linknoteref-30.31" id="linknoteref-30.31">31</a> + 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 happiness, which he was not able either to + taste or to bestow. “Fame,” says the poet, “encircling with terror her + gloomy wings, proclaimed the march of the Barbarian army, and filled Italy + with 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. <a href="#linknote-30.32" + name="linknoteref-30.32" id="linknoteref-30.32">32</a> Every hour produced + some horrid tale of strange and portentous accidents; the Pagans deplored + the neglect of omens, and the interruption of sacrifices; but the + Christians still derived some comfort from the powerful intercession of + the saints and martyrs. <a href="#linknote-30.33" name="linknoteref-30.33" + id="linknoteref-30.33">33</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.26" id="linknote-30.26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.26">return</a>)<br /> [ Our best materials are + 970 verses of Claudian in the poem on the Getic war, and the beginning of + that which celebrates the sixth consulship of Honorius. Zosimus is totally + silent; and we are reduced to such scraps, or rather crumbs, as we can + pick from Orosius and the Chronicles.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.27" id="linknote-30.27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.27">return</a>)<br /> [ Notwithstanding the + gross errors of Jornandes, who confounds the Italian wars of Alaric, (c. + 29,) his date of the consulship of Stilicho and Aurelian (A.D. 400) is + firm and respectable. It is certain from Claudian (Tillemont, Hist. des + Emp. tom. v. p. 804) that the battle of Polentia was fought A.D. 403; but + we cannot easily fill the interval.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.28" id="linknote-30.28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.28">return</a>)<br /> [ Tantum Romanae urbis + judicium fugis, ut magis obsidionem barbaricam, quam pacatoe urbis + judicium velis sustinere. Jerom, tom. ii. p. 239. Rufinus understood his + own danger; the peaceful city was inflamed by the beldam Marcella, and the + rest of Jerom’s faction.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.29" id="linknote-30.29"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 29 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.29">return</a>)<br /> [ Jovinian, the enemy of + fasts and of celibacy, who was persecuted and insulted by the furious + Jerom, (Jortin’s Remarks, vol. iv. p. 104, &c.) See the original edict + of banishment in the Theodosian Code, xvi. tit. v. leg. 43.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.30" id="linknote-30.30"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 30 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.30">return</a>)<br /> [ This epigram (de Sene + Veronensi qui suburbium nusquam egres sus est) is one of the earliest and + most pleasing compositions of Claudian. Cowley’s imitation (Hurd’s + edition, vol. ii. p. 241) has some natural and happy strokes: but it is + much inferior to the original portrait, which is evidently drawn from the + life.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.31" id="linknote-30.31"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 31 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.31">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Ingentem meminit parvo qui germine quercum + Aequaevumque videt consenuisse nemus. + + A neighboring wood born with himself he sees, + And loves his old contemporary trees. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + In this passage, Cowley is perhaps superior to his original; and the + English poet, who was a good botanist, has concealed the oaks under a more + general expression.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.32" id="linknote-30.32"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 32 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.32">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian de Bell. Get. + 199-266. He may seem prolix: but fear and superstition occupied as large a + space in the minds of the Italians.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.33" id="linknote-30.33"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 33 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.33">return</a>)<br /> [ From the passages of + Paulinus, which Baronius has produced, (Annal. Eccles. A.D. 403, No. 51,) + it is manifest that the general alarm had pervaded all Italy, as far as + Nola in Campania, where that famous penitent had fixed his abode.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap30.2"></a> +Chapter XXX: Revolt Of The Goths.—Part II. +</h2> + <p> + The emperor Honorius was distinguished, above his subjects, by the + preeminence of fear, as well as of rank. The pride and luxury in which he + was educated, had not allowed him to suspect, that there existed on the + earth any power presumptuous enough to invade the repose of the successor + of Augustus. The arts of flattery concealed the impending danger, till + Alaric approached the palace of Milan. But when the sound of war had + awakened the young emperor, instead of flying to arms with the spirit, or + even the rashness, of his age, he eagerly listened to those timid + counsellors, who proposed to convey his sacred person, and his faithful + attendants, to some secure and distant station in the provinces of Gaul. + Stilicho alone <a href="#linknote-30.34" name="linknoteref-30.34" + id="linknoteref-30.34">34</a> had courage and authority to resist his + disgraceful measure, which would have abandoned Rome and Italy to the + Barbarians; but as the troops of the palace had been lately detached to + the Rhaetian frontier, and as the resource of new levies was slow and + precarious, the general of the West could only promise, that if the court + of Milan would maintain their ground during his absence, he would soon + return with an army equal to the encounter of the Gothic king. Without + losing a moment, (while each moment was so important to the public + safety,) Stilicho hastily embarked on the Larian Lake, ascended the + mountains of ice and snow, amidst the severity of an Alpine winter, and + suddenly repressed, by his unexpected presence, the enemy, who had + disturbed the tranquillity of Rhaetia. <a href="#linknote-30.35" + name="linknoteref-30.35" id="linknoteref-30.35">35</a> The Barbarians, + perhaps some tribes of the Alemanni, respected the firmness of a chief, + who still assumed the language of command; and the choice which he + condescended to make, of a select number of their bravest youth, was + considered as a mark of his esteem and favor. The cohorts, who were + delivered from the neighboring foe, diligently repaired to the Imperial + standard; and Stilicho issued his orders to the most remote troops of the + West, to advance, by rapid marches, to the defence of Honorius and of + Italy. The fortresses of the Rhine were abandoned; and the safety of Gaul + was protected only by the faith of the Germans, and the ancient terror of + the Roman name. Even the legion, which had been stationed to guard the + wall of Britain against the Caledonians of the North, was hastily + recalled; <a href="#linknote-30.36" name="linknoteref-30.36" + id="linknoteref-30.36">36</a> and a numerous body of the cavalry of the + Alani was persuaded to engage in the service of the emperor, who anxiously + expected the return of his general. The prudence and vigor of Stilicho + were conspicuous on this occasion, which revealed, at the same time, the + weakness of the falling empire. The legions of Rome, which had long since + languished in the gradual decay of discipline and courage, were + exterminated by the Gothic and civil wars; and it was found impossible, + without exhausting and exposing the provinces, to assemble an army for the + defence of Italy. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.34" id="linknote-30.34"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 34 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.34">return</a>)<br /> [ Solus erat Stilicho, + &c., is the exclusive commendation which Claudian bestows, (del Bell. + Get. 267,) without condescending to except the emperor. How insignificant + must Honorius have appeared in his own court.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.35" id="linknote-30.35"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 35 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.35">return</a>)<br /> [ The face of the + country, and the hardiness of Stilicho, are finely described, (de Bell. + Get. 340-363.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.36" id="linknote-30.36"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 36 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.36">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Venit et extremis legio praetenta Britannis, + Quae Scoto dat frena truci. + —-De Bell. Get. 416. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Yet the most rapid march from Edinburgh, or Newcastle, to Milan, must have + required a longer space of time than Claudian seems willing to allow for + the duration of the Gothic war.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap30.3"></a> +Chapter XXX: Revolt Of The Goths.—Part III. +</h2> + <p> + When Stilicho seemed to abandon his sovereign in the unguarded palace of + Milan, he had probably calculated the term of his absence, the distance of + the enemy, and the obstacles that might retard their march. He principally + depended on the rivers of Italy, the Adige, the Mincius, the Oglio, and + the Addua, which, in the winter or spring, by the fall of rains, or by the + melting of the snows, are commonly swelled into broad and impetuous + torrents. <a href="#linknote-30.37" name="linknoteref-30.37" + id="linknoteref-30.37">37</a> But the season happened to be remarkably dry: + and the Goths could traverse, without impediment, the wide and stony beds, + whose centre was faintly marked by the course of a shallow stream. The + bridge and passage of the Addua were secured by a strong detachment of the + Gothic army; and as Alaric approached the walls, or rather the suburbs, of + Milan, he enjoyed the proud satisfaction of seeing the emperor of the + Romans fly before him. Honorius, accompanied by a feeble train of + statesmen and eunuchs, hastily retreated towards the Alps, with a design + of securing his person in the city of Arles, which had often been the + royal residence of his predecessors. <a href="#linknote-30.3711" + name="linknoteref-30.3711" id="linknoteref-30.3711">3711</a> But Honorius <a + href="#linknote-30.38" name="linknoteref-30.38" id="linknoteref-30.38">38</a> + had scarcely passed the Po, before he was overtaken by the speed of the + Gothic cavalry; <a href="#linknote-30.39" name="linknoteref-30.39" + id="linknoteref-30.39">39</a> since the urgency of the danger compelled him + to seek a temporary shelter within the fortifications of Asta, a town of + Liguria or Piemont, situate on the banks of the Tanarus. <a + href="#linknote-30.40" name="linknoteref-30.40" id="linknoteref-30.40">40</a> + The siege of an obscure place, which contained so rich a prize, and seemed + incapable of a long resistance, was instantly formed, and indefatigably + pressed, by the king of the Goths; and the bold declaration, which the + emperor might afterwards make, that his breast had never been susceptible + of fear, did not probably obtain much credit, even in his own court. <a + href="#linknote-30.41" name="linknoteref-30.41" id="linknoteref-30.41">41</a> + In the last, and almost hopeless extremity, after the Barbarians had + already proposed the indignity of a capitulation, the Imperial captive was + suddenly relieved by the fame, the approach, and at length the presence, + of the hero, whom he had so long expected. At the head of a chosen and + intrepid vanguard, Stilicho swam the stream of the Addua, to gain the time + which he must have lost in the attack of the bridge; the passage of the Po + was an enterprise of much less hazard and difficulty; and the successful + action, in which he cut his way through the Gothic camp under the walls of + Asta, revived the hopes, and vindicated the honor, of Rome. Instead of + grasping the fruit of his victory, the Barbarian was gradually invested, + on every side, by the troops of the West, who successively issued through + all the passes of the Alps; his quarters were straitened; his convoys were + intercepted; 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 bodies were wrapped in furs, and whose stern + countenances were marked with honorable wounds. They weighed the glory of + persisting in their attempt against the advantage of securing their + plunder; and they recommended the prudent measure of a seasonable retreat. + In this important debate, Alaric displayed the spirit of the conqueror of + Rome; and after he had reminded his countrymen of their achievements and + of their designs, he concluded his animating speech by the solemn and + positive assurance that he was resolved to find in Italy either a kingdom + or a grave. <a href="#linknote-30.42" name="linknoteref-30.42" + id="linknoteref-30.42">42</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.37" id="linknote-30.37"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 37 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.37">return</a>)<br /> [ Every traveller must + recollect the face of Lombardy, (see Fonvenelle, tom. v. p. 279,) which is + often tormented by the capricious and irregular abundance of waters. The + Austrians, before Genoa, were encamped in the dry bed of the Polcevera. + “Ne sarebbe” (says Muratori) “mai passato per mente a que’ buoni Alemanni, + che quel picciolo torrente potesse, per cosi dire, in un instante + cangiarsi in un terribil gigante.” (Annali d’Italia, tom. xvi. p. 443, + Milan, 1752, 8vo edit.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.3711" id="linknote-30.3711"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3711 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.3711">return</a>)<br /> [ According to Le + Beau and his commentator M. St. Martin, Honorius did not attempt to fly. + Settlements were offered to the Goths in Lombardy, and they advanced from + the Po towards the Alps to take possession of them. But it was a + treacherous stratagem of Stilicho, who surprised them while they were + reposing on the faith of this treaty. Le Beau, v. x.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.38" id="linknote-30.38"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 38 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.38">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian does not + clearly answer our question, Where was Honorius himself? Yet the flight is + marked by the pursuit; and my idea of the Gothic was is justified by the + Italian critics, Sigonius (tom. P, ii. p. 369, de Imp. Occident. l. x.) + and Muratori, (Annali d’Italia. tom. iv. p. 45.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.39" id="linknote-30.39"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 39 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.39">return</a>)<br /> [ One of the roads may be + traced in the Itineraries, (p. 98, 288, 294, with Wesseling’s Notes.) Asta + lay some miles on the right hand.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.40" id="linknote-30.40"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 40 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.40">return</a>)<br /> [ Asta, or Asti, a Roman + colony, is now the capital of a pleasant country, which, in the sixteenth + century, devolved to the dukes of Savoy, (Leandro Alberti Descrizzione + d’Italia, p. 382.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.41" id="linknote-30.41"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 41 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.41">return</a>)<br /> [ Nec me timor impulit + ullus. He might hold this proud language the next year at Rome, five + hundred miles from the scene of danger (vi. Cons. Hon. 449.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.42" id="linknote-30.42"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 42 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.42">return</a>)<br /> [ Hanc ego vel victor + regno, vel morte tenebo Victus, humum.——The speeches (de Bell. + Get. 479-549) of the Gothic Nestor, and Achilles, are strong, + characteristic, adapted to the circumstances; and possibly not less + genuine than those of Livy.] + </p> + <p> + The loose discipline of the Barbarians always exposed them to the danger + of a surprise; but, instead of choosing the dissolute hours of riot and + intemperance, Stilicho resolved to attack the Christian Goths, whilst they + were devoutly employed in celebrating the festival of Easter. <a + href="#linknote-30.43" name="linknoteref-30.43" id="linknoteref-30.43">43</a> + The execution of the stratagem, or, as it was termed 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 of + Theodosius. The camp of the Goths, which Alaric had pitched in the + neighborhood of Pollentia, <a href="#linknote-30.44" name="linknoteref-30.44" + id="linknoteref-30.44">44</a> was thrown into confusion by the sudden and + impetuous charge of the Imperial cavalry; but, in a few moments, the + undaunted genius of their leader gave them an order, and a field of + battle; and, as soon 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 valor. In this engagement, which was + long maintained with equal courage and success, the chief of the Alani, + whose diminutive 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 gallant 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 flight and dismay of the squadrons which he commanded; and + 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 slaughter made some atonement for + the calamities which they had inflicted on the subjects of the empire. <a + href="#linknote-30.45" name="linknoteref-30.45" id="linknoteref-30.45">45</a> + The magnificent spoils of Corinth and Argos enriched the veterans of the + West; the captive wife of Alaric, who had impatiently claimed his promise + of Roman jewels and Patrician handmaids, <a href="#linknote-30.46" + name="linknoteref-30.46" id="linknoteref-30.46">46</a> was reduced to + implore the mercy of the insulting foe; and many thousand prisoners, + released from the Gothic chains, dispersed through the provinces of Italy + the praises of their heroic deliverer. The triumph of Stilicho <a + href="#linknote-30.47" name="linknoteref-30.47" id="linknoteref-30.47">47</a> + was compared by the poet, and perhaps by the public, to that of Marius; + who, in the same part of Italy, had encountered and destroyed another army + of Northern Barbarians. The huge bones, and the empty helmets, of the + Cimbri and of the Goths, would easily be confounded by succeeding + generations; and posterity might erect a common trophy to the memory of + the two most illustrious generals, who had vanquished, on the same + memorable ground, the two most formidable enemies of Rome. <a + href="#linknote-30.48" name="linknoteref-30.48" id="linknoteref-30.48">48</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.43" id="linknote-30.43"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 43 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.43">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius (l. vii. c. 37) + is shocked at the impiety of the Romans, who attacked, on Easter Sunday, + such pious Christians. Yet, at the same time, public prayers were offered + at the shrine of St. Thomas of Edessa, for the destruction of the Arian + robber. See Tillemont (Hist des Emp. tom. v. p. 529) who quotes a homily, + which has been erroneously ascribed to St. Chrysostom.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.44" id="linknote-30.44"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 44 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.44">return</a>)<br /> [ The vestiges of + Pollentia are twenty-five miles to the south-east of Turin. Urbs, in the + same neighborhood, was a royal chase of the kings of Lombardy, and a small + river, which excused the prediction, “penetrabis ad urbem,” (Cluver. Ital. + Antiq tom. i. p. 83-85.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.45" id="linknote-30.45"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 45 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.45">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius wishes, in + doubtful words, to insinuate the defeat of the Romans. “Pugnantes vicimus, + victores victi sumus.” Prosper (in Chron.) makes it an equal and bloody + battle, but the Gothic writers Cassiodorus (in Chron.) and Jornandes (de + Reb. Get. c. 29) claim a decisive victory.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.46" id="linknote-30.46"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 46 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.46">return</a>)<br /> [ Demens Ausonidum + gemmata monilia matrum, Romanasque alta famulas cervice petebat. De Bell. + Get. 627.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.47" id="linknote-30.47"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 47 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.47">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian (de Bell. Get. + 580-647) and Prudentius (in Symmach. n. 694-719) celebrate, without + ambiguity, the Roman victory of Pollentia. They are poetical and party + writers; yet some credit is due to the most suspicious witnesses, who are + checked by the recent notoriety of facts.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.48" id="linknote-30.48"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 48 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.48">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian’s peroration + is strong and elegant; but the identity of the Cimbric and Gothic fields + must be understood (like Virgil’s Philippi, Georgic i. 490) according to + the loose geography of a poet. Verselle and Pollentia are sixty miles from + each other; and the latitude is still greater, if the Cimbri were defeated + in the wide and barren plain of Verona, (Maffei, Verona Illustrata, P. i. + p. 54-62.)] + </p> + <p> + The eloquence of Claudian <a href="#linknote-30.49" name="linknoteref-30.49" + id="linknoteref-30.49">49</a> has celebrated, with lavish applause, the + victory of Pollentia, one of the most glorious days in the life of his + patron; but his reluctant and partial muse bestows more genuine praise on + the character of the Gothic king. 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 invincible temper of mind, which + rises superior to every misfortune, and derives 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. Without 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; <a href="#linknote-30.50" + name="linknoteref-30.50" id="linknoteref-30.50">50</a> and boldly resolved + to break through the unguarded passes of the Apennine, to spread + desolation over the fruitful face of Tuscany, and to conquer or die before + the gates of Rome. The capital was saved by the active and incessant + diligence of Stilicho; but he respected the despair of his enemy; and, + instead of committing the fate of the republic to the chance of another + battle, he proposed to purchase the absence of the Barbarians. The spirit + of Alaric would have rejected such terms, the permission of a retreat, and + the offer of a pension, with contempt and indignation; but he exercised a + limited and precarious authority over the independent chieftains who had + raised him, for their service, above the rank of his equals; they were + still less disposed to follow an unsuccessful general, and many of them + were tempted to consult their interest by a private negotiation with the + minister of Honorius. The king submitted to the voice of his people, + ratified the treaty with the empire of the West, and repassed the Po with + the remains of the flourishing army which he had led into Italy. A + considerable part of the Roman forces still continued to attend his + motions; and Stilicho, who maintained a secret correspondence with some of + the Barbarian chiefs, was punctually apprised of the designs that were + formed in the camp and council of Alaric. The king of the Goths, ambitious + to signalize his retreat by some splendid achievement, had resolved to + occupy the important city of Verona, which commands the principal passage + of the Rhaetian Alps; and, directing his march through the territories of + those German tribes, whose alliance would restore his exhausted strength, + to invade, on the side of the Rhine, the wealthy and unsuspecting + provinces of Gaul. Ignorant of the treason which had already betrayed his + bold and judicious enterprise, he advanced towards the passes of the + mountains, already possessed by the Imperial troops; where he was exposed, + almost at the same instant, to a general attack in the front, on his + flanks, and in the rear. In this bloody action, at a small distance from + the walls of Verona, the loss of the Goths was not less heavy than that + which they had sustained in the defeat of Pollentia; and their valiant + king, who escaped by the swiftness of his horse, must either have been + slain or made prisoner, if the hasty rashness of the Alani had not + disappointed the measures of the Roman general. 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 on all sides. But he could not oppose the destructive + progress of hunger and disease; nor was it possible for him to check the + continual desertion of his impatient and capricious Barbarians. In this + extremity he still found resources in his own courage, or in the + moderation of his adversary; and the retreat of the Gothic king was + considered as the deliverance of Italy. <a href="#linknote-30.51" + name="linknoteref-30.51" id="linknoteref-30.51">51</a> 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 + so often vanquished, so often surrounded, and so often dismissed the + implacable enemy of the republic. The first momen of the public safety is + devoted to gratitude and joy; but the second is diligently occupied by + envy and calumny. <a href="#linknote-30.52" name="linknoteref-30.52" + id="linknoteref-30.52">52</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.49" id="linknote-30.49"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 49 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.49">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian and Prudentius + must be strictly examined, to reduce the figures, and extort the historic + sense, of those poets.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.50" id="linknote-30.50"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 50 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.50">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Et gravant en airain ses freles avantages + De mes etats conquis enchainer les images. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The practice of exposing in triumph the images of kings and provinces was + familiar to the Romans. The bust of Mithridates himself was twelve feet + high, of massy gold, (Freinshem. Supplement. Livian. ciii. 47.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.51" id="linknote-30.51"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 51 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.51">return</a>)<br /> [ The Getic war, and the + sixth consulship of Honorius, obscurely connect the events of Alaric’s + retreat and losses.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.52" id="linknote-30.52"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 52 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.52">return</a>)<br /> [ Taceo de Alarico... + saepe visto, saepe concluso, semperque dimisso. Orosius, l. vii. c. 37, p. + 567. Claudian (vi. Cons. Hon. 320) drops the curtain with a fine image.] + </p> + <p> + The citizens of Rome had been astonished by the approach of Alaric; and + the diligence with which they labored to restore the walls of the capital, + confessed their own fears, and the decline 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 + auspicious era of the Gothic victory, and of his sixth consulship. <a + href="#linknote-30.53" name="linknoteref-30.53" id="linknoteref-30.53">53</a> + The suburbs and the streets, from the Milvian bridge to the Palatine + mount, were filled by the Roman people, who, in the space of a hundred + years, had only thrice been honored with the presence of their sovereigns. + While their eyes were fixed on the chariot where Stilicho was deservedly + seated by the side of his royal pupil, they applauded the pomp of a + triumph, which 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 + conquerors of Rome might read, if they were able to read, the superb + inscription of that monument, which attested the total defeat and + destruction of their nation. <a href="#linknote-30.54" + name="linknoteref-30.54" id="linknoteref-30.54">54</a> The emperor resided + several months in the capital, and every part of his behavior was + regulated with care to conciliate the affection of the clergy, the senate, + and the people of Rome. The clergy was edified by his frequent visits and + liberal gifts to the shrines of the apostles. The senate, who, in the + triumphal procession, had been excused from the humiliating ceremony of + preceding on foot the Imperial chariot, was treated with the decent + reverence which Stilicho always affected for that assembly. The people was + repeatedly gratified by the attention and courtesy of Honorius in the + public games, which were celebrated on that occasion with a magnificence + not unworthy of the spectator. As soon as the appointed number of + chariot-races was concluded, the decoration of the Circus was suddenly + changed; the hunting of wild beasts afforded a various and splendid + entertainment; and the chase was succeeded by a military dance, which + seems, in the lively description of Claudian, to present the image of a + modern tournament. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.53" id="linknote-30.53"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 53 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.53">return</a>)<br /> [ The remainder of + Claudian’s poem on the sixth consulship of Honorius, describes the + journey, the triumph, and the games, (330-660.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.54" id="linknote-30.54"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 54 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.54">return</a>)<br /> [ See the inscription in + Mascou’s History of the Ancient Germans, viii. 12. The words are positive + and indiscreet: Getarum nationem in omne aevum domitam, &c.] + </p> + <p> + In these games of Honorius, the inhuman combats of gladiators <a + href="#linknote-30.55" name="linknoteref-30.55" id="linknoteref-30.55">55</a> + polluted, for the last time, the amphitheater of Rome. The first Christian + emperor may claim the honor of the first edict which condemned the art and + amusement of shedding human blood; <a href="#linknote-30.56" + name="linknoteref-30.56" id="linknoteref-30.56">56</a> but this benevolent + law expressed the wishes of the prince, without reforming an inveterate + abuse, which degraded a civilized nation below the condition of savage + cannibals. Several hundred, perhaps several thousand, victims were + annually slaughtered in the great cities of the empire; and the month of + December, more peculiarly devoted to the combats of gladiators, still + exhibited to the eyes of the Roman people a grateful spectacle of blood + and cruelty. Amidst the general joy of the victory of Pollentia, a + Christian poet exhorted the emperor to extirpate, by his authority, the + horrid custom which had so long resisted the voice of humanity and + religion. <a href="#linknote-30.57" name="linknoteref-30.57" + id="linknoteref-30.57">57</a> The pathetic representations of Prudentius + were less effectual than the generous boldness of Telemachus, an Asiatic + monk, whose death was more useful to mankind than his life. <a + href="#linknote-30.58" name="linknoteref-30.58" id="linknoteref-30.58">58</a> + The Romans 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 subsided; they respected the memory of Telemachus, who had deserved + the honors of martyrdom; and they submitted, without a murmur, to the laws + of Honorius, which abolished forever the human sacrifices of the + amphitheater. <a href="#linknote-30.5811" name="linknoteref-30.5811" + id="linknoteref-30.5811">5811</a> The citizens, who adhered to the manners + of their ancestors, might perhaps insinuate that the last remains of a + martial spirit were preserved in this school of fortitude, which + accustomed the Romans to the sight of blood, and to the contempt of death; + a vain and cruel prejudice, so nobly confuted by the valor of ancient + Greece, and of modern Europe! <a href="#linknote-30.59" + name="linknoteref-30.59" id="linknoteref-30.59">59</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.55" id="linknote-30.55"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 55 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.55">return</a>)<br /> [ On the curious, though + horrid, subject of the gladiators, consult the two books of the Saturnalia + of Lipsius, who, as an antiquarian, is inclined to excuse the practice of + antiquity, (tom. iii. p. 483-545.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.56" id="linknote-30.56"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 56 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.56">return</a>)<br /> [ Cod. Theodos. l. xv. + tit. xii. leg. i. The Commentary of Godefroy affords large materials (tom. + v. p. 396) for the history of gladiators.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.57" id="linknote-30.57"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 57 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.57">return</a>)<br /> [ See the peroration of + Prudentius (in Symmach. l. ii. 1121-1131) who had doubtless read the + eloquent invective of Lactantius, (Divin. Institut. l. vi. c. 20.) The + Christian apologists have not spared these bloody games, which were + introduced in the religious festivals of Paganism.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.58" id="linknote-30.58"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 58 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.58">return</a>)<br /> [ Theodoret, l. v. c. 26. + I wish to believe the story of St. Telemachus. Yet no church has been + dedicated, no altar has been erected, to the only monk who died a martyr + in the cause of humanity.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.5811" id="linknote-30.5811"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5811 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.5811">return</a>)<br /> [ Muller, in his + valuable Treatise, de Genio, moribus et luxu aevi Theodosiani, is disposed + to question the effect produced by the heroic, or rather saintly, death of + Telemachus. No prohibitory law of Honorius is to be found in the + Theodosian Code, only the old and imperfect edict of Constantine. But + Muller has produced no evidence or allusion to gladiatorial shows after + this period. The combats with wild beasts certainly lasted till the fall + of the Western empire; but the gladiatorial combats ceased either by + common consent, or by Imperial edict.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.59" id="linknote-30.59"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 59 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.59">return</a>)<br /> [ Crudele gladiatorum + spectaculum et inhumanum nonnullis videri solet, et haud scio an ita sit, + ut nunc fit. Cicero Tusculan. ii. 17. He faintly censures the abuse, and + warmly defends the use, of these sports; oculis nulla poterat esse fortior + contra dolorem et mortem disciplina. Seneca (epist. vii.) shows the + feelings of a man.] + </p> + <p> + The recent danger, to which the person of the emperor had been exposed in + the defenceless palace of Milan, urged him to seek a retreat in some + inaccessible fortress of Italy, where he might securely remain, while the + open country was covered by a deluge of Barbarians. On the coast of the + Adriatic, about ten or twelve miles from the most southern of the seven + mouths of the Po, the Thessalians had founded the ancient colony of + Ravenna, <a href="#linknote-30.60" name="linknoteref-30.60" + id="linknoteref-30.60">60</a> which they afterwards resigned to the natives + of Umbria. Augustus, who had observed the opportunity of the place, + prepared, at the distance of three miles from the old town, a capacious + harbor, for the reception of two hundred and fifty ships of war. This + naval establishment, which included the arsenals and magazines, the + barracks of the troops, and the houses of the artificers, derived its + origin and name from the permanent station of the Roman fleet; the + intermediate space was soon filled with buildings and inhabitants, and the + three extensive and populous quarters of Ravenna gradually contributed to + form one of the most important cities of Italy. The principal canal of + Augustus poured a copious stream of the waters of the Po through the midst + of the city, to the entrance of the harbor; the same waters were + introduced into the profound ditches that encompassed the walls; they were + distributed by a thousand subordinate canals, into every part of the city, + which they divided into a variety of small islands; the communication was + maintained only by the use of boats and bridges; and the houses of + Ravenna, whose appearance may be compared to that of Venice, were raised + on the foundation of wooden piles. The adjacent country, to the distance + of many miles, was a deep and impassable morass; and the artificial + causeway, which connected Ravenna with the continent, might be easily + guarded or destroyed, on the approach of a hostile army These morasses + were interspersed, however, with vineyards: and though the soil was + exhausted by four or five crops, the town enjoyed a more plentiful supply + of wine than of fresh water. <a href="#linknote-30.61" + name="linknoteref-30.61" id="linknoteref-30.61">61</a> The air, instead of + receiving the sickly, and almost pestilential, exhalations of low and + marshy grounds, was distinguished, like the neighborhood of Alexandria, as + uncommonly pure and salubrious; and this singular advantage was ascribed + to the regular tides of the Adriatic, which swept the canals, interrupted + the unwholesome stagnation of the waters, and floated, every day, the + vessels of the adjacent country into the heart of Ravenna. The gradual + retreat of the sea has left the modern city at the distance of four miles + from the Adriatic; and as early as the fifth or sixth century of the + Christian era, the port of Augustus was converted into pleasant orchards; + and a lonely grove of pines covered the ground where the Roman fleet once + rode at anchor. <a href="#linknote-30.62" name="linknoteref-30.62" + id="linknoteref-30.62">62</a> Even this alteration contributed to increase + 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 labor; and in the twentieth year of his + age, the emperor of the West, anxious only for his personal safety, + retired to the perpetual confinement of the walls and morasses of Ravenna. + The example of Honorius was imitated by his feeble successors, the Gothic + kings, and afterwards the Exarchs, who occupied the throne and palace of + the emperors; and till the middle of the eight century, Ravenna was + considered as the seat of government, and the capital of Italy. <a + href="#linknote-30.63" name="linknoteref-30.63" id="linknoteref-30.63">63</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.60" id="linknote-30.60"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 60 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.60">return</a>)<br /> [ This account of Ravenna + is drawn from Strabo, (l. v. p. 327,) Pliny, (iii. 20,) Stephen of + Byzantium, (sub voce, p. 651, edit. Berkel,) Claudian, (in vi. Cons. + Honor. 494, &c.,) Sidonius Apollinaris, (l. i. epist. 5, 8,) + Jornandes, (de Reb. Get. c. 29,) Procopius (de Bell, (lothic, l. i. c. i. + p. 309, edit. Louvre,) and Cluverius, (Ital. Antiq tom i. p. 301-307.) Yet + I still want a local antiquarian and a good topographical map.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.61" id="linknote-30.61"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 61 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.61">return</a>)<br /> [ Martial (Epigram iii. + 56, 57) plays on the trick of the knave, who had sold him wine instead of + water; but he seriously declares that a cistern at Ravenna is more + valuable than a vineyard. Sidonius complains that the town is destitute of + fountains and aqueducts; and ranks the want of fresh water among the local + evils, such as the croaking of frogs, the stinging of gnats, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.62" id="linknote-30.62"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 62 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.62">return</a>)<br /> [ The fable of Theodore + and Honoria, which Dryden has so admirably transplanted from Boccaccio, + (Giornata iii. novell. viii.,) was acted in the wood of Chiassi, a corrupt + word from Classis, the naval station which, with the intermediate road, or + suburb the Via Caesaris, constituted the triple city of Ravenna.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.63" id="linknote-30.63"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 63 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.63">return</a>)<br /> [ From the year 404, the + dates of the Theodosian Code become sedentary at Constantinople and + Ravenna. See Godefroy’s Chronology of the Laws, tom. i. p. cxlviii., &c.] + </p> + <p> + The fears of Honorius were not without foundation, nor were his + precautions without effect. While Italy rejoiced in her deliverance from + the Goths, a furious tempest was excited among the nations of Germany, who + yielded to the irresistible impulse that appears to have been gradually + communicated from the eastern extremity of the continent of Asia. The + Chinese annals, as they have been interpreted by the learned industry of + the present age, may be usefully applied to reveal the secret and remote + causes of the fall of the Roman empire. The extensive territory to the + north of the great wall was possessed, after the flight 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 invaded China in a period of weakness and intestine + discord; and these fortunate Tartars, adopting the laws and manners of the + vanquished people, founded an Imperial dynasty, which reigned near one + hundred and sixty years over the northern provinces of the monarchy. Some + generations before they ascended the throne of China, one of the Topa + princes had enlisted in his cavalry a slave of the name of Moko, renowned + for his valor, but who was tempted, by the fear of punishment, to desert + his standard, and to range the desert at the head of a hundred followers. + This gang of robbers and outlaws swelled into a camp, a tribe, a numerous + people, distinguished by the appellation of Geougen; and their hereditary + chieftains, the posterity of Moko the slave, assumed their rank among the + Scythian monarchs. The youth of Toulun, the greatest of his descendants, + was exercised by those misfortunes which are the school of heroes. He + bravely struggled 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 a hundred and of a thousand + men; cowards were stoned to death; the most splendid honors were proposed + as the reward of valor; and Toulun, who had knowledge enough to despise + the learning of China, adopted only such arts and institutions as were + favorable to the military spirit of his government. His tents, which he + removed in the winter season to a more southern latitude, were pitched, + during the summer, on the fruitful banks of the Selinga. His conquests + stretched from Corea far beyond the River Irtish. He vanquished, in the + country to the north of the Caspian Sea, the nation of the Huns; and the + new title of Khan, or Cagan, expressed the fame and power which he derived + from this memorable victory. <a href="#linknote-30.64" + name="linknoteref-30.64" id="linknoteref-30.64">64</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.64" id="linknote-30.64"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 64 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.64">return</a>)<br /> [ See M. de Guignes, + Hist. des Huns, tom. i. p. 179-189, tom ii p. 295, 334-338.] + </p> + <p> + The chain of events is interrupted, or rather is concealed, as it passes + from the Volga to the 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 + Geougen, soon withdrew from the presence of an insulting victor. The + countries towards the Euxine were already occupied by their kindred + tribes; and their hasty flight, which they soon converted into a bold + attack, would more naturally be directed towards the rich and level + plains, through which the Vistula gently flows into the Baltic Sea. The + North must again have been alarmed, and agitated, by the invasion of the + Huns; <a href="#linknote-30.6411" name="linknoteref-30.6411" + id="linknoteref-30.6411">6411</a> and the nations who retreated before them + must have pressed with incumbent weight on the confines of Germany. <a + href="#linknote-30.65" name="linknoteref-30.65" id="linknoteref-30.65">65</a> + The inhabitants of those regions, which the ancients have assigned to the + Suevi, the Vandals, and the Burgundians, might embrace the resolution of + abandoning to the fugitives of Sarmatia their woods and morasses; or at + least of discharging their superfluous numbers on the provinces of the + Roman empire. <a href="#linknote-30.66" name="linknoteref-30.66" + id="linknoteref-30.66">66</a> About four years after the victorious Toulun + had assumed the title of Khan of the Geougen, another Barbarian, the + haughty Rhodogast, or Radagaisus, <a href="#linknote-30.67" + name="linknoteref-30.67" id="linknoteref-30.67">67</a> 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. The Vandals, + the Suevi, and the Burgundians, formed the strength of this mighty host; + but the Alani, who had found a hospitable reception in their new seats, + added their active cavalry to the heavy 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; <a href="#linknote-30.68" + name="linknoteref-30.68" id="linknoteref-30.68">68</a> and the whole + multitude, which was not less than two hundred thousand fighting men, + might be increased, 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 Italy in the vigor + 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, <a href="#linknote-30.69" + name="linknoteref-30.69" id="linknoteref-30.69">69</a> 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 neighbors, if the government of Europe did not protect the claims of + dominion and property. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.6411" id="linknote-30.6411"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6411 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.6411">return</a>)<br /> [ There is no + authority which connects this inroad of the Teutonic tribes with the + movements of the Huns. The Huns can hardly have reached the shores of the + Baltic, and probably the greater part of the forces of Radagaisus, + particularly the Vandals, had long occupied a more southern position.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.65" id="linknote-30.65"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 65 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.65">return</a>)<br /> [ Procopius (de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. c. iii. p. 182) has observed an emigration from the Palus + Maeotis to the north of Germany, which he ascribes to famine. But his + views of ancient history are strangely darkened by ignorance and error.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.66" id="linknote-30.66"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 66 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.66">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. v. p. 331) + uses the general description of the nations beyond the Danube and the + Rhine. Their situation, and consequently their names, are manifestly + shown, even in the various epithets which each ancient writer may have + casually added.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.67" id="linknote-30.67"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 67 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.67">return</a>)<br /> [ The name of Rhadagast + was that of a local deity of the Obotrites, (in Mecklenburg.) A hero might + naturally assume the appellation of his tutelar god; but it is not + probable that the Barbarians should worship an unsuccessful hero. See + Mascou, Hist. of the Germans, viii. 14. * Note: The god of war and of + hospitality with the Vends and all the Sclavonian races of Germany bore + the name of Radegast, apparently the same with Rhadagaisus. His principal + temple was at Rhetra in Mecklenburg. It was adorned with great + magnificence. The statue of the gold was of gold. St. Martin, v. 255. A + statue of Radegast, of much coarser materials, and of the rudest + workmanship, was discovered between 1760 and 1770, with those of other + Wendish deities, on the supposed site of Rhetra. The names of the gods + were cut upon them in Runic characters. See the very curious volume on + these antiquities—Die Gottesdienstliche Alterthumer der Obotriter—Masch + and Wogen. Berlin, 1771.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.68" id="linknote-30.68"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 68 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.68">return</a>)<br /> [ Olympiodorus (apud + Photium, p. 180), uses the Greek word which does not convey any precise + idea. I suspect that they were the princes and nobles with their faithful + companions; the knights with their squires, as they would have been styled + some centuries afterwards.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.69" id="linknote-30.69"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 69 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.69">return</a>)<br /> [ Tacit. de Moribus + Germanorum, c. 37.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap30.4"></a> +Chapter XXX: Revolt Of The Goths.—Part IV. +</h2> + <p> + The correspondence of nations was, in that age, so imperfect and + precarious, that the revolutions of the North might escape the knowledge + of the court of Ravenna; till the dark cloud, which was collected along + the coast of the Baltic, burst in thunder upon the banks of the Upper + Danube. The emperor of the West, if his ministers disturbed his amusements + by the news of the impending danger, was satisfied with being the + occasion, and the spectator, of the war. <a href="#linknote-30.70" + name="linknoteref-30.70" id="linknoteref-30.70">70</a> The safety of Rome + was intrusted to the counsels, and the sword, of Stilicho; but such was + the feeble and exhausted state of the empire, that it was impossible to + restore the fortifications of the Danube, or to prevent, by a vigorous + effort, the invasion of the Germans. <a href="#linknote-30.71" + name="linknoteref-30.71" id="linknoteref-30.71">71</a> The hopes of the + vigilant minister of Honorius were confined to the defence of Italy. He + once more abandoned the provinces, recalled the troops, pressed the new + levies, which were rigorously exacted, 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 enlist. <a href="#linknote-30.72" name="linknoteref-30.72" + id="linknoteref-30.72">72</a> By these efforts he painfully collected, from + the subjects 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. <a + href="#linknote-30.73" name="linknoteref-30.73" id="linknoteref-30.73">73</a> + The thirty legions of Stilicho were reenforced by a large body of + Barbarian auxiliaries; the faithful Alani were personally attached to his + service; and the troops of Huns and of Goths, who marched under the + banners of their native princes, Huldin and Sarus, were animated by + interest and resentment to oppose the ambition of Radagaisus. The king of + the confederate Germans passed, without resistance, the Alps, the Po, and + the Apennine; leaving on one hand the inaccessible palace of Honorius, + securely buried among the marshes of Ravenna; and, on the other, the camp + of Stilicho, who had fixed his head-quarters at Ticinum, or Pavia, but who + seems to have avoided a decisive battle, till he had assembled his distant + forces. Many cities of Italy were pillaged, or destroyed; and the siege of + Florence, <a href="#linknote-30.74" name="linknoteref-30.74" + id="linknoteref-30.74">74</a> by Radagaisus, is one of the earliest events + in the history of that celebrated republic; whose firmness checked and + delayed the unskillful fury of the Barbarians. The senate and people + trembled at their approach within a hundred and eighty miles of Rome; + and anxiously compared the danger which they had escaped, with the new + perils to which they were exposed. Alaric was a Christian and a soldier, + the leader of a disciplined army; who understood the laws of war, who + respected the sanctity of treaties, and who had familiarly conversed with + the subjects of the empire in the same camps, and the same churches. The + savage 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 universally + believed, that he had bound himself, by a solemn vow, to reduce the city + into a heap of stones and ashes, and to sacrifice the most illustrious of + the Roman senators on the altars of those gods who were appeased by human + blood. The public danger, which should have reconciled all domestic + animosities, displayed the incurable madness of religious faction. 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 arms, of Radagaisus; + and secretly rejoiced in the calamities of their country, which condemned + the faith of their Christian adversaries. <a href="#linknote-30.75" + name="linknoteref-30.75" id="linknoteref-30.75">75</a> <a + href="#linknote-30.7511" name="linknoteref-30.7511" id="linknoteref-30.7511">7511</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.70" id="linknote-30.70"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 70 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.70">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Cujus agendi + Spectator vel causa fui, + —-(Claudian, vi. Cons. Hon. 439,) +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + is the modest language of Honorius, in speaking of the Gothic war, which + he had seen somewhat nearer.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.71" id="linknote-30.71"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 71 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.71">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. v. p. 331) + transports the war, and the victory of Stilisho, beyond the Danube. A + strange error, which is awkwardly and imperfectly cured (Tillemont, Hist. + des Emp. tom. v. p. 807.) In good policy, we must use the service of + Zosimus, without esteeming or trusting him.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.72" id="linknote-30.72"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 72 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.72">return</a>)<br /> [ Codex Theodos. l. vii. + tit. xiii. leg. 16. The date of this law A.D. 406. May 18 satisfies me, as + it had done Godefroy, (tom. ii. p. 387,) of the true year of the invasion + of Radagaisus. Tillemont, Pagi, and Muratori, prefer the preceding year; + but they are bound, by certain obligations of civility and respect, to St. + Paulinus of Nola.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.73" id="linknote-30.73"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 73 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.73">return</a>)<br /> [ Soon after Rome had + been taken by the Gauls, the senate, on a sudden emergency, armed ten + legions, 3000 horse, and 42,000 foot; a force which the city could not + have sent forth under Augustus, (Livy, xi. 25.) This declaration may + puzzle an antiquary, but it is clearly explained by Montesquieu.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.74" id="linknote-30.74"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 74 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.74">return</a>)<br /> [ Machiavel has + explained, at least as a philosopher, the origin of Florence, which + insensibly descended, for the benefit of trade, from the rock of Faesulae + to the banks of the Arno, (Istoria Fiorentina, tom. i. p. 36. Londra, + 1747.) The triumvirs sent a colony to Florence, which, under Tiberius, + (Tacit. Annal. i. 79,) deserved the reputation and name of a flourishing + city. See Cluver. Ital. Antiq. tom. i. p. 507, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.75" id="linknote-30.75"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 75 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.75">return</a>)<br /> [ Yet the Jupiter of + Radagaisus, who worshipped Thor and Woden, was very different from the + Olympic or Capitoline Jove. The accommodating temper of Polytheism might + unite those various and remote deities; but the genuine Romans ahhorred + the human sacrifices of Gaul and Germany.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.7511" id="linknote-30.7511"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7511 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.7511">return</a>)<br /> [ Gibbon has rather + softened the language of Augustine as to this threatened insurrection of + the Pagans, in order to restore the prohibited rites and ceremonies of + Paganism; and their treasonable hopes that the success of Radagaisus would + be the triumph of idolatry. Compare ii. 25—M.] + </p> + <p> + Florence was reduced to the last extremity; and the fainting courage of + the citizens was supported only by the authority of St. Ambrose; who had + communicated, in a dream, the promise of a speedy deliverance. <a + href="#linknote-30.76" name="linknoteref-30.76" id="linknoteref-30.76">76</a> + On a sudden, they beheld, from their walls, the banners of Stilicho, who + advanced, with his united force, to the relief of the faithful city; and + who soon 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, ascribed this miraculous victory to + the providence of God, rather than to the valor of man. <a + href="#linknote-30.77" name="linknoteref-30.77" id="linknoteref-30.77">77</a> + They strictly exclude every idea of chance, or even of bloodshed; and + positively affirm, that the Romans, whose camp was the scene of plenty and + idleness, enjoyed the distress of the Barbarians, slowly expiring on the + sharp and barren ridge of the hills of Faesulae, 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 of Stilicho. + Conscious that he commanded the last army of the republic, his prudence + would not expose it, in the open field, to the headstrong fury of the + Germans. The method of surrounding the enemy with strong lines of + circumvallation, which he had twice employed against the Gothic king, was + repeated on a larger scale, and with more considerable effect. The + examples of Caesar must have been familiar to the most illiterate of the + Roman warriors; and the fortifications of Dyrrachium, which connected + 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. <a href="#linknote-30.78" + name="linknoteref-30.78" id="linknoteref-30.78">78</a> The Roman troops had + less degenerated from the industry, than from the valor, of their + ancestors; and if their servile and laborious work offended the pride of + the soldiers, Tuscany could supply many thousand peasants, who would + labor, though, perhaps, they would not fight, for the salvation of their + native country. The imprisoned multitude of horses and men <a + href="#linknote-30.79" name="linknoteref-30.79" id="linknoteref-30.79">79</a> + 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 of the hungry + Barbarians would precipitate them against the fortifications of Stilicho; + the general might sometimes indulge the ardor of his brave auxiliaries, + who eagerly pressed to assault the camp of the Germans; and these various + incidents might produce the sharp and bloody conflicts which dignify the + narrative of Zosimus, and the Chronicles of Prosper and Marcellinus. <a + href="#linknote-30.80" name="linknoteref-30.80" id="linknoteref-30.80">80</a> + A seasonable supply of men and provisions had been introduced into the + walls of Florence, and the famished host of Radagaisus was in 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 + capitulation, or in the clemency of Stilicho. <a href="#linknote-30.81" + name="linknoteref-30.81" id="linknoteref-30.81">81</a> 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 href="#linknote-30.82" name="linknoteref-30.82" + id="linknoteref-30.82">82</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 observed, that the + inhuman purchasers, instead of reaping the fruits of their labor were soon + obliged to provide the expense of their interment. Stilicho informed the + emperor and the senate of his success; and deserved, a second time, the + glorious title of Deliverer of Italy. <a href="#linknote-30.83" + name="linknoteref-30.83" id="linknoteref-30.83">83</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.76" id="linknote-30.76"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 76 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.76">return</a>)<br /> [ Paulinus (in Vit. + Ambros c. 50) relates this story, which he received from the mouth of + Pansophia herself, a religious matron of Florence. Yet the archbishop soon + ceased to take an active part in the business of the world, and never + became a popular saint.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.77" id="linknote-30.77"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 77 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.77">return</a>)<br /> [ Augustin de Civitat. + Dei, v. 23. Orosius, l. vii. c. 37, p. 567-571. The two friends wrote in + Africa, ten or twelve years after the victory; and their authority is + implicitly followed by Isidore of Seville, (in Chron. p. 713, edit. Grot.) + How many interesting facts might Orosius have inserted in the vacant space + which is devoted to pious nonsense!] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.78" id="linknote-30.78"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 78 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.78">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Franguntur montes, planumque per ardua Caesar + Ducit opus: pandit fossas, turritaque summis + Disponit castella jugis, magnoque necessu + Amplexus fines, saltus, memorosaque tesqua + Et silvas, vastaque feras indagine claudit.! +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Yet the simplicity of truth (Caesar, de Bell. Civ. iii. 44) is far greater + than the amplifications of Lucan, (Pharsal. l. vi. 29-63.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.79" id="linknote-30.79"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 79 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.79">return</a>)<br /> [ The rhetorical + expressions of Orosius, “in arido et aspero montis jugo;” “in unum ac + parvum verticem,” are not very suitable to the encampment of a great army. + But Faesulae, only three miles from Florence, might afford space for the + head-quarters of Radagaisus, and would be comprehended within the circuit + of the Roman lines.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.80" id="linknote-30.80"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 80 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.80">return</a>)<br /> [ See Zosimus, l. v. p. + 331, and the Chronicles of Prosper and Marcellinus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.81" id="linknote-30.81"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 81 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.81">return</a>)<br /> [ Olympiodorus (apud + Photium, p. 180) uses an expression which would denote a strict and + friendly alliance, and render Stilicho still more criminal. The paulisper + detentus, deinde interfectus, of Orosius, is sufficiently odious. * Note: + Gibbon, by translating this passage of Olympiodorus, as if it had been + good Greek, has probably fallen into an error. The natural order of the + words is as Gibbon translates it; but it is almost clear, refers to the + Gothic chiefs, “whom Stilicho, after he had defeated Radagaisus, attached + to his army.” So in the version corrected by Classen for Niebuhr’s edition + of the Byzantines, p. 450.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.82" id="linknote-30.82"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 82 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.82">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius, piously + inhuman, sacrifices the king and people, Agag and the Amalekites, without + a symptom of compassion. The bloody actor is less detestable than the + cool, unfeeling historian.——Note: Considering the vow, which + he was universally believed to have made, to destroy Rome, and to + sacrifice the senators on the altars, and that he is said to have + immolated his prisoners to his gods, the execution of Radagaisus, if, as + it appears, he was taken in arms, cannot deserve Gibbon’s severe + condemnation. Mr. Herbert (notes to his poem of Attila, p. 317) justly + observes, that “Stilicho had probably authority for hanging him on the + first tree.” Marcellinus, adds Mr. Herbert, attributes the execution to + the Gothic chiefs Sarus.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.83" id="linknote-30.83"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 83 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.83">return</a>)<br /> [ And Claudian’s muse, + was she asleep? had she been ill paid! Methinks the seventh consulship of + Honorius (A.D. 407) would have furnished the subject of a noble poem. + Before it was discovered that the state could no longer be saved, Stilicho + (after Romulus, Camillus and Marius) might have been worthily surnamed the + fourth founder of Rome.] + </p> + <p> + The fame of the victory, and more especially of the miracle, has + encouraged a vain persuasion, that the whole army, or rather nation, of + Germans, who migrated from the shores of the Baltic, miserably perished + under the walls of Florence. Such indeed was the fate of Radagaisus + himself, of his brave and faithful companions, and of more than one third + of the various multitude of Sueves and Vandals, of Alani and Burgundians, + who adhered to the standard of their general. <a href="#linknote-30.84" + name="linknoteref-30.84" id="linknoteref-30.84">84</a> The union of such an + army might excite our surprise, but the causes of separation are obvious + and forcible; the pride of birth, the insolence of valor, the jealousy of + command, the impatience of subordination, and the obstinate conflict 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 arms, between the Apennine and the + Alps, or between the Alps and the Danube. It is uncertain whether they + attempted to revenge the death of their general; but their irregular fury + was soon diverted by the prudence and firmness of Stilicho, who opposed + their march, and facilitated their retreat; who considered 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 + provinces. <a href="#linknote-30.85" name="linknoteref-30.85" + id="linknoteref-30.85">85</a> 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. <a href="#linknote-30.86" + name="linknoteref-30.86" id="linknoteref-30.86">86</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.84" id="linknote-30.84"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 84 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.84">return</a>)<br /> [ A luminous passage of + Prosper’s Chronicle, “In tres partes, pes diversos principes, diversus + exercitus,” reduces the miracle of Florence and connects the history of + Italy, Gaul, and Germany.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.85" id="linknote-30.85"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 85 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.85">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius and Jerom + positively charge him with instigating the in vasion. “Excitatae a + Stilichone gentes,” &c. They must mean a directly. He saved Italy at + the expense of Gaul] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.86" id="linknote-30.86"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 86 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.86">return</a>)<br /> [ The Count de Buat is + satisfied, that the Germans who invaded Gaul were the two thirds that yet + remained of the army of Radagaisus. See the Histoire Ancienne des Peuples + de l’Europe, (tom. vii. p. 87, 121. Paris, 1772;) an elaborate work, which + I had not the advantage of perusing till the year 1777. As early as 1771, + I find the same idea expressed in a rough draught of the present History. + I have since observed a similar intimation in Mascou, (viii. 15.) Such + agreement, without mutual communication, may add some weight to our common + sentiment.] + </p> + <p> + 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 preserved a state of inactive neutrality; and the Franks + distinguished their zeal and courage in the defence of the of the empire. + In the rapid progress down the Rhine, which was the first act of the + administration of Stilicho, he had applied himself, with peculiar + attention, to secure the alliance of the warlike Franks, and to remove the + irreconcilable enemies of peace and of the republic. Marcomir, one of + their kings, was publicly convicted, before the tribunal of the Roman + magistrate, of violating 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. <a + href="#linknote-30.87" name="linknoteref-30.87" id="linknoteref-30.87">87</a> + 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 rashness; 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 honorable + resistance, were compelled to relinquish the unequal contest. The + victorious confederates pursued their march, and on the last day of the + year, in a season when the waters of the Rhine were most probably frozen, + they entered, without opposition, the defenceless provinces of Gaul. This + memorable passage of the Suevi, the Vandals, the Alani, and the + Burgundians, who never afterwards retreated, may be considered as the fall + of the Roman empire in the countries beyond the Alps; and the barriers, + which had so long separated the savage and the civilized nations of the + earth, were from that fatal moment levelled with the ground. <a + href="#linknote-30.88" name="linknoteref-30.88" id="linknoteref-30.88">88</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.87" id="linknote-30.87"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 87 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.87">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Provincia missos + Expellet citius fasces, quam Francia reges + Quos dederis. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Claudian (i. Cons. Stil. l. i. 235, &c.) is clear and satisfactory. + These kings of France are unknown to Gregory of Tours; but the author of + the Gesta Francorum mentions both Sunno and Marcomir, and names the latter + as the father of Pharamond, (in tom. ii. p. 543.) He seems to write from + good materials, which he did not understand.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.88" id="linknote-30.88"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 88 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.88">return</a>)<br /> [ See Zosimus, (l. vi. p. + 373,) Orosius, (l. vii. c. 40, p. 576,) and the Chronicles. Gregory of + Tours (l. ii. c. 9, p. 165, in the second volume of the Historians of + France) has preserved a valuable fragment of Renatus Profuturus + Frigeridus, whose three names denote a Christian, a Roman subject, and a + Semi-Barbarian.] + </p> + <p> + While the peace of Germany was secured by the attachment of the Franks, + and the neutrality of the Alemanni, the subjects of Rome, unconscious of + their approaching calamities, enjoyed the state of quiet and prosperity, + which had seldom blessed the frontiers of Gaul. Their flocks and herds + were permitted to graze in the pastures of the Barbarians; their huntsmen + penetrated, without fear or danger, into the darkest recesses of the + Hercynian wood. <a href="#linknote-30.89" name="linknoteref-30.89" + id="linknoteref-30.89">89</a> The banks of the Rhine were crowned, like + those of the Tyber, with elegant houses, and well-cultivated farms; and if + a poet descended the river, he might express his doubt, on which side was + situated the territory of the Romans. <a href="#linknote-30.90" + name="linknoteref-30.90" id="linknoteref-30.90">90</a> This scene of peace + and plenty was suddenly changed into a desert; and the prospect of the + smoking ruins could alone distinguish the solitude of nature from the + desolation of man. The flourishing city of Mentz was surprised and + destroyed; and many thousand Christians were inhumanly massacred in the + church. Worms 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 virgin, laden with the + spoils of their houses and altars. <a href="#linknote-30.91" + name="linknoteref-30.91" id="linknoteref-30.91">91</a> The ecclesiastics, to + whom we are indebted for this vague description of the public calamities, + embraced the opportunity of exhorting the Christians to repent of the sins + which had provoked the Divine Justice, and to renounce the perishable + goods of a wretched and deceitful world. But as the Pelagian controversy, + <a href="#linknote-30.92" name="linknoteref-30.92" id="linknoteref-30.92">92</a> + which attempts to sound the abyss of grace and predestination, soon became + the serious employment of the Latin clergy, the Providence which had + decreed, or foreseen, or permitted, such a train of moral and natural + evils, was rashly weighed in the imperfect and fallacious balance of + reason. The crimes, and the misfortunes, of the suffering 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 guiltless, the infant portion of the human species. These idle + disputants overlooked the invariable laws of nature, which have connected + peace with innocence, plenty with industry, and safety with valor. The + timid and selfish policy of the court of Ravenna might recall the Palatine + legions for the protection of Italy; the remains of the stationary troops + might be unequal to the arduous task; and the Barbarian auxiliaries might + prefer the unbounded license of spoil to the benefits of a moderate 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 country would have enabled them + to oppose continual and insuperable obstacles to the progress of an + invader; and the deficiency of the Barbarians, in arms, as well as in + discipline, removed the only pretence which excuses the submission of a + populous country to the inferior numbers of a veteran army. When France + was invaded by Charles V., he inquired of a prisoner, how many days Paris + might be distant from the frontier; “Perhaps twelve, but they will be days + of battle:” <a href="#linknote-30.93" name="linknoteref-30.93" + id="linknoteref-30.93">93</a> such was the gallant answer which checked the + arrogance of that ambitious prince. The subjects of Honorius, and those of + Francis I., were animated by a very different spirit; and in less than two + years, the divided troops of the savages of the Baltic, whose numbers, + were they fairly stated, would appear contemptible, advanced, without a + combat, to the foot of the Pyrenean Mountains. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.89" id="linknote-30.89"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 89 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.89">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian (i. Cons. + Stil. l. i. 221, &c., l. ii. 186) describes the peace and prosperity + of the Gallic frontier. The Abbe Dubos (Hist. Critique, &c., tom. i. + p. 174) would read Alba (a nameless rivulet of the Ardennes) instead of + Albis; and expatiates on the danger of the Gallic cattle grazing beyond + the Elbe. Foolish enough! In poetical geography, the Elbe, and the + Hercynian, signify any river, or any wood, in Germany. Claudian is not + prepared for the strict examination of our antiquaries.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.90" id="linknote-30.90"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 90 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.90">return</a>)<br /> [—Germinasque + viator Cum videat ripas, quae sit Romana requirat.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.91" id="linknote-30.91"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 91 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.91">return</a>)<br /> [ Jerom, tom. i. p. 93. + See in the 1st vol. of the Historians of France, p. 777, 782, the proper + extracts from the Carmen de Providentil Divina, and Salvian. The anonymous + poet was himself a captive, with his bishop and fellow-citizens.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.92" id="linknote-30.92"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 92 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.92">return</a>)<br /> [ The Pelagian doctrine, + which was first agitated A.D. 405, was condemned, in the space of ten + years, at Rome and Carthage. St Augustin fought and conquered; but the + Greek church was favorable to his adversaries; and (what is singular + enough) the people did not take any part in a dispute which they could not + understand.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.93" id="linknote-30.93"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 93 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.93">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Mémoires de + Guillaume du Bellay, l. vi. In French, the original reproof is less + obvious, and more pointed, from the double sense of the word journee, + which alike signifies, a day’s travel, or a battle.] + </p> + <p> + In the early part of the reign of Honorius, the vigilance of Stilicho had + successfully guarded the remote island of Britain from her incessant + enemies of the ocean, the mountains, and the Irish coast. <a + href="#linknote-30.94" name="linknoteref-30.94" id="linknoteref-30.94">94</a> + But those restless Barbarians 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 must have tended to dissolve the bonds of + allegiance, and to exasperate the seditious 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. <a href="#linknote-30.95" name="linknoteref-30.95" + id="linknoteref-30.95">95</a> 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 their disapprobation of his manners may seem to + inscribe an honorable epitaph on his tomb. Gratian was the next whom they + adorned with the diadem and the purple; and, at the end of four months, + 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 ranks a private soldier of the name of Constantine, and + their impetuous levity had already seated him on the throne, before they + perceived his incapacity to sustain the weight of that glorious + appellation. <a href="#linknote-30.96" name="linknoteref-30.96" + id="linknoteref-30.96">96</a> Yet the authority of Constantine was less + precarious, and his government was more successful, than the transient + reigns of Marcus and 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 force; 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 sovereign. 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 to 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. The first successes of + Constantine against the detached parties of the Germans, were magnified by + the voice of adulation into splendid and decisive victories; which the + reunion and insolence of the enemy soon reduced to their just value. His + negotiations procured a short and precarious truce; and if some tribes of + the Barbarians were engaged, by the liberality of his gifts and promises, + to undertake the defence of the Rhine, these expensive and uncertain + treaties, instead of restoring the pristine vigor of the Gallic frontier, + served only to disgrace the majesty of the prince, and to exhaust what yet + remained of the treasures of the republic. Elated, however, with this + imaginary triumph, the vain deliverer of Gaul advanced into the provinces + of the South, to encounter a more pressing and personal danger. Sarus the + Goth was ordered to lay the head of the rebel at the feet of the emperor + Honorius; and the forces of Britain and Italy were unworthily consumed in + this domestic quarrel. After the loss of his two bravest generals, + Justinian and Nevigastes, the former of whom was slain in the field of + battle, the latter in a peaceful but treacherous interview, Constantine + fortified himself within the walls of Vienna. The place was ineffectually + attacked seven days; and the Imperial army supported, in a precipitate + retreat, the ignominy of purchasing a secure passage from the freebooters + and outlaws of the Alps. <a href="#linknote-30.97" name="linknoteref-30.97" + id="linknoteref-30.97">97</a> Those mountains now separated the dominions + of two rival monarchs; and the fortifications of the double frontier were + guarded by the troops of the empire, whose arms would have been more + usefully employed to maintain the Roman limits against the Barbarians of + Germany and Scythia. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.94" id="linknote-30.94"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 94 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.94">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian, (i. Cons. + Stil. l. ii. 250.) It is supposed that the Scots of Ireland invaded, by + sea, the whole western coast of Britain: and some slight credit may be + given even to Nennius and the Irish traditions, (Carte’s Hist. of England, + vol. i. p. 169.) Whitaker’s Genuine History of the Britons, p. 199. The + sixty-six lives of St. Patrick, which were extant in the ninth century, + must have contained as many thousand lies; yet we may believe, that, in + one of these Irish inroads the future apostle was led away captive, + (Usher, Antiquit. Eccles Britann. p. 431, and Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. + xvi. p. 45 782, &c.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.95" id="linknote-30.95"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 95 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.95">return</a>)<br /> [ The British usurpers + are taken from Zosimus, (l. vi. p. 371-375,) Orosius, (l. vii. c. 40, p. + 576, 577,) Olympiodorus, (apud Photium, p. 180, 181,) the ecclesiastical + historians, and the Chronicles. The Latins are ignorant of Marcus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.96" id="linknote-30.96"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 96 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.96">return</a>)<br /> [ Cum in Constantino + inconstantiam... execrarentur, (Sidonius Apollinaris, l. v. epist. 9, p. + 139, edit. secund. Sirmond.) Yet Sidonius might be tempted, by so fair a + pun, to stigmatize a prince who had disgraced his grandfather.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.97" id="linknote-30.97"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 97 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.97">return</a>)<br /> [ Bagaudoe is the name + which Zosimus applies to them; perhaps they deserved a less odious + character, (see Dubos, Hist. Critique, tom. i. p. 203, and this History, + vol. i. p. 407.) We shall hear of them again.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap30.5"></a> +Chapter XXX: Revolt Of The Goths.—Part V. +</h2> + <p> + On the side of the Pyrenees, the ambition of Constantine might be + justified by the proximity of danger; but his throne was soon established + by the conquest, or rather submission, of Spain; which yielded to the + influence of regular and habitual subordination, and received the laws and + magistrates of the Gallic praefecture. The only opposition which was made + to the authority of Constantine proceeded not so much from the powers of + government, or the spirit of the people, as from the private zeal and + interest of the family of Theodosius. Four brothers <a + href="#linknote-30.98" name="linknoteref-30.98" id="linknoteref-30.98">98</a> + had obtained, by the favor of their kinsman, the deceased emperor, an + honorable rank and ample possessions in their native country; and the + grateful youths resolved to risk those advantages in the service of his + son. After an unsuccessful effort to maintain their ground at the head of + the stationary troops of Lusitania, they retired to their estates; where + they armed and levied, at their own expense, a considerable body of slaves + and dependants, and boldly marched to occupy the strong posts of the + Pyrenean Mountains. This domestic insurrection alarmed and perplexed the + sovereign of Gaul and Britain; and he was compelled to negotiate with some + troops of Barbarian auxiliaries, for the service of the Spanish war. They + were distinguished by the title of Honorians; <a href="#linknote-30.99" + name="linknoteref-30.99" id="linknoteref-30.99">99</a> a name which might + have reminded them of their fidelity to their lawful sovereign; and if it + should candidly be allowed that the Scots were influenced by any partial + affection for a British prince, the Moors and the Marcomanni could be + tempted only by the profuse liberality of the usurper, who distributed + among the Barbarians the military, and even the civil, honors of Spain. + The nine bands of Honorians, which may be easily traced on the + establishment of the Western empire, could not exceed the number of five + thousand men: yet this inconsiderable force was sufficient to terminate a + war, which had threatened the power and safety of Constantine. The rustic + army of the Theodosian family was surrounded and destroyed in the + Pyrenees: two of the brothers had the good fortune to escape by sea to + Italy, or the East; the other two, after an interval of suspense, were + executed at Arles; and if Honorius could remain insensible of the public + disgrace, he might perhaps be affected by the personal misfortunes of his + generous kinsmen. Such were the feeble arms which decided the possession + of the Western provinces of Europe, from the wall of Antoninus to the + columns of Hercules. The events of peace and war have undoubtedly been + diminished by the narrow and imperfect view of the historians of the + times, who were equally ignorant of the causes, and of the effects, of the + most important revolutions. But the total decay of the national strength + had annihilated even the last resource of a despotic government; and the + revenue of exhausted provinces could no longer purchase the military + service of a discontented and pusillanimous people. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.98" id="linknote-30.98"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 98 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.98">return</a>)<br /> [ Verinianus, Didymus, + Theodosius, and Lagodius, who in modern courts would be styled princes of + the blood, were not distinguished by any rank or privileges above the rest + of their fellow-subjects.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.99" id="linknote-30.99"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 99 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.99">return</a>)<br /> [ These Honoriani, or + Honoriaci, consisted of two bands of Scots, or Attacotti, two of Moors, + two of Marcomanni, the Victores, the Asca in, and the Gallicani, (Notitia + Imperii, sect. xxxiii. edit. Lab.) They were part of the sixty-five + Auxilia Palatina, and are properly styled by Zosimus, (l. vi. 374.)] + </p> + <p> + The poet, whose flattery has ascribed to the Roman eagle the victories of + Pollentia and Verona, pursues the hasty retreat of Alaric, from the + confines of Italy, with a horrid train of imaginary spectres, such as + might hover over an army of Barbarians, which was almost exterminated by + war, famine, and disease. <a href="#linknote-30.100" + name="linknoteref-30.100" id="linknoteref-30.100">100</a> In the course of + this unfortunate expedition, the king of the Goths must indeed have + sustained a considerable loss; and his harassed forces required an + interval of repose, to recruit their numbers and revive their confidence. + Adversity had exercised and displayed the genius of Alaric; and the fame + of his valor invited to the Gothic standard the bravest of the Barbarian + warriors; who, from the Euxine to the Rhine, were agitated by the desire + of rapine and conquest. He had deserved the esteem, and he soon accepted + the friendship, of Stilicho himself. Renouncing the service of the emperor + of the East, 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 praefecture of Illyricum; as it was claimed, + according to the true and ancient limits, by the minister of Honorius. <a + href="#linknote-30.101" name="linknoteref-30.101" id="linknoteref-30.101">101</a> + The execution of the 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 Caesar, who, in the + conspiracy of Catiline, refused either to assist, or to oppose, the enemy + of the republic. After the defeat of the Vandals, Stilicho resumed his + pretensions to the provinces of the East; appointed civil magistrates for + the administration of justice, and of the finances; and declared his + impatience to lead to the gates of Constantinople the united armies of the + Romans and of the Goths. The prudence, however, of Stilicho, 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 forces of Alaric at a distance from 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 protracted, like a dissatisfied mercenary, his languid + operations in Thessaly and Epirus, and who soon returned to claim the + extravagant reward of his ineffectual services. From his camp near Aemona, + <a href="#linknote-30.102" name="linknoteref-30.102" id="linknoteref-30.102">102</a> + on the confines of Italy, he transmitted to the emperor of the West a long + account of promises, of expenses, and of demands; called for immediate + satisfaction, and clearly intimated the consequences of a refusal. Yet if + his conduct was hostile, his language was decent and dutiful. He humbly + professed himself the friend of Stilicho, and the soldier of Honorius; + offered his person and his troops to march, without delay, against the + usurper of Gaul; and solicited, as a permanent retreat for the Gothic + nation, the possession of some vacant province of the Western empire. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.100" id="linknote-30.100"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 100 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.100">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Comitatur euntem + Pallor, et atra fames; et saucia lividus ora + Luctus; et inferno stridentes agmine morbi. + —-Claudian in vi. Cons. Hon. 821, &c.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.101" id="linknote-30.101"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 101 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.101">return</a>)<br /> [ These dark + transactions are investigated by the Count de Bual (Hist. des Peuples de + l’Europe, tom. vii. c. iii.—viii. p. 69-206,) whose laborious + accuracy may sometimes fatigue a superficial reader.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.102" id="linknote-30.102"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 102 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.102">return</a>)<br /> [ See Zosimus, l. v. p. + 334, 335. He interrupts his scanty narrative to relate the fable of + Aemona, and of the ship Argo; which was drawn overland from that place to + the Adriatic. Sozomen (l. viii. c. 25, l. ix. c. 4) and Socrates (l. vii. + c. 10) cast a pale and doubtful light; and Orosius (l. vii. c. 38, p. 571) + is abominably partial.] + </p> + <p> + The political and secret transactions of two statesmen, who labored to + deceive each other and the world, must forever have been concealed in the + impenetrable darkness of the cabinet, if the debates of a popular assembly + had not thrown some rays of light on the correspondence of Alaric and + Stilicho. The necessity of finding some artificial support for a + government, which, from a principle, not of moderation, but of weakness, + was reduced to negotiate with its own subjects, had insensibly revived the + authority of the Roman senate; and the minister of Honorius respectfully + consulted the legislative council of the republic. Stilicho assembled the + senate in the palace of the Caesars; represented, in a studied oration, + the actual state of affairs; proposed the demands of the Gothic king, and + submitted to their consideration the choice of peace or war. The senators, + as if they had been suddenly awakened from a dream of four hundred years, + appeared, on this important occasion, 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 precarious 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 dishonor. The + minister, whose pacific intentions were seconded only by the voice 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 considered + in the odious light, either of a tribute, or of a ransom, extorted by the + menaces of a Barbarian enemy. Alaric had faithfully asserted the just + pretensions of the republic to the provinces which were usurped by the + Greeks of Constantinople: he modestly required the fair and stipulated + recompense of his services; and if he had desisted from the prosecution of + his enterprise, he had obeyed, in his retreat, the peremptory, though + private, letters of the emperor himself. These contradictory orders (he + would not dissemble the errors of his own family) had been procured by the + intercession of Serena. The tender piety of his wife had been too deeply + affected 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 warm debate, + the reluctant 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 subsidy, to secure the peace of Italy, and to conciliate the + friendship 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;” <a href="#linknote-30.103" name="linknoteref-30.103" + id="linknoteref-30.103">103</a> and escaped the danger of such bold + opposition by immediately retiring to the sanctuary of a Christian church. + [See Palace Of The Caesars] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.103" id="linknote-30.103"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 103 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.103">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. v. p. + 338, 339. He repeats the words of Lampadius, as they were spoke in Latin, + “Non est ista pax, sed pactio servi tutis,” and then translates them into + Greek for the benefit of his readers. * Note: From Cicero’s XIIth + Philippic, 14.—M.] + </p> + <p> + But the reign of Stilicho drew towards its end; and the proud minister + might perceive the symptoms of his approaching disgrace. The generous + boldness of Lampadius had been applauded; and the senate, so patiently + resigned to a long servitude, rejected with disdain the offer of invidious + and imaginary freedom. The troops, who still assumed the name and + prerogatives of the Roman legions, were exasperated by the partial + affection of Stilicho for the Barbarians: and the people imputed to the + mischievous policy of the minister the public misfortunes, which were the + natural consequence of their own degeneracy. Yet Stilicho might have + continued to brave the clamors of the people, and even of the soldiers, if + he could have maintained his dominion over the feeble mind of his pupil. + But the respectful attachment of Honorius was converted into fear, + suspicion, and hatred. The crafty Olympius, <a href="#linknote-30.104" + name="linknoteref-30.104" id="linknoteref-30.104">104</a> who concealed his + vices under the mask of Christian piety, had secretly undermined the + benefactor, by whose favor he was promoted to the honorable offices of the + Imperial palace. Olympius revealed to the unsuspecting emperor, who had + attained the twenty-fifth year of his age, that he was without weight, or + authority, in his own government; and artfully alarmed his timid and + indolent disposition by a lively picture of the designs of Stilicho, who + already meditated the death of his sovereign, with the ambitious hope of + placing the diadem on the head of his son Eucherius. The emperor was + instigated, by his new favorite, to assume the tone of independent + dignity; and the minister was astonished to find, that secret resolutions + were formed in the court and council, which were repugnant to his + interest, or to his intentions. Instead of residing in the palace of Rome, + Honorius declared that it was his pleasure to return to the secure + fortress of Ravenna. On the first intelligence of the death of his brother + Arcadius, he prepared to visit Constantinople, and to regulate, with the + authority of a guardian, the provinces of the infant Theodosius. <a + href="#linknote-30.105" name="linknoteref-30.105" id="linknoteref-30.105">105</a> + The representation of the difficulty and expense of such a distant + expedition, checked this strange and sudden sally of active diligence; but + the dangerous project of showing the emperor to the camp of Pavia, which + was composed of the Roman troops, the enemies of Stilicho, and his + Barbarian auxiliaries, remained fixed and unalterable. The minister was + pressed, by the advice of his confidant, Justinian, a Roman advocate, of a + lively and penetrating genius, to oppose a journey so prejudicial to his + reputation and safety. His strenuous but ineffectual efforts confirmed the + triumph of Olympius; and the prudent lawyer withdrew himself from the + impending ruin of his patron. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.104" id="linknote-30.104"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 104 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.104">return</a>)<br /> [ He came from the + coast of the Euxine, and exercised a splendid office. His actions justify + his character, which Zosimus (l. v. p. 340) exposes with visible + satisfaction. Augustin revered the piety of Olympius, whom he styles a + true son of the church, (Baronius, Annal. Eccles, Eccles. A.D. 408, No. + 19, &c. Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. xiii. p. 467, 468.) But these + praises, which the African saint so unworthily bestows, might proceed as + well from ignorance as from adulation.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.105" id="linknote-30.105"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 105 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.105">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. v. p. + 338, 339. Sozomen, l. ix. c. 4. Stilicho offered to undertake the journey + to Constantinople, that he might divert Honorius from the vain attempt. + The Eastern empire would not have obeyed, and could not have been + conquered.] + </p> + <p> + In the passage of the emperor through Bologna, a mutiny of the guards was + excited and appeased by the secret policy of Stilicho; who announced his + instructions to decimate the guilty, and ascribed to his own intercession + the merit of their pardon. After this tumult, Honorius 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 the 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, of Olympius had prepared to + execute a dark and bloody conspiracy. At the first signal, they massacred + the friends of Stilicho, the most illustrious officers of the empire; two + Prætorian praefects, of Gaul and of Italy; two masters-general of the + cavalry and infantry; the master of the offices; the quaestor, 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 favorite; condemned the memory of the slain; and solemnly approved + the innocence and fidelity of their assassins. The intelligence of the + massacre of Pavia filled the mind of Stilicho with just and gloomy + apprehensions; and he instantly summoned, in the camp of Bologna, a + council of the confederate leaders, who were attached to his service, and + would be involved in his ruin. The impetuous voice of the assembly called + aloud for arms, and 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, to 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 + justified by success, Stilicho hesitated till he was irrecoverably lost. + He was still ignorant of the fate of the emperor; he distrusted the + fidelity of his own party; and he viewed with horror the fatal + consequences of arming a crowd of licentious Barbarians against the + soldiers and people of Italy. The confederates, impatient of his timorous + and doubtful delay, hastily retired, with fear and indignation. At the + hour of midnight, Sarus, a Gothic warrior, renowned among the Barbarians + themselves for his strength and valor, suddenly invaded the camp of his + benefactor, plundered the baggage, cut in pieces the faithful Huns, who + guarded 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 confidence, or his despair, urged him to throw + himself into Ravenna, which was already in the absolute possession of his + enemies. Olympius, who had assumed the dominion of Honorius, was speedily + informed, that his rival had embraced, as a suppliant the altar of the + Christian church. The base and cruel disposition of the hypocrite was + incapable of pity or remorse; but he piously affected to elude, rather + than to violate, the privilege of the sanctuary. Count Heraclian, with a + troop of soldiers, appeared, at the dawn of day, before the gates of the + church of Ravenna. The bishop was satisfied by a solemn oath, that the + Imperial mandate only directed them to secure the person of Stilicho: but + as soon as the unfortunate minister had been tempted beyond the holy + threshold, he produced the warrant for his instant execution. Stilicho + supported, with calm resignation, the injurious names of traitor and + parricide; repressed the unseasonable zeal of his followers, who were + ready to attempt an ineffectual rescue; and, with a firmness not unworthy + of the last of the Roman generals, submitted his neck to the sword of + Heraclian. <a href="#linknote-30.106" name="linknoteref-30.106" + id="linknoteref-30.106">106</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.106" id="linknote-30.106"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 106 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.106">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. v. p. + 336-345) has copiously, though not clearly, related the disgrace and death + of Stilicho. Olympiodorus, (apud Phot. p. 177.) Orosius, (l. vii. c. 38, + p. 571, 572,) Sozomen, (l. ix. c. 4,) and Philostorgius, (l. xi. c. 3, l. + xii. c. 2,) afford supplemental hints.] + </p> + <p> + The servile crowd of the palace, who had so long adored the fortune of + Stilicho, affected to insult his fall; and the most distant connection + with the master-general of the West, which had so lately been a title to + wealth and honors, was studiously denied, and rigorously punished. His + family, united by a triple alliance with the family of Theodosius, might + envy the condition of the meanest peasant. The flight of his son Eucherius + was intercepted; and the death of that innocent youth soon followed the + divorce of Thermantia, who filled the place of her sister Maria; and who, + like Maria, had remained a virgin in the Imperial bed. <a + href="#linknote-30.107" name="linknoteref-30.107" id="linknoteref-30.107">107</a> + The friends of Stilicho, who had escaped the massacre of Pavia, were + persecuted by the implacable revenge of Olympius; and the most exquisite + cruelty was employed to extort the confession of a treasonable and + sacrilegious conspiracy. They died in silence: their firmness justified + the choice, <a href="#linknote-30.108" name="linknoteref-30.108" + id="linknoteref-30.108">108</a> and perhaps absolved the innocence of their + patron: and the despotic power, which could take his life without a trial, + and stigmatize his memory without a proof, has no jurisdiction over the + impartial suffrage of posterity. <a href="#linknote-30.109" + name="linknoteref-30.109" id="linknoteref-30.109">109</a> The services of + Stilicho are great and manifest; his crimes, as they are vaguely stated in + the language of flattery and hatred, are obscure at least, and improbable. + About four months after his death, an edict was published, in the name of + Honorius, to restore the free communication of the two empires, which had + been so long interrupted by the public enemy. <a href="#linknote-30.110" + name="linknoteref-30.110" id="linknoteref-30.110">110</a> The minister, + whose fame and fortune depended on the prosperity of the state, was + accused of betraying Italy to the Barbarians; whom he repeatedly + vanquished at Pollentia, at Verona, and before the walls of Florence. His + pretended design of placing the diadem on the head of his son Eucherius, + could not have been conducted without preparations or accomplices; and the + ambitious father would not surely have left the future emperor, till the + twentieth year of his age, in the humble station of tribune of the + notaries. Even the religion of Stilicho was arraigned by the malice of his + rival. The seasonable, and almost miraculous, deliverance was devoutly + celebrated by the applause of the clergy; who asserted, that the + restoration of idols, and the persecution of the church, would have been + the first measure of the reign of Eucherius. The son of Stilicho, however, + was educated in the bosom of Christianity, which his father had uniformly + professed, and zealously supported. <a href="#linknote-30.111" + name="linknoteref-30.111" id="linknoteref-30.111">111</a> <a + href="#linknote-30.1111" name="linknoteref-30.1111" id="linknoteref-30.1111">1111</a> + Serena had borrowed her magnificent necklace from the statue of Vesta; <a + href="#linknote-30.112" name="linknoteref-30.112" id="linknoteref-30.112">112</a> + and the Pagans execrated the memory of the sacrilegious minister, by whose + order the Sibylline books, the oracles of Rome, had been committed to the + flames. <a href="#linknote-30.113" name="linknoteref-30.113" + id="linknoteref-30.113">113</a> The pride and power of Stilicho constituted + his real guilt. An honorable reluctance to shed the blood of his + countrymen appears to have contributed to the success 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 base ingratitude + to the guardian of his youth, and the support of his empire. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.107" id="linknote-30.107"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 107 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.107">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. v. p. + 333. The marriage of a Christian with two sisters, scandalizes Tillemont, + (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. v. p. 557;) who expects, in vain, that Pope + Innocent I. should have done something in the way either of censure or of + dispensation.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.108" id="linknote-30.108"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 108 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.108">return</a>)<br /> [ Two of his friends + are honorably mentioned, (Zosimus, l. v. p. 346:) Peter, chief of the + school of notaries, and the great chamberlain Deuterius. Stilicho had + secured the bed-chamber; and it is surprising that, under a feeble prince, + the bed-chamber was not able to secure him.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.109" id="linknote-30.109"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 109 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.109">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius (l. vii. c. + 38, p. 571, 572) seems to copy the false and furious manifestos, which + were dispersed through the provinces by the new administration.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.110" id="linknote-30.110"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 110 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.110">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Theodosian + code, l. vii. tit. xvi. leg. 1, l. ix. tit. xlii. leg. 22. Stilicho is + branded with the name of proedo publicus, who employed his wealth, ad + omnem ditandam, inquietandamque Barbariem.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.111" id="linknote-30.111"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 111 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.111">return</a>)<br /> [ Augustin himself is + satisfied with the effectual laws, which Stilicho had enacted against + heretics and idolaters; and which are still extant in the Code. He only + applies to Olympius for their confirmation, (Baronius, Annal. Eccles. A.D. + 408, No. 19.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.112" id="linknote-30.112"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 112 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.112">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. v. p. + 351. We may observe the bad taste of the age, in dressing their statues + with such awkward finery.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.113" id="linknote-30.113"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 113 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.113">return</a>)<br /> [ See Rutilius + Numatianus, (Itinerar. l. ii. 41-60,) to whom religious enthusiasm has + dictated some elegant and forcible lines. Stilicho likewise stripped the + gold plates from the doors of the Capitol, and read a prophetic sentence + which was engraven under them, (Zosimus, l. v. p. 352.) These are foolish + stories: yet the charge of impiety adds weight and credit to the praise + which Zosimus reluctantly bestows on his virtues. Note: One particular in + the extorted praise of Zosimus, deserved the notice of the historian, as + strongly opposed to the former imputations of Zosimus himself, and + indicative of he corrupt practices of a declining age. “He had never + bartered promotion in the army for bribes, nor peculated in the supplies + of provisions for the army.” l. v. c. xxxiv.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.1111" id="linknote-30.1111"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1111 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.1111">return</a>)<br /> [ Hence, perhaps, the + accusation of treachery is countenanced by Hatilius:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Quo magis est facinus diri Stilichonis iniquum + Proditor arcani quod fuit imperii. + Romano generi dum nititur esse superstes, + Crudelis summis miscuit ima furor. + Dumque timet, quicquid se fecerat ipso timeri, + Immisit Latiae barbara tela neci. Rutil. Itin. II. 41.—M.] + Among the train of dependants whose wealth and dignity + attracted the notice of their own times, our curiosity is excited + by the celebrated name of the poet Claudian, who enjoyed the + favor of Stilicho, and was overwhelmed in the ruin of his patron.] +</pre> + <p> + Among the train of dependants whose wealth and dignity attracted the + notice of their own times, <i>our</i> curiosity is excited by the + celebrated name of the poet Claudian, who enjoyed the favor of Stilicho, + and was overwhelmed in the ruin of his patron. The titular offices of + tribune and notary fixed his rank in the Imperial court: he was indebted + to the powerful intercession of Serena for his marriage with a very rich + heiress of the province of Africa; <a href="#linknote-30.114" + name="linknoteref-30.114" id="linknoteref-30.114">114</a> and the statute + of Claudian, erected in the forum of Trajan, was a monument of the taste + and liberality of the Roman senate. <a href="#linknote-30.115" + name="linknoteref-30.115" id="linknoteref-30.115">115</a> After the + praises of Stilicho became offensive and criminal, Claudian was exposed + to the enmity of a powerful and unforgiving courtier, whom he had + provoked by the insolence of wit. He had compared, in a lively epigram, + the opposite characters of two Prætorian praefects of Italy; he + contrasts the innocent repose of a philosopher, who sometimes resigned + the hours of business to slumber, perhaps to study, with the interesting + diligence of a rapacious minister, indefatigable in the pursuit of unjust + or sacrilegious, gain. “How happy,” continues Claudian, + “how happy might it be for the people of Italy, if Mallius could be + constantly awake, and if Hadrian would always sleep!” <a + href="#linknote-30.116" name="linknoteref-30.116" + id="linknoteref-30.116">116</a> 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 trifling sacrifice of an obnoxious poet. The + poet concealed himself, however, during the tumult of the revolution; + and, consulting the dictates of prudence rather than of honor, he + addressed, in the form of an epistle, a suppliant and humble recantation + to the offended praefect. He deplores, in mournful strains, the fatal + indiscretion into which he had been hurried by passion and folly; submits + to the imitation of his adversary the generous examples of the clemency + of gods, of heroes, and of lions; 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, the tortures, and the death of his dearest friends. <a + href="#linknote-30.117" name="linknoteref-30.117" + id="linknoteref-30.117">117</a> Whatever might be the success of his + prayer, or the accidents of his future life, the period of a few years + levelled in the grave the minister and the poet: but the name of Hadrian + is almost sunk in oblivion, while Claudian is read with pleasure in every + country which has retained, or acquired, the knowledge of the Latin + language. If we fairly balance his merits and his defects, we shall + acknowledge that Claudian does not either satisfy, or silence, our + reason. It would not be easy to produce a passage that deserves the + epithet of sublime 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, and artificial conduct, of 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 and invectives: and the design of these slavish + compositions encouraged his propensity to exceed the limits of truth and + nature. These imperfections, however, are compensated in some degree by + the poetical virtues of Claudian. He was endowed with the rare and + precious talent of raising the meanest, of adorning the most barren, and + of diversifying the most similar, topics: his coloring, 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 flow 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 unfavorable circumstances of his + birth. In the decline of arts, and of empire, a native of Egypt, <a + href="#linknote-30.118" name="linknoteref-30.118" + id="linknoteref-30.118">118</a> who had received the education of a + Greek, assumed, in a mature age, the familiar use, and absolute command, + of the Latin language; <a href="#linknote-30.119" + name="linknoteref-30.119" id="linknoteref-30.119">119</a> soared above + the heads of his feeble contemporaries; and placed himself, after an + interval of three hundred years, among the poets of ancient Rome. <a + href="#linknote-30.120" name="linknoteref-30.120" + id="linknoteref-30.120">120</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.114" id="linknote-30.114"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 114 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.114">return</a>)<br /> [ At the nuptials of + Orpheus (a modest comparison!) all the parts of animated nature + contributed their various gifts; and the gods themselves enriched their + favorite. Claudian had neither flocks, nor herds, nor vines, nor olives. + His wealthy bride was heiress to them all. But he carried to Africa a + recommendatory letter from Serena, his Juno, and was made happy, (Epist. + ii. ad Serenam.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.115" id="linknote-30.115"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 115 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.115">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian feels the + honor like a man who deserved it, (in praefat Bell. Get.) The original + inscription, on marble, was found at Rome, in the fifteenth century, in + the house of Pomponius Laetus. The statue of a poet, far superior to + Claudian, should have been erected, during his lifetime, by the men of + letters, his countrymen and contemporaries. It was a noble design.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.116" id="linknote-30.116"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 116 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.116">return</a>)<br /> [ See Epigram xxx. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Mallius indulget somno noctesque diesque: + Insomnis Pharius sacra, profana, rapit. + Omnibus, hoc, Italae gentes, exposcite votis; + Mallius ut vigilet, dormiat ut Pharius. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Hadrian was a Pharian, (of Alexandrian.) See his public life in Godefroy, + Cod. Theodos. tom. vi. p. 364. Mallius did not always sleep. He composed + some elegant dialogues on the Greek systems of natural philosophy, (Claud, + in Mall. Theodor. Cons. 61-112.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.117" id="linknote-30.117"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 117 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.117">return</a>)<br /> [ See Claudian’s first + Epistle. Yet, in some places, an air of irony and indignation betrays his + secret reluctance. * Note: M. Beugnot has pointed out one remarkable + characteristic of Claudian’s poetry, and of the times—his + extraordinary religious indifference. Here is a poet writing at the actual + crisis of the complete triumph of the new religion, the visible extinction + of the old: if we may so speak, a strictly historical poet, whose works, + excepting his Mythological poem on the rape of Proserpine, are confined to + temporary subjects, and to the politics of his own eventful day; yet, + excepting in one or two small and indifferent pieces, manifestly written + by a Christian, and interpolated among his poems, there is no allusion + whatever to the great religious strife. No one would know the existence of + Christianity at that period of the world, by reading the works of + Claudian. His panegyric and his satire preserve the same religious + impartiality; award their most lavish praise or their bitterest invective + on Christian or Pagan; he insults the fall of Eugenius, and glories in the + victories of Theodosius. Under the child,—and Honorius never became + more than a child,—Christianity continued to inflict wounds more and + more deadly on expiring Paganism. Are the gods of Olympus agitated with + apprehension at the birth of this new enemy? They are introduced as + rejoicing at his appearance, and promising long years of glory. The whole + prophetic choir of Paganism, all the oracles throughout the world, are + summoned to predict the felicity of his reign. His birth is compared to + that of Apollo, but the narrow limits of an island must not confine the + new deity— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + ... Non littora nostro + Sufficerent angusta Deo. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Augury and divination, the shrines of Ammon, and of Delphi, the Persian + Magi, and the Etruscan seers, the Chaldean astrologers, the Sibyl herself, + are described as still discharging their prophetic functions, and + celebrating the natal day of this Christian prince. They are noble lines, + as well as curious illustrations of the times: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + ... Quae tunc documenta futuri? + Quae voces avium? quanti per inane volatus? + Quis vatum discursus erat? Tibi corniger Ammon, + Et dudum taciti rupere silentia Delphi. + Te Persae cecinere Magi, te sensit Etruscus + Augur, et inspectis Babylonius horruit astris; + Chaldaei stupuere senes, Cumanaque rursus + Itonuit rupes, rabidae delubra Sibyllae. + —Claud. iv. Cons. Hon. 141. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + From the Quarterly Review of Beugnot. Hist. de la Paganisme en Occident, + Q. R. v. lvii. p. 61.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.118" id="linknote-30.118"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 118 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.118">return</a>)<br /> [ National vanity has + made him a Florentine, or a Spaniard. But the first Epistle of Claudian + proves him a native of Alexandria, (Fabricius, Bibliot. Latin. tom. iii. + p. 191-202, edit. Ernest.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.119" id="linknote-30.119"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 119 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.119">return</a>)<br /> [ His first Latin + verses were composed during the consulship of Probinus, A.D. 395. + </p> + <p> + Romanos bibimus primum, te consule, fontes, Et Latiae cessit Graia Thalia + togae. + </p> + <p> + Besides some Greek epigrams, which are still extant, the Latin poet had + composed, in Greek, the Antiquities of Tarsus, Anazarbus, Berytus, Nice, + &c. It is more easy to supply the loss of good poetry, than of + authentic history.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-30.120" id="linknote-30.120"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 120 (<a href="#linknoteref-30.120">return</a>)<br /> [ Strada (Prolusion v. + vi.) allows him to contend with the five heroic poets, Lucretius, Virgil, + Ovid, Lucan, and Statius. His patron is the accomplished courtier + Balthazar Castiglione. His admirers are numerous and passionate. Yet the + rigid critics reproach the exotic weeds, or flowers, which spring too + luxuriantly in his Latian soil] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap31.1"></a> +Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part + I. +</h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Invasion Of Italy By Alaric.—Manners Of The Roman Senate + And People.—Rome Is Thrice Besieged, And At Length + Pillaged, By The Goths.—Death Of Alaric.—The Goths + Evacuate Italy.—Fall Of Constantine.—Gaul And Spain Are + Occupied By The Barbarians. —Independence Of Britain. +</pre> + <p> + The incapacity of a weak and distracted government may often assume the + appearance, and produce the effects, of a treasonable correspondence with + the public enemy. If Alaric himself had been introduced into the council + of Ravenna, he would probably have advised the same measures which were + actually pursued by the ministers of Honorius. <a href="#linknote-31.1" + name="linknoteref-31.1" id="linknoteref-31.1">1</a> The king of the Goths + would have conspired, perhaps with some reluctance, to destroy the + formidable adversary, by whose arms, in Italy, as well as in Greece, he + had been twice overthrown. Their active and interested hatred laboriously + accomplished the disgrace and ruin of the great Stilicho. The valor of + Sarus, his fame in arms, and his personal, or hereditary, influence over + the confederate Barbarians, could recommend him only to the friends of + their country, who despised, or detested, the worthless characters of + Turpilio, Varanes, and Vigilantius. By the pressing instances of the new + favorites, these generals, unworthy as they had shown themselves of the + names of soldiers, <a href="#linknote-31.2" name="linknoteref-31.2" + id="linknoteref-31.2">2</a> 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 and devout emperor. Honorius excluded all persons, + who were adverse to the Catholic church, from holding any office in the + state; obstinately rejected the service of all those who dissented from + his religion; and rashly disqualified many of his bravest and most skilful + officers, who adhered to the Pagan worship, or who had imbibed the + opinions of Arianism. <a href="#linknote-31.3" name="linknoteref-31.3" + id="linknoteref-31.3">3</a> 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 expense of the inhuman and absurd cruelty which was perpetrated by the + direction, or at least with the connivance of the Imperial ministers. The + foreign auxiliaries, 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 safety of their wives and children; who were detained + as hostages in the strong cities of Italy, where they had likewise + deposited their most valuable effects. At the same hour, and as if by a + common signal, the cities of Italy were polluted by the same horrid scenes + of universal massacre and pillage, which involved, in promiscuous + destruction, the families and fortunes of the Barbarians. Exasperated by + such an injury, which might have awakened the tamest and most servile + spirit, they cast a look of indignation and hope towards the camp of + Alaric, and unanimously swore to pursue, with just and implacable war, the + perfidious nation who 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. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.1" id="linknote-31.1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.1">return</a>)<br /> [ The series of events, + from the death of Stilicho to the arrival of Alaric before Rome, can only + be found in Zosimus, l. v. p. 347-350.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.2" id="linknote-31.2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.2">return</a>)<br /> [ The expression of Zosimus + is strong and lively, sufficient to excite the contempt of the enemy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.3" id="linknote-31.3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.3">return</a>)<br /> [ Eos qui catholicae sectae + sunt inimici, intra palatium militare pro hibemus. Nullus nobis sit aliqua + ratione conjunctus, qui a nobis fidest religione discordat. Cod. Theodos. + l. xvi. tit. v. leg. 42, and Godefroy’s Commentary, tom. vi. p. 164. This + law was applied in the utmost latitude, and rigorously executed. Zosimus, + l. v. p. 364.] + </p> + <p> + In the arts of negotiation, as well as in those of war, the Gothic king + maintained his superior ascendant over an enemy, whose seeming changes + proceeded from the total want of counsel and design. From his camp, on the + confines of Italy, Alaric attentively observed 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 Stilicho: to whose virtues, + when they were no longer formidable, he could pay a just tribute of + sincere praise and regret. The pressing invitation of the malecontents, + who urged the king of the Goths to invade Italy, was enforced by a lively + sense of his personal injuries; and he might especially 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 fury. His decent firmness was + supported 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 + Ætius and Jason, the sons of two great officers of state, were sent as + hostages to his camp; but he offered to deliver, in exchange, several of + the noblest youths of the Gothic nation. The modesty of Alaric was + interpreted, by the ministers of Ravenna, as a sure evidence of his + weakness and fear. They disdained either to negotiate a treaty, or to + assemble an army; and with a rash confidence, derived 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 would evacuate the confines of Italy, Alaric, with bold and + rapid marches, passed the Alps and the Po; hastily pillaged the cities of + Aquileia, Altinum, Concordia, and Cremona, which yielded to his arms; + increased his forces by the accession of thirty thousand auxiliaries; and, + without meeting a single enemy in the field, advanced as far as the edge + of the morass which protected the impregnable residence of the emperor of + the West. Instead of attempting the hopeless siege of Ravenna, the prudent + leader of the Goths proceeded to Rimini, stretched his ravages along the + sea-coast of the Hadriatic, and meditated the conquest of the ancient + mistress of the world. An Italian hermit, whose zeal and sanctity were + respected by the Barbarians themselves, encountered the victorious + monarch, and boldly denounced the indignation of Heaven against the + oppressors of the earth; but the saint himself was confounded by the + solemn asseveration of Alaric, that he felt a secret and praeternatural + impulse, which directed, and even compelled, his march to the gates of + Rome. He felt, that his genius and his fortune were equal to the most + arduous enterprises; and the enthusiasm which he communicated to the + Goths, insensibly removed 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, <a href="#linknote-31.4" + name="linknoteref-31.4" id="linknoteref-31.4">4</a> descended into the rich + plains of Umbria; and, as they lay encamped on the banks of the Clitumnus, + might wantonly slaughter and devour the milk-white oxen, which had been so + long reserved for the use of Roman triumphs. A lofty situation, and a + seasonable tempest of thunder and lightning, preserved the little city of + Narni; but the king of the Goths, despising the ignoble prey, still + advanced with unabated vigor; 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. <a href="#linknote-31.6" name="linknoteref-31.6" + id="linknoteref-31.6">6</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.4" id="linknote-31.4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.4">return</a>)<br /> [ Addison (see his Works, + vol. ii. p. 54, edit. Baskerville) has given a very picturesque + description of the road through the Apennine. The Goths were not at + leisure to observe the beauties of the prospect; but they were pleased to + find that the Saxa Intercisa, a narrow passage which Vespasian had cut + through the rock, (Cluver. Italia Antiq. tom. i. p. 168,) was totally + neglected. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Hine albi, Clitumne, greges, et maxima taurus + Victima, saepe tuo perfusi flumine sacro, + Romanos ad templa Deum duxere triumphos. + —Georg. ii. 147. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Besides Virgil, most of the Latin poets, Propertius, Lucan, Silius + Italicus, Claudian, &c., whose passages may be found in Cluverius and + Addison, have celebrated the triumphal victims of the Clitumnus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.6" id="linknote-31.6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.6">return</a>)<br /> [ Some ideas of the march + of Alaric are borrowed from the journey of Honorius over the same ground. + (See Claudian in vi. Cons. Hon. 494-522.) The measured distance between + Ravenna and Rome was 254 Roman miles. Itinerar. Wesseling, p. 126.] + </p> + <p> + During a period of six hundred and nineteen years, the seat of empire had + never been violated by the presence of a foreign enemy. The unsuccessful + expedition of Hannibal <a href="#linknote-31.7" name="linknoteref-31.7" + id="linknoteref-31.7">7</a> served only to display the character of the + senate and people; of a senate degraded, rather than ennobled, by the + comparison of an assembly of kings; and of a people, to whom the + ambassador of Pyrrhus ascribed the inexhaustible resources of the Hydra. + <a href="#linknote-31.8" name="linknoteref-31.8" id="linknoteref-31.8">8</a> + Each of the senators, in the time of the Punic war, had accomplished his + term of the military service, either in a subordinate or a superior + station; and the decree, which invested with temporary command all those + who had been consuls, or censors, or dictators, gave the republic 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. <a href="#linknote-31.9" + name="linknoteref-31.9" id="linknoteref-31.9">9</a> Fifty thousand had + already died in the defence of their country; and the twenty-three legions + which were employed in the different 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 on the banks of the Anio, at the distance of + three miles from the city; and he was soon informed, that the ground on + which he had pitched his tent, was sold for an adequate price at a public + auction; <a href="#linknote-31.911" name="linknoteref-31.911" + id="linknoteref-31.911">911</a> and that a body of troops was dismissed by + an opposite road, to reenforce the legions of Spain. <a + href="#linknote-31.10" name="linknoteref-31.10" id="linknoteref-31.10">10</a> + He led his Africans to the gates of Rome, where he found three armies in + order of battle, prepared to receive him; but Hannibal dreaded the event + of a combat, from which he could not hope to escape, unless he destroyed + the last of his enemies; and his speedy retreat confessed the invincible + courage of the Romans. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.7" id="linknote-31.7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.7">return</a>)<br /> [ The march and retreat of + Hannibal are described by Livy, l. xxvi. c. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11; and the + reader is made a spectator of the interesting scene.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.8" id="linknote-31.8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.8">return</a>)<br /> [ These comparisons were + used by Cyneas, the counsellor of Pyrrhus, after his return from his + embassy, in which he had diligently studied the discipline and manners of + Rome. See Plutarch in Pyrrho. tom. ii. p. 459.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.9" id="linknote-31.9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.9">return</a>)<br /> [ In the three census which + were made of the Roman people, about the time of the second Punic war, the + numbers stand as follows, (see Livy, Epitom. l. xx. Hist. l. xxvii. 36. + xxix. 37:) 270,213, 137,108 214,000. The fall of the second, and the rise + of the third, appears so enormous, that several critics, notwithstanding + the unanimity of the Mss., have suspected some corruption of the text of + Livy. (See Drakenborch ad xxvii. 36, and Beaufort, Republique Romaine, + tom. i. p. 325.) They did not consider that the second census was taken + only at Rome, and that the numbers were diminished, not only by the death, + but likewise by the absence, of many soldiers. In the third census, Livy + expressly affirms, that the legions were mustered by the care of + particular commissaries. From the numbers on the list we must always + deduct one twelfth above threescore, and incapable of bearing arms. See + Population de la France, p. 72.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.911" id="linknote-31.911"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 911 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.911">return</a>)<br /> [ Compare the + remarkable transaction in Jeremiah xxxii. 6, to 44, where the prophet + purchases his uncle’s estate at the approach of the Babylonian captivity, + in his undoubting confidence in the future restoration of the people. In + the one case it is the triumph of religious faith, in the other of + national pride.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.10" id="linknote-31.10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.10">return</a>)<br /> [ Livy considers these + two incidents as the effects only of chance and courage. I suspect that + they were both managed by the admirable policy of the senate.] + </p> + <p> + From the time of the Punic war, the uninterrupted succession of senators + had preserved the name and image of the republic; and the degenerate + subjects of Honorius ambitiously derived their descent from the heroes who + had repulsed the arms of Hannibal, and subdued the nations of the earth. + The temporal honors which the devout Paula <a href="#linknote-31.11" + name="linknoteref-31.11" id="linknoteref-31.11">11</a> inherited and + despised, are carefully recapitulated by Jerom, the guide of her + conscience, and the historian of her life. The genealogy of her father, + Rogatus, which ascended as high as Agamemnon, might seem to betray a + Grecian origin; but her mother, Blaesilla, numbered the Scipios, Aemilius + Paulus, and the Gracchi, in the list of her ancestors; and Toxotius, the + husband of Paula, deduced his royal lineage from Aeneas, the father of the + Julian line. The vanity of the rich, who desired to be noble, was + gratified by these lofty pretensions. 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, attacked 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, or in the peaceful solitude + of Apulia, than on the theatre of Rome, the seat of fortune, of danger, + and of perpetual revolutions. Under each successive reign, and from every + province of the empire, a crowd of hardy adventurers, rising to eminence + by their talents or their vices, usurped the wealth, the honors, and the + palaces of Rome; and oppressed, or protected, the poor and humble remains + of consular families; who were ignorant, perhaps, of the glory of their + ancestors. <a href="#linknote-31.12" name="linknoteref-31.12" + id="linknoteref-31.12">12</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.11" id="linknote-31.11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.11">return</a>)<br /> [ See Jerom, tom. i. p. + 169, 170, ad Eustochium; he bestows on Paula the splendid titles of + Gracchorum stirps, soboles Scipionum, Pauli haeres, cujus vocabulum + trahit, Martiae Papyriae Matris Africani vera et germana propago. This + particular description supposes a more solid title than the surname of + Julius, which Toxotius shared with a thousand families of the western + provinces. See the Index of Tacitus, of Gruter’s Inscriptions, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.12" id="linknote-31.12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.12">return</a>)<br /> [ Tacitus (Annal. iii. + 55) affirms, that between the battle of Actium and the reign of Vespasian, + the senate was gradually filled with new families from the Municipia and + colonies of Italy.] + </p> + <p> + In the time of Jerom and Claudian, the senators unanimously yielded the + preeminence to the Anician line; and a slight view of their history will + serve to appreciate the rank and antiquity of the noble families, which + contended only for the second place. <a href="#linknote-31.13" + name="linknoteref-31.13" id="linknoteref-31.13">13</a> During the five first + ages of the city, the name of the Anicians was unknown; they appear to + have derived their origin from Praeneste; and the ambition of those new + citizens was long satisfied with the Plebeian honors of tribunes of the + people. <a href="#linknote-31.14" name="linknoteref-31.14" + id="linknoteref-31.14">14</a> One hundred and sixty-eight years before the + Christian era, the family was ennobled by the Prætorship of Anicius, who + gloriously terminated the Illyrian war, by the conquest of the nation, and + the captivity of their king. <a href="#linknote-31.15" + name="linknoteref-31.15" id="linknoteref-31.15">15</a> From the triumph of + that general, three consulships, in distant periods, mark the succession + of the Anician name. <a href="#linknote-31.16" name="linknoteref-31.16" + id="linknoteref-31.16">16</a> From the reign of Diocletian to the final + extinction of the Western empire, that name shone with a lustre which was + not eclipsed, in the public estimation, by the majesty of the Imperial + purple. <a href="#linknote-31.17" name="linknoteref-31.17" + id="linknoteref-31.17">17</a> The several branches, to whom it was + communicated, united, by marriage or inheritance, the wealth and titles of + the Annian, the Petronian, and the Olybrian houses; and in each generation + the number of consulships was multiplied by an hereditary claim. <a + href="#linknote-31.18" name="linknoteref-31.18" id="linknoteref-31.18">18</a> + The Anician family excelled in faith and in riches: they were the first of + the Roman senate who embraced Christianity; and it is probable that + Anicius Julian, who was afterwards consul and praefect of the city, atoned + for his attachment to the party of Maxentius, by the readiness with which + he accepted the religion of Constantine. <a href="#linknote-31.19" + name="linknoteref-31.19" id="linknoteref-31.19">19</a> Their ample patrimony + was increased by the industry of Probus, the chief of the Anician family; + who shared with Gratian the honors of the consulship, and exercised, four + times, the high office of Prætorian praefect. <a href="#linknote-31.20" + name="linknoteref-31.20" id="linknoteref-31.20">20</a> His immense 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 the gratitude of his clients, and the admiration of strangers. <a + href="#linknote-31.21" name="linknoteref-31.21" id="linknoteref-31.21">21</a> + 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 consular dignity; a memorable distinction, without + example, in the annals of Rome. <a href="#linknote-31.22" + name="linknoteref-31.22" id="linknoteref-31.22">22</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.13" id="linknote-31.13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.13">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Nec quisquam Procerum tentet (licet aere vetusto + Floreat, et claro cingatur Roma senatu) + Se jactare parem; sed prima sede relicta + Aucheniis, de jure licet certare secundo. + —-Claud. in Prob. et Olybrii Coss. 18. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Such a compliment paid to the obscure name of the Auchenii has amazed the + critics; but they all agree, that whatever may be the true reading, the + sense of Claudian can be applied only to the Anician family.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.14" id="linknote-31.14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.14">return</a>)<br /> [ The earliest date in + the annals of Pighius, is that of M. Anicius Gallus. Trib. Pl. A. U. C. + 506. Another tribune, Q. Anicius, A. U. C. 508, is distinguished by the + epithet of Praenestinus. Livy (xlv. 43) places the Anicii below the great + families of Rome.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.15" id="linknote-31.15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.15">return</a>)<br /> [ Livy, xliv. 30, 31, + xlv. 3, 26, 43. He fairly appreciates the merit of Anicius, and justly + observes, that his fame was clouded by the superior lustre of the + Macedonian, which preceded the Illyrian triumph.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.16" id="linknote-31.16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.16">return</a>)<br /> [ The dates of the three + consulships are, A. U. C. 593, 818, 967 the two last under the reigns of + Nero and Caracalla. The second of these consuls distinguished himself only + by his infamous flattery, (Tacit. Annal. xv. 74;) but even the evidence of + crimes, if they bear the stamp of greatness and antiquity, is admitted, + without reluctance, to prove the genealogy of a noble house.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.17" id="linknote-31.17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.17">return</a>)<br /> [ In the sixth century, + the nobility of the Anician name is mentioned (Cassiodor. Variar. l. x. + Ep. 10, 12) with singular respect by the minister of a Gothic king of + Italy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.18" id="linknote-31.18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.18">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Fixus in omnes + Cognatos procedit honos; quemcumque requiras + Hac de stirpe virum, certum est de Consule + nasci. Per fasces numerantur Avi, semperque + renata Nobilitate virent, et prolem fata sequuntur. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + (Claudian in Prob. et Olyb. Consulat. 12, &c.) The Annii, whose name + seems to have merged in the Anician, mark the Fasti with many consulships, + from the time of Vespasian to the fourth century.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.19" id="linknote-31.19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.19">return</a>)<br /> [ The title of first + Christian senator may be justified by the authority of Prudentius (in + Symmach. i. 553) and the dislike of the Pagans to the Anician family. See + Tillemont, Hist. des Empereurs, tom. iv. p. 183, v. p. 44. Baron. Annal. + A.D. 312, No. 78, A.D. 322, No. 2.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.20" id="linknote-31.20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.20">return</a>)<br /> [ Probus... claritudine + generis et potentia et opum magnitudine, cognitus Orbi Romano, per quem + universum poene patrimonia sparsa possedit, juste an secus non judicioli + est nostri. Ammian Marcellin. xxvii. 11. His children and widow erected + for him a magnificent tomb in the Vatican, which was demolished in the + time of Pope Nicholas V. to make room for the new church of St. Peter + Baronius, who laments the ruin of this Christian monument, has diligently + preserved the inscriptions and basso-relievos. See Annal. Eccles. A.D. + 395, No. 5-17.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.21" id="linknote-31.21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.21">return</a>)<br /> [ Two Persian satraps + travelled to Milan and Rome, to hear St. Ambrose, and to see Probus, + (Paulin. in Vit. Ambros.) Claudian (in Cons. Probin. et Olybr. 30-60) + seems at a loss how to express the glory of Probus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.22" id="linknote-31.22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.22">return</a>)<br /> [ See the poem which + Claudian addressed to the two noble youths.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap31.2"></a> +Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part + II. +</h2> + <p> + “The marbles of the Anician palace,” were used as a proverbial expression + of opulence and splendor; <a href="#linknote-31.23" name="linknoteref-31.23" + id="linknoteref-31.23">23</a> 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 houses, the residence of + wealthy and honorable citizens. <a href="#linknote-31.24" + name="linknoteref-31.24" id="linknoteref-31.24">24</a> Many of these stately + mansions might almost excuse the exaggeration of the poet; that Rome + contained a multitude of 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 use or luxury; markets, hippodromes, temples, + fountains, baths, porticos, shady groves, and artificial aviaries. <a + href="#linknote-31.25" name="linknoteref-31.25" id="linknoteref-31.25">25</a> + The historian Olympiodorus, who represents the state of Rome when it was + besieged by the Goths, <a href="#linknote-31.26" name="linknoteref-31.26" + id="linknoteref-31.26">26</a> 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 senatorian rank, which required many + expenses 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 praetorship by a festival, which lasted seven days, and cost + above one hundred thousand pounds sterling. <a href="#linknote-31.27" + name="linknoteref-31.27" id="linknoteref-31.27">27</a> The estates of the + Roman senators, which so far exceeded the proportion of modern wealth, + were not confined to the limits of Italy. Their possessions extended far + beyond the Ionian and Aegean Seas, to the most distant provinces: the city + of Nicopolis, which Augustus had founded as an eternal monument of the + Actian victory, was the property of the devout Paula; <a + href="#linknote-31.28" name="linknoteref-31.28" id="linknoteref-31.28">28</a> + and it is observed by Seneca, that the rivers, which had divided hostile + nations, now flowed through the lands of private citizens. <a + href="#linknote-31.29" name="linknoteref-31.29" id="linknoteref-31.29">29</a> + According to their temper and circumstances, the estates of the Romans + were either cultivated by the labor of their slaves, or granted, for a + certain and stipulated rent, to the industrious farmer. The economical + writers of antiquity strenuously recommend the former method, wherever it + may 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 administration of a negligent, perhaps an + unfaithful, steward. <a href="#linknote-31.30" name="linknoteref-31.30" + id="linknoteref-31.30">30</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.23" id="linknote-31.23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.23">return</a>)<br /> [ Secundinus, the + Manichaean, ap. Baron. Annal. Eccles. A.D. 390, No. 34.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.24" id="linknote-31.24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.24">return</a>)<br /> [ See Nardini, Roma + Antica, p. 89, 498, 500.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.25" id="linknote-31.25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.25">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Quid loquar inclusas inter laquearia sylvas; + Vernula queis vario carmine ludit avis. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Claud. Rutil. Numatian. Itinerar. ver. 111. The poet lived at the time of + the Gothic invasion. A moderate palace would have covered Cincinnatus’s + farm of four acres (Val. Max. iv. 4.) In laxitatem ruris excurrunt, says + Seneca, Epist. 114. See a judicious note of Mr. Hume, Essays, vol. i. p. + 562, last 8vo edition.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.26" id="linknote-31.26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.26">return</a>)<br /> [ This curious account of + Rome, in the reign of Honorius, is found in a fragment of the historian + Olympiodorus, ap. Photium, p. 197.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.27" id="linknote-31.27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.27">return</a>)<br /> [ The sons of Alypius, of + Symmachus, and of Maximus, spent, during their respective praetorships, + twelve, or twenty, or forty, centenaries, (or hundred weight of gold.) See + Olympiodor. ap. Phot. p. 197. This popular estimation allows some + latitude; but it is difficult to explain a law in the Theodosian Code, (l. + vi. leg. 5,) which fixes the expense of the first praetor at 25,000, of + the second at 20,000, and of the third at 15,000 folles. The name of + follis (see Mem. de l’Academie des Inscriptions, tom. xxviii. p. 727) was + equally applied to a purse of 125 pieces of silver, and to a small copper + coin of the value of 1/2625 part of that purse. In the former sense, the + 25,000 folles would be equal to 150,000 L.; in the latter, to five or six + ponuds sterling The one appears extravagant, the other is ridiculous. + There must have existed some third and middle value, which is here + understood; but ambiguity is an excusable fault in the language of laws.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.28" id="linknote-31.28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.28">return</a>)<br /> [ Nicopolis...... in + Actiaco littore sita possessioris vestra nunc pars vel maxima est. Jerom. + in Praefat. Comment. ad Epistol. ad Titum, tom. ix. p. 243. M. D. + Tillemont supposes, strangely enough, that it was part of Agamemnon’s + inheritance. Mem. Eccles. tom. xii. p. 85.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.29" id="linknote-31.29"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 29 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.29">return</a>)<br /> [ Seneca, Epist. lxxxix. + His language is of the declamatory kind: but declamation could scarcely + exaggerate the avarice and luxury of the Romans. The philosopher himself + deserved some share of the reproach, if it be true that his rigorous + exaction of Quadringenties, above three hundred thousand pounds which he + had lent at high interest, provoked a rebellion in Britain, (Dion Cassius, + l. lxii. p. 1003.) According to the conjecture of Gale (Antoninus’s + Itinerary in Britain, p. 92,) the same Faustinus possessed an estate near + Bury, in Suffolk and another in the kingdom of Naples.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.30" id="linknote-31.30"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 30 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.30">return</a>)<br /> [ Volusius, a wealthy + senator, (Tacit. Annal. iii. 30,) always preferred tenants born on the + estate. Columella, who received this maxim from him, argues very + judiciously on the subject. De Re Rustica, l. i. c. 7, p. 408, edit. + Gesner. Leipsig, 1735.] + </p> + <p> + The opulent nobles of an immense capital, who were never excited by the + pursuit of military glory, and seldom engaged in the occupations of civil + government, naturally resigned their leisure to the business and + amusements of private life. At Rome, commerce was always held in contempt: + but the senators, from the first age of the republic, increased their + patrimony, and multiplied their clients, by the lucrative practice of + usury; and the obselete laws were eluded, or violated, by the mutual + inclinations and interest of both parties. <a href="#linknote-31.31" + name="linknoteref-31.31" id="linknoteref-31.31">31</a> 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 had been transported by Scipio from vanquished Carthage. <a + href="#linknote-31.32" name="linknoteref-31.32" id="linknoteref-31.32">32</a> + The greater part of the nobles, who dissipated their fortunes in profuse + luxury, found themselves poor in the midst of wealth, and idle in a + constant round of dissipation. Their desires were continually gratified by + the labor of a thousand hands; of the numerous train of their domestic + slaves, who were actuated by the fear of punishment; and of the various + 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 refinements of pompous or sensual luxury. <a + href="#linknote-31.33" name="linknoteref-31.33" id="linknoteref-31.33">33</a> + Their luxury, and their manners, have been the subject of minute and + laborious disposition: but as such inquiries would divert me too long from + the design of the present work, I shall produce an authentic state of Rome + and its inhabitants, which is more peculiarly applicable to the period of + the Gothic invasion. Ammianus Marcellinus, who prudently chose the capital + of the empire as the residence the best adapted to the historian of his + own times, has mixed with the narrative of public events a lively + representation of the scenes with which he was familiarly conversant. The + judicious reader will not always approve of 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. <a + href="#linknote-31.34" name="linknoteref-31.34" id="linknoteref-31.34">34</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.31" id="linknote-31.31"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 31 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.31">return</a>)<br /> [ Valesius (ad Ammian. + xiv. 6) has proved, from Chrysostom and Augustin, that the senators were + not allowed to lend money at usury. Yet it appears from the Theodosian + Code, (see Godefroy ad l. ii. tit. xxxiii. tom. i. p. 230-289,) that they + were permitted to take six percent., or one half of the legal interest; + and, what is more singular, this permission was granted to the young + senators.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.32" id="linknote-31.32"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 32 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.32">return</a>)<br /> [ Plin. Hist. Natur. + xxxiii. 50. He states the silver at only 4380 pounds, which is increased + by Livy (xxx. 45) to 100,023: the former seems too little for an opulent + city, the latter too much for any private sideboard.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.33" id="linknote-31.33"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 33 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.33">return</a>)<br /> [ The learned Arbuthnot + (Tables of Ancient Coins, &c. p. 153) has observed with humor, and I + believe with truth, that Augustus had neither glass to his windows, nor a + shirt to his back. Under the lower empire, the use of linen and glass + became somewhat more common. * Note: The discovery of glass in such common + use at Pompeii, spoils the argument of Arbuthnot. See Sir W. Gell. + Pompeiana, 2d ser. p. 98.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.34" id="linknote-31.34"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 34 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.34">return</a>)<br /> [ It is incumbent on me + to explain the liberties which I have taken with the text of Ammianus. 1. + I have melted down into one piece the sixth chapter of the fourteenth and + the fourth of the twenty-eighth book. 2. I have given order and connection + to the confused mass of materials. 3. I have softened some extravagant + hyperbeles, and pared away some superfluities of the original. 4. I have + developed some observations which were insinuated rather than expressed. + With these allowances, my version will be found, not literal indeed, but + faithful and exact.] + </p> + <p> + “The greatness of Rome”—such is the language of the historian—“was + founded on the rare, and almost incredible, alliance of virtue and of + fortune. The long period of her infancy was employed in a laborious + struggle against the tribes of Italy, the neighbors and enemies of the + rising city. In the strength and ardor of youth, she sustained the storms + of war; carried her victorious arms beyond the seas and the mountains; and + brought home triumphal laurels from every country of the globe. At length, + verging towards old age, and sometimes conquering by the terror only of + her name, she sought the blessings of ease and tranquillity. The venerable + city, which had trampled on the necks of the fiercest nations, and + established a system of laws, the perpetual guardians of justice and + freedom, was content, like a wise and wealthy parent, to devolve on the + Caesars, her favorite sons, the care of governing her ample patrimony. <a + href="#linknote-31.35" name="linknoteref-31.35" id="linknoteref-31.35">35</a> + A secure and profound peace, such as had been once enjoyed in the reign of + Numa, succeeded to the tumults of a republic; while Rome was still adored + as the queen of the earth; and the subject nations still reverenced the + name of the people, and the majesty of the senate. But this native + splendor,” continues Ammianus, “is degraded, and sullied, by the conduct + of some nobles, who, unmindful of their own dignity, and of that of their + country, assume an unbounded license of vice and folly. They contend with + each other in the empty vanity of titles and surnames; and curiously + select, or invent, the most lofty and sonorous appellations, Reburrus, or + Fabunius, Pagonius, or Tarasius, <a href="#linknote-31.36" + name="linknoteref-31.36" id="linknoteref-31.36">36</a> which may impress the + ears of the vulgar with astonishment and respect. From a vain ambition 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 honorable distinction, first granted + to Acilius 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 every man, who recollects, that their poor and invincible + ancestors were not distinguished from the meanest of the soldiers, by the + delicacy of their food, or the splendor of their apparel. But the modern + nobles measure their rank and consequence according to the loftiness of + their chariots, <a href="#linknote-31.37" name="linknoteref-31.37" + id="linknoteref-31.37">37</a> and the weighty magnificence of their dress. + Their long robes of silk and purple float in the wind; and as they are + agitated, by art or accident, they occasionally discover the under + garments, the rich tunics, embroidered with the figures of various + animals. <a href="#linknote-31.38" name="linknoteref-31.38" + id="linknoteref-31.38">38</a> 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 driving 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 appropriate to their own use the conveniences 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 honor of kissing their hands, or their + knees. As soon as they have indulged themselves 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 departure the same haughty demeanor; which + perhaps might have been excused in the great Marcellus, after the conquest + of Syracuse. Sometimes, indeed, these heroes undertake more arduous + achievements; they visit their estates in Italy, and procure themselves, + by the toil of servile hands, the amusements of the chase. <a + href="#linknote-31.39" name="linknoteref-31.39" id="linknoteref-31.39">39</a> + If at any time, but more especially on a hot day, they have courage to + sail, in their painted galleys, from the Lucrine Lake <a + href="#linknote-31.40" name="linknoteref-31.40" id="linknoteref-31.40">40</a> + to their elegant villas on the seacoast of Puteoli and Cayeta, <a + href="#linknote-31.41" name="linknoteref-31.41" id="linknoteref-31.41">41</a> + they compare their own expeditions to the marches of Caesar and Alexander. + Yet should a fly presume to settle on the silken folds of their gilded + umbrellas; should a sunbeam penetrate through some unguarded and + imperceptible chink, they deplore their intolerable hardships, and lament, + in affected language, that they were not born in the land of the + Cimmerians, <a href="#linknote-31.42" name="linknoteref-31.42" + id="linknoteref-31.42">42</a> the regions of eternal darkness. In these + journeys into the country, <a href="#linknote-31.43" name="linknoteref-31.43" + id="linknoteref-31.43">43</a> the whole body of the household marches with + their master. In the same manner as the cavalry and infantry, the heavy + and the light armed troops, the advanced guard and the rear, are + marshalled by the skill of their military leaders; so the domestic + officers, who bear a rod, as an ensign of authority, distribute and + arrange the numerous train of slaves and attendants. The baggage and + wardrobe move in the front; and are immediately followed by a multitude of + cooks, and inferior ministers, employed in the service of the kitchens, + and of the table. The main body is composed of a promiscuous crowd of + slaves, increased by the accidental concourse of idle or dependent + plebeians. The rear is closed by the favorite band of eunuchs, distributed + from age to youth, according to the order of seniority. Their numbers and + their deformity excite the horror of the indignant spectators, who are + ready to execrate the memory of Semiramis, for the cruel art which she + invented, of frustrating the purposes of nature, and of blasting in the + bud the hopes of future generations. In the exercise of domestic + jurisdiction, the nobles of Rome express an exquisite sensibility for any + personal injury, and a contemptuous indifference 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 repeats the + offence, he shall not escape punishment. 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, if + a foreigner, perhaps of no contemptible rank, is introduced to one of the + proud and wealthy senators, he 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 active seat of + manners, as well as of empire. Secure of a favorable reception, he repeats + his visit the ensuing day, and is mortified by the discovery, that his + person, his name, and his country, are already forgotten. If he still has + resolution to persevere, he is gradually numbered in the train of + dependants, and obtains the permission to pay his assiduous and + unprofitable court to a haughty patron, incapable of gratitude or + friendship; who scarcely deigns to remark his presence, his departure, or + his return. Whenever the rich prepare a solemn and popular entertainment; + <a href="#linknote-31.44" name="linknoteref-31.44" id="linknoteref-31.44">44</a> + whenever they celebrate, with profuse and pernicious luxury, their private + banquets; the choice of the guests is the subject of anxious 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 frequent and familiar companions of the + great, are those parasites, who practise the most useful 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 and elegance which he is taught + to consider as a part of his personal merit. At the Roman tables, the + birds, the squirrels, <a href="#linknote-31.45" name="linknoteref-31.45" + id="linknoteref-31.45">45</a> or the fish, which appear of an uncommon + size, are contemplated with curious attention; a pair of scales is + accurately applied, to ascertain their real weight; and, while the more + rational guests are disgusted by the vain and tedious repetition, notaries + are summoned to attest, by an authentic record, the truth of such a + marvelous event. Another 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 by a strict + and indissoluble bond of friendship, or rather of conspiracy; a superior + degree of skill in the Tesserarian art (which may be interpreted the game + of dice and tables) <a href="#linknote-31.46" name="linknoteref-31.46" + id="linknoteref-31.46">46</a> is a sure road to wealth and reputation. A + master of that sublime science, who in a supper, or assembly, is placed + below a magistrate, displays in his countenance the surprise and + indignation which Cato might be supposed to feel, when he was refused the + praetorship by the votes of a capricious people. The acquisition of + knowledge seldom engages the curiosity of nobles, who abhor the fatigue, + and disdain the advantages, of study; and the only books which they peruse + are the Satires of Juvenal, and the verbose and fabulous histories of + Marius Maximus. <a href="#linknote-31.47" name="linknoteref-31.47" + id="linknoteref-31.47">47</a> The libraries, which they have inherited from + their fathers, are secluded, like dreary sepulchres, from the light of + day. <a href="#linknote-31.48" name="linknoteref-31.48" id="linknoteref-31.48">48</a> + But the costly instruments of the theatre, flutes, and enormous lyres, and + hydraulic organs, are constructed for their use; and the harmony of vocal + and instrumental music is incessantly repeated in the palaces of Rome. In + those palaces, sound is preferred to sense, and the care of the body to + that of the mind.” + </p> + <p> + It is allowed as a salutary maxim, that the light and frivolous suspicion + of a contagious malady, is of sufficient weight to excuse the visits of + the most intimate friends; and even the servants, who are despatched to + make the decent inquiries, are not suffered to return home, till they have + undergone the ceremony of a previous ablution. Yet this selfish and + unmanly delicacy occasionally yields to the more imperious passion of + avarice. The prospect of gain will urge a rich and gouty senator as far as + Spoleto; every sentiment of arrogance and dignity is subdued by the hopes + of an inheritance, or even of a legacy; and a wealthy childless citizen is + the most powerful of the Romans. The art of obtaining the signature of a + favorable testament, and sometimes of hastening the moment of its + execution, is perfectly understood; and it has happened, that in the same + house, though in different apartments, a husband and a wife, with the + laudable design of overreaching each other, have summoned their respective + lawyers, to declare, at the same time, their mutual, but contradictory, + intentions. The distress which follows and chastises extravagant luxury, + often reduces the great to the use of the most humiliating expedients. + When they desire to borrow, they employ the base and supplicating style of + the slave in the comedy; but when they are called upon to pay, they assume + the royal and tragic declamation of the grandsons of Hercules. If the + demand is repeated, they readily procure some trusty sycophant, instructed + to maintain a charge of poison, or magic, against the insolent creditor; + who is seldom released from prison, till he has signed a discharge of the + whole debt. These vices, which degrade the moral character of the Romans, + are mixed with a puerile superstition, that disgraces their understanding. + They listen with confidence to the predictions of haruspices, who pretend + to read, in the entrails of victims, the signs of future greatness and + prosperity; and there are many who do not presume either to bathe, or to + dine, or to appear in public, till they have diligently consulted, + according to the rules of astrology, the situation of Mercury, and the + aspect of the moon. <a href="#linknote-31.49" name="linknoteref-31.49" + id="linknoteref-31.49">49</a> It is singular enough, that this vain + credulity may often be discovered among the profane sceptics, who + impiously doubt, or deny, the existence of a celestial power.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.35" id="linknote-31.35"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 35 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.35">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian, who seems to + have read the history of Ammianus, speaks of this great revolution in a + much less courtly style:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Postquam jura ferox in se communia Caesar + Transtulit; et lapsi mores; desuetaque priscis + Artibus, in gremium pacis servile recessi. + —De Be. Gildonico, p. 49.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.36" id="linknote-31.36"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 36 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.36">return</a>)<br /> [ The minute diligence of + antiquarians has not been able to verify these extraordinary names. I am + of opinion that they were invented by the historian himself, who was + afraid of any personal satire or application. It is certain, however, that + the simple denominations of the Romans were gradually lengthened to the + number of four, five, or even seven, pompous surnames; as, for instance, + Marcus Maecius Maemmius Furius Balburius Caecilianus Placidus. See Noris + Cenotaph Piran Dissert. iv. p. 438.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.37" id="linknote-31.37"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 37 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.37">return</a>)<br /> [ The or coaches of the + romans, were often of solid silver, curiously carved and engraved; and the + trappings of the mules, or horses, were embossed with gold. This + magnificence continued from the reign of Nero to that of Honorius; and the + Appian way was covered with the splendid equipages of the nobles, who came + out to meet St. Melania, when she returned to Rome, six years before the + Gothic siege, (Seneca, epist. lxxxvii. Plin. Hist. Natur. xxxiii. 49. + Paulin. Nolan. apud Baron. Annal. Eccles. A.D. 397, No. 5.) Yet pomp is + well exchange for convenience; and a plain modern coach, that is hung upon + springs, is much preferable to the silver or gold carts of antiquity, + which rolled on the axle-tree, and were exposed, for the most part, to the + inclemency of the weather.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.38" id="linknote-31.38"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 38 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.38">return</a>)<br /> [ In a homily of + Asterius, bishop of Amasia, M. de Valois has discovered (ad Ammian. xiv. + 6) that this was a new fashion; that bears, wolves lions, and tigers, + woods, hunting-matches, &c., were represented in embroidery: and that + the more pious coxcombs substituted the figure or legend of some favorite + saint.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.39" id="linknote-31.39"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 39 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.39">return</a>)<br /> [ See Pliny’s Epistles, + i. 6. Three large wild boars were allured and taken in the toils without + interrupting the studies of the philosophic sportsman.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.40" id="linknote-31.40"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 40 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.40">return</a>)<br /> [ The change from the + inauspicious word Avernus, which stands in the text, is immaterial. The + two lakes, Avernus and Lucrinus, communicated with each other, and were + fashioned by the stupendous moles of Agrippa into the Julian port, which + opened, through a narrow entrance, into the Gulf of Puteoli. Virgil, who + resided on the spot, has described (Georgic ii. 161) this work at the + moment of its execution: and his commentators, especially Catrou, have + derived much light from Strabo, Suetonius, and Dion. Earthquakes and + volcanoes have changed the face of the country, and turned the Lucrine + Lake, since the year 1538, into the Monte Nuovo. See Camillo Pellegrino + Discorsi della Campania Felice, p. 239, 244, &c. Antonii Sanfelicii + Campania, p. 13, 88—Note: Compare Lyell’s Geology, ii. 72.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.41" id="linknote-31.41"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 41 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.41">return</a>)<br /> [ The regna Cumana et + Puteolana; loca caetiroqui valde expe tenda, interpellantium autem + multitudine paene fugienda. Cicero ad Attic. xvi. 17.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.42" id="linknote-31.42"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 42 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.42">return</a>)<br /> [ The proverbial + expression of Cimmerian darkness was originally borrowed from the + description of Homer, (in the eleventh book of the Odyssey,) which he + applies to a remote and fabulous country on the shores of the ocean. See + Erasmi Adagia, in his works, tom. ii. p. 593, the Leyden edition.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.43" id="linknote-31.43"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 43 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.43">return</a>)<br /> [ We may learn from + Seneca (epist. cxxiii.) three curious circumstances relative to the + journeys of the Romans. 1. They were preceded by a troop of Numidian light + horse, who announced, by a cloud of dust, the approach of a great man. 2. + Their baggage mules transported not only the precious vases, but even the + fragile vessels of crystal and murra, which last is almost proved, by the + learned French translator of Seneca, (tom. iii. p. 402-422,) to mean the + porcelain of China and Japan. 3. The beautiful faces of the young slaves + were covered with a medicated crust, or ointment, which secured them + against the effects of the sun and frost.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.44" id="linknote-31.44"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 44 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.44">return</a>)<br /> [ Distributio solemnium + sportularum. The sportuloe, or sportelloe, were small baskets, supposed to + contain a quantity of hot provisions of the value of 100 quadrantes, or + twelvepence halfpenny, which were ranged in order in the hall, and + ostentatiously distributed to the hungry or servile crowd who waited at + the door. This indelicate custom is very frequently mentioned in the + epigrams of Martial, and the satires of Juvenal. See likewise Suetonius, + in Claud. c. 21, in Neron. c. 16, in Domitian, c. 4, 7. These baskets of + provisions were afterwards converted into large pieces of gold and silver + coin, or plate, which were mutually given and accepted even by persons of + the highest rank, (see Symmach. epist. iv. 55, ix. 124, and Miscell. p. + 256,) on solemn occasions, of consulships, marriages, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.45" id="linknote-31.45"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 45 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.45">return</a>)<br /> [ The want of an English + name obliges me to refer to the common genus of squirrels, the Latin glis, + the French loir; a little animal, who inhabits the woods, and remains + torpid in cold weather, (see Plin. Hist. Natur. viii. 82. Buffon, Hist. + Naturelle, tom. viii. 153. Pennant’s Synopsis of Quadrupeds, p. 289.) The + art of rearing and fattening great numbers of glires was practised in + Roman villas as a profitable article of rural economy, (Varro, de Re + Rustica, iii. 15.) The excessive demand of them for luxurious tables was + increased by the foolish prohibitions of the censors; and it is reported + that they are still esteemed in modern Rome, and are frequently sent as + presents by the Colonna princes, (see Brotier, the last editor of Pliny + tom. ii. p. 453. epud Barbou, 1779.)—Note: Is it not the dormouse?—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.46" id="linknote-31.46"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 46 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.46">return</a>)<br /> [ This game, which might + be translated by the more familiar names of trictrac, or backgammon, was a + favorite amusement of the gravest Romans; and old Mucius Scaevola, the + lawyer, had the reputation of a very skilful player. It was called ludus + duodecim scriptorum, from the twelve scripta, or lines, which equally + divided the alvevolus or table. On these, the two armies, the white and + the black, each consisting of fifteen men, or catculi, were regularly + placed, and alternately moved according to the laws of the game, and the + chances of the tesseroe, or dice. Dr. Hyde, who diligently traces the + history and varieties of the nerdiludium (a name of Persic etymology) from + Ireland to Japan, pours forth, on this trifling subject, a copious torrent + of classic and Oriental learning. See Syntagma Dissertat. tom. ii. p. + 217-405.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.47" id="linknote-31.47"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 47 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.47">return</a>)<br /> [ Marius Maximus, homo + omnium verbosissimus, qui, et mythistoricis se voluminibus implicavit. + Vopiscus in Hist. August. p. 242. He wrote the lives of the emperors, from + Trajan to Alexander Severus. See Gerard Vossius de Historicis Latin. l. + ii. c. 3, in his works, vol. iv. p. 47.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.48" id="linknote-31.48"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 48 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.48">return</a>)<br /> [ This satire is probably + exaggerated. The Saturnalia of Macrobius, and the epistles of Jerom, + afford satisfactory proofs, that Christian theology and classic literature + were studiously cultivated by several Romans, of both sexes, and of the + highest rank.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.49" id="linknote-31.49"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 49 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.49">return</a>)<br /> [ Macrobius, the friend + of these Roman nobles, considered the siara as the cause, or at least the + signs, of future events, (de Somn. Scipion l. i. c 19. p. 68.)] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap31.3"></a> +Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part + III. +</h2> + <p> + In populous cities, which are the seat of commerce and manufactures, the + middle ranks of inhabitants, who derive their subsistence from the + dexterity or labor of their hands, are commonly the most prolific, 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 usury; and the husbandman, during the term of his military + service, was obliged to abandon the cultivation of his farm. <a + href="#linknote-31.50" name="linknoteref-31.50" id="linknoteref-31.50">50</a> + The lands of Italy which had been originally divided among the 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 computed that only two thousand citizens were possessed + of an independent substance. <a href="#linknote-31.51" + name="linknoteref-31.51" id="linknoteref-31.51">51</a> Yet as long as the + people bestowed, by their suffrages, the honors of the state, the command + of the legions, and the administration of wealthy provinces, their + conscious pride alleviated in some measure, the hardships of poverty; and + 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 not only imprudently alienated the use, but the + inheritance of power, they sunk, under the reign of the Caesars, 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 + manumission of slaves, and the influx of strangers. As early as the time + of Hadrian, it was the just complaint of the ingenuous natives, that the + capital had attracted the vices of the universe, and the manners of the + most opposite nations. The intemperance of the Gauls, the cunning and + levity of the Greeks, the savage obstinacy of the Egyptians and Jews, the + servile temper of the Asiatics, and the dissolute, effeminate prostitution + of the Syrians, were mingled in the various multitude, which, under the + proud and false denomination of Romans, presumed to despise their + fellow-subjects, and even their sovereigns, who dwelt beyond the precincts + of the Eternal City. <a href="#linknote-31.52" name="linknoteref-31.52" + id="linknoteref-31.52">52</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.50" id="linknote-31.50"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 50 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.50">return</a>)<br /> [ The histories of Livy + (see particularly vi. 36) are full of the extortions of the rich, and the + sufferings of the poor debtors. The melancholy story of a brave old + soldier (Dionys. Hal. l. vi. c. 26, p. 347, edit. Hudson, and Livy, ii. + 23) must have been frequently repeated in those primitive times, which + have been so undeservedly praised.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.51" id="linknote-31.51"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 51 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.51">return</a>)<br /> [ Non esse in civitate + duo millia hominum qui rem habereni. Cicero. Offic. ii. 21, and Comment. + Paul. Manut. in edit. Graev. This vague computation was made A. U. C. 649, + in a speech of the tribune Philippus, and it was his object, as well as + that of the Gracchi, (see Plutarch,) to deplore, and perhaps to + exaggerate, the misery of the common people.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.52" id="linknote-31.52"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 52 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.52">return</a>)<br /> [ See the third Satire + (60-125) of Juvenal, who indignantly complains, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Quamvis quota portio faecis Achaei! + Jampridem Syrus in Tiberem defluxit Orontes; + Et linguam et mores, &c. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Seneca, when he proposes to comfort his mother (Consolat. ad Helv. c. 6) + by the reflection, that a great part of mankind were in a state of exile, + reminds her how few of the inhabitants of Rome were born in the city.] + </p> + <p> + Yet the name of that city was still pronounced with respect: the frequent + and capricious tumults of its inhabitants were indulged with impunity; and + the successors of Constantine, instead of crushing the last remains of the + democracy by the strong arm of military power, embraced the mild policy of + Augustus, and studied to relieve the poverty, and to amuse the idleness, + of an innumerable people. <a href="#linknote-31.53" name="linknoteref-31.53" + id="linknoteref-31.53">53</a> I. For the convenience of the lazy plebeians, + the monthly distributions of corn were converted into a daily allowance of + bread; a great number of ovens were constructed and maintained at the + public expense; and at the appointed hour, each citizen, who was furnished + with a ticket, ascended the flight of steps, which had been assigned to + his peculiar quarter or division, and received, either as a gift, or at a + very low price, a loaf of bread of the weight of three pounds, for the use + of his family. II. The forest of Lucania, whose acorns fattened large + droves of wild hogs, <a href="#linknote-31.54" name="linknoteref-31.54" + id="linknoteref-31.54">54</a> afforded, as a species of tribute, a + plentiful supply of cheap and wholesome meat. During five months of the + year, a regular allowance of bacon was distributed to the poorer citizens; + and the annual consumption of the capital, at a time when it was much + declined from its former lustre, was ascertained, by an edict from + Valentinian the Third, at three millions six hundred and twenty-eight + thousand pounds. <a href="#linknote-31.55" name="linknoteref-31.55" + id="linknoteref-31.55">55</a> III. In the manners of antiquity, the use of + oil was indispensable for the lamp, as well as for the bath; and the + annual tax, which was imposed on Africa for the benefit of Rome, amounted + to the weight of three millions of pounds, to the measure, perhaps, of + three hundred thousand English gallons. IV. The anxiety of Augustus to + provide the metropolis with sufficient plenty of corn, was not extended + beyond that necessary article of human subsistence; and when the popular + clamor accused the dearness and scarcity of wine, a proclamation was + issued, by the grave reformer, to remind his subjects that no man could + reasonably complain of thirst, since the aqueducts of Agrippa had + introduced into the city so many copious streams of pure and salubrious + water. <a href="#linknote-31.56" name="linknoteref-31.56" + id="linknoteref-31.56">56</a> This rigid sobriety was insensibly relaxed; + and, although the generous design of Aurelian <a href="#linknote-31.57" + name="linknoteref-31.57" id="linknoteref-31.57">57</a> does not appear to + have been executed in its full extent, the use of wine was allowed on very + easy and liberal terms. The administration of the public cellars was + delegated to a magistrate of honorable rank; and a considerable part of + the vintage of Campania was reserved for the fortunate inhabitants of + Rome. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.53" id="linknote-31.53"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 53 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.53">return</a>)<br /> [ Almost all that is said + of the bread, bacon, oil, wine, &c., may be found in the fourteenth + book of the Theodosian Code; which expressly treats of the police of the + great cities. See particularly the titles iii. iv. xv. xvi. xvii. xxiv. + The collateral testimonies are produced in Godefroy’s Commentary, and it + is needless to transcribe them. According to a law of Theodosius, which + appreciates in money the military allowance, a piece of gold (eleven + shillings) was equivalent to eighty pounds of bacon, or to eighty pounds + of oil, or to twelve modii (or pecks) of salt, (Cod. Theod. l. viii. tit. + iv. leg. 17.) This equation, compared with another of seventy pounds of + bacon for an amphora, (Cod. Theod. l. xiv. tit. iv. leg. 4,) fixes the + price of wine at about sixteenpence the gallon.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.54" id="linknote-31.54"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 54 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.54">return</a>)<br /> [ The anonymous author of + the Description of the World (p. 14. in tom. iii. Geograph. Minor. Hudson) + observes of Lucania, in his barbarous Latin, Regio optima, et ipsa omnibus + habundans, et lardum multum foras. Proptor quod est in montibus, cujus + aescam animalium rariam, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.55" id="linknote-31.55"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 55 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.55">return</a>)<br /> [ See Novell. ad calcem + Cod. Theod. D. Valent. l. i. tit. xv. This law was published at Rome, June + 29th, A.D. 452.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.56" id="linknote-31.56"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 56 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.56">return</a>)<br /> [ Sueton. in August. c. + 42. The utmost debauch of the emperor himself, in his favorite wine of + Rhaetia, never exceeded a sextarius, (an English pint.) Id. c. 77. + Torrentius ad loc. and Arbuthnot’s Tables, p. 86.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.57" id="linknote-31.57"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 57 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.57">return</a>)<br /> [ His design was to plant + vineyards along the sea-coast of Hetruria, (Vopiscus, in Hist. August. p. + 225;) the dreary, unwholesome, uncultivated Maremme of modern Tuscany] + </p> + <p> + The stupendous aqueducts, so justly celebrated by the praises of Augustus + himself, replenished the Thermoe, or baths, which had been constructed in + every part of the city, with Imperial magnificence. The baths of Antoninus + 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 Diocletian. <a href="#linknote-31.58" name="linknoteref-31.58" + id="linknoteref-31.58">58</a> The walls of the lofty apartments were + covered with curious mosaics, that imitated the art of the pencil in the + elegance of design, and the variety of colors. The Egyptian granite was + beautifully encrusted with the precious green marble of Numidia; the + perpetual stream of hot water was poured into the capacious basins, + through so many wide mouths of bright and massy silver; and the meanest + Roman could purchase, with a small copper coin, the daily enjoyment of a + scene of pomp and luxury, which might excite the envy of the kings of + Asia. <a href="#linknote-31.59" name="linknoteref-31.59" + id="linknoteref-31.59">59</a> 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 of Forum, to hear news and to hold + disputes; who dissipated in extravagant gaming, the miserable pittance of + their wives and children; and spent the hours of the night in the obscure + taverns, and brothels, in the indulgence of gross and vulgar sensuality. + <a href="#linknote-31.60" name="linknoteref-31.60" id="linknoteref-31.60">60</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.58" id="linknote-31.58"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 58 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.58">return</a>)<br /> [ Olympiodor. apud Phot. + p. 197.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.59" id="linknote-31.59"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 59 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.59">return</a>)<br /> [ Seneca (epistol. + lxxxvi.) compares the baths of Scipio Africanus, at his villa of Liternum, + with the magnificence (which was continually increasing) of the public + baths of Rome, long before the stately Thermae of Antoninus and Diocletian + were erected. The quadrans paid for admission was the quarter of the as, + about one eighth of an English penny.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.60" id="linknote-31.60"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 60 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.60">return</a>)<br /> [ Ammianus, (l. xiv. c. + 6, and l. xxviii. c. 4,) after describing the luxury and pride of the + nobles of Rome, exposes, with equal indignation, the vices and follies of + the common people.] + </p> + <p> + But the most lively and splendid amusement of the idle multitude, depended + on the frequent exhibition of public games and spectacles. The piety of + Christian princes had suppressed the inhuman combats of gladiators; but + the Roman people still considered the Circus as their home, their temple, + and the seat of the republic. The impatient crowd rushed at the dawn of + day to secure their places, and there were many who passed a sleepless and + anxious night in the adjacent porticos. From the morning to the evening, + careless of the sun, or of the rain, the spectators, who sometimes + amounted to the number of four hundred thousand, remained in eager + attention; their eyes fixed on the horses and charioteers, their minds + agitated with hope and fear, for the success of the colors which they + espoused: and the happiness of Rome appeared to hang on the event of a + race. <a href="#linknote-31.61" name="linknoteref-31.61" + id="linknoteref-31.61">61</a> The same immoderate ardor inspired their + clamors and their applause, as often as they were entertained with the + hunting of wild beasts, and the various modes of theatrical + representation. These representations in modern capitals may deserve to be + considered as a pure and elegant school of taste, and perhaps of virtue. + But the Tragic and Comic Muse of the Romans, who seldom aspired beyond the + imitation of Attic genius, <a href="#linknote-31.62" name="linknoteref-31.62" + id="linknoteref-31.62">62</a> had been almost totally silent since the fall + of the republic; <a href="#linknote-31.63" name="linknoteref-31.63" + id="linknoteref-31.63">63</a> and their place was unworthily occupied by + licentious farce, effeminate music, and splendid pageantry. The + pantomimes, <a href="#linknote-31.64" name="linknoteref-31.64" + id="linknoteref-31.64">64</a> who maintained their reputation from the age + of Augustus to the sixth century, expressed, without the use of words, the + various fables of the gods and heroes of antiquity; and the perfection of + their art, which sometimes disarmed the gravity of the philosopher, always + excited the applause and wonder of the people. The vast and magnificent + theatres of Rome were filled by three thousand female dancers, and by + three thousand singers, with the masters of the respective choruses. Such + was the popular favor which they enjoyed, that, in a time of scarcity, + when all strangers were banished from the city, the merit of contributing + to the public pleasures exempted them from a law, which was strictly + executed against the professors of the liberal arts. <a + href="#linknote-31.65" name="linknoteref-31.65" id="linknoteref-31.65">65</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.61" id="linknote-31.61"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 61 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.61">return</a>)<br /> [ Juvenal. Satir. xi. + 191, &c. The expressions of the historian Ammianus are not less strong + and animated than those of the satirist and both the one and the other + painted from the life. The numbers which the great Circus was capable of + receiving are taken from the original Notitioe of the city. The + differences between them prove that they did not transcribe each other; + but the same may appear incredible, though the country on these occasions + flocked to the city.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.62" id="linknote-31.62"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 62 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.62">return</a>)<br /> [ Sometimes indeed they + composed original pieces. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Vestigia Graeca + Ausi deserere et celeb rare domestica facta. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Horat. Epistol. ad Pisones, 285, and the learned, though perplexed note of + Dacier, who might have allowed the name of tragedies to the Brutus and the + Decius of Pacuvius, or to the Cato of Maternus. The Octavia, ascribed to + one of the Senecas, still remains a very unfavorable specimen of Roman + tragedy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.63" id="linknote-31.63"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 63 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.63">return</a>)<br /> [ In the time of + Quintilian and Pliny, a tragic poet was reduced to the imperfect method of + hiring a great room, and reading his play to the company, whom he invited + for that purpose. (See Dialog. de Oratoribus, c. 9, 11, and Plin. Epistol. + vii. 17.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.64" id="linknote-31.64"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 64 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.64">return</a>)<br /> [ See the dialogue of + Lucian, entitled the Saltatione, tom. ii. p. 265-317, edit. Reitz. The + pantomimes obtained the honorable name; and it was required, that they + should be conversant with almost every art and science. Burette (in the + Mémoires de l’Academie des Inscriptions, tom. i. p. 127, &c.) has + given a short history of the art of pantomimes.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.65" id="linknote-31.65"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 65 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.65">return</a>)<br /> [ Ammianus, l. xiv. c. 6. + He complains, with decent indignation that the streets of Rome were filled + with crowds of females, who might have given children to the state, but + whose only occupation was to curl and dress their hair, and jactari + volubilibus gyris, dum experimunt innumera simulacra, quae finxere fabulae + theatrales.] + </p> + <p> + It is said, that the foolish curiosity of Elagabalus attempted to + discover, from the quantity of 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, who could easily have + resolved a question so important for the Roman government, and so + interesting to succeeding ages. The births and deaths of the citizens were + duly registered; and if any writer of antiquity had condescended to + mention the annual amount, or the common average, we might now produce + some satisfactory calculation, which would destroy the extravagant + assertions of critics, and perhaps confirm the modest and probable + conjectures of philosophers. <a href="#linknote-31.66" + name="linknoteref-31.66" id="linknoteref-31.66">66</a> The most diligent + researches have collected only the following circumstances; which, slight + and imperfect as they are, may tend, in some degree, to illustrate the + question of 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. <a href="#linknote-31.67" name="linknoteref-31.67" + id="linknoteref-31.67">67</a> It should not be forgotten that the form of + the city was almost that of a circle; the geometrical figure which is + known to contain the largest space within any given circumference. II. The + architect Vitruvius, who flourished in the Augustan age, and whose + evidence, on this occasion, has peculiar weight and authority, observes, + that the innumerable habitations of the Roman people would have spread + themselves far beyond the narrow limits of the city; and that the want of + ground, which was probably contracted on every side by gardens and villas, + suggested the common, though inconvenient, practice of raising the houses + to a considerable height in the air. <a href="#linknote-31.68" + name="linknoteref-31.68" id="linknoteref-31.68">68</a> 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 by Nero, that the height of + private edifices within the walls of Rome, should not exceed the measure + of seventy feet from the ground. <a href="#linknote-31.69" + name="linknoteref-31.69" id="linknoteref-31.69">69</a> III. Juvenal <a + href="#linknote-31.70" name="linknoteref-31.70" id="linknoteref-31.70">70</a> + laments, as it should seem from his own experience, the hardships of the + poorer citizens, to whom he addresses the salutary advice of emigrating, + without delay, from the smoke of Rome, since they might purchase, in the + little towns of Italy, a cheerful commodious dwelling, at the same price + which they annually paid for a dark and miserable lodging. House-rent was + therefore immoderately dear: the rich acquired, at an enormous expense, + the ground, which they covered with palaces and gardens; but the body of + the Roman people was crowded into a narrow space; and the different + floors, and apartments, of the same house, were divided, as it is still + the custom of Paris, and other cities, among several families of + plebeians. IV. The total number of houses in the fourteen regions of the + city, is accurately stated in the description of Rome, composed under the + reign of Theodosius, and they amount to forty-eight thousand three hundred + and eighty-two. <a href="#linknote-31.71" name="linknoteref-31.71" + id="linknoteref-31.71">71</a> The two classes of domus and of insulæ, into + which they are divided, include all the habitations of the capital, of + every rank and condition from the marble palace of the Anicii, with a + numerous establishment of freedmen and slaves, to the lofty and narrow + lodging-house, where the poet Codrus and his wife were permitted to hire a + wretched garret immediately under the tiles. If we adopt the same average, + which, under similar circumstances, has been found applicable to Paris, <a + href="#linknote-31.72" name="linknoteref-31.72" id="linknoteref-31.72">72</a> + and indifferently allow about twenty-five persons for each house, of every + degree, we may fairly estimate the inhabitants of Rome at twelve hundred + thousand: a number which cannot be thought excessive for the capital of a + mighty empire, though it exceeds the populousness of the greatest cities + of modern Europe. <a href="#linknote-31.73" name="linknoteref-31.73" + id="linknoteref-31.73">73</a> <a href="#linknote-31.7311" + name="linknoteref-31.7311" id="linknoteref-31.7311">7311</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.66" id="linknote-31.66"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 66 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.66">return</a>)<br /> [ Lipsius (tom. iii. p. + 423, de Magnitud. Romana, l. iii. c. 3) and Isaac Vossius (Observant. Var. + p. 26-34) have indulged strange dreams, of four, or eight, or fourteen, + millions in Rome. Mr. Hume, (Essays, vol. i. p. 450-457,) with admirable + good sense and scepticism betrays some secret disposition to extenuate the + populousness of ancient times.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.67" id="linknote-31.67"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 67 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.67">return</a>)<br /> [ Olympiodor. ap. Phot. + p. 197. See Fabricius, Bibl. Graec. tom. ix. p. 400.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.68" id="linknote-31.68"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 68 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.68">return</a>)<br /> [ In ea autem majestate + urbis, et civium infinita frequentia, innumerabiles habitationes opus fuit + explicare. Ergo cum recipero non posset area plana tantam multitudinem in + urbe, ad auxilium altitudinis aedificiorum res ipsa coegit devenire. + Vitruv. ii. 8. This passage, which I owe to Vossius, is clear, strong, and + comprehensive.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.69" id="linknote-31.69"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 69 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.69">return</a>)<br /> [ The successive + testimonies of Pliny, Aristides, Claudian, Rutilius, &c., prove the + insufficiency of these restrictive edicts. See Lipsius, de Magnitud. + Romana, l. iii. c. 4. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Tabulata tibi jam tertia fumant; + Tu nescis; nam si gradibus trepidatur ab imis + Ultimus ardebit, quem tegula sola tuetur + A pluvia. —-Juvenal. Satir. iii. 199] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.70" id="linknote-31.70"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 70 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.70">return</a>)<br /> [ Read the whole third + satire, but particularly 166, 223, &c. The description of a crowded + insula, or lodging-house, in Petronius, (c. 95, 97,) perfectly tallies + with the complaints of Juvenal; and we learn from legal authority, that, + in the time of Augustus, (Heineccius, Hist. Juris. Roman. c. iv. p. 181,) + the ordinary rent of the several coenacula, or apartments of an insula, + annually produced forty thousand sesterces, between three and four hundred + pounds sterling, (Pandect. l. xix. tit. ii. No. 30,) a sum which proves at + once the large extent, and high value, of those common buildings.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.71" id="linknote-31.71"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 71 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.71">return</a>)<br /> [ This sum total is + composed of 1780 domus, or great houses of 46,602 insulæ, or plebeian + habitations, (see Nardini, Roma Antica, l. iii. p. 88;) and these numbers + are ascertained by the agreement of the texts of the different Notitioe. + Nardini, l. viii. p. 498, 500.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.72" id="linknote-31.72"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 72 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.72">return</a>)<br /> [ See that accurate + writer M. de Messance, Recherches sur la Population, p. 175-187. From + probable, or certain grounds, he assigns to Paris 23,565 houses, 71,114 + families, and 576,630 inhabitants.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.73" id="linknote-31.73"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 73 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.73">return</a>)<br /> [ This computation is not + very different from that which M. Brotier, the last editor of Tacitus, + (tom. ii. p. 380,) has assumed from similar principles; though he seems to + aim at a degree of precision which it is neither possible nor important to + obtain.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.7311" id="linknote-31.7311"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7311 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.7311">return</a>)<br /> [ M. Dureau de la + Malle (Economic Politique des Romaines, t. i. p. 369) quotes a passage + from the xvth chapter of Gibbon, in which he estimates the population of + Rome at not less than a million, and adds (omitting any reference to this + passage,) that he (Gibbon) could not have seriously studied the question. + M. Dureau de la Malle proceeds to argue that Rome, as contained within the + walls of Servius Tullius, occupying an area only one fifth of that of + Paris, could not have contained 300,000 inhabitants; within those of + Aurelian not more than 560,000, inclusive of soldiers and strangers. The + suburbs, he endeavors to show, both up to the time of Aurelian, and after + his reign, were neither so extensive, nor so populous, as generally + supposed. M. Dureau de la Malle has but imperfectly quoted the important + passage of Dionysius, that which proves that when he wrote (in the time of + Augustus) the walls of Servius no longer marked the boundary of the city. + In many places they were so built upon, that it was impossible to trace + them. There was no certain limit, where the city ended and ceased to be + the city; it stretched out to so boundless an extent into the country. + Ant. Rom. iv. 13. None of M. de la Malle’s arguments appear to me to + prove, against this statement, that these irregular suburbs did not extend + so far in many parts, as to make it impossible to calculate accurately the + inhabited area of the city. Though no doubt the city, as reconstructed by + Nero, was much less closely built and with many more open spaces for + palaces, temples, and other public edifices, yet many passages seem to + prove that the laws respecting the height of houses were not rigidly + enforced. A great part of the lower especially of the slave population, + were very densely crowded, and lived, even more than in our modern towns, + in cellars and subterranean dwellings under the public edifices. Nor do M. + de la Malle’s arguments, by which he would explain the insulae insulae (of + which the Notitiae Urbis give us the number) as rows of shops, with a + chamber or two within the domus, or houses of the wealthy, satisfy me as + to their soundness of their scholarship. Some passages which he adduces + directly contradict his theory; none, as appears to me, distinctly prove + it. I must adhere to the old interpretation of the word, as chiefly + dwellings for the middling or lower classes, or clusters of tenements, + often perhaps, under the same roof. On this point, Zumpt, in the + Dissertation before quoted, entirely disagrees with M. de la Malle. Zumpt + has likewise detected the mistake of M. de la Malle as to the “canon” of + corn, mentioned in the life of Septimius Severus by Spartianus. On this + canon the French writer calculates the inhabitants of Rome at that time. + But the “canon” was not the whole supply of Rome, but that quantity which + the state required for the public granaries to supply the gratuitous + distributions to the people, and the public officers and slaves; no doubt + likewise to keep down the general price. M. Zumpt reckons the population + of Rome at 2,000,000. After careful consideration, I should conceive the + number in the text, 1,200,000, to be nearest the truth—M. 1845.] + </p> + <p> + Such was the state of Rome under the reign of Honorius; at the time when + the Gothic army formed the siege, or rather the blockade, of the city. <a + href="#linknote-31.74" name="linknoteref-31.74" id="linknoteref-31.74">74</a> + By a skilful disposition of his numerous forces, who impatiently watched + the moment of an assault, Alaric encompassed the walls, commanded the + twelve principal gates, intercepted all communication with the adjacent + country, and vigilantly guarded the navigation of the Tyber, from which + the Romans derived the surest and most plentiful supply of provisions. The + first emotions 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 enemy in arms, + was meanly exercised on a defenceless and innocent victim. Perhaps in the + person of Serena, the Romans might have respected the niece of Theodosius, + the aunt, nay, even the adoptive mother, of the reigning emperor: 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 correspondence with the Gothic invader. Actuated, or overawed, by + the same popular frenzy, the senate, without requiring any evidence of his + guilt, pronounced the sentence of her death. Serena was ignominiously + strangled; and the infatuated multitude were astonished 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 + gradually experienced the distress of scarcity, 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 still + 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 Laeta, 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. <a href="#linknote-31.75" + name="linknoteref-31.75" id="linknoteref-31.75">75</a> But these private and + temporary donatives were insufficient to appease the hunger of a numerous + people; and the 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 unavailing treasures of + gold and silver, to obtain the coarse and scanty sustenance which they + would formerly have rejected with disdain. The food the most repugnant to + sense or imagination, the aliments the most unwholesome and pernicious to + the constitution, were eagerly devoured, and fiercely disputed, by the + rage of hunger. A dark suspicion was entertained, that some desperate + wretches fed on the bodies of their fellow-creatures, whom they had + secretly murdered; and even mothers, (such was the horrid conflict of the + two most powerful instincts implanted by nature in the human breast,) even + mothers are said to have tasted the flesh of their slaughtered infants! <a + href="#linknote-31.76" name="linknoteref-31.76" id="linknoteref-31.76">76</a> + 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 so + many putrid and unburied carcasses, infected the air; and the miseries of + famine were succeeded and aggravated by the contagion of a pestilential + disease. The assurances of speedy and effectual relief, which were + repeatedly transmitted from the court of Ravenna, supported for some time, + the fainting resolution of the Romans, till at length the despair of any + human aid tempted them to accept the offers of a praeternatural + deliverance. Pompeianus, praefect 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. <a href="#linknote-31.77" name="linknoteref-31.77" + id="linknoteref-31.77">77</a> The important secret was communicated to + Innocent, the bishop of Rome; and the successor of St. Peter is accused, + perhaps without foundation, of preferring the safety of the republic to + the rigid severity of the Christian worship. But when the question was + agitated in the senate; when it was proposed, as an essential condition, + that those sacrifices should be performed in the Capitol, by the + authority, and in the presence, of the magistrates, the majority of that + respectable assembly, apprehensive either of the Divine or of the Imperial + displeasure, refused to join in an act, which appeared almost equivalent + to the public restoration of Paganism. <a href="#linknote-31.78" + name="linknoteref-31.78" id="linknoteref-31.78">78</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.74" id="linknote-31.74"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 74 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.74">return</a>)<br /> [ For the events of the + first siege of Rome, which are often confounded with those of the second + and third, see Zosimus, l. v. p. 350-354, Sozomen, l. ix. c. 6, + Olympiodorus, ap. Phot. p. 180, Philostorgius, l. xii. c. 3, and Godefroy, + Dissertat. p. 467-475.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.75" id="linknote-31.75"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 75 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.75">return</a>)<br /> [ The mother of Laeta was + named Pissumena. Her father, family, and country, are unknown. Ducange, + Fam. Byzantium, p. 59.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.76" id="linknote-31.76"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 76 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.76">return</a>)<br /> [ Ad nefandos cibos + erupit esurientium rabies, et sua invicem membra laniarunt, dum mater non + parcit lactenti infantiae; et recipit utero, quem paullo ante effuderat. + Jerom. ad Principiam, tom. i. p. 121. The same horrid circumstance is + likewise told of the sieges of Jerusalem and Paris. For the latter, + compare the tenth book of the Henriade, and the Journal de Henri IV. tom. + i. p. 47-83; and observe that a plain narrative of facts is much more + pathetic, than the most labored descriptions of epic poetry] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.77" id="linknote-31.77"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 77 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.77">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. v. p. 355, + 356) speaks of these ceremonies like a Greek unacquainted with the + national superstition of Rome and Tuscany. I suspect, that they consisted + of two parts, the secret and the public; the former were probably an + imitation of the arts and spells, by which Numa had drawn down Jupiter and + his thunder on Mount Aventine. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Quid agant laqueis, quae carmine dicant, + Quaque trahant superis sedibus arte Jovem, + Scire nefas homini. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The ancilia, or shields of Mars, the pignora Imperii, which were carried + in solemn procession on the calends of March, derived their origin from + this mysterious event, (Ovid. Fast. iii. 259-398.) It was probably + designed to revive this ancient festival, which had been suppressed by + Theodosius. In that case, we recover a chronological date (March the 1st, + A.D. 409) which has not hitherto been observed. * Note: On this curious + question of the knowledge of conducting lightning, processed by the + ancients, consult Eusebe Salverte, des Sciences Occultes, l. xxiv. Paris, + 1829.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.78" id="linknote-31.78"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 78 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.78">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen (l. ix. c. 6) + insinuates that the experiment was actually, though unsuccessfully, made; + but he does not mention the name of Innocent: and Tillemont, (Mem. Eccles. + tom. x. p. 645) is determined not to believe, that a pope could be guilty + of such impious condescension.] + </p> + <p> + The last resource of the Romans was in the clemency, or at least in the + moderation, of the king of the Goths. The senate, who in this emergency + assumed the supreme powers of government, appointed two ambassadors to + negotiate with the enemy. This important trust was delegated to Basilius, + a senator, of Spanish extraction, and already conspicuous in the + administration of provinces; 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 prince. 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 honorable capitulation, he might sound his + 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 loud 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 he + would accept as the price of his retreat from the walls of Rome: all the + gold and silver in the city, whether it were the property of the state, or + of individuals; all the rich and precious movables; and all the slaves + that could prove their title to the name of Barbarians. The ministers of + the senate presumed to ask, in a modest and suppliant tone, “If such, O + king, are your demands, what do you intend to leave us?” “Your Lives!” + replied the haughty conqueror: they trembled, and retired. Yet, before + they retired, a short suspension of arms was granted, which allowed some + time for a more temperate negotiation. The stern features of Alaric were + insensibly relaxed; he abated much of the rigor of his terms; and at + length consented to raise the siege, on the immediate payment of five + thousand pounds of gold, of thirty thousand pounds of silver, of four + thousand robes of silk, of three thousand pieces of fine scarlet cloth, + and of three thousand pounds weight of pepper. <a href="#linknote-31.79" + name="linknoteref-31.79" id="linknoteref-31.79">79</a> But the public + treasury was exhausted; the annual rents of the great estates in Italy and + the provinces, had been exchanged, during the famine, for the vilest + sustenance; the hoards of secret wealth were still concealed 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 enjoyment of peace and plenty. Several + of the gates were cautiously opened; the importation of provisions from + the river and the adjacent country was no longer obstructed by the Goths; + the citizens resorted in crowds to the free market, which was held during + three days in the suburbs; and while the merchants who undertook this + gainful trade made a considerable profit, the future subsistence of the + city was secured by the ample magazines which were deposited in the public + and private granaries. A more regular discipline than could have been + expected, was maintained in the camp of Alaric; and the wise Barbarian + justified his regard for the faith of treaties, by the just severity with + which he chastised a party of licentious Goths, who had insulted some + Roman citizens on the road to Ostia. His army, enriched by the + contributions of the capital, slowly advanced into the fair and fruitful + province of Tuscany, where he proposed to establish his winter quarters; + and the Gothic standard became the refuge of forty thousand Barbarian + slaves, who had broke their chains, and aspired, under the command of + their great deliverer, to revenge the injuries and the disgrace of their + cruel servitude. About the same time, he received a more honorable + reenforcement of Goths and Huns, whom Adolphus, <a href="#linknote-31.80" + name="linknoteref-31.80" id="linknoteref-31.80">80</a> the brother of his + wife, had conducted, at his pressing invitation, from the banks of the + Danube to those of the Tyber, and who had cut their way, with some + difficulty and loss, through the superior number of the Imperial troops. A + victorious leader, who united the daring spirit of a Barbarian with the + art and discipline of a Roman general, was at the head of a hundred + thousand fighting men; and Italy pronounced, with terror and respect, the + formidable name of Alaric. <a href="#linknote-31.81" name="linknoteref-31.81" + id="linknoteref-31.81">81</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.79" id="linknote-31.79"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 79 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.79">return</a>)<br /> [ Pepper was a favorite + ingredient of the most expensive Roman cookery, and the best sort commonly + sold for fifteen denarii, or ten shillings, the pound. See Pliny, Hist. + Natur. xii. 14. It was brought from India; and the same country, the coast + of Malabar, still affords the greatest plenty: but the improvement of + trade and navigation has multiplied the quantity and reduced the price. + See Histoire Politique et Philosophique, &c., tom. i. p. 457.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.80" id="linknote-31.80"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 80 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.80">return</a>)<br /> [ This Gothic chieftain + is called by Jornandes and Isidore, Athaulphus; by Zosimus and Orosius, + Ataulphus; and by Olympiodorus, Adaoulphus. I have used the celebrated + name of Adolphus, which seems to be authorized by the practice of the + Swedes, the sons or brothers of the ancient Goths.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.81" id="linknote-31.81"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 81 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.81">return</a>)<br /> [ The treaty between + Alaric and the Romans, &c., is taken from Zosimus, l. v. p. 354, 355, + 358, 359, 362, 363. The additional circumstances are too few and trifling + to require any other quotation.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap31.4"></a> +Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part + IV. +</h2> + <p> + At the distance of fourteen centuries, we may 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 conscious, perhaps, of some secret + weakness, some internal defect; or perhaps the moderation which he + displayed, was intended only 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 + conclusion of the treaty; and the proposals, which he more clearly + expressed during the course of the negotiations, could only inspire a + doubt of his sincerity, 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 stipulated an annual subsidy of corn and money; and + he chose the provinces of Dalmatia, Noricum, and Venetia, for the seat of + his new kingdom, which would have commanded the important communication + between Italy and the Danube. If these modest terms should be rejected, + Alaric showed a disposition to relinquish his pecuniary demands, and even + to content himself with the possession of Noricum; an exhausted and + impoverished country, perpetually exposed to the inroads of the Barbarians + of Germany. <a href="#linknote-31.82" name="linknoteref-31.82" + id="linknoteref-31.82">82</a> But the hopes of peace were disappointed by + the weak obstinacy, or interested views, of the minister Olympius. Without + listening to the salutary remonstrances of the senate, he dismissed their + ambassadors under the conduct of a military escort, too numerous for a + retinue of honor, and too feeble for any army of defence. Six thousand + Dalmatians, the flower of the Imperial legions, were ordered 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 a hundred soldiers, escaped from the field of battle; and one + of the ambassadors, who could no longer claim the protection of the law of + nations, was obliged to purchase his freedom 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 the dangers + of the road by a detachment of Gothic soldiers. <a href="#linknote-31.83" + name="linknoteref-31.83" id="linknoteref-31.83">83</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.82" id="linknote-31.82"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 82 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.82">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. v. p. 367 + 368, 369.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.83" id="linknote-31.83"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 83 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.83">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. v. p. 360, + 361, 362. The bishop, by remaining at Ravenna, escaped the impending + calamities of the city. Orosius, l. vii. c. 39, p. 573.] + </p> + <p> + Olympius <a href="#linknote-31.84" name="linknoteref-31.84" + id="linknoteref-31.84">84</a> might have continued to insult the just + resentment of a people who loudly accused him as the author of the public + calamities; but his power was undermined by the secret intrigues of the + palace. The favorite eunuchs transferred the government of Honorius, and + the empire, to Jovius, the Prætorian praefect; an unworthy servant, who + did not atone, by the merit of personal attachment, for the errors 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 obscure and wandering life; he again rose to 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, <a + href="#linknote-31.85" name="linknoteref-31.85" + id="linknoteref-31.85">85</a> a soldier of Barbarian origin, who still + adhered to the worship of his ancestors, 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 persons of his rank or merit, he + refused to accept any partial dispensation, and persevered in honorable + disgrace, till he had extorted a general act of justice from the distress + of the Roman government. The conduct of Gennerid in the important station + to which he was promoted or restored, of master-general of Dalmatia, + Pannonia, Noricum, and Rhaetia, 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 valor of Gennerid, + formidable to the adjacent Barbarians, was the firmest bulwark of the + Illyrian frontier; and his vigilant care assisted the empire with a + reenforcement 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 have been sufficient, not only for the march of + an army, but for the settlement of a colony. But the court and councils + of Honorius still remained a scene of weakness and distraction, of + corruption and anarchy. Instigated by the praefect Jovius, the guards + rose in furious 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 shipboard, and privately executed; while the favor + of the eunuchs procured them a mild and secure exile at Milan and + Constantinople. Eusebius the eunuch, and the Barbarian Allobich, + succeeded to the command of the bed-chamber and of the guards; and the + mutual jealousy of these subordinate ministers was the cause of their + mutual destruction. By the insolent order of the count of the domestics, + the great chamberlain 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 Jovius, from a selfish, and perhaps a + criminal, motive, had negotiated with Alaric, in a personal interview + under the walls of Rimini. During the absence of Jovius, the emperor was + persuaded to assume a lofty tone of inflexible dignity, such as neither + his situation, nor his character, could enable him to support; and a + letter, signed with the name of Honorius, was immediately despatched to + the Prætorian praefect, granting him a free permission to dispose of the + public money, but sternly refusing to prostitute the military honors 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 had behaved with 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 Rimini was hastily + interrupted; and the praefect Jovius, on his return to Ravenna, was + compelled to adopt, and even to encourage, the fashionable opinions of + the court. By his advice and example, the principal officers of the state + and army were obliged to swear, that, without listening, in any + circumstances, to any conditions of peace, they would still persevere in + perpetual and implacable war against the enemy of the republic. This rash + engagement opposed an insuperable bar to all future negotiation. The + ministers of Honorius were heard to declare, that, if they 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. + <a href="#linknote-31.86" name="linknoteref-31.86" id="linknoteref-31.86">86</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.84" id="linknote-31.84"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 84 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.84">return</a>)<br /> [ For the adventures of + Olympius, and his successors in the ministry, see Zosimus, l. v. p. 363, + 365, 366, and Olympiodor. ap. Phot. p. 180, 181. ] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.85" id="linknote-31.85"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 85 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.85">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. v. p. 364) + relates this circumstance with visible complacency, and celebrates the + character of Gennerid as the last glory of expiring Paganism. Very + different were the sentiments of the council of Carthage, who deputed four + bishops to the court of Ravenna to complain of the law, which had been + just enacted, that all conversions to Christianity should be free and + voluntary. See Baronius, Annal. Eccles. A.D. 409, No. 12, A.D. 410, No. + 47, 48.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.86" id="linknote-31.86"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 86 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.86">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. v. p. 367, + 368, 369. This custom of swearing by the head, or life, or safety, or + genius, of the sovereign, was of the highest antiquity, both in Egypt + (Genesis, xlii. 15) and Scythia. It was soon transferred, by flattery, to + the Caesars; and Tertullian complains, that it was the only oath which the + Romans of his time affected to reverence. See an elegant Dissertation of + the Abbe Mossieu on the Oaths of the Ancients, in the Mem de l’Academie + des Inscriptions, tom. i. p. 208, 209.] + </p> + <p> + While the emperor and his court enjoyed, with sullen pride, the security + of the marches and fortifications of Ravenna, they abandoned Rome, almost + without defence, to the resentment of Alaric. Yet such was the moderation + which he still preserved, or affected, that, as he moved with his army + along the Flaminian way, he successively despatched the bishops of the + towns of Italy to reiterate his offers of peace, and to conjure the + emperor, that he would save the city and its inhabitants from hostile + fire, and the sword of the Barbarians. <a href="#linknote-31.87" + name="linknoteref-31.87" id="linknoteref-31.87">87</a> 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 milder, + though not less effectual, method of conquest. Instead of assaulting the + capital, he successfully directed his efforts against the Port of Ostia, + one of the boldest and most stupendous works of Roman magnificence. <a + href="#linknote-31.88" name="linknoteref-31.88" id="linknoteref-31.88">88</a> + The accidents to which the precarious subsistence of the city was + continually exposed in a winter navigation, and an open road, had + suggested to the genius of the first Caesar the useful design, which was + executed under 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 basins, which received the northern branch + of the Tyber, about two miles from the ancient colony of Ostia. <a + href="#linknote-31.89" name="linknoteref-31.89" id="linknoteref-31.89">89</a> + The Roman Port insensibly swelled to the size of an episcopal city, <a + href="#linknote-31.90" name="linknoteref-31.90" id="linknoteref-31.90">90</a> + 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 important + place, he summoned the city to surrender at discretion; and his demands + were enforced by the positive declaration, that a refusal, or even a + delay, should be instantly followed by the destruction of the magazines, + on which the life of the Roman people depended. The clamors of that + people, and the terror of famine, subdued the pride of the senate; they + listened, without reluctance, to the proposal of placing a new emperor on + the throne of the unworthy Honorius; and the suffrage of the Gothic + conqueror bestowed the purple on Attalus, praefect of the city. The + grateful monarch immediately acknowledged his protector as master-general + of the armies of the West; Adolphus, with the rank of count of the + domestics, obtained the custody of the person of Attalus; and the two + hostile nations seemed to be united in the closest bands of friendship and + alliance. <a href="#linknote-31.91" name="linknoteref-31.91" + id="linknoteref-31.91">91</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.87" id="linknote-31.87"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 87 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.87">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. v. p. 368, + 369. I have softened the expressions of Alaric, who expatiates, in too + florid a manner, on the history of Rome] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.88" id="linknote-31.88"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 88 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.88">return</a>)<br /> [ See Sueton. in Claud. + c. 20. Dion Cassius, l. lx. p. 949, edit Reimar, and the lively + description of Juvenal, Satir. xii. 75, &c. In the sixteenth century, + when the remains of this Augustan port were still visible, the + antiquarians sketched the plan, (see D’Anville, Mem. de l’Academie des + Inscriptions, tom. xxx. p. 198,) and declared, with enthusiasm, that all + the monarchs of Europe would be unable to execute so great a work, + (Bergier, Hist. des grands Chemins des Romains, tom. ii. p. 356.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.89" id="linknote-31.89"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 89 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.89">return</a>)<br /> [ The Ostia Tyberina, + (see Cluver. Italia Antiq. l. iii. p. 870-879,) in the plural number, the + two mouths of the Tyber, were separated by the Holy Island, an equilateral + triangle, whose sides were each of them computed at about two miles. The + colony of Ostia was founded immediately beyond the left, or southern, and + the Port immediately beyond the right, or northern, branch of hte river; + and the distance between their remains measures something more than two + miles on Cingolani’s map. In the time of Strabo, the sand and mud + deposited by the Tyber had choked the harbor of Ostia; the progress of the + same cause has added much to the size of the Holy Islands, and gradually + left both Ostia and the Port at a considerable distance from the shore. + The dry channels (fiumi morti) and the large estuaries (stagno di Ponente, + di Levante) mark the changes of the river, and the efforts of the sea. + Consult, for the present state of this dreary and desolate tract, the + excellent map of the ecclesiastical state by the mathematicians of + Benedict XIV.; an actual survey of the Agro Romano, in six sheets, by + Cingolani, which contains 113,819 rubbia, (about 570,000 acres;) and the + large topographical map of Ameti, in eight sheets.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.90" id="linknote-31.90"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 90 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.90">return</a>)<br /> [ As early as the third, + (Lardner’s Credibility of the Gospel, part ii. vol. iii. p. 89-92,) or at + least the fourth, century, (Carol. a Sancta Paulo, Notit. Eccles. p. 47,) + the Port of Rome was an episcopal city, which was demolished, as it should + seem in the ninth century, by Pope Gregory IV., during the incursions of + the Arabs. It is now reduced to an inn, a church, and the house, or + palace, of the bishop; who ranks as one of six cardinal-bishops of the + Roman church. See Eschinard, Deserizione di Roman et dell’ Agro Romano, p. + 328. * Note: Compare Sir W. Gell. Rome and its Vicinity vol. ii p. 134.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.91" id="linknote-31.91"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 91 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.91">return</a>)<br /> [ For the elevation of + Attalus, consult Zosimus, l. vi. p. 377-380, Sozomen, l. ix. c. 8, 9, + Olympiodor. ap. Phot. p. 180, 181, Philostorg. l. xii. c. 3, and + Godefroy’s Dissertat. p. 470.] + </p> + <p> + The gates of the city were thrown open, and the new emperor of the Romans, + encompassed on every side by the Gothic arms, was conducted, in tumultuous + procession, to the palace of Augustus and Trajan. After he had distributed + the civil and military dignities among his favorites and followers, + Attalus convened an assembly of the senate; before whom, in a formal and + florid speech, he asserted his resolution of restoring the majesty of the + republic, and of uniting to the empire the provinces of Egypt and the + East, which had once acknowledged the sovereignty of Rome. Such + extravagant promises inspired every reasonable citizen 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 usual levity, applauded the change of masters. The public discontent + was favorable 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. <a + href="#linknote-31.92" name="linknoteref-31.92" id="linknoteref-31.92">92</a> + 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 submitted 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; and a solemn + embassy of the principal ministers, of Jovius, the Prætorian praefect, of + Valens, master of the cavalry and infantry, of the quaestor 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 + acknowledge the lawful election of his competitor, and to divide the + provinces 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. <a + href="#linknote-31.93" name="linknoteref-31.93" id="linknoteref-31.93">93</a> + So desperate indeed did the situation of the son of Theodosius appear, to + those who were the best acquainted with his strength and resources, that + Jovius and Valens, his minister and his general, betrayed their trust, + infamously deserted the sinking 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 lurk in his capital, his palace, his + bed-chamber; and some ships lay ready in the harbor of Ravenna, to + transport the abdicated monarch to the dominions of his infant nephew, the + emperor of the East. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.92" id="linknote-31.92"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 92 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.92">return</a>)<br /> [ We may admit the + evidence of Sozomen for the Arian baptism, and that of Philostorgius for + the Pagan education, of Attalus. The visible joy of Zosimus, and the + discontent which he imputes to the Anician family, are very unfavorable to + the Christianity of the new emperor.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.93" id="linknote-31.93"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 93 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.93">return</a>)<br /> [ He carried his + insolence so far, as to declare that he should mutilate Honorius before he + sent him into exile. But this assertion of Zosimus is destroyed by the + more impartial testimony of Olympiodorus; who attributes the ungenerous + proposal (which was absolutely rejected by Attalus) to the baseness, and + perhaps the treachery, of Jovius.] + </p> + <p> + But there is a Providence (such at least was the opinion of the historian + Procopius) <a href="#linknote-31.94" name="linknoteref-31.94" + id="linknoteref-31.94">94</a> that watches over innocence and folly; and + the pretensions of Honorius 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 seasonable reenforcement 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 the city; and + the slumbers of the emperor were no longer disturbed by the apprehension + of imminent and internal danger. The favorable intelligence which was + received from Africa suddenly changed the opinions of men, and the state + of public affairs. The troops and officers, whom Attalus had sent into + that province, were defeated and slain; and the active zeal of Heraclian + maintained his own allegiance, and that of his people. The 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 famine, tumult, and discontent, into the walls of + Rome. The failure of the African expedition was the source of mutual + complaint and recrimination in the party of Attalus; and the mind of his + protector was insensibly alienated from the interest of a prince, who + wanted spirit to command, or docility to obey. The most imprudent measures + were adopted, without the knowledge, or against the advice, of Alaric; and + the obstinate refusal of the senate, to allow, in the embarkation, the + mixture even of five hundred Goths, betrayed a suspicious and distrustful + temper, which, in their situation, was neither generous nor prudent. The + resentment of the Gothic king was exasperated by the malicious arts of + Jovius, who had been raised to the rank of patrician, and who afterwards + excused his double perfidy, by declaring, without a blush, that he had + only seemed to abandon the service of Honorius, more effectually to ruin + the cause of the usurper. In a large plain near Rimini, and in the + presence of an innumerable multitude of Romans and Barbarians, the + wretched Attalus was publicly despoiled of the diadem and purple; and + those ensigns of royalty were sent by Alaric, as the pledge of peace and + friendship, to the son of Theodosius. <a href="#linknote-31.95" + name="linknoteref-31.95" id="linknoteref-31.95">95</a> The officers who + returned to their duty, were reinstated in their employments, and even the + merit of a tardy repentance was graciously allowed; but the degraded + emperor of the Romans, desirous of life, and insensible of disgrace, + implored the permission of following the Gothic camp, in the train of a + haughty and capricious Barbarian. <a href="#linknote-31.96" + name="linknoteref-31.96" id="linknoteref-31.96">96</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.94" id="linknote-31.94"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 94 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.94">return</a>)<br /> [ Procop. de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. c. 2.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.95" id="linknote-31.95"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 95 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.95">return</a>)<br /> [ See the cause and + circumstances of the fall of Attalus in Zosimus, l. vi. p. 380-383. + Sozomen, l. ix. c. 8. Philostorg. l. xii. c. 3. The two acts of indemnity + in the Theodosian Code, l. ix. tit. xxxviii. leg. 11, 12, which were + published the 12th of February, and the 8th of August, A.D. 410, evidently + relate to this usurper.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.96" id="linknote-31.96"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 96 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.96">return</a>)<br /> [ In hoc, Alaricus, + imperatore, facto, infecto, refecto, ac defecto... Mimum risit, et ludum + spectavit imperii. Orosius, l. vii. c. 42, p. 582.] + </p> + <p> + The degradation of Attalus removed the only real obstacle to the + conclusion of the peace; and Alaric advanced within three miles of + Ravenna, to press the irresolution of the Imperial ministers, whose + insolence soon returned with the return of fortune. His indignation was + kindled by the report, that a rival chieftain, that Sarus, the personal + enemy of Adolphus, and the hereditary foe of the house of Balti, had been + received into the palace. At the head of three hundred followers, that + fearless Barbarian immediately sallied from the gates of Ravenna; + surprised, and cut in pieces, a considerable body of Goths; reentered the + city in triumph; and was permitted to insult his adversary, by the voice + of a herald, who publicly declared that the guilt of Alaric had forever + excluded him from the friendship and alliance of the emperor. <a + href="#linknote-31.97" name="linknoteref-31.97" id="linknoteref-31.97">97</a> + The crime and folly of the court of Ravenna was expiated, a third time, by + the calamities of Rome. The king of the Goths, who no longer dissembled + his appetite for plunder and revenge, appeared in arms under the walls of + the capital; and the trembling senate, without any hopes of relief, + prepared, by a desperate resistance, to defray the ruin of their country. + But they were unable to guard against 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. <a href="#linknote-31.98" + name="linknoteref-31.98" id="linknoteref-31.98">98</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.97" id="linknote-31.97"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 97 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.97">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. vi. p. 384. + Sozomen, l. ix. c. 9. Philostorgius, l. xii. c. 3. In this place the text + of Zosimus is mutilated, and we have lost the remainder of his sixth and + last book, which ended with the sack of Rome. Credulous and partial as he + is, we must take our leave of that historian with some regret.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.98" id="linknote-31.98"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 98 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.98">return</a>)<br /> [ Adest Alaricus, + trepidam Romam obsidet, turbat, irrumpit. Orosius, l. vii. c. 39, p. 573. + He despatches this great event in seven words; but he employs whole pages + in celebrating the devotion of the Goths. I have extracted from an + improbable story of Procopius, the circumstances which had an air of + probability. Procop. de Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 2. He supposes that the + city was surprised while the senators slept in the afternoon; but Jerom, + with more authority and more reason, affirms, that it was in the night, + nocte Moab capta est. nocte cecidit murus ejus, tom. i. p. 121, ad + Principiam.] + </p> + <p> + The proclamation of Alaric, when he forced his entrance into a vanquished + city, discovered, however, some regard for the laws of humanity and + religion. He encouraged his troops boldly to seize the rewards of valor, + 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 fervor + of a recent conversion; and some instances of their uncommon piety and + moderation are related, and perhaps adorned, by the zeal of ecclesiastical + writers. <a href="#linknote-31.99" name="linknoteref-31.99" + id="linknoteref-31.99">99</a> While the Barbarians roamed through the city + in quest of prey, the humble dwelling of an aged virgin, who had devoted + her life to the service of the altar, was forced open by one of the + powerful Goths. He immediately demanded, though in civil language, all the + gold and silver in her possession; and was astonished at the readiness + with which she conducted him to a splendid hoard of massy plate, of the + richest materials, and the most curious workmanship. The Barbarian viewed + with wonder and delight this valuable acquisition, till he was interrupted + by a serious admonition, addressed to him in the following words: “These,” + said she, “are the consecrated vessels belonging to St. Peter: if you + presume to touch them, the sacrilegious deed will remain on your + conscience. For my part, I dare not keep what I am unable to defend.” The + Gothic captain, struck with reverential awe, despatched a messenger to + inform the king of the treasure which he had discovered; and received a + peremptory order from Alaric, that all the consecrated plate and ornaments + should be transported, without damage or delay, to the church of the + apostle. From the extremity, perhaps, of the Quirinal hill, to the distant + quarter of the Vatican, a numerous detachment of Goths, marching in order + of battle through the principal streets, protected, with glittering arms, + the long train of their devout companions, who bore aloft, on their heads, + the sacred vessels of gold and silver; and the martial shouts of the + Barbarians were mingled with the sound of religious psalmody. From all the + adjacent houses, a crowd of Christians hastened to join this edifying + procession; and a multitude of fugitives, without distinction of age, or + rank, or even of sect, had the good fortune to escape to the secure and + hospitable sanctuary of the Vatican. The learned work, concerning the City + of God, was professedly composed by St. Augustin, to justify the ways of + Providence in the destruction of the Roman greatness. He celebrates, with + peculiar satisfaction, this memorable triumph of Christ; and insults his + adversaries, by challenging them to produce some similar example of a town + taken by storm, in which the fabulous gods of antiquity had been able to + protect either themselves or their deluded votaries. <a + href="#linknote-31.100" name="linknoteref-31.100" id="linknoteref-31.100">100</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.99" id="linknote-31.99"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 99 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.99">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius (l. vii. c. 39, + p. 573-576) applauds the piety of the Christian Goths, without seeming to + perceive that the greatest part of them were Arian heretics. Jornandes (c. + 30, p. 653) and Isidore of Seville, (Chron. p. 417, edit. Grot.,) who were + both attached to the Gothic cause, have repeated and embellished these + edifying tales. According to Isidore, Alaric himself was heard to say, + that he waged war with the Romans, and not with the apostles. Such was the + style of the seventh century; two hundred years before, the fame and merit + had been ascribed, not to the apostles, but to Christ.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.100" id="linknote-31.100"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 100 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.100">return</a>)<br /> [ See Augustin, de + Civitat. Dei, l. i. c. 1-6. He particularly appeals to the examples of + Troy, Syracuse, and Tarentum.] + </p> + <p> + In the sack of Rome, some rare and extraordinary examples of Barbarian + virtue have been 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 standard of Alaric, were strangers to the name, or at + least to the faith, of Christ; and we may suspect, without any breach of + charity or candor, that in the hour of savage license, when every passion + was inflamed, and every restraint was removed, the precepts of the Gospel + seldom influenced the behavior of the Gothic Christians. The writers, the + best disposed to exaggerate their clemency, have freely confessed, that a + cruel slaughter was made of the Romans; <a href="#linknote-31.101" + name="linknoteref-31.101" id="linknoteref-31.101">101</a> and that the + streets of the city were filled with dead bodies, which remained 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 ecclesiastical historian has selected an example of female + virtue, for the admiration of future ages. <a href="#linknote-31.102" + name="linknoteref-31.102" id="linknoteref-31.102">102</a> A Roman lady, of + singular beauty and orthodox faith, had excited the impatient desires of a + young Goth, who, according to the sagacious 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 neck. + 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. <a + href="#linknote-31.103" name="linknoteref-31.103" id="linknoteref-31.103">103</a> + Their were other losses indeed of 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 the greatest part of the Roman + women from the danger of a rape. But avarice is an insatiate and universal + passion; since the enjoyment of almost every object that can afford + pleasure to the different tastes and tempers of mankind may be procured by + the possession of wealth. In the pillage of Rome, a just preference was + given to gold and jewels, 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 + wagons, that always followed the march of a Gothic army. The most + 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. + </p> + <p> + The acquisition of riches served only to stimulate the avarice of the + rapacious Barbarians, who proceeded, by threats, by blows, and by + tortures, to force from their prisoners the confession of hidden treasure. + <a href="#linknote-31.104" name="linknoteref-31.104" id="linknoteref-31.104">104</a> + Visible splendor and expense were alleged as the proof of a plentiful + fortune; the appearance of poverty was imputed 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, for + refusing to reveal their imaginary treasures. The edifices of Rome, though + the damage has been much exaggerated, received some injury from the + violence of the Goths. At their entrance through the Salarian gate, they + fired the adjacent houses to guide their march, and to distract the + attention of the citizens; the 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 <a href="#linknote-31.105" + name="linknoteref-31.105" id="linknoteref-31.105">105</a> remained, in the + age of Justinian, a stately monument of the Gothic conflagration. <a + href="#linknote-31.106" name="linknoteref-31.106" id="linknoteref-31.106">106</a> + Yet a contemporary historian has observed, that fire could scarcely + consume the enormous beams of solid brass, and that the strength of man + was insufficient to subvert the foundations of ancient structures. Some + truth may 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. <a href="#linknote-31.107" + name="linknoteref-31.107" id="linknoteref-31.107">107</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.101" id="linknote-31.101"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 101 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.101">return</a>)<br /> [ Jerom (tom. i. p. + 121, ad Principiam) has applied to the sack of Rome all the strong + expressions of Virgil:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Quis cladem illius noctis, quis funera fando, + Explicet, &c. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Procopius (l. i. c. 2) positively affirms that great numbers were slain by + the Goths. Augustin (de Civ. Dei, l. i. c. 12, 13) offers Christian + comfort for the death of those whose bodies (multa corpora) had remained + (in tanta strage) unburied. Baronius, from the different writings of the + Fathers, has thrown some light on the sack of Rome. Annal. Eccles. A.D. + 410, No. 16-34.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.102" id="linknote-31.102"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 102 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.102">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen. l. ix. c. + 10. Augustin (de Civitat. Dei, l. i. c. 17) intimates, that some virgins + or matrons actually killed themselves to escape violation; and though he + admires their spirit, he is obliged, by his theology, to condemn their + rash presumption. Perhaps the good bishop of Hippo was too easy in the + belief, as well as too rigid in the censure, of this act of female + heroism. The twenty maidens (if they ever existed) who threw themselves + into the Elbe, when Magdeburgh was taken by storm, have been multiplied to + the number of twelve hundred. See Harte’s History of Gustavus Adolphus, + vol. i. p. 308.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.103" id="linknote-31.103"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 103 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.103">return</a>)<br /> [ See Augustin de + Civitat. Dei, l. i. c. 16, 18. He treats the subject with remarkable + accuracy: and after admitting that there cannot be any crime where there + is no consent, he adds, Sed quia non solum quod ad dolorem, verum etiam + quod ad libidinem, pertinet, in corpore alieno pepetrari potest; quicquid + tale factum fuerit, etsi retentam constantissimo animo pudicitiam non + excutit, pudorem tamen incutit, ne credatur factum cum mentis etiam + voluntate, quod fieri fortasse sine carnis aliqua voluptate non potuit. In + c. 18 he makes some curious distinctions between moral and physical + virginity.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.104" id="linknote-31.104"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 104 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.104">return</a>)<br /> [ Marcella, a Roman + lady, equally respectable for her rank, her age, and her piety, was thrown + on the ground, and cruelly beaten and whipped, caesam fustibus + flagellisque, &c. Jerom, tom. i. p. 121, ad Principiam. See Augustin, + de Civ. Dei, l. c. 10. The modern Sacco di Roma, p. 208, gives an idea of + the various methods of torturing prisoners for gold.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.105" id="linknote-31.105"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 105 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.105">return</a>)<br /> [ The historian + Sallust, who usefully practiced the vices which he has so eloquently + censured, employed the plunder of Numidia to adorn his palace and gardens + on the Quirinal hill. The spot where the house stood is now marked by the + church of St. Susanna, separated only by a street from the baths of + Diocletian, and not far distant from the Salarian gate. See Nardini, Roma + Antica, p. 192, 193, and the great I’lan of Modern Rome, by Nolli.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.106" id="linknote-31.106"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 106 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.106">return</a>)<br /> [ The expressions of + Procopius are distinct and moderate, (de Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 2.) The + Chronicle of Marcellinus speaks too strongly partem urbis Romae cremavit; + and the words of Philostorgius (l. xii. c. 3) convey a false and + exaggerated idea. Bargaeus has composed a particular dissertation (see + tom. iv. Antiquit. Rom. Graev.) to prove that the edifices of Rome were + not subverted by the Goths and Vandals.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.107" id="linknote-31.107"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 107 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.107">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius, l. ii. c. + 19, p. 143. He speaks as if he disapproved all statues; vel Deum vel + hominem mentiuntur. They consisted of the kings of Alba and Rome from + Aeneas, the Romans, illustrious either in arms or arts, and the deified + Caesars. The expression which he uses of Forum is somewhat ambiguous, + since there existed five principal Fora; but as they were all contiguous + and adjacent, in the plain which is surrounded by the Capitoline, the + Quirinal, the Esquiline, and the Palatine hills, they might fairly be + considered as one. See the Roma Antiqua of Donatus, p. 162-201, and the + Roma Antica of Nardini, p. 212-273. The former is more useful for the + ancient descriptions, the latter for the actual topography.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap31.5"></a> +Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part + V. +</h2> + <p> + Whatever might be the numbers of equestrian or plebeian rank, who perished + in the massacre of Rome, it is confidently affirmed that only one senator + lost his life by the sword of the enemy. <a href="#linknote-31.108" + name="linknoteref-31.108" id="linknoteref-31.108">108</a> But it was not + easy to compute the multitudes, who, from an honorable station and a + prosperous fortune, were suddenly reduced to the miserable condition of + captives and exiles. As the Barbarians had more occasion for money than + for slaves, they fixed at a moderate price the redemption of their + indigent prisoners; and the ransom was often paid by the benevolence of + their friends, or the charity of strangers. <a href="#linknote-31.109" + name="linknoteref-31.109" id="linknoteref-31.109">109</a> 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. <a href="#linknote-31.110" + name="linknoteref-31.110" id="linknoteref-31.110">110</a> But as it was soon + discovered that the vindication of their liberty would endanger their + lives; and that the Goths, unless they were tempted to sell, might be + provoked to murder, their useless prisoners; the civil jurisprudence had + been already qualified by a wise regulation, that they should be obliged + to serve the moderate term of five years, till they had discharged by + their labor the price of their redemption. <a href="#linknote-31.111" + name="linknoteref-31.111" id="linknoteref-31.111">111</a> The nations who + invaded the Roman empire, had driven before them, into Italy, whole troops + of hungry and affrighted provincials, less apprehensive of servitude than + of famine. The calamities of Rome and Italy dispersed the inhabitants to + the most lonely, the most secure, the most distant places of refuge. While + the Gothic cavalry spread terror and desolation along the sea-coast of + Campania and Tuscany, the little island of Igilium, separated by a narrow + channel from the Argentarian promontory, repulsed, or eluded, their + hostile attempts; and at so small a distance from Rome, great numbers of + citizens were securely concealed in the thick woods of that sequestered + spot. <a href="#linknote-31.112" name="linknoteref-31.112" + id="linknoteref-31.112">112</a> The ample patrimonies, which many + senatorian families possessed in Africa, invited them, if they had time, + and prudence, to escape from the ruin of their country, to embrace the + shelter of that hospitable province. The most illustrious of these + fugitives was the noble and pious Proba, <a href="#linknote-31.113" + name="linknoteref-31.113" id="linknoteref-31.113">113</a> the widow of the + praefect Petronius. After the death of her husband, the most powerful + subject of Rome, she had remained at the head of the Anician family, and + successively supplied, from her private fortune, the expense of the + consulships of her three sons. When the city was besieged and taken by the + Goths, Proba supported, with Christian resignation, the loss of immense + riches; embarked in a small vessel, from whence she beheld, at sea, the + flames of her burning palace, and fled with her daughter Laeta, and her + granddaughter, 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 and 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. <a + href="#linknote-31.114" name="linknoteref-31.114" id="linknoteref-31.114">114</a> + This awful catastrophe of Rome filled the astonished empire with grief and + terror. So interesting a contrast of greatness and ruin, disposed the fond + credulity of the people to deplore, and even to exaggerate, the + afflictions of the queen of cities. The clergy, who applied to recent + events the lofty metaphors of oriental prophecy, were sometimes tempted to + confound the destruction of the capital and the dissolution of the globe. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.108" id="linknote-31.108"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 108 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.108">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius (l. ii. c. + 19, p. 142) compares the cruelty of the Gauls and the clemency of the + Goths. Ibi vix quemquam inventum senatorem, qui vel absens evaserit; hic + vix quemquam requiri, qui forte ut latens perierit. But there is an air of + rhetoric, and perhaps of falsehood, in this antithesis; and Socrates (l. + vii. c. 10) affirms, perhaps by an opposite exaggeration, that many + senators were put to death with various and exquisite tortures.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.109" id="linknote-31.109"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 109 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.109">return</a>)<br /> [ Multi... Christiani + incaptivitatem ducti sunt. Augustin, de Civ Dei, l. i. c. 14; and the + Christians experienced no peculiar hardships.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.110" id="linknote-31.110"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 110 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.110">return</a>)<br /> [ See Heineccius, + Antiquitat. Juris Roman. tom. i. p. 96.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.111" id="linknote-31.111"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 111 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.111">return</a>)<br /> [ Appendix Cod. + Theodos. xvi. in Sirmond. Opera, tom. i. p. 735. This edict was published + on the 11th of December, A.D. 408, and is more reasonable than properly + belonged to the ministers of Honorius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.112" id="linknote-31.112"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 112 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.112">return</a>)<br /> [ Eminus Igilii sylvosa + cacumina miror; Quem fraudare nefas laudis honore suae. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Haec proprios nuper tutata est insula saltus; + + Sive loci ingenio, seu Domini genio. + Gurgite cum modico victricibus obstitit + armis, Tanquam longinquo dissociata mari. + + Haec multos lacera suscepit ab urbe fugates, + + Hic fessis posito certa timore salus. + Plurima terreno populaverat aequora bello, + + Contra naturam classe timendus eques: + Unum, mira fides, vario discrimine portum! + + Tam prope Romanis, tam procul esse Getis. + + —-Rutilius, in Itinerar. l. i. 325 +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The island is now called Giglio. See Cluver. Ital. Antiq. l. ii. ] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.113" id="linknote-31.113"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 113 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.113">return</a>)<br /> [ As the adventures of + Proba and her family are connected with the life of St. Augustin, they are + diligently illustrated by Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. xiii. p. 620-635. + Some time after their arrival in Africa, Demetrias took the veil, and made + a vow of virginity; an event which was considered as of the highest + importance to Rome and to the world. All the Saints wrote congratulatory + letters to her; that of Jerom is still extant, (tom. i. p. 62-73, ad + Demetriad. de servand Virginitat.,) and contains a mixture of absurd + reasoning, spirited declamation, and curious facts, some of which relate + to the siege and sack of Rome.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.114" id="linknote-31.114"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 114 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.114">return</a>)<br /> [ See the pathetic + complaint of Jerom, (tom. v. p. 400,) in his preface to the second book of + his Commentaries on the Prophet Ezekiel.] + </p> + <p> + There exists in human nature a strong propensity to depreciate the + advantages, and to magnify the evils, of the present times. Yet, 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 declining age. + <a href="#linknote-31.115" name="linknoteref-31.115" id="linknoteref-31.115">115</a> + The experience of eleven centuries has enabled posterity to produce a much + more singular parallel; and to affirm with confidence, that the ravages of + the Barbarians, whom Alaric had led from the banks of the Danube, were + less destructive than the hostilities exercised by the troops of Charles + the Fifth, a Catholic prince, who styled himself Emperor of the Romans. <a + href="#linknote-31.116" name="linknoteref-31.116" id="linknoteref-31.116">116</a> + The Goths evacuated the city at the end of six days, but Rome remained + above nine months in the possession of the Imperialists; and every hour + was stained by some atrocious act of cruelty, 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 gloriously fallen in the attack of the walls; + and the death of the general removed every restraint of discipline from an + army which consisted of three independent nations, the Italians, the + Spaniards, and the Germans. In the beginning of the sixteenth century, the + manners of Italy exhibited a remarkable scene of the depravity of mankind. + They united the sanguinary crimes that prevail in an unsettled state of + society, with the polished vices which spring from the abuse of art and + luxury; and the loose adventurers, who had violated every prejudice of + patriotism and superstition to assault the palace of the Roman pontiff, + must deserve to be considered as the most profligate of the Italians. At + the same era, the Spaniards were the terror both of the Old and New + World: but their high-spirited valor was disgraced by gloomy pride, + rapacious avarice, and unrelenting cruelty. Indefatigable in the pursuit + of fame and riches, they had improved, by repeated practice, the most + exquisite and effectual methods of torturing their prisoners: many of the + Castilians, who pillaged Rome, were familiars of the holy inquisition; and + some volunteers, perhaps, were lately returned from the conquest of Mexico. + The Germans were less corrupt than the Italians, less cruel than the + Spaniards; and the rustic, or even savage, aspect of those Tramontane + warriors, often disguised a simple and merciful disposition. But they had + imbibed, in the first fervor of the reformation, the spirit, as well as + the principles, of Luther. It was their favorite amusement to insult, or + destroy, the consecrated objects of Catholic superstition; they indulged, + without pity or remorse, a devout hatred against the clergy of every + denomination and degree, who form so considerable a part of the + inhabitants of modern Rome; and their fanatic zeal might aspire to subvert + the throne of Anti-christ, to purify, with blood and fire, the + abominations of the spiritual Babylon. <a href="#linknote-31.117" + name="linknoteref-31.117" id="linknoteref-31.117">117</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.115" id="linknote-31.115"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 115 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.115">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius, though with + some theological partiality, states this comparison, l. ii. c. 19, p. 142, + l. vii. c. 39, p. 575. But, in the history of the taking of Rome by the + Gauls, every thing is uncertain, and perhaps fabulous. See Beaufort sur + l’Incertitude, &c., de l’Histoire Romaine, p. 356; and Melot, in the + Mem. de l’Academie des Inscript. tom. xv. p. 1-21.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.116" id="linknote-31.116"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 116 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.116">return</a>)<br /> [ The reader who wishes + to inform himself of the circumstances of his famous event, may peruse an + admirable narrative in Dr. Robertson’s History of Charles V. vol. ii. p. + 283; or consult the Annali d’Italia of the learned Muratori, tom. xiv. p. + 230-244, octavo edition. If he is desirous of examining the originals, he + may have recourse to the eighteenth book of the great, but unfinished, + history of Guicciardini. But the account which most truly deserves the + name of authentic and original, is a little book, entitled, Il Sacco di + Roma, composed, within less than a month after the assault of the city, by + the brother of the historian Guicciardini, who appears to have been an + able magistrate and a dispassionate writer.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.117" id="linknote-31.117"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 117 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.117">return</a>)<br /> [ The furious spirit of + Luther, the effect of temper and enthusiasm, has been forcibly attacked, + (Bossuet, Hist. des Variations des Eglises Protestantes, livre i. p. + 20-36,) and feebly defended, (Seckendorf. Comment. de Lutheranismo, + especially l. i. No. 78, p. 120, and l. iii. No. 122, p. 556.)] + </p> + <p> + The retreat of the victorious Goths, who evacuated Rome on the sixth day, + <a href="#linknote-31.118" name="linknoteref-31.118" id="linknoteref-31.118">118</a> + might be the result of prudence; but it was not surely the effect of fear. + <a href="#linknote-31.119" name="linknoteref-31.119" id="linknoteref-31.119">119</a> + At the head of an army encumbered with rich and weighty spoils, their + intrepid leader advanced along the Appian way into the southern provinces + of Italy, destroying whatever dared to oppose his passage, and contenting + himself with the plunder of the unresisting country. The fate of Capua, + the proud and luxurious metropolis of Campania, and which was respected, + even in its decay, as the eighth city of the empire, <a + href="#linknote-31.120" name="linknoteref-31.120" id="linknoteref-31.120">120</a> + is buried in oblivion; whilst the adjacent town of Nola <a + href="#linknote-31.121" name="linknoteref-31.121" id="linknoteref-31.121">121</a> + has been illustrated, on this occasion, by the sanctity of Paulinus, <a + href="#linknote-31.122" name="linknoteref-31.122" id="linknoteref-31.122">122</a> + who was successively a consul, a monk, and a bishop. At the age of forty, + he renounced the enjoyment of wealth and honor, of society and literature, + to embrace a life of solitude and penance; and the loud applause of the + clergy encouraged him to despise the reproaches of his worldly friends, + who ascribed this desperate act to some disorder of the mind or body. <a + href="#linknote-31.123" name="linknoteref-31.123" id="linknoteref-31.123">123</a> + An early and passionate attachment determined him to fix his humble + dwelling in one of the suburbs of Nola, near the miraculous tomb of St. + Faelix, which the public devotion had already surrounded with five large + and populous churches. The remains of his fortune, and of his + understanding, were dedicated to the service of the glorious martyr; 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 history of the Old and New Testament. Such assiduous zeal secured the + favor of the saint, <a href="#linknote-31.124" name="linknoteref-31.124" + id="linknoteref-31.124">124</a> or at least of the people; and, after + fifteen years’ retirement, the Roman 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 tutelar + patron; yet it soon appeared by the event, that Faelix wanted power, or + inclination, to preserve the flock of which he had formerly been the + shepherd. Nola was not saved from the general devastation; <a + href="#linknote-31.125" name="linknoteref-31.125" id="linknoteref-31.125">125</a> + and the captive bishop was protected only by the general opinion of his + innocence and poverty. Above four years elapsed from the successful + invasion of Italy by the arms of Alaric, to the voluntary retreat of the + Goths under the conduct of his successor Adolphus; and, during the whole + time, they reigned without control over a country, which, in the opinion + of the ancients, had united all the various excellences of nature and art. + The prosperity, indeed, which Italy had attained in the auspicious age of + the Antonines, had gradually declined with the decline of the empire. + </p> + <p> + The fruits of a long peace perished under the rude grasp of the + Barbarians; and they themselves were incapable of tasting the more elegant + refinements of luxury, which had been prepared for the use of the soft and + polished Italians. Each soldier, however, claimed an ample portion of the + substantial plenty, the 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 Roman 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, <a href="#linknote-31.126" + name="linknoteref-31.126" id="linknoteref-31.126">126</a> artificially + disposed to exclude the scorching rays, and to admit the genial warmth, of + the sun. These delights were enhanced by the memory of past hardships: the + comparison of their native soil, the bleak and barren hills of Scythia, + and the frozen banks of the Elbe and Danube, added new charms to the + felicity of the Italian climate. <a href="#linknote-31.127" + name="linknoteref-31.127" id="linknoteref-31.127">127</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.118" id="linknote-31.118"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 118 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.118">return</a>)<br /> [ Marcellinus, in + Chron. Orosius, (l. vii. c. 39, p. 575,) asserts, that he left Rome on the + third day; but this difference is easily reconciled by the successive + motions of great bodies of troops.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.119" id="linknote-31.119"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 119 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.119">return</a>)<br /> [ Socrates (l. vii. c. + 10) pretends, without any color of truth, or reason, that Alaric fled on + the report that the armies of the Eastern empire were in full march to + attack him.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.120" id="linknote-31.120"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 120 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.120">return</a>)<br /> [ Ausonius de Claris + Urbibus, p. 233, edit. Toll. The luxury of Capua had formerly surpassed + that of Sybaris itself. See Athenaeus Deipnosophist. l. xii. p. 528, edit. + Casaubon.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.121" id="linknote-31.121"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 121 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.121">return</a>)<br /> [ Forty-eight years + before the foundation of Rome, (about 800 before the Christian era,) the + Tuscans built Capua and Nola, at the distance of twenty-three miles from + each other; but the latter of the two cities never emerged from a state of + mediocrity.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.122" id="linknote-31.122"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 122 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.122">return</a>)<br /> [ Tillemont (Mem. + Eccles. tom. xiv. p. 1-46) has compiled, with his usual diligence, all + that relates to the life and writings of Paulinus, whose retreat is + celebrated by his own pen, and by the praises of St. Ambrose, St. Jerom, + St. Augustin, Sulpicius Severus, &c., his Christian friends and + contemporaries.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.123" id="linknote-31.123"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 123 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.123">return</a>)<br /> [ See the affectionate + letters of Ausonius (epist. xix.—xxv. p. 650-698, edit. Toll.) to + his colleague, his friend, and his disciple, Paulinus. The religion of + Ausonius is still a problem, (see Mem. de l’Academie des Inscriptions, + tom. xv. p. 123-138.) I believe that it was such in his own time, and, + consequently, that in his heart he was a Pagan.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.124" id="linknote-31.124"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 124 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.124">return</a>)<br /> [ The humble Paulinus + once presumed to say, that he believed St. Faelix did love him; at least, + as a master loves his little dog.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.125" id="linknote-31.125"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 125 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.125">return</a>)<br /> [ See Jornandes, de + Reb. Get. c. 30, p. 653. Philostorgius, l. xii. c. 3. Augustin. de Civ. + Dei, l.i.c. 10. Baronius, Annal. Eccles. A.D. 410, No. 45, 46.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.126" id="linknote-31.126"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 126 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.126">return</a>)<br /> [ The platanus, or + plane-tree, was a favorite of the ancients, by whom it was propagated, for + the sake of shade, from the East to Gaul. Plin. Hist. Natur. xii. 3, 4, 5. + He mentions several of an enormous size; one in the Imperial villa, at + Velitrae, which Caligula called his nest, as the branches were capable of + holding a large table, the proper attendants, and the emperor himself, + whom Pliny quaintly styles pars umbroe; an expression which might, with + equal reason, be applied to Alaric] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.127" id="linknote-31.127"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 127 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.127">return</a>)<br /> [ The prostrate South + to the destroyer yields + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Her boasted titles, and her golden fields; + With grim delight the brood of winter view + A brighter day, and skies of azure hue; + Scent the new fragrance of the opening rose, + And quaff the pendent vintage as it grows. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + See Gray’s Poems, published by Mr. Mason, p. 197. Instead of compiling + tables of chronology and natural history, why did not Mr. Gray apply the + powers of his genius to finish the philosophic poem, of which he has left + such an exquisite specimen?] + </p> + <p> + Whether fame, or conquest, or riches, were the object or Alaric, he + pursued that object with an indefatigable ardor, which could neither be + quelled by adversity nor satiated by success. No sooner had he reached the + extreme land of Italy, than he was attracted by the neighboring prospect + of a fertile and peaceful island. Yet even the possession of Sicily he + considered only as an intermediate step to the important expedition, which + he already meditated against the continent of Africa. The Straits of + Rhegium and Messina <a href="#linknote-31.128" name="linknoteref-31.128" + id="linknoteref-31.128">128</a> are twelve miles in length, and, in the + narrowest passage, about one mile and a half broad; and the fabulous + monsters of the deep, the rocks of Scylla, and the whirlpool of Charybdis, + could terrify none but the most timid and unskilful mariners. Yet as soon + as the first division of the Goths had embarked, 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 of 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 whose valor and fortune they celebrated + with mournful applause. By the labor of a captive multitude, they forcibly + diverted the course of the Busentinus, a small river that washes the walls + of Consentia. The royal 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 forever concealed by the inhuman + massacre of the prisoners, who had been employed to execute the work. <a + href="#linknote-31.129" name="linknoteref-31.129" id="linknoteref-31.129">129</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.128" id="linknote-31.128"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 128 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.128">return</a>)<br /> [ For the perfect + description of the Straits of Messina, Scylla, Clarybdis, &c., see + Cluverius, (Ital. Antiq. l. iv. p. 1293, and Sicilia Antiq. l. i. p. + 60-76), who had diligently studied the ancients, and surveyed with a + curious eye the actual face of the country.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.129" id="linknote-31.129"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 129 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.129">return</a>)<br /> [ Jornandes, de Reb + Get. c. 30, p. 654.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap31.6"></a> +Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part + VI. +</h2> + <p> + The personal animosities and hereditary feuds of the Barbarians were + suspended by the strong necessity of their affairs; and the brave + Adolphus, the brother-in-law of the deceased monarch, was unanimously + elected to succeed to his throne. The character and political system of + the new king of the Goths may be best understood from his own conversation + with an illustrious citizen of Narbonne; who afterwards, in a pilgrimage + to the Holy Land, related it to St. Jerom, in the presence of the + historian Orosius. “In the full confidence of valor and victory, I once + aspired (said Adolphus) to change the face of the universe; to obliterate + the name of Rome; to erect on its ruins the dominion of the Goths; and to + acquire, like Augustus, the immortal fame of the founder of a new empire. + By repeated experiments, I was gradually convinced, that laws are + essentially necessary to maintain and regulate a well-constituted state; + and that the fierce, untractable humor of the Goths was incapable of + bearing the salutary yoke of laws and civil government. From that moment I + proposed to myself a different object of glory and ambition; and it is now + my sincere wish that the gratitude of future ages should acknowledge the + merit of a stranger, who employed the sword of the Goths, not to subvert, + but to restore and maintain, the prosperity of the Roman empire.” <a + href="#linknote-31.130" name="linknoteref-31.130" id="linknoteref-31.130">130</a> + With these pacific views, the successor of Alaric suspended the operations + of war; and seriously negotiated with the Imperial court a treaty of + friendship and alliance. It was the interest of the ministers of Honorius, + who were now released from the obligation of their extravagant oath, to + deliver Italy from the intolerable weight of the Gothic powers; and they + readily accepted their service against the tyrants and Barbarians who + infested the provinces beyond the Alps. <a href="#linknote-31.131" + name="linknoteref-31.131" id="linknoteref-31.131">131</a> Adolphus, assuming + the character of a Roman general, directed his march from the extremity of + Campania to the southern provinces of Gaul. His troops, either by force or + agreement, immediately occupied the cities of Narbonne, Thoulouse, and + Bordeaux; and though they were repulsed by Count Boniface from the walls + of Marseilles, they soon extended their quarters from the Mediterranean to + the Ocean. + </p> + <p> + The oppressed provincials might exclaim, that the miserable remnant, which + the enemy had spared, was cruelly ravished by their pretended allies; yet + some specious colors 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 rebellion against the government of Honorius: + the articles of the treaty, or the secret instructions of the court, might + sometimes be alleged in favor of the seeming usurpations of Adolphus; and + the guilt of any irregular, unsuccessful act of hostility might always be + imputed, with an appearance of truth, to the ungovernable 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 they had imbibed the vices, without imitating the arts and + institutions, of civilized society. <a href="#linknote-31.132" + name="linknoteref-31.132" id="linknoteref-31.132">132</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.130" id="linknote-31.130"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 130 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.130">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius, l. vii. c. + 43, p. 584, 585. He was sent by St. Augustin in the year 415, from Africa + to Palestine, to visit St. Jerom, and to consult with him on the subject + of the Pelagian controversy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.131" id="linknote-31.131"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 131 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.131">return</a>)<br /> [ Jornandes supposes, + without much probability, that Adolphus visited and plundered Rome a + second time, (more locustarum erasit) Yet he agrees with Orosius in + supposing that a treaty of peace was concluded between the Gothic prince + and Honorius. See Oros. l. vii. c. 43 p. 584, 585. Jornandes, de Reb. + Geticis, c. 31, p. 654, 655.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.132" id="linknote-31.132"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 132 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.132">return</a>)<br /> [ The retreat of the + Goths from Italy, and their first transactions in Gaul, are dark and + doubtful. I have derived much assistance from Mascou, (Hist. of the + Ancient Germans, l. viii. c. 29, 35, 36, 37,) who has illustrated, and + connected, the broken chronicles and fragments of the times.] + </p> + <p> + The professions of Adolphus were probably sincere, and his attachment to + the cause of the republic was secured by the ascendant which a Roman + princess had acquired over the heart and understanding of the Barbarian + king. Placidia, <a href="#linknote-31.133" name="linknoteref-31.133" + id="linknoteref-31.133">133</a> the daughter of the great Theodosius, and + of Galla, 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. <a href="#linknote-31.134" name="linknoteref-31.134" + id="linknoteref-31.134">134</a> The victorious Barbarians detained, either + as a hostage or a captive, <a href="#linknote-31.135" + name="linknoteref-31.135" id="linknoteref-31.135">135</a> the sister of + Honorius; but, while she was exposed to the disgrace of following round + Italy the motions of a Gothic camp, she experienced, however, a decent and + respectful treatment. The authority of Jornandes, who praises the beauty + of Placidia, may perhaps be counterbalanced by the silence, the expressive + silence, of her flatterers: yet the splendor of her birth, the bloom of + youth, the elegance of manners, and the dexterous insinuation which she + condescended to employ, made a deep impression on the mind of Adolphus; + and the Gothic king aspired to call himself the 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 + urged the restitution of Placidia, as an indispensable condition of the + treaty of peace. But the daughter of Theodosius submitted, without + reluctance, to the desires of the conqueror, a young and valiant prince, + who yielded to Alaric in loftiness of stature, but who excelled in the + more attractive qualities of grace and beauty. The marriage of Adolphus + and Placidia <a href="#linknote-31.136" name="linknoteref-31.136" + id="linknoteref-31.136">136</a> was consummated before the Goths retired + from Italy; and the solemn, perhaps the anniversary day of their nuptials + was afterwards celebrated in the house of Ingenuus, one of the most + illustrious citizens of Narbonne in Gaul. The bride, attired and adorned + like a Roman empress, was placed on a throne of state; and the king of the + Goths, who assumed, on this occasion, the Roman habit, contented himself + with a less honorable seat by her side. The nuptial gift, which, according + to the custom of his nation, <a href="#linknote-31.137" + name="linknoteref-31.137" id="linknoteref-31.137">137</a> 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 the degraded 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. <a + href="#linknote-31.138" name="linknoteref-31.138" id="linknoteref-31.138">138</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.133" id="linknote-31.133"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 133 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.133">return</a>)<br /> [ See an account of + Placidia in Ducange Fam. Byzant. p. 72; and Tillemont, Hist. des + Empereurs, tom. v. p. 260, 386, &c. tom. vi. p. 240.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.134" id="linknote-31.134"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 134 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.134">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosim. l. v. p. 350.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.135" id="linknote-31.135"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 135 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.135">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosim. l. vi. p. 383. + Orosius, (l. vii. c. 40, p. 576,) and the Chronicles of Marcellinus and + Idatius, seem to suppose, that the Goths did not carry away Placidia till + after the last siege of Rome.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.136" id="linknote-31.136"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 136 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.136">return</a>)<br /> [ See the pictures of + Adolphus and Placidia, and the account of their marriage, in Jornandes, de + Reb. Geticis, c. 31, p. 654, 655. With regard to the place where the + nuptials were stipulated, or consummated, or celebrated, the Mss. of + Jornandes vary between two neighboring cities, Forli and Imola, (Forum + Livii and Forum Cornelii.) It is fair and easy to reconcile the Gothic + historian with Olympiodorus, (see Mascou, l. viii. c. 46:) but Tillemont + grows peevish, and swears that it is not worth while to try to conciliate + Jornandes with any good authors.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.137" id="linknote-31.137"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 137 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.137">return</a>)<br /> [ The Visigoths (the + subjects of Adolphus) restrained by subsequent laws, the prodigality of + conjugal love. It was illegal for a husband to make any gift or settlement + for the benefit of his wife during the first year of their marriage; and + his liberality could not at any time exceed the tenth part of his + property. The Lombards were somewhat more indulgent: they allowed the + morgingcap immediately after the wedding night; and this famous gift, the + reward of virginity might equal the fourth part of the husband’s + substance. Some cautious maidens, indeed, were wise enough to stipulate + beforehand a present, which they were too sure of not deserving. See + Montesquieu, Esprit des Loix, l. xix. c. 25. Muratori, delle Antichita + Italiane, tom. i. Dissertazion, xx. p. 243.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.138" id="linknote-31.138"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 138 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.138">return</a>)<br /> [ We owe the curious + detail of this nuptial feast to the historian Olympiodorus, ap. Photium, + p. 185, 188.] + </p> + <p> + The hundred basins of gold and gems, presented to Placidia at her nuptial + feast, formed an inconsiderable portion of the Gothic treasures; of which + some extraordinary specimens may be selected from the history of the + successors of Adolphus. Many curious and costly ornaments of pure gold, + enriched 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 plates, for the use of the communion; twenty + boxes, or cases, to hold the books of the Gospels: this consecrated wealth + <a href="#linknote-31.139" name="linknoteref-31.139" id="linknoteref-31.139">139</a> + was distributed by the son of Clovis among the churches of his dominions, + and his pious liberality seems to upbraid some former sacrilege of the + Goths. They possessed, with more security of conscience, the famous + missorium, or great dish for the service of the table, of massy gold, of + the weight of five hundred pounds, and of far superior value, from the + precious stones, the exquisite workmanship, and the tradition, that it had + been presented by Ætius, the patrician, to Torismond, king of the Goths. + One of the successors of Torismond purchased the aid of the French monarch + by the promise of this magnificent 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 missorium, as the pride of the Gothic treasury. <a + href="#linknote-31.140" name="linknoteref-31.140" id="linknoteref-31.140">140</a> + When that treasury, after the conquest of Spain, was plundered by the + Arabs, they admired, and they have celebrated, another object still more + remarkable; a table of considerable size, of one single piece of solid + emerald, <a href="#linknote-31.141" name="linknoteref-31.141" + id="linknoteref-31.141">141</a> encircled with three rows of fine pearls, + supported by three hundred and sixty-five feet of gems and massy gold, and + estimated at the price of five hundred thousand pieces of gold. <a + href="#linknote-31.142" name="linknoteref-31.142" id="linknoteref-31.142">142</a> + Some portion of the Gothic treasures might be the gift of friendship, or + the tribute of obedience; but the far greater part had been the fruits of + war and rapine, the spoils of the empire, and perhaps of Rome. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.139" id="linknote-31.139"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 139 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.139">return</a>)<br /> [ See in the great + collection of the Historians of France by Dom Bouquet, tom. ii. Greg. + Turonens. l. iii. c. 10, p. 191. Gesta Regum Francorum, c. 23, p. 557. The + anonymous writer, with an ignorance worthy of his times, supposes that + these instruments of Christian worship had belonged to the temple of + Solomon. If he has any meaning it must be, that they were found in the + sack of Rome.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.140" id="linknote-31.140"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 140 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.140">return</a>)<br /> [ Consult the following + original testimonies in the Historians of France, tom. ii. Fredegarii + Scholastici Chron. c. 73, p. 441. Fredegar. Fragment. iii. p. 463. Gesta + Regis Dagobert, c. 29, p. 587. The accession of Sisenand to the throne of + Spain happened A.D. 631. The 200,000 pieces of gold were appropriated by + Dagobert to the foundation of the church of St. Denys.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.141" id="linknote-31.141"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 141 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.141">return</a>)<br /> [ The president Goguet + (Origine des Loix, &c., tom. ii. p. 239) is of opinion, that the + stupendous pieces of emerald, the statues and columns which antiquity has + placed in Egypt, at Gades, at Constantinople, were in reality artificial + compositions of colored glass. The famous emerald dish, which is shown at + Genoa, is supposed to countenance the suspicion.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.142" id="linknote-31.142"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 142 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.142">return</a>)<br /> [ Elmacin. Hist. + Saracenica, l. i. p. 85. Roderic. Tolet. Hist. Arab. c. 9. Cardonne, Hist. + de l’Afrique et de l’Espagne sous les Arabes tom. i. p. 83. It was called + the Table of Solomon, according to the custom of the Orientals, who + ascribe to that prince every ancient work of knowledge or magnificence.] + </p> + <p> + After the deliverance of Italy from the oppression of the Goths, some + secret counsellor was permitted, amidst the factions of the palace, to + heal the wounds of that afflicted country. <a href="#linknote-31.143" + name="linknoteref-31.143" id="linknoteref-31.143">143</a> By a wise and + humane regulation, the eight provinces which had been the most deeply + injured, Campania, Tuscany, Picenum, Samnium, Apulia, Calabria, Bruttium, + and Lucania, obtained an indulgence of five years: the ordinary 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 neighbors who should + occupy, or the strangers who should solicit them; and the new possessors + were secured against the future claims of the fugitive proprietors. About + the same time a general amnesty was published in the name of Honorius, to + abolish the guilt and memory of all the involuntary offences which had + been committed by his unhappy subjects, during the term of the 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 Albinus, praefect 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. <a href="#linknote-31.144" name="linknoteref-31.144" + id="linknoteref-31.144">144</a> In less than seven years, the vestiges of + the Gothic invasion were almost obliterated; and the city appeared to + resume its former splendor and tranquillity. The venerable matron replaced + her crown of laurel, which had been ruffled by the storms of war; and was + still amused, in the last moment of her decay, with the prophecies of + revenge, of victory, and of eternal dominion. <a href="#linknote-31.145" + name="linknoteref-31.145" id="linknoteref-31.145">145</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.143" id="linknote-31.143"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 143 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.143">return</a>)<br /> [ His three laws are + inserted in the Theodosian Code, l. xi. tit. xxviii. leg. 7. L. xiii. tit. + xi. leg. 12. L. xv. tit. xiv. leg. 14 The expressions of the last are very + remarkable; since they contain not only a pardon, but an apology.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.144" id="linknote-31.144"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 144 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.144">return</a>)<br /> [ Olympiodorus ap. + Phot. p. 188. Philostorgius (l. xii. c. 5) observes, that when Honorius + made his triumphal entry, he encouraged the Romans, with his hand and + voice, to rebuild their city; and the Chronicle of Prosper commends + Heraclian, qui in Romanae urbis reparationem strenuum exhibuerat + ministerium.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.145" id="linknote-31.145"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 145 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.145">return</a>)<br /> [ The date of the + voyage of Claudius Rutilius Numatianus is clogged with some difficulties; + but Scaliger has deduced from astronomical characters, that he left Rome + the 24th of September and embarked at Porto the 9th of October, A.D. 416. + See Tillemont, Hist. des Empereurs, tom, v. p. 820. In this poetical + Itinerary, Rutilius (l. i. 115, &c.) addresses Rome in a high strain + of congratulation:— + </p> + <p> + Erige crinales lauros, seniumque sacrati Verticis in virides, Roma, + recinge comas, &c.] + </p> + <p> + This apparent tranquillity was soon disturbed by the approach of a hostile + armament from the country which afforded the daily subsistence of the + Roman people. Heraclian, count of Africa, who, under the most difficult + and distressful circumstances, had supported, with active loyalty, the + cause of Honorius, was tempted, in the year of his consulship, to assume + the character of a rebel, and the title of emperor. The ports of Africa + were immediately filled with the naval forces, at the head of which he + prepared to invade Italy: and his fleet, when it cast anchor at the mouth + of the Tyber, indeed surpassed the fleets of Xerxes and Alexander, if all + the vessels, including the royal galley, and the smallest boat, did + actually amount to the incredible number of three thousand two hundred. <a + href="#linknote-31.146" name="linknoteref-31.146" id="linknoteref-31.146">146</a> + Yet with such an armament, which might have subverted, or restored, the + greatest empires of the earth, the African usurper made a very faint and + feeble impression on the provinces of his rival. As he marched from the + port, along the road which leads to the gates of Rome, he was encountered, + terrified, and routed, by one of the Imperial captains; and the lord of + this mighty host, deserting his fortune and his friends, ignominiously + fled with a single ship. <a href="#linknote-31.147" name="linknoteref-31.147" + id="linknoteref-31.147">147</a> When Heraclian landed in the harbor 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: <a + href="#linknote-31.148" name="linknoteref-31.148" id="linknoteref-31.148">148</a> + and the remains of his private fortune, not exceeding the moderate sum of + four thousand pounds of gold, were granted to the brave Constantius, who + had already defended the throne, which he afterwards shared with his + feeble sovereign. Honorius viewed, with supine indifference, the + calamities of Rome and Italy; <a href="#linknote-31.149" + name="linknoteref-31.149" id="linknoteref-31.149">149</a> but the rebellious + attempts of Attalus and Heraclian, against his personal safety, awakened, + for a moment, the torpid instinct of his nature. He was probably ignorant + 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 name, and by the lieutenants, of + the son of Theodosius. <a href="#linknote-31.150" name="linknoteref-31.150" + id="linknoteref-31.150">150</a> In the course of a busy and interesting + narrative I might possibly forget to mention the death of such a prince: + and I shall therefore take the precaution of observing, in this place, + that he survived the last siege of Rome about thirteen years. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.146" id="linknote-31.146"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 146 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.146">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius composed his + history in Africa, only two years after the event; yet his authority seems + to be overbalanced by the improbability of the fact. The Chronicle of + Marcellinus gives Heraclian 700 ships and 3000 men: the latter of these + numbers is ridiculously corrupt; but the former would please me very + much.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.147" id="linknote-31.147"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 147 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.147">return</a>)<br /> [ The Chronicle of + Idatius affirms, without the least appearance of truth, that he advanced + as far as Otriculum, in Umbria, where he was overthrown in a great battle, + with the loss of 50,000 men.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.148" id="linknote-31.148"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 148 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.148">return</a>)<br /> [ See Cod. Theod. l. + xv. tit. xiv. leg. 13. The legal acts performed in his name, even the + manumission of slaves, were declared invalid, till they had been formally + repeated.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.149" id="linknote-31.149"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 149 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.149">return</a>)<br /> [ I have disdained to + mention a very foolish, and probably a false, report, (Procop. de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. c. 2,) that Honorius was alarmed by the loss of Rome, till + he understood that it was not a favorite chicken of that name, but only + the capital of the world, which had been lost. Yet even this story is some + evidence of the public opinion.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.150" id="linknote-31.150"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 150 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.150">return</a>)<br /> [ The materials for the + lives of all these tyrants are taken from six contemporary historians, two + Latins and four Greeks: Orosius, l. vii. c. 42, p. 581, 582, 583; Renatus + Profuturus Frigeridus, apud Gregor Turon. l. ii. c. 9, in the Historians + of France, tom. ii. p. 165, 166; Zosimus, l. v. p. 370, 371; Olympiodorus, + apud Phot. p. 180, 181, 184, 185; Sozomen, l. ix. c. 12, 13, 14, 15; and + Philostorgius, l. xii. c. 5, 6, with Godefroy’s Dissertation, p. 477-481; + besides the four Chronicles of Prosper Tyro, Prosper of Aquitain, Idatius, + and Marcellinus.] + </p> + <p> + The usurpation of Constantine, who received the purple from the legions of + Britain, had been 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 dominion, and the + plunder, of Gaul and Spain, with the tribes of Barbarians, whose + destructive progress was no longer checked by the Rhine or Pyrenees. + Stained with the blood of the kinsmen of Honorius, he extorted, from the + court of Ravenna, with which he secretly corresponded, the ratification of + his rebellious claims. Constantine engaged himself, by a solemn promise, to + deliver Italy from the Goths; advanced as far as the banks of the Po; and + after alarming, rather than assisting, his pusillanimous ally, hastily + returned to the palace of Arles, to celebrate, with intemperate luxury, + his vain and ostentatious triumph. But this transient prosperity was soon + interrupted and destroyed by the revolt of Count Gerontius, the bravest of + his generals; who, during the absence of his son Constans, a prince + already invested with the Imperial purple, had been left to command in the + provinces of Spain. From some reason, of which we are ignorant, Gerontius, + instead of assuming the diadem, placed it on the head of his friend + Maximus, who fixed his residence at Tarragona, while the active count + pressed forwards, through the Pyrenees, to surprise the two emperors, + Constantine and Constans, before they could prepare for their defence. The + son was made 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 Arles; but those walls must have yielded to the + assailants, had not the city been unexpectedly relieved by the approach of + an Italian army. The name of Honorius, the proclamation of a lawful + emperor, astonished the contending parties of the rebels. 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 middle of the night, a great body of his + perfidious soldiers surrounded and attacked his house, which he had + strongly barricaded. His wife, a valiant friend of 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 slaves when all the missile weapons were spent, fled at the + dawn of day; and Gerontius, if he had not been restrained by conjugal + tenderness, might have imitated their example; till the soldiers, provoked + by such obstinate resistance, applied fire on all sides to the house. In + this fatal extremity, he complied with the request of his 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. <a href="#linknote-31.151" + name="linknoteref-31.151" id="linknoteref-31.151">151</a> The unprotected + Maximus, whom he had invested 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: but they soon resigned him to the justice + of Honorius; and the tyrant Maximus, after he had been shown to the people + of Ravenna and Rome, was publicly executed. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.151" id="linknote-31.151"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 151 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.151">return</a>)<br /> [ The praises which + Sozomen has bestowed on this act of despair, appear strange and scandalous + in the mouth of an ecclesiastical historian. He observes (p. 379) that the + wife of Gerontius was a Christian; and that her death was worthy of her + religion, and of immortal fame.] + </p> + <p> + The general, (Constantius was his name,) who raised by his approach the + siege of Arles, and dissipated the troops of Gerontius, was born a Roman; + and this remarkable distinction is strongly expressive of the decay of + military spirit among the subjects of the empire. The strength and majesty + which were conspicuous in the person of that general, <a + href="#linknote-31.152" name="linknoteref-31.152" id="linknoteref-31.152">152</a> + marked him, in the popular 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 convivial mirth, to vie with the pantomimes themselves, in + the exercises of their ridiculous profession. But when the trumpet + summoned him to arms; when he mounted his horse, and, bending down (for + such was his singular practice) almost upon the neck, fiercely rolled his + large animated eyes round the field, Constantius then struck terror into + his foes, and inspired his soldiers with the assurance of victory. He had + received from the court of Ravenna the important commission of extirpating + rebellion in the provinces of the West; and the pretended emperor + Constantine, after enjoying a short and anxious respite, was 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 returned at the head of an army, + to disturb the operations of the siege of Arles. 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 and secrecy, that, while they engaged the + infantry of Constantius in the front, they were suddenly attacked, + surrounded, and destroyed, by the cavalry of his lieutenant Ulphilas, who + had silently gained an advantageous post in their rear. The remains of the + army of Edobic were preserved by flight or submission, and their leader + escaped from the field of battle to the house of a faithless friend; who + too clearly understood, that the head of his obnoxious guest would be an + acceptable and lucrative present for the Imperial general. On this + occasion, Constantius behaved with the magnanimity of a genuine Roman. + Subduing, or suppressing, every sentiment of jealousy, he publicly + acknowledged the merit and services of Ulphilas; 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 of 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 the + gates of the city. But he soon experienced that the principles of honor + and integrity, which might regulate the ordinary conduct of Constantius, + were superseded by the loose doctrines of political morality. The Roman + general, indeed, refused to sully 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. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.152" id="linknote-31.152"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 152 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.152">return</a>)<br /> [ It is the expression + of Olympiodorus, which he seems to have borrowed from Aeolus, a tragedy of + Euripides, of which some fragments only are now extant, (Euripid. Barnes, + tom. ii. p. 443, ver 38.) This allusion may prove, that the ancient tragic + poets were still familiar to the Greeks of the fifth century.] + </p> + <p> + At a time when it was universally confessed, that almost every man in the + empire was superior in personal merit to the princes whom the accident of + their birth had seated on the throne, a rapid succession of usurpers, + regardless of the 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 extinguished by war + and rebellion. Before Constantine resigned the purple, and in the fourth + month of the siege of Arles, intelligence was received in the Imperial + camp, that Jovinus has assumed the diadem at Mentz, in the Upper Germany, + at the instigation of Goar, king of the Alani, and of Guntiarius, king of + the Burgundians; 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 general, at the head of a victorious + army, would have asserted, in a field of battle, the justice of the cause + of Honorius. The hasty retreat of Constantius might be justified by + weighty reasons; but he resigned, without a struggle, the possession of + Gaul; and Dardanus, the Prætorian praefect, is recorded as the only + magistrate who refused to yield obedience to the usurper. <a + href="#linknote-31.153" name="linknoteref-31.153" id="linknoteref-31.153">153</a> + When the Goths, two years after the siege of Rome, established their + quarters in Gaul, it was natural to suppose that their inclinations could + be divided only between the emperor Honorius, with whom they had formed a + recent alliance, and the degraded Attalus, whom they reserved in their + camp for the occasional purpose of acting 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 the ignominious task of negotiating 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 ambiguous language, the officious + importunity of Attalus; that, scorning the advice of his great ally, he + invested with the purple his brother Sebastian; and that he most + imprudently accepted the service of Sarus, when that gallant chief, the + soldier of Honorius, was provoked to desert the court 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 Balti. He attacked Sarus + at an unguarded moment, when he was accompanied only by eighteen or twenty + of his valiant followers. United by friendship, animated by despair, but + at length oppressed by multitudes, this band of heroes deserved the + esteem, without exciting the compassion, of their enemies; and the lion + was no sooner taken in the toils, <a href="#linknote-31.154" + name="linknoteref-31.154" id="linknoteref-31.154">154</a> than he was + instantly despatched. The death of Sarus dissolved the loose alliance + which Adolphus still maintained with the usurpers of Gaul. He again + listened to the dictates of love and prudence; and soon satisfied the + brother of Placidia, by the assurance that he would immediately 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 Barbarian auxiliaries; and the short opposition of + Valentia was expiated 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 unfortunate Attalus, who was left without subjects + or allies, embarked in one of the ports of Spain, in search of some secure + and solitary retreat: but he was intercepted at sea, conducted to the + presence of Honorius, led in triumph through the streets of Rome or + Ravenna, and publicly exposed to the gazing multitude, on the second step + of the throne of his invincible conqueror. The same measure of punishment, + with which, in the days of his prosperity, he was accused of menacing his + rival, was inflicted on Attalus himself; he was condemned, after the + amputation of two fingers, to a perpetual exile in the Isle of Lipari, + where he was supplied 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 fortune of a prince, who was himself incapable either of counsel or of + action. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.153" id="linknote-31.153"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 153 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.153">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius Apollinaris, + (l. v. epist. 9, p. 139, and Not. Sirmond. p. 58,) after stigmatizing the + inconstancy of Constantine, the facility of Jovinus, the perfidy of + Gerontius, continues to observe, that all the vices of these tyrants were + united in the person of Dardanus. Yet the praefect supported a respectable + character in the world, and even in the church; held a devout + correspondence with St. Augustin and St. Jerom; and was complimented by + the latter (tom. iii. p. 66) with the epithets of Christianorum + Nobilissime, and Nobilium Christianissime.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.154" id="linknote-31.154"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 154 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.154">return</a>)<br /> [ The expression may be + understood almost literally: Olympiodorus says a sack, or a loose garment; + and this method of entangling and catching an enemy, laciniis contortis, + was much practised by the Huns, (Ammian. xxxi. 2.) Il fut pris vif avec + des filets, is the translation of Tillemont, Hist. des Empereurs, tom. v. + p. 608. * Note: Bekker in his Photius reads something, but in the new + edition of the Bysantines, he retains the old version, which is translated + Scutis, as if they protected him with their shields, in order to take him + alive. Photius, Bekker, p. 58.—M] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap31.7"></a> +Chapter XXXI: Invasion Of Italy, Occupation Of Territories By Barbarians.—Part + VII. +</h2> + <p> + The situation of Spain, separated, on all sides, from the enemies of Rome, + by the sea, by the mountains, and by intermediate provinces, had secured + the long tranquillity of that remote and sequestered country; and we may + observe, as a sure symptom of domestic happiness, that, in a period of + four hundred years, Spain furnished very few materials to the history of + the Roman empire. The footsteps 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 Corduba, 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 of an industrious people; and the + peculiar advantages of naval stores contributed to support an extensive + and profitable trade. <a href="#linknote-31.155" name="linknoteref-31.155" + id="linknoteref-31.155">155</a> The arts and sciences flourished under the + protection of the emperors; and if the character of the Spaniards was + enfeebled by peace 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 ardor. As long as the defence of the + mountains was intrusted 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 public enemy, about ten months before + the sack of Rome by the Goths. <a href="#linknote-31.156" + name="linknoteref-31.156" id="linknoteref-31.156">156</a> The consciousness + of guilt, and the thirst of rapine, prompted the mercenary guards 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 violence from the frontiers of Gaul to the sea of Africa. The + misfortunes of Spain may be described in the language of its most eloquent + historian, who has concisely expressed the passionate, and perhaps + exaggerated, declamations of contemporary writers. <a + href="#linknote-31.157" name="linknoteref-31.157" id="linknoteref-31.157">157</a> + “The irruption of these nations was followed by the most dreadful + calamities; as the Barbarians exercised their indiscriminate cruelty on + the fortunes of the Romans and the Spaniards, and ravaged with equal fury + the cities and the open country. The progress of famine reduced the + miserable inhabitants to feed on the flesh of their fellow-creatures; and + even the wild beasts, who multiplied, without control, in the desert, were + exasperated, by the taste of blood, and the impatience of hunger, boldly + to attack 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 excited only the envy of their + surviving friends. At length the Barbarians, satiated with carnage and + rapine, and afflicted by the contagious evils which they themselves had + introduced, fixed their permanent seats in the depopulated country. The + ancient Gallicia, whose limits included the kingdom of Old Castille, was + divided between the Suevi and the Vandals; the Alani were scattered over + the provinces of Carthagena and Lusitania, from the Mediterranean to the + Atlantic Ocean; and the fruitful territory of Boetica was allotted to the + Silingi, another branch of the Vandalic nation. After regulating this + partition, the conquerors contracted with their new subjects some + reciprocal engagements of protection and obedience: the lands were again + cultivated; and the towns and villages were again occupied by a captive + people. The greatest part of the Spaniards was even disposed to prefer + this new condition of poverty and barbarism, to the severe oppressions of + the Roman government; yet there were many who still asserted their native + freedom; and who refused, more especially in the mountains of Gallicia, to + submit to the Barbarian yoke.” <a href="#linknote-31.158" + name="linknoteref-31.158" id="linknoteref-31.158">158</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.155" id="linknote-31.155"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 155 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.155">return</a>)<br /> [ Without recurring to + the more ancient writers, I shall quote three respectable testimonies + which belong to the fourth and seventh centuries; the Expositio totius + Mundi, (p. 16, in the third volume of Hudson’s Minor Geographers,) + Ausonius, (de Claris Urbibus, p. 242, edit. Toll.,) and Isidore of + Seville, (Praefat. ad. Chron. ap. Grotium, Hist. Goth. 707.) Many + particulars relative to the fertility and trade of Spain may be found in + Nonnius, Hispania Illustrata; and in Huet, Hist. du Commerce des Anciens, + c. 40. p. 228-234.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.156" id="linknote-31.156"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 156 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.156">return</a>)<br /> [ The date is + accurately fixed in the Fasti, and the Chronicle of Idatius. Orosius (l. + vii. c. 40, p. 578) imputes the loss of Spain to the treachery of the + Honorians; while Sozomen (l. ix. c. 12) accuses only their negligence.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.157" id="linknote-31.157"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 157 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.157">return</a>)<br /> [ Idatius wishes to + apply the prophecies of Daniel to these national calamities; and is + therefore obliged to accommodate the circumstances of the event to the + terms of the prediction.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.158" id="linknote-31.158"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 158 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.158">return</a>)<br /> [ Mariana de Rebus + Hispanicis, l. v. c. 1, tom. i. p. 148. Comit. 1733. He had read, in + Orosius, (l. vii. c. 41, p. 579,) that the Barbarians had turned their + swords into ploughshares; and that many of the Provincials had preferred + inter Barbaros pauperem libertatem, quam inter Romanos tributariam + solicitudinem, sustinere.] + </p> + <p> + The important present of the heads of Jovinus and Sebastian had approved + the friendship of Adolphus, and restored Gaul to the obedience of his + brother Honorius. Peace was incompatible with the situation and temper of + the king of the Goths. He readily accepted the proposal of turning his + victorious arms against the Barbarians of Spain; the troops of Constantius + intercepted his communication with the seaports of Gaul, and gently + pressed his march towards the Pyrenees: <a href="#linknote-31.159" + name="linknoteref-31.159" id="linknoteref-31.159">159</a> he passed the + mountains, and surprised, in the name of the emperor, the city of + Barcelona. The fondness of Adolphus for his Roman bride, was not abated by + time or possession: and the birth of a son, surnamed, from his illustrious + grandsire, Theodosius, appeared to fix him forever in the interest of the + republic. The loss of that infant, whose remains were deposited in a + silver coffin in one of the churches near Barcelona, afflicted his + parents; but the grief of the Gothic king was suspended by the labors of + the field; and the course of his victories was soon interrupted by + domestic treason. + </p> + <p> + 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 Barcelona; the laws of the succession were + violated by a tumultuous faction; <a href="#linknote-31.160" + name="linknoteref-31.160" id="linknoteref-31.160">160</a> and a stranger to + the royal race, Singeric, the brother of Sarus himself, was seated on the + Gothic throne. 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 of a venerable bishop. <a + href="#linknote-31.161" name="linknoteref-31.161" id="linknoteref-31.161">161</a> + The unfortunate Placidia, instead of the respectful compassion, which she + might have excited in the most savage breasts, was treated with cruel and + wanton insult. The daughter of the emperor Theodosius, confounded among a + crowd of vulgar captives, was compelled to march on foot above twelve + miles, before the horse of a Barbarian, the assassin of a husband whom + Placidia loved and lamented. <a href="#linknote-31.162" + name="linknoteref-31.162" id="linknoteref-31.162">162</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.159" id="linknote-31.159"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 159 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.159">return</a>)<br /> [ This mixture of force + and persuasion may be fairly inferred from comparing Orosius and + Jornandes, the Roman and the Gothic historian.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.160" id="linknote-31.160"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 160 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.160">return</a>)<br /> [ According to the + system of Jornandes, (c. 33, p. 659,) the true hereditary right to the + Gothic sceptre was vested in the Amali; but those princes, who were the + vassals of the Huns, commanded the tribes of the Ostrogoths in some + distant parts of Germany or Scythia.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.161" id="linknote-31.161"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 161 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.161">return</a>)<br /> [ The murder is related + by Olympiodorus: but the number of the children is taken from an epitaph + of suspected authority.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.162" id="linknote-31.162"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 162 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.162">return</a>)<br /> [ The death of Adolphus + was celebrated at Constantinople with illuminations and Circensian games. + (See Chron. Alexandrin.) It may seem doubtful whether the Greeks were + actuated, on this occasion, be their hatred of the Barbarians, or of the + Latins.] + </p> + <p> + But Placidia soon obtained the pleasure of revenge, and the view of her + ignominious sufferings might rouse an indignant people against the tyrant, + 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 + Barcelona 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, <a href="#linknote-31.163" name="linknoteref-31.163" + id="linknoteref-31.163">163</a> and, from the rock now covered by the + fortress of Gibraltar, contemplated the neighboring and fertile coast of + Africa, Wallia resumed 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 a superstitious people were + deeply affected by the repeated disasters of storms and shipwrecks. In + this disposition the successor of Adolphus no longer refused to listen to + a Roman ambassador, whose proposals were enforced by the real, or + supposed, approach of a numerous army, under the conduct of the brave + Constantius. A solemn treaty was stipulated and observed; Placidia was + honorably restored to her brother; six hundred thousand measures of wheat + were delivered to the hungry Goths; <a href="#linknote-31.164" + name="linknoteref-31.164" id="linknoteref-31.164">164</a> and Wallia engaged + 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 throne of the Western emperor, exhorting him to remain a tranquil + spectator of their contest; the events of which must be favorable to the + Romans, by the mutual slaughter of their common enemies. <a + href="#linknote-31.165" name="linknoteref-31.165" id="linknoteref-31.165">165</a> + The Spanish war was obstinately supported, during three campaigns, with + desperate valor, and various success; and the martial achievements of + Wallia diffused through the empire the superior renown of the Gothic hero. + He exterminated the Silingi, who had irretrievably ruined the elegant + plenty of the province of Boetica. 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 + invincible 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 honors of a triumph to their feeble sovereign. He + entered Rome like the ancient conquerors of nations; and if the monuments + 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 courage, of the emperor Honorius. <a href="#linknote-31.166" + name="linknoteref-31.166" id="linknoteref-31.166">166</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.163" id="linknote-31.163"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 163 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.163">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Quod Tartessiacis avus hujus Vallia terris + Vandalicas turmas, et juncti Martis Alanos + Stravit, et occiduam texere cadavera Calpen. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Sidon. Apollinar. in Panegyr. Anthem. 363 p. 300, edit. Sirmond.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.164" id="linknote-31.164"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 164 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.164">return</a>)<br /> [ This supply was very + acceptable: the Goths were insulted by the Vandals of Spain with the + epithet of Truli, because in their extreme distress, they had given a + piece of gold for a trula, or about half a pound of flour. Olympiod. apud + Phot. p. 189.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.165" id="linknote-31.165"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 165 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.165">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius inserts a + copy of these pretended letters. Tu cum omnibus pacem habe, omniumque + obsides accipe; nos nobis confligimus nobis perimus, tibi vincimus; + immortalis vero quaestus erit Reipublicae tuae, si utrique pereamus. The + idea is just; but I cannot persuade myself that it was entertained or + expressed by the Barbarians.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.166" id="linknote-31.166"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 166 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.166">return</a>)<br /> [ Roman triumphans + ingreditur, is the formal expression of Prosper’s Chronicle. The facts + which relate to the death of Adolphus, and the exploits of Wallia, are + related from Olympiodorus, (ap. Phot. p. 188,) Orosius, (l. vii. c. 43 p. + 584-587,) Jornandes, (de Rebus p. 31, 32,) and the chronicles of Idatius + and Isidore.] + </p> + <p> + Such a triumph might have been justly claimed by the ally of Rome, if + Wallia, before he repassed the Pyrenees, had extirpated the seeds of the + Spanish war. His victorious Goths, forty-three years after they had passed + the Danube, were established, according to the faith of treaties, in the + possession of the second Aquitain; a maritime province between the Garonne + and the Loire, under the civil and 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 a + fruitful soil, and a temperate climate; the face of the country displayed + the arts and the rewards of industry; and the Goths, after their martial + toils, luxuriously exhausted the rich vineyards of Aquitain. <a + href="#linknote-31.167" name="linknoteref-31.167" id="linknoteref-31.167">167</a> + The Gothic limits were enlarged by the additional gift of some neighboring + dioceses; and the successors of Alaric fixed their royal residence at + Thoulouse, which included five populous quarters, or cities, within the + spacious circuit of its walls. About the same time, in the last years of + the reign of Honorius, the Goths, the Burgundians, and the Franks, + obtained a permanent seat and dominion in the provinces of Gaul. The + liberal grant of the usurper Jovinus to his Burgundian allies, was + confirmed by the lawful emperor; the lands of the First, or Upper, + Germany, were ceded to those formidable Barbarians; and they gradually + occupied, either by conquest or treaty, the two provinces which still + retain, with the titles of Duchy and County, the national appellation of + Burgundy. <a href="#linknote-31.168" name="linknoteref-31.168" + id="linknoteref-31.168">168</a> The Franks, the valiant and faithful allies + of the Roman republic, were soon tempted to imitate the invaders, whom + they had so bravely resisted. Treves, the capital of Gaul, was pillaged by + their lawless bands; and the humble colony, which they so long maintained + in the district of Toxandia, in Brabant, insensibly multiplied along the + banks of the Meuse and Scheld, till their independent power filled the + whole extent of the Second, or Lower Germany. These facts may be + sufficiently justified by historic evidence; but the foundation of the + French monarchy by Pharamond, the conquests, the laws, and even the + existence, of that hero, have been justly arraigned by the impartial + severity of modern criticism. <a href="#linknote-31.169" + name="linknoteref-31.169" id="linknoteref-31.169">169</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.167" id="linknote-31.167"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 167 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.167">return</a>)<br /> [ Ausonius (de Claris + Urbibus, p. 257-262) celebrates Bourdeaux with the partial affection of a + native. See in Salvian (de Gubern. Dei, p. 228. Paris, 1608) a florid + description of the provinces of Aquitain and Novempopulania.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.168" id="linknote-31.168"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 168 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.168">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius (l. vii. c. + 32, p. 550) commends the mildness and modesty of these Burgundians, who + treated their subjects of Gaul as their Christian brethren. Mascou has + illustrated the origin of their kingdom in the four first annotations at + the end of his laborious History of the Ancient Germans, vol. ii. p. + 555-572, of the English translation.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.169" id="linknote-31.169"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 169 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.169">return</a>)<br /> [ See Mascou, l. viii. + c. 43, 44, 45. Except in a short and suspicious line of the Chronicle of + Prosper, (in tom. i. p. 638,) the name of Pharamond is never mentioned + before the seventh century. The author of the Gesta Francorum (in tom. ii. + p. 543) suggests, probably enough, that the choice of Pharamond, or at + least of a king, was recommended to the Franks by his father Marcomir, who + was an exile in Tuscany. Note: The first mention of Pharamond is in the + Gesta Francorum, assigned to about the year 720. St. Martin, iv. 469. The + modern French writers in general subscribe to the opinion of Thierry: + Faramond fils de Markomir, quo que son nom soit bien germanique, et son + regne possible, ne figure pas dans les histoires les plus dignes de foi. + A. Thierry, Lettres l’Histoire de France, p. 90.—M.] + </p> + <p> + The ruin of the opulent provinces of Gaul may be dated from the + establishment of these Barbarians, whose alliance was dangerous and + oppressive, and who were capriciously impelled, by interest or passion, to + violate the public peace. A heavy and partial ransom was imposed 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 inflicted by the Romans themselves, not only in + the insolence of foreign conquest, but in the madness of civil discord. + The Triumvirs proscribed eighteen of the most flourishing colonies of + Italy; and distributed their lands and houses to the veterans who revenged + the death of Caesar, and oppressed the liberty of their country. Two poets + of unequal fame have deplored, 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 + neighborhood of Mantua; <a href="#linknote-31.170" name="linknoteref-31.170" + id="linknoteref-31.170">170</a> but Paulinus of Bourdeaux received a sum of + money from his Gothic purchaser, which he accepted with pleasure and + surprise; and though it was much inferior to the real value of his estate, + this act of rapine was disguised by some colors of moderation and equity. + <a href="#linknote-31.171" name="linknoteref-31.171" id="linknoteref-31.171">171</a> + The odious name of conquerors was softened into the mild and friendly + appellation of the guests of the Romans; and the Barbarians of Gaul, more + especially the Goths, repeatedly declared, that they were bound to the + people by the ties of hospitality, and to the emperor by the duty of + allegiance and military service. The title of Honorius and his successors, + their laws, and their civil magistrates, were still respected in the + provinces of Gaul, of which they had resigned the possession to the + Barbarian allies; and the kings, who exercised a supreme and independent + authority over their native subjects, ambitiously solicited the more + honorable rank of master-generals of the Imperial armies. <a + href="#linknote-31.172" name="linknoteref-31.172" id="linknoteref-31.172">172</a> + Such was the involuntary reverence which the Roman name still impressed on + the minds of those warriors, who had borne away in triumph the spoils of + the Capitol. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.170" id="linknote-31.170"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 170 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.170">return</a>)<br /> [ O Lycida, vivi + pervenimus: advena nostri (Quod nunquam veriti sumus) ut possessor agelli + Diseret: Haec mea sunt; veteres migrate coloni. Nunc victi tristes, &c.——See + the whole of the ninth eclogue, with the useful Commentary of Servius. + Fifteen miles of the Mantuan territory were assigned to the veterans, with + a reservation, in favor of the inhabitants, of three miles round the city. + Even in this favor they were cheated by Alfenus Varus, a famous lawyer, + and one of the commissioners, who measured eight hundred paces of water + and morass.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.171" id="linknote-31.171"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 171 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.171">return</a>)<br /> [ See the remarkable + passage of the Eucharisticon of Paulinus, 575, apud Mascou, l. viii. c. + 42.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.172" id="linknote-31.172"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 172 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.172">return</a>)<br /> [ This important truth + is established by the accuracy of Tillemont, (Hist. des Emp. tom. v. p. + 641,) and by the ingenuity of the Abbe Dubos, (Hist. de l’Etablissement de + la Monarchie Francoise dans les Gaules, tom. i. p. 259.)] + </p> + <p> + Whilst Italy was ravaged by the Goths, and a succession of feeble tyrants + oppressed the provinces beyond the Alps, the British island separated + itself from the body of the Roman empire. The regular forces, which + guarded that remote province, had been gradually withdrawn; and Britain + was abandoned without defence to the Saxon pirates, and the savages of + Ireland and Caledonia. The Britons, reduced to this extremity, no longer + relied on the tardy and doubtful aid of a declining monarchy. They + assembled in arms, repelled the invaders, and rejoiced in the important + discovery of their own strength. <a href="#linknote-31.173" + name="linknoteref-31.173" id="linknoteref-31.173">173</a> Afflicted by + similar calamities, and actuated by the same spirit, the Armorican + provinces (a name which comprehended the maritime countries of Gaul + between the Seine and the Loire <a href="#linknote-31.174" + name="linknoteref-31.174" id="linknoteref-31.174">174</a> resolved to + imitate the example of the neighboring island. They expelled the Roman + magistrates, who acted under the authority of the usurper Constantine; and + a free government was established among a people who had so long been + subject to the arbitrary will of a master. The independence of Britain and + Armorica was soon confirmed by Honorius himself, the lawful emperor 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 of sovereignty. This interpretation + was, in some measure, justified by the event. + </p> + <p> + After the usurpers of Gaul had successively fallen, 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; <a + href="#linknote-31.175" name="linknoteref-31.175" id="linknoteref-31.175">175</a> + and Armorica, though it could not long maintain the form of a republic, <a + href="#linknote-31.176" name="linknoteref-31.176" id="linknoteref-31.176">176</a> + was agitated by frequent and destructive revolts. Britain was + irrecoverably lost. <a href="#linknote-31.177" name="linknoteref-31.177" + id="linknoteref-31.177">177</a> But as the emperors wisely acquiesced in + the independence of a remote province, the separation was not imbittered + by the reproach of tyranny or rebellion; and the claims of allegiance and + protection were succeeded by the mutual and voluntary offices of national + friendship. <a href="#linknote-31.178" name="linknoteref-31.178" + id="linknoteref-31.178">178</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.173" id="linknote-31.173"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 173 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.173">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus (l. vi. 376, + 383) relates in a few words the revolt of Britain and Armorica. Our + antiquarians, even the great Cambder himself, have been betrayed into many + gross errors, by their imperfect knowledge of the history of the + continent.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.174" id="linknote-31.174"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 174 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.174">return</a>)<br /> [ The limits of + Armorica are defined by two national geographers, Messieurs De Valois and + D’Anville, in their Notitias of Ancient Gaul. The word had been used in a + more extensive, and was afterwards contracted to a much narrower, + signification.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.175" id="linknote-31.175"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 175 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.175">return</a>)<br /> [ Gens inter geminos + notissima clauditur amnes, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Armoricana prius veteri cognomine dicta. + Torva, ferox, ventosa, procax, incauta, rebellis; + Inconstans, disparque sibi novitatis amore; + Prodiga verborum, sed non et prodiga facti. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Erricus, Monach. in Vit. St. Germani. l. v. apud Vales. Notit. Galliarum, + p. 43. Valesius alleges several testimonies to confirm this character; to + which I shall add the evidence of the presbyter Constantine, (A.D. 488,) + who, in the life of St. Germain, calls the Armorican rebels mobilem et + indisciplinatum populum. See the Historians of France, tom. i. p. 643.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.176" id="linknote-31.176"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 176 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.176">return</a>)<br /> [ I thought it + necessary to enter my protest against this part of the system of the Abbe + Dubos, which Montesquieu has so vigorously opposed. See Esprit des Loix, + l. xxx. c. 24. Note: See Mémoires de Gallet sur l’Origine des Bretons, + quoted by Daru Histoire de Bretagne, i. p. 57. According to the opinion of + these authors, the government of Armorica was monarchical from the period + of its independence on the Roman empire.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.177" id="linknote-31.177"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 177 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.177">return</a>)<br /> [ The words of + Procopius (de Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 2, p. 181, Louvre edition) in a very + important passage, which has been too much neglected Even Bede (Hist. + Gent. Anglican. l. i. c. 12, p. 50, edit. Smith) acknowledges that the + Romans finally left Britain in the reign of Honorius. Yet our modern + historians and antiquaries extend the term of their dominion; and there + are some who allow only the interval of a few months between their + departure and the arrival of the Saxons.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.178" id="linknote-31.178"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 178 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.178">return</a>)<br /> [ Bede has not + forgotten the occasional aid of the legions against the Scots and Picts; + and more authentic proof will hereafter be produced, that the independent + Britons raised 12,000 men for the service of the emperor Anthemius, in + Gaul.] + </p> + <p> + This revolution dissolved the artificial fabric of civil and military + government; and the independent country, during a period of forty years, + till the descent of the Saxons, was ruled by the authority of the clergy, + the nobles, and the municipal towns. <a href="#linknote-31.179" + name="linknoteref-31.179" id="linknoteref-31.179">179</a> I. Zosimus, who + alone has preserved the memory of this singular transaction, very + accurately observes, that the letters of Honorius were addressed to the + cities of Britain. <a href="#linknote-31.180" name="linknoteref-31.180" + id="linknoteref-31.180">180</a> Under the protection of 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 + href="#linknote-31.181" name="linknoteref-31.181" id="linknoteref-31.181">181</a> + Each of these cities, as in all the other provinces of the empire, formed + a legal corporation, for the purpose of regulating their domestic policy; + and the powers of municipal government were distributed among annual + magistrates, a select senate, and the assembly of the people, according to + the original model of the Roman constitution. <a href="#linknote-31.182" + name="linknoteref-31.182" id="linknoteref-31.182">182</a> The management of + a common revenue, the exercise of civil and criminal jurisdiction, and the + habits of public counsel and command, were inherent to these petty + republics; and when they asserted their independence, the youth of the + city, and of the adjacent districts, would naturally range themselves + under the standard of the magistrate. But the desire of obtaining the + advantages, and of escaping the burdens, of political society, is a + perpetual and inexhaustible source of discord; nor can it reasonably be + presumed, that the restoration of British freedom was exempt from tumult + and faction. The preeminence of birth and fortune must have been + frequently violated by bold and popular citizens; and the haughty nobles, + who complained that they were become the subjects of their own servants, + <a href="#linknote-31.183" name="linknoteref-31.183" id="linknoteref-31.183">183</a> + would sometimes regret the reign of an arbitrary monarch. + </p> + <p> + 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 their own + safety by adhering to the shelter of these rising republics. The sphere of + their attraction was proportioned to the respective degrees of their + wealth and populousness; but the hereditary lords of ample possessions, + who were not oppressed by the neighborhood of any powerful city, aspired + to the rank of independent princes, and boldly exercised the rights of + peace and war. The gardens and villas, which exhibited some faint + imitation of Italian elegance, would soon be converted into strong + castles, the refuge, in time of danger, of the adjacent country: <a + href="#linknote-31.184" name="linknoteref-31.184" id="linknoteref-31.184">184</a> + the produce of the land was applied to purchase arms and horses; to + maintain a military force of slaves, of peasants, and 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 honorable genealogy, and to vindicate their hereditary claims, + which had been suspended by the usurpation of the Caesars. <a + href="#linknote-31.185" name="linknoteref-31.185" id="linknoteref-31.185">185</a> + Their situation and their hopes would dispose them to affect the dress, + the language, and the customs of their ancestors. If the princes of + Britain relapsed into barbarism, while the cities studiously preserved the + laws and manners of Rome, 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 various provocations of + interest and resentment. The public strength, instead of being united + against a foreign enemy, was consumed in obscure and intestine quarrels; + and the personal merit which had placed a successful leader at the head of + his equals, might enable him to subdue the freedom of some neighboring + cities; and to claim a rank among the tyrants, <a href="#linknote-31.186" + name="linknoteref-31.186" id="linknoteref-31.186">186</a> who infested + Britain after the dissolution of the Roman government. III. The British + church might be composed of thirty or forty bishops, <a + href="#linknote-31.187" name="linknoteref-31.187" id="linknoteref-31.187">187</a> + with an adequate proportion of the inferior clergy; and the want of riches + (for they seem to have been poor <a href="#linknote-31.188" + name="linknoteref-31.188" id="linknoteref-31.188">188</a>) would compel them + to deserve the public esteem, by a decent and exemplary behavior. + </p> + <p> + The interest, as well as the temper of the clergy, was favorable to the + peace and union of 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 national assembly. + </p> + <p> + In such councils, where the princes and magistrates sat promiscuously with + the bishops, the important affairs of the state, as well as of the church, + might be freely debated; differences 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, so worthy of the episcopal character, + were interrupted, however, by zeal and superstition; and the British + clergy incessantly labored to eradicate the Pelagian heresy, which they + abhorred, as the peculiar disgrace of their native country. <a + href="#linknote-31.189" name="linknoteref-31.189" id="linknoteref-31.189">189</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.179" id="linknote-31.179"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 179 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.179">return</a>)<br /> [ I owe it to myself, + and to historic truth, to declare, that some circumstances in this + paragraph are founded only on conjecture and analogy. The stubbornness of + our language has sometimes forced me to deviate from the conditional into + the indicative mood.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.180" id="linknote-31.180"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 180 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.180">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. vi. p. + 383.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.181" id="linknote-31.181"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 181 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.181">return</a>)<br /> [ Two cities of Britain + were municipia, nine colonies, ten Latii jure donatoe, twelve + stipendiarioe of eminent note. This detail is taken from Richard of + Cirencester, de Situ Britanniae, p. 36; and though it may not seem + probable that he wrote from the Mss. of a Roman general, he shows a + genuine knowledge of antiquity, very extraordinary for a monk of the + fourteenth century. + </p> + <p> + Note: The names may be found in Whitaker’s Hist. of Manchester vol. ii. + 330, 379. Turner, Hist. Anglo-Saxons, i. 216.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.182" id="linknote-31.182"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 182 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.182">return</a>)<br /> [ See Maffei Verona + Illustrata, part i. l. v. p. 83-106.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.183" id="linknote-31.183"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 183 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.183">return</a>)<br /> [ Leges restituit, + libertatemque reducit, Et servos famulis non sinit esse suis. Itinerar. + Rutil. l. i. 215.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.184" id="linknote-31.184"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 184 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.184">return</a>)<br /> [ An inscription (apud + Sirmond, Not. ad Sidon. Apollinar. p. 59) describes a castle, cum muris et + portis, tutioni omnium, erected by Dardanus on his own estate, near + Sisteron, in the second Narbonnese, and named by him Theopolis.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.185" id="linknote-31.185"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 185 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.185">return</a>)<br /> [ The establishment of + their power would have been easy indeed, if we could adopt the + impracticable scheme of a lively and learned antiquarian; who supposes + that the British monarchs of the several tribes continued to reign, though + with subordinate jurisdiction, from the time of Claudius to that of + Honorius. See Whitaker’s History of Manchester, vol. i. p. 247-257.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.186" id="linknote-31.186"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 186 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.186">return</a>)<br /> [ Procopius, de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. c. 3, p. 181. Britannia fertilis provincia tyrannorum, was + the expression of Jerom, in the year 415 (tom. ii. p. 255, ad Ctesiphont.) + By the pilgrims, who resorted every year to the Holy Land, the monk of + Bethlem received the earliest and most accurate intelligence.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.187" id="linknote-31.187"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 187 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.187">return</a>)<br /> [ See Bingham’s Eccles. + Antiquities, vol. i. l. ix. c. 6, p. 394.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.188" id="linknote-31.188"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 188 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.188">return</a>)<br /> [ It is reported of + three British bishops who assisted at the council of Rimini, A.D. 359, tam + pauperes fuisse ut nihil haberent. Sulpicius Severus, Hist. Sacra, l. ii. + p. 420. Some of their brethren however, were in better circumstances.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.189" id="linknote-31.189"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 189 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.189">return</a>)<br /> [ Consult Usher, de + Antiq. Eccles. Britannicar. c. 8-12.] + </p> + <p> + It is somewhat remarkable, or rather it is extremely natural, that the + revolt of Britain and Armorica should have introduced an appearance of + liberty into the obedient provinces of Gaul. In a solemn edict, <a + href="#linknote-31.190" name="linknoteref-31.190" id="linknoteref-31.190">190</a> + filled with the strongest assurances of that paternal affection which + princes so often express, and so seldom feel, the emperor Honorius + promulgated his intention of convening an annual assembly of the seven + provinces: a name peculiarly appropriated to Aquitain and the ancient + Narbonnese, which had long since exchanged their Celtic rudeness for the + useful and elegant arts of Italy. <a href="#linknote-31.191" + name="linknoteref-31.191" id="linknoteref-31.191">191</a> Arles, the seat of + government and commerce, was appointed for the place of the assembly; + which regularly continued twenty-eight days, from the fifteenth of August + to the thirteenth of September, of every year. It consisted of the + Prætorian praefect of the Gauls; of seven provincial governors, one + consular, and six presidents; of the magistrates, and perhaps the bishops, + of about sixty cities; and of a competent, though indefinite, number of + the most honorable and opulent possessors 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 of their constituents; to moderate the excessive or + unequal weight of taxes; and to deliberate on every subject of local or + national importance, that could tend to the restoration of the peace and + prosperity of the seven provinces. If such an institution, which gave the + people an interest in their own government, had been universally + established by Trajan or the Antonines, the seeds of public wisdom and + virtue might have been cherished and propagated in the empire of Rome. The + privileges of the subject would have secured the throne of the monarch; + the abuses of an arbitrary administration might have been prevented, in + some degree, or corrected, by the interposition of these representative + assemblies; and the country would have been defended against a foreign + enemy by the arms of natives and freemen. Under the mild and generous + influence of liberty, the Roman empire might have remained invincible and + immortal; or if its excessive magnitude, and the instability of human + affairs, had opposed such perpetual continuance, its vital and constituent + members might have separately preserved their vigor and independence. But + in the decline of the empire, 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 + representatives; who seem to have declined this imaginary gift of a free + constitution, as the last and most cruel insult of their oppressors. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.190" id="linknote-31.190"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 190 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.190">return</a>)<br /> [ See the correct text + of this edict, as published by Sirmond, (Not. ad Sidon. Apollin. p. 148.) + Hincmar of Rheims, who assigns a place to the bishops, had probably seen + (in the ninth century) a more perfect copy. Dubos, Hist. Critique de la + Monarchie Francoise, tom. i. p. 241-255] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-31.191" id="linknote-31.191"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 191 (<a href="#linknoteref-31.191">return</a>)<br /> [ It is evident from + the Notitia, that the seven provinces were the Viennensis, the maritime + Alps, the first and second Narbonnese Novempopulania, and the first and + second Aquitain. In the room of the first Aquitain, the Abbe Dubos, on the + authority of Hincmar, desires to introduce the first Lugdunensis, or + Lyonnese.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap32.1"></a> +Chapter XXXII: Emperors Arcadius, Eutropius, Theodosius II.—Part I. +</h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Arcadius Emperor Of The East.—Administration And Disgrace + Of Eutropius.—Revolt Of Gainas.—Persecution Of St. John + Chrysostom.—Theodosius II. Emperor Of The East.—His Sister + Pulcheria.—His Wife Eudocia.—The Persian War, And Division + Of Armenia. +</pre> + <p> + The division of the Roman world between the sons of Theodosius marks the + final establishment of the empire of the East, which, from the reign of + Arcadius to the taking of Constantinople by the Turks, subsisted one + thousand and fifty-eight years, in a state of premature and perpetual + decay. The sovereign of that empire assumed, and obstinately retained, the + vain, and at length fictitious, title of Emperor of the Romans; and the + hereditary appellation of Caesar and Augustus continued to declare, that + he was the legitimate successor of the first of men, who had reigned over + the first of nations. The place of Constantinople rivalled, and perhaps + excelled, the magnificence of Persia; and the eloquent sermons of St. + Chrysostom <a href="#linknote-32.1" name="linknoteref-32.1" + id="linknoteref-32.1">1</a> celebrate, while they condemn, the pompous + luxury of the reign of Arcadius. “The emperor,” says he, “wears on his + head either a diadem, or a crown of gold, decorated with precious stones + of inestimable value. These ornaments, and his purple garments, are + reserved for his sacred person alone; and his robes of silk are + embroidered with the figures of golden dragons. His throne is of massy + gold. Whenever he appears in public, 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 + substance or the appearance of gold; and the large splendid boss in the + midst of their shield is encircled with smaller bosses, which represent + the shape of the human eye. The two mules that drew the chariot of the + monarch are perfectly white, and shining all over with gold. The chariot + itself, of pure and solid gold, attracts the admiration of the spectators, + who contemplate the purple curtains, the snowy carpet, the size of the + precious stones, and the resplendent plates of gold, that glitter as they + are agitated by the motion of the carriage. The Imperial pictures are + white, on a blue ground; the emperor appears seated on his throne, with + his arms, his horses, and his guards beside him; and his vanquished + enemies in chains at his feet.” The successors of Constantine established + their perpetual residence in the royal city, which he had erected on the + verge of Europe and Asia. Inaccessible to the menaces of their enemies, + and perhaps to the complaints 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 dominions were bounded by the Adriatic and the + Tigris; and the whole interval of twenty-five days’ navigation, which + separated the extreme cold of Scythia from the torrid zone of Æthiopia, + <a href="#linknote-32.2" name="linknoteref-32.2" id="linknoteref-32.2">2</a> + was comprehended within the limits of the empire of the East. The populous + countries of that empire were the seat of art and learning, of luxury and + wealth; and the inhabitants, who had assumed the language and manners of + Greeks, styled themselves, 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 Roman Republic, + which so long preserved a faint tradition of freedom, was confined to the + Latin provinces; and the princes of Constantinople measured their + greatness by the servile obedience of their people. They were ignorant how + much this passive disposition enervates and degrades every faculty of the + mind. The subjects, who had resigned their will to the absolute commands + of a master, were equally incapable of guarding their lives and fortunes + against the assaults of the Barbarians, or of defending their reason from + the terrors of superstition. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.1" id="linknote-32.1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.1">return</a>)<br /> [ Father Montfaucon, who, + by the command of his Benedictine superiors, was compelled (see + Longueruana, tom. i. p. 205) to execute the laborious edition of St. + Chrysostom, in thirteen volumes in folio, (Paris, 1738,) amused himself + with extracting from that immense collection of morals, some curious + antiquities, which illustrate the manners of the Theodosian age, (see + Chrysostom, Opera, tom. xiii. p. 192-196,) and his French Dissertation, in + the Mémoires de l’Acad. des Inscriptions, tom. xiii. p. 474-490.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.2" id="linknote-32.2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.2">return</a>)<br /> [ According to the loose + reckoning, that a ship could sail, with a fair wind, 1000 stadia, or 125 + miles, in the revolution of a day and night, Diodorus Siculus computes ten + days from the Palus Moeotis to Rhodes, and four days from Rhodes to + Alexandria. The navigation of the Nile from Alexandria to Syene, under the + tropic of Cancer, required, as it was against the stream, ten days more. + Diodor. Sicul. tom. i. l. iii. p. 200, edit. Wesseling. He might, without + much impropriety, measure the extreme heat from the verge of the torrid + zone; but he speaks of the Moeotis in the 47th degree of northern + latitude, as if it lay within the polar circle.] + </p> + <p> + The first events of the reign of Arcadius and Honorius are so intimately + connected, that the rebellion of the Goths, and the fall of Rufinus, have + already claimed a place in the history of the West. It has already been + observed, that Eutropius, <a href="#linknote-32.3" name="linknoteref-32.3" + id="linknoteref-32.3">3</a> one of the principal eunuchs of the palace of + Constantinople, succeeded the haughty minister whose ruin he had + accomplished, and whose vices he soon imitated. Every order of the state + bowed to the new favorite; 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 functions 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 their malicious suggestions, the fame + and fortunes of the most illustrious citizens; but they never presumed to + stand forward in the front of empire, <a href="#linknote-32.4" + name="linknoteref-32.4" id="linknoteref-32.4">4</a> or to profane the public + honors of the state. Eutropius was the first of his artificial sex, who + dared to assume the character of a Roman magistrate and general. + Sometimes, in the presence of the blushing senate, he ascended the + tribunal to pronounce judgment, or to repeat elaborate harangues; and, + sometimes, appeared on horseback, at the head of his troops, in the dress + and armor of a hero. The disregard of custom and decency always betrays a + weak and ill-regulated mind; nor 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 secret contempt of the spectators; the Goths + expressed their wish that such a general might always command the armies + of Rome; and the name 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 + decrepit eunuch, <a href="#linknote-32.6" name="linknoteref-32.6" + id="linknoteref-32.6">6</a> 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 a 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. <a href="#linknote-32.7" name="linknoteref-32.7" + id="linknoteref-32.7">7</a> While these disgraceful stories were + circulated, and perhaps exaggerated, in private conversation, the vanity + of the favorite was flattered with the most extraordinary honors. In the + senate, in the capital, in the provinces, the statues of Eutropius were + erected, in brass, or marble, decorated with the symbols of his civil and + military virtues, and inscribed with the pompous title of the third + founder of Constantinople. He was promoted to the rank of patrician, which + began to signify in a popular, and even legal, acceptation, the father of + the emperor; and the last year of the fourth century was polluted by the + consulship of a eunuch and a slave. This strange and inexpiable prodigy <a + href="#linknote-32.8" name="linknoteref-32.8" id="linknoteref-32.8">8</a> + awakened, however, the prejudices of the Romans. The effeminate consul was + rejected by the West, as an indelible stain to the annals of the republic; + and without invoking the shades of Brutus and Camillus, the colleague of + Eutropius, a learned and respectable magistrate, <a href="#linknote-32.9" + name="linknoteref-32.9" id="linknoteref-32.9">9</a> sufficiently represented + the different maxims of the two administrations. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.3" id="linknote-32.3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.3">return</a>)<br /> [ Barthius, who adored his + author with the blind superstition of a commentator, gives the preference + to the two books which Claudian composed against Eutropius, above all his + other productions, (Baillet Jugemens des Savans, tom. iv. p. 227.) They + are indeed a very elegant and spirited satire; and would be more valuable + in an historical light, if the invective were less vague and more + temperate.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.4" id="linknote-32.4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.4">return</a>)<br /> [ After lamenting the + progress of the eunuchs in the Roman palace, and defining their proper + functions, Claudian adds, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + A fronte recedant. + Imperii. + —-In Eutrop. i. 422. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Yet it does not appear that the eunuchs had assumed any of the efficient + offices of the empire, and he is styled only Praepositun sacri cubiculi, + in the edict of his banishment. See Cod. Theod. l. leg 17. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Jamque oblita sui, nec sobria divitiis mens + In miseras leges hominumque negotia ludit + Judicat eunuchus....... + Arma etiam violare parat...... +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Claudian, (i. 229-270,) with that mixture of indignation and humor which + always pleases in a satiric poet, describes the insolent folly of the + eunuch, the disgrace of the empire, and the joy of the Goths. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Gaudet, cum viderit, hostis, + Et sentit jam deesse viros.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.6" id="linknote-32.6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.6">return</a>)<br /> [ The poet’s lively + description of his deformity (i. 110-125) is confirmed by the authentic + testimony of Chrysostom, (tom. iii. p. 384, edit Montfaucon;) who + observes, that when the paint was washed away the face of Eutropius + appeared more ugly and wrinkled than that of an old woman. Claudian + remarks, (i. 469,) and the remark must have been founded on experience, + that there was scarcely an interval between the youth and the decrepit age + of a eunuch.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.7" id="linknote-32.7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.7">return</a>)<br /> [ Eutropius appears to have + been a native of Armenia or Assyria. His three services, which Claudian + more particularly describes, were these: 1. He spent many years as the + catamite of Ptolemy, a groom or soldier of the Imperial stables. 2. + Ptolemy gave him to the old general Arintheus, for whom he very skilfully + exercised the profession of a pimp. 3. He was given, on her marriage, to + the daughter of Arintheus; and the future consul was employed to comb her + hair, to present the silver ewer to wash and to fan his mistress in hot + weather. See l. i. 31-137.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.8" id="linknote-32.8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.8">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian, (l. i. in + Eutrop. l.—22,) after enumerating the various prodigies of monstrous + births, speaking animals, showers of blood or stones, double suns, &c., + adds, with some exaggeration, + </p> + <p> + Omnia cesserunt eunucho consule monstra. + </p> + <p> + The first book concludes with a noble speech of the goddess of Rome to her + favorite Honorius, deprecating the new ignominy to which she was exposed.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.9" id="linknote-32.9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.9">return</a>)<br /> [ Fl. Mallius Theodorus, + whose civil honors, and philosophical works, have been celebrated by + Claudian in a very elegant panegyric.] + </p> + <p> + The bold and vigorous mind of Rufinus seems to have been actuated by a + more sanguinary and revengeful spirit; but the avarice of the eunuch was + not less insatiate than that of the praefect. <a href="#linknote-32.10" + name="linknoteref-32.10" id="linknoteref-32.10">10</a> As long as he + despoiled the oppressors, who had enriched themselves with the plunder of + the people, Eutropius might gratify his covetous disposition without much + envy or injustice: but the progress of his rapine soon invaded the wealth + which had been acquired by lawful inheritance, or laudable industry. The + usual methods of extortion were practised and improved; and Claudian has + sketched a lively and original picture of the public auction of the state. + “The impotence of the eunuch,” says that agreeable satirist, “has served + only to stimulate his avarice: the same hand which in his servile + condition, was exercised in petty thefts, to unlock the coffers of his + master, now grasps the riches of the world; and this infamous broker of + the empire appreciates and divides the Roman provinces from Mount Haemus + to the Tigris. One man, at the expense of his villa, is made proconsul of + Asia; a second purchases Syria with his wife’s jewels; and a third laments + that he has exchanged his paternal estate for the government of Bithynia. + In the antechamber of Eutropius, a large tablet is exposed to public view, + which marks the respective prices of the provinces. The different value of + Pontus, of Galatia, of Lydia, is accurately distinguished. Lycia may be + obtained for so many thousand pieces of gold; but the opulence of Phrygia + will require a more considerable sum. The eunuch wishes to obliterate, by + the general disgrace, his personal ignominy; and as he has been sold + himself, he is desirous of selling the rest of mankind. In the eager + contention, the balance, which contains the fate and fortunes of the + province, often trembles on the beam; and till one of the scales is + inclined, by a superior weight, the mind of the impartial judge remains in + anxious suspense. Such,” continues the indignant poet, “are the fruits of + Roman valor, of the defeat of Antiochus, and of the triumph of Pompey.” + This venal prostitution of public honors secured the impunity of future + crimes; but the riches, which Eutropius derived from confiscation, were + already stained with injustice; since it was decent to accuse, and to + condemn, the proprietors of the wealth, which he was impatient to + confiscate. Some noble blood was shed by the hand of the executioner; and + the most inhospitable extremities of the empire were filled with innocent + and illustrious exiles. Among the generals and consuls of the East, + Abundantius <a href="#linknote-32.12" name="linknoteref-32.12" + id="linknoteref-32.12">12</a> had reason to dread the first effects of the + resentment 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 favorite, + who was satisfied with the disgrace of his benefactor. Abundantius was + stripped of his ample fortunes by an Imperial rescript, and banished to + Pityus, 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 fall of Eutropius, a milder exile at Sidon, in Phoenicia. The + destruction of Timasius <a href="#linknote-32.13" name="linknoteref-32.13" + id="linknoteref-32.13">13</a> required a more serious and regular mode of + attack. That great officer, the master-general of the armies of + Theodosius, had signalized his valor 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 flatterers. Timasius had despised the + public clamor, 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 favorite to accuse his patron of a treasonable + conspiracy. The general was arraigned before the tribunal of Arcadius + himself; and the principal 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 arbitrary, the further inquiry into the + crimes of Timasius was delegated to Saturninus and Procopius; the former + of consular rank, the latter still respected as the father-in-law of the + emperor Valens. The appearances of a fair and legal proceeding were + maintained by the blunt honesty of Procopius; and he yielded with + reluctance to the obsequious dexterity of his colleague, who pronounced a + sentence of condemnation against the unfortunate Timasius. His immense + riches were confiscated in the name of the emperor, and for the benefit of + the favorite; and he was doomed to perpetual exile a Oasis, a solitary + spot in the midst of the sandy deserts of Libya. <a href="#linknote-32.14" + name="linknoteref-32.14" id="linknoteref-32.14">14</a> Secluded from all + human converse, the master-general of the Roman armies was lost forever to + the world; but the circumstances of his fate have been related in a + various and contradictory manner. It is insinuated that Eutropius + despatched a private order for his secret execution. <a + href="#linknote-32.15" name="linknoteref-32.15" id="linknoteref-32.15">15</a> + It was reported, that, in attempting to escape from Oasis, he perished in + the desert, of thirst and hunger; and that his dead body was found on the + sands of Libya. <a href="#linknote-32.16" name="linknoteref-32.16" + id="linknoteref-32.16">16</a> It has been asserted, with more confidence, + that his son Syagrius, after successfully eluding the pursuit of the + agents and emissaries of the court, collected a band of African robbers; + that he rescued Timasius from the place of his exile; and that both the + father and the son disappeared from the knowledge of mankind. <a + href="#linknote-32.17" name="linknoteref-32.17" id="linknoteref-32.17">17</a> + But the ungrateful Bargus, instead of being suffered to possess the reward + of guilt was soon after circumvented and destroyed, by the more powerful + villany of the minister himself, who retained sense and spirit enough to + abhor the instrument of his own crimes. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.10" id="linknote-32.10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.10">return</a>)<br /> [ Drunk with riches, is + the forcible expression of Zosimus, (l. v. p. 301;) and the avarice of + Eutropius is equally execrated in the Lexicon of Suidas and the Chronicle + of Marcellinus Chrysostom had often admonished the favorite of the vanity + and danger of immoderate wealth, tom. iii. p. 381. -certantum saepe duorum + Diversum suspendit onus: cum pondere judex Vergit, et in geminas nutat + provincia lances. Claudian (i. 192-209) so curiously distinguishes the + circumstances of the sale, that they all seem to allude to particular + anecdotes.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.12" id="linknote-32.12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.12">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian (i. 154-170) + mentions the guilt and exile of Abundantius; nor could he fail to quote + the example of the artist, who made the first trial of the brazen bull, + which he presented to Phalaris. See Zosimus, l. v. p. 302. Jerom, tom. i. + p. 26. The difference of place is easily reconciled; but the decisive + authority of Asterius of Amasia (Orat. iv. p. 76, apud Tillemont, Hist. + des Empereurs, tom. v. p. 435) must turn the scale in favor of Pityus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.13" id="linknote-32.13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.13">return</a>)<br /> [ Suidas (most probably + from the history of Eunapius) has given a very unfavorable picture of + Timasius. The account of his accuser, the judges, trial, &c., is + perfectly agreeable to the practice of ancient and modern courts. (See + Zosimus, l. v. p. 298, 299, 300.) I am almost tempted to quote the romance + of a great master, (Fielding’s Works, vol. iv. p. 49, &c., 8vo. + edit.,) which may be considered as the history of human nature.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.14" id="linknote-32.14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.14">return</a>)<br /> [ The great Oasis was one + of the spots in the sands of Libya, watered with springs, and capable of + producing wheat, barley, and palm-trees. It was about three days’ journey + from north to south, about half a day in breadth, and at the distance of + about five days’ march to the west of Abydus, on the Nile. See D’Anville, + Description de l’Egypte, p. 186, 187, 188. The barren desert which + encompasses Oasis (Zosimus, l. v. p. 300) has suggested the idea of + comparative fertility, and even the epithet of the happy island ] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.15" id="linknote-32.15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.15">return</a>)<br /> [ The line of Claudian, + in Eutrop. l. i. 180, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Marmaricus claris violatur caedibus Hammon, +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + evidently alludes to his persuasion of the death of Timasius. * Note: A + fragment of Eunapius confirms this account. “Thus having deprived this + great person of his life—a eunuch, a man, a slave, a consul, a + minister of the bed-chamber, one bred in camps.” Mai, p. 283, in Niebuhr. + 87—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.16" id="linknote-32.16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.16">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen, l. viii. c. 7. + He speaks from report.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.17" id="linknote-32.17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.17">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. v. p. 300. + Yet he seems to suspect that this rumor was spread by the friends of + Eutropius.] + </p> + <p> + The public hatred, and the despair of individuals, continually threatened, + or seemed to threaten, the personal safety of Eutropius; as well as of the + numerous adherents, who were attached to his fortune, and had been + promoted by his venal favor. For their mutual defence, he contrived the + safeguard of a law, which violated every principal of humanity and + justice. <a href="#linknote-32.18" name="linknoteref-32.18" + id="linknoteref-32.18">18</a> I. It is enacted, in the name, and by the + authority of Arcadius, that all those who should conspire, either with + subjects or with strangers, against the lives of any of the persons whom + the emperor considers as the members of his own body, shall be punished + with death and confiscation. This species of fictitious and metaphorical + treason is extended to protect, not only the illustrious officers of the + state and army, who were admitted into the sacred consistory, but likewise + the principal domestics of the palace, the senators of Constantinople, the + military commanders, and the civil magistrates of the provinces; a vague + and indefinite list, which, under the successors of Constantine, included + an obscure and numerous train of subordinate ministers. II. This extreme + severity might perhaps be justified, had it been only directed to secure + the representatives of the sovereign from any actual violence in the + execution of their office. But the whole body of Imperial dependants + claimed a privilege, or rather impunity, which screened them, in the + loosest moments of their lives, from the hasty, perhaps the justifiable, + resentment of their fellow-citizens; and, by a strange perversion of the + laws, the same degree of guilt and punishment was applied to a private + quarrel, and to a deliberate conspiracy against the emperor and the + empire. The edicts of Arcadius most positively and most absurdly declares, + that in such cases of treason, thoughts and actions ought to be punished + with equal severity; that the knowledge of a mischievous intention, unless + it be instantly revealed, becomes equally criminal with the intention + itself; <a href="#linknote-32.19" name="linknoteref-32.19" + id="linknoteref-32.19">19</a> and that those rash men, who shall presume to + solicit the pardon of traitors, shall themselves be branded with public + and perpetual infamy. III. “With regard to the sons of the traitors,” + (continues the emperor,) “although they ought to share the punishment, + since they will 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 legacy, from + the testament either of kinsmen or of strangers. Stigmatized with + hereditary infamy, excluded from the hopes of honors or fortune, let them + endure the pangs of poverty and contempt, till they shall consider life as + a calamity, and death as a comfort and relief.” In such words, so well + adapted to insult the feelings of mankind, did the emperor, or rather his + favorite 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, their 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 codes of Theodosius and Justinian; + and the same maxims have been revived in modern ages, to protect the + electors of Germany, and the cardinals of the church of Rome. <a + href="#linknote-32.20" name="linknoteref-32.20" id="linknoteref-32.20">20</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.18" id="linknote-32.18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.18">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Theodosian + Code, l. ix. tit. 14, ad legem Corneliam de Sicariis, leg. 3, and the Code + of Justinian, l. ix. tit. viii, viii. ad legem Juliam de Majestate, leg. + 5. The alteration of the title, from murder to treason, was an improvement + of the subtle Tribonian. Godefroy, in a formal dissertation, which he has + inserted in his Commentary, illustrates this law of Arcadius, and explains + all the difficult passages which had been perverted by the jurisconsults + of the darker ages. See tom. iii. p. 88-111.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.19" id="linknote-32.19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.19">return</a>)<br /> [ Bartolus understands a + simple and naked consciousness, without any sign of approbation or + concurrence. For this opinion, says Baldus, he is now roasting in hell. + For my own part, continues the discreet Heineccius, (Element. Jur. Civil + l. iv. p. 411,) I must approve the theory of Bartolus; but in practice I + should incline to the sentiments of Baldus. Yet Bartolus was gravely + quoted by the lawyers of Cardinal Richelieu; and Eutropius was indirectly + guilty of the murder of the virtuous De Thou.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.20" id="linknote-32.20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.20">return</a>)<br /> [ Godefroy, tom. iii. p. + 89. It is, however, suspected, that this law, so repugnant to the maxims + of Germanic freedom, has been surreptitiously added to the golden bull.] + </p> + <p> + Yet these sanguinary laws, which spread terror among a disarmed and + dispirited people, were of too weak a texture to restrain the bold + enterprise of Tribigild <a href="#linknote-32.21" name="linknoteref-32.21" + id="linknoteref-32.21">21</a> the Ostrogoth. The colony of that warlike + nation, which had been planted by Theodosius in one of the most fertile + districts of Phrygia, <a href="#linknote-32.22" name="linknoteref-32.22" + id="linknoteref-32.22">22</a> impatiently compared the slow returns of + laborious husbandry with the successful rapine and liberal rewards of + Alaric; and their leader resented, as a personal affront, his own + ungracious reception in the palace of Constantinople. A soft and wealthy + province, in the heart of the empire, was astonished by the sound of war; + and the faithful vassal who had been disregarded or oppressed, was again + respected, as soon as he resumed the hostile character of a Barbarian. The + vineyards and fruitful fields, between the rapid Marsyas and the winding + Maeander, <a href="#linknote-32.23" name="linknoteref-32.23" + id="linknoteref-32.23">23</a> were consumed with fire; the decayed walls of + the cities 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. His rapid progress was checked by the resistance + of the peasants of Pamphylia; and the Ostrogoths, attacked in a narrow + pass, between the city of Selgae, <a href="#linknote-32.24" + name="linknoteref-32.24" id="linknoteref-32.24">24</a> a deep morass, and + the craggy cliffs of Mount Taurus, 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 honorable names of war and conquest. The rumors 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 suppose that he meditated the passage of Mount Taurus, and the + invasion of Syria. If he descended towards the sea, they imputed, and + perhaps suggested, to the Gothic chief, the more dangerous project of + arming a fleet in the harbors of Ionia, and of extending his depredations + along the maritime coast, from the mouth of the Nile to the port of + Constantinople. The approach of danger, and the obstinacy of Tribigild, + who refused all terms of accommodation, compelled Eutropius to summon a + council of war. <a href="#linknote-32.25" name="linknoteref-32.25" + id="linknoteref-32.25">25</a> 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 + favorite, Leo; two generals, who differently, but effectually, promoted + the cause of the rebels. Leo, <a href="#linknote-32.26" + name="linknoteref-32.26" id="linknoteref-32.26">26</a> 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 woolcomber, to exercise, with much + less skill and success, the military profession; and his uncertain + operations were capriciously framed and executed, with an ignorance of + real difficulties, and a timorous neglect of every favorable opportunity. + The rashness of the Ostrogoths had drawn them into a disadvantageous + position between the Rivers Melas and Eurymedon, where they were almost + besieged by the peasants of Pamphylia; but the arrival of an Imperial + army, instead of completing their destruction, afforded the means of + safety 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, without much 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 dishonorable patience under the + servile reign of a 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. <a + href="#linknote-32.27" name="linknoteref-32.27" id="linknoteref-32.27">27</a> + 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 court he repeatedly magnified the + valor, the genius, the inexhaustible resources of Tribigild; confessed his + own inability to prosecute the war; and extorted the permission of + negotiating with his invincible adversary. The conditions of peace were + dictated by the haughty rebel; and the peremptory demand of the head of + Eutropius revealed the author and the design of this hostile conspiracy. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.21" id="linknote-32.21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.21">return</a>)<br /> [ A copious and + circumstantial narrative (which he might have reserved for more important + events) is bestowed by Zosimus (l. v. p. 304-312) on the revolt of + Tribigild and Gainas. See likewise Socrates, l. vi. c. 6, and Sozomen, l. + viii. c. 4. The second book of Claudian against Eutropius, is a fine, + though imperfect, piece of history.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.22" id="linknote-32.22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.22">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian (in Eutrop. l. + ii. 237-250) very accurately observes, that the ancient name and nation of + the Phrygians extended very far on every side, till their limits were + contracted by the colonies of the Bithvnians of Thrace, of the Greeks, and + at last of the Gauls. His description (ii. 257-272) of the fertility of + Phrygia, and of the four rivers that produced gold, is just and + picturesque.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.23" id="linknote-32.23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.23">return</a>)<br /> [ Xenophon, Anabasis, l. + i. p. 11, 12, edit. Hutchinson. Strabo, l. xii p. 865, edit. Amstel. Q. + Curt. l. iii. c. 1. Claudian compares the junction of the Marsyas and + Maeander to that of the Saone and the Rhone, with this difference, + however, that the smaller of the Phrygian rivers is not accelerated, but + retarded, by the larger.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.24" id="linknote-32.24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.24">return</a>)<br /> [ Selgae, a colony of the + Lacedaemonians, had formerly numbered twenty thousand citizens; but in the + age of Zosimus it was reduced to a small town. See Cellarius, Geograph. + Antiq tom. ii. p. 117.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.25" id="linknote-32.25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.25">return</a>)<br /> [ The council of + Eutropius, in Claudian, may be compared to that of Domitian in the fourth + Satire of Juvenal. The principal members of the former were juvenes + protervi lascivique senes; one of them had been a cook, a second a + woolcomber. The language of their original profession exposes their + assumed dignity; and their trifling conversation about tragedies, dancers, + &c., is made still more ridiculous by the importance of the debate.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.26" id="linknote-32.26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.26">return</a>)<br /> [ Claudian (l. ii. + 376-461) has branded him with infamy; and Zosimus, in more temperate + language, confirms his reproaches. L. v. p. 305.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.27" id="linknote-32.27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.27">return</a>)<br /> [ The conspiracy of + Gainas and Tribigild, which is attested by the Greek historian, had not + reached the ears of Claudian, who attributes the revolt of the Ostrogoth + to his own martial spirit, and the advice of his wife.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap32.2"></a> +Chapter XXXII: Emperors Arcadius, Eutropius, Theodosius II.—Part II. +</h2> + <p> + The bold satirist, who has indulged his discontent by the partial and + passionate censure of the Christian emperors, violates the dignity, rather + than the truth, of history, by comparing the son of Theodosius to one of + those harmless and simple animals, who scarcely feel that they are the + property of their shepherd. Two passions, however, fear and conjugal + affection, awakened the languid soul of Arcadius: he was terrified by the + threats of a victorious Barbarian; and he yielded to the tender eloquence + of his wife Eudoxia, who, with a flood of artificial tears, presenting her + infant children to their father, implored his justice for some real or + imaginary insult, which she imputed to the audacious eunuch. <a + href="#linknote-32.28" name="linknoteref-32.28" id="linknoteref-32.28">28</a> + The emperor’s hand was directed to sign the condemnation of Eutropius; the + magic spell, which during four years had bound the prince and the people, + was instantly dissolved; and the acclamations that so lately hailed the + merit and fortune of the favorite, were converted into the clamors of the + soldiers and people, who reproached his crimes, and pressed his immediate + execution. In this hour of distress and despair, his only refuge was in + the sanctuary of the church, whose privileges he had wisely or profanely + attempted to circumscribe; and the most eloquent of the saints, John + Chrysostom, enjoyed the triumph of protecting a prostrate minister, whose + choice had raised him to the ecclesiastical throne of Constantinople. The + archbishop, ascending the pulpit of the cathedral, that he might be + distinctly seen and heard by an innumerable crowd of either sex and of + every age, pronounced a seasonable and pathetic discourse on the + forgiveness of injuries, and the instability of human greatness. The + agonies of the pale and affrighted wretch, who lay grovelling under the + table of the altar, exhibited a solemn and instructive spectacle; and the + orator, who was afterwards accused of insulting the misfortunes of + Eutropius, labored to excite the contempt, that he might assuage the fury, + of the people. <a href="#linknote-32.29" name="linknoteref-32.29" + id="linknoteref-32.29">29</a> The powers of humanity, of superstition, and + of eloquence, prevailed. The empress Eudoxia was restrained by her own + prejudices, or by those of her subjects, from violating the sanctuary of + the church; and Eutropius was tempted to capitulate, by the milder arts of + persuasion, and by an oath, that his life should be spared. <a + href="#linknote-32.30" name="linknoteref-32.30" id="linknoteref-32.30">30</a> + Careless of the dignity of their sovereign, the new ministers of the + palace immediately published an edict to declare, that his late favorite + 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 href="#linknote-32.31" name="linknoteref-32.31" + id="linknoteref-32.31">31</a> A despicable and decrepit 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 of a happy climate. + But their implacable revenge still envied him the last moments of a + miserable life, and Eutropius had no sooner touched the shores of Cyprus, + than he was hastily recalled. The vain hope of eluding, by a change of + place, the obligation of an oath, engaged the empress to transfer the + scene of his trial and execution from Constantinople to the adjacent + suburb of Chalcedon. The consul Aurelian pronounced the sentence; and the + motives of that sentence expose the jurisprudence of a despotic + government. The crimes which Eutropius had committed against the people + might have justified his death; but he was found guilty of harnessing to + his chariot the sacred animals, who, from their breed or color, were + reserved for the use of the emperor alone. <a href="#linknote-32.32" + name="linknoteref-32.32" id="linknoteref-32.32">32</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.28" id="linknote-32.28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.28">return</a>)<br /> [ This anecdote, which + Philostorgius alone has preserved, (l xi. c. 6, and Gothofred. Dissertat. + p. 451-456) is curious and important; since it connects the revolt of the + Goths with the secret intrigues of the palace.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.29" id="linknote-32.29"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 29 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.29">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Homily of + Chrysostom, tom. iii. p. 381-386, which the exordium is particularly + beautiful. Socrates, l. vi. c. 5. Sozomen, l. viii. c. 7. Montfaucon (in + his Life of Chrysostom, tom. xiii. p. 135) too hastily supposes that + Tribigild was actually in Constantinople; and that he commanded the + soldiers who were ordered to seize Eutropius Even Claudian, a Pagan poet, + (praefat. ad l. ii. in Eutrop. 27,) has mentioned the flight of the eunuch + to the sanctuary. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Suppliciterque pias humilis prostratus ad aras, + Mitigat iratas voce tremente nurus,] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.30" id="linknote-32.30"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 30 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.30">return</a>)<br /> [ Chrysostom, in another + homily, (tom. iii. p. 386,) affects to declare that Eutropius would not + have been taken, had he not deserted the church. Zosimus, (l. v. p. 313,) + on the contrary, pretends, that his enemies forced him from the sanctuary. + Yet the promise is an evidence of some treaty; and the strong assurance of + Claudian, (Praefat. ad l. ii. 46,) Sed tamen exemplo non feriere tuo, may + be considered as an evidence of some promise.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.31" id="linknote-32.31"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 31 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.31">return</a>)<br /> [ Cod. Theod. l. ix. tit. + xi. leg. 14. The date of that law (Jan. 17, A.D. 399) is erroneous and + corrupt; since the fall of Eutropius could not happen till the autumn of + the same year. See Tillemont, Hist. des Empereurs, tom. v. p. 780.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.32" id="linknote-32.32"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 32 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.32">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. v. p. 313. + Philostorgius, l. xi. c. 6.] + </p> + <p> + While this domestic revolution was transacted, Gainas <a + href="#linknote-32.33" name="linknoteref-32.33" id="linknoteref-32.33">33</a> + openly revolted from his allegiance; united his forces at Thyatira in + Lydia, with those of Tribigild; and still maintained his superior + ascendant over the rebellious leader of the Ostrogoths. The confederate + armies advanced, without resistance, to the straits of the Hellespont and + the Bosphorus; and Arcadius was instructed to prevent the loss of his + Asiatic dominions, by resigning his authority and his person to the faith + of the Barbarians. The church of the holy martyr Euphemia, situate on a + lofty eminence near Chalcedon, <a href="#linknote-32.34" + name="linknoteref-32.34" id="linknoteref-32.34">34</a> was chosen for the + place of the interview. Gainas bowed with reverence at the feet of the + emperor, whilst he required the sacrifice of Aurelian and Saturninus, two + ministers of consular rank; and their naked necks were exposed, by the + haughty rebel, to the edge of the sword, till he condescended to grant + them a precarious and disgraceful respite. The Goths, according to the + terms of the agreement, were immediately transported from Asia into + Europe; and their victorious chief, who accepted the title of + master-general of the Roman armies, soon filled Constantinople with his + troops, and distributed among his dependants the honors and rewards of the + empire. In his early youth, Gainas had passed the Danube as a suppliant + and a fugitive: his elevation had been the work of valor and fortune; and + his indiscreet or perfidious conduct was the cause of his rapid downfall. + Notwithstanding the vigorous opposition of the archbishop, he + importunately claimed for his Arian sectaries the possession of a peculiar + church; and the pride of the Catholics was offended by the public + toleration of heresy. <a href="#linknote-32.35" name="linknoteref-32.35" + id="linknoteref-32.35">35</a> Every quarter of Constantinople was filled + with tumult and disorder; and the Barbarians gazed with such ardor on the + rich shops of the jewellers, and the tables of the bankers, which were + covered with gold and silver, that it was judged prudent to remove those + dangerous temptations from their sight. They resented the injurious + precaution; and some alarming attempts were made, during the night, to + attack and destroy with fire the Imperial palace. <a href="#linknote-32.36" + name="linknoteref-32.36" id="linknoteref-32.36">36</a> In this state of + mutual and suspicious hostility, the guards and the people of + Constantinople shut the gates, and rose in arms to prevent or to punish + the conspiracy of the Goths. During the absence of Gainas, his troops were + surprised and oppressed; 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 overwhelmed + their adversaries, who had retreated to the church or conventicle of the + Arians. Gainas was either innocent of the design, or too confident of his + success; he was astonished by the intelligence that the flower of his army + had been ingloriously destroyed; 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 the Hellespont. He was destitute of vessels; but + the woods of the Chersonesus afforded materials for rafts, and his + intrepid Barbarians did not refuse to trust themselves to the waves. But + Fravitta attentively watched the progress of their undertaking. As soon as + they had gained the middle of the stream, the Roman galleys, <a + href="#linknote-32.37" name="linknoteref-32.37" id="linknoteref-32.37">37</a> + impelled by the full force of oars, of the current, and of a favorable + wind, rushed forwards in compact order, and with irresistible weight; and + the Hellespont was covered with the fragments of the Gothic shipwreck. + After the destruction of his hopes, and the loss of many thousands of his + bravest soldiers, Gainas, who could no longer aspire to govern or to + subdue the Romans, determined to resume the independence of a savage life. + A light 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; <a href="#linknote-32.38" + name="linknoteref-32.38" id="linknoteref-32.38">38</a> the garrisons of that + important frontier had been gradually annihilated; the river, in the month + of December, would be deeply frozen; and the unbounded prospect of Scythia + was opened to the ambition of Gainas. This design was secretly + communicated to the national troops, who devoted themselves to the + fortunes of their leader; and before the signal of departure was given, a + great number of provincial auxiliaries, whom he suspected of an attachment + to their native country, were perfidiously massacred. The Goths advanced, + by rapid marches, through the plains of Thrace; and they were soon + delivered from the fear of a pursuit, by the vanity of Fravitta, <a + href="#linknote-32.3811" name="linknoteref-32.3811" id="linknoteref-32.3811">3811</a> + who, instead of extinguishing the war, hastened to enjoy the popular + applause, and to assume the peaceful honors of the consulship. But a + formidable ally appeared in arms to vindicate the majesty of the empire, + and to guard the peace and liberty of Scythia. <a href="#linknote-32.39" + name="linknoteref-32.39" id="linknoteref-32.39">39</a> The superior forces + of Uldin, king of the Huns, opposed the progress of Gainas; a hostile and + ruined country prohibited his retreat; he disdained to capitulate; and + after repeatedly attempting 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 Hellespont, the head of Gainas, the + inestimable 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 triumphs of Arcadius became + the subject of epic poems; <a href="#linknote-32.40" name="linknoteref-32.40" + id="linknoteref-32.40">40</a> and the monarch, no longer oppressed by any + hostile terrors, resigned himself to the mild and absolute dominion of his + wife, the fair and artful Eudoxia, who was sullied her fame by the + persecution of St. John Chrysostom. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.33" id="linknote-32.33"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 33 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.33">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. v. p. + 313-323,) Socrates, (l. vi. c. 4,) Sozomen, (l. viii. c. 4,) and + Theodoret, (l. v. c. 32, 33,) represent, though with some various + circumstances, the conspiracy, defeat, and death of Gainas.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.34" id="linknote-32.34"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 34 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.34">return</a>)<br /> [ It is the expression of + Zosimus himself, (l. v. p. 314,) who inadvertently uses the fashionable + language of the Christians. Evagrius describes (l. ii. c. 3) the + situation, architecture, relics, and miracles, of that celebrated church, + in which the general council of Chalcedon was afterwards held.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.35" id="linknote-32.35"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 35 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.35">return</a>)<br /> [ The pious remonstrances + of Chrysostom, which do not appear in his own writings, are strongly urged + by Theodoret; but his insinuation, that they were successful, is disproved + by facts. Tillemont (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. v. p. 383) has discovered + that the emperor, to satisfy the rapacious demands of Gainas, was obliged + to melt the plate of the church of the apostles.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.36" id="linknote-32.36"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 36 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.36">return</a>)<br /> [ The ecclesiastical + historians, who sometimes guide, and sometimes follow, the public opinion, + most confidently assert, that the palace of Constantinople was guarded by + legions of angels.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.37" id="linknote-32.37"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 37 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.37">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosmius (l. v. p. 319) + mentions these galleys by the name of Liburnians, and observes that they + were as swift (without explaining the difference between them) as the + vessels with fifty oars; but that they were far inferior in speed to the + triremes, which had been long disused. Yet he reasonably concludes, from + the testimony of Polybius, that galleys of a still larger size had been + constructed in the Punic wars. Since the establishment of the Roman empire + over the Mediterranean, the useless art of building large ships of war had + probably been neglected, and at length forgotten.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.38" id="linknote-32.38"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 38 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.38">return</a>)<br /> [ Chishull (Travels, p. + 61-63, 72-76) proceeded from Gallipoli, through Hadrianople to the Danube, + in about fifteen days. He was in the train of an English ambassador, whose + baggage consisted of seventy-one wagons. That learned traveller has the + merit of tracing a curious and unfrequented route.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.3811" id="linknote-32.3811"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3811 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.3811">return</a>)<br /> [ Fravitta, according + to Zosimus, though a Pagan, received the honors of the consulate. Zosim, + v. c. 20. On Fravitta, see a very imperfect fragment of Eunapius. Mai. ii. + 290, in Niebuhr. 92.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.39" id="linknote-32.39"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 39 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.39">return</a>)<br /> [ The narrative of + Zosimus, who actually leads Gainas beyond the Danube, must be corrected by + the testimony of Socrates, aud Sozomen, that he was killed in Thrace; and + by the precise and authentic dates of the Alexandrian, or Paschal, + Chronicle, p. 307. The naval victory of the Hellespont is fixed to the + month Apellaeus, the tenth of the Calends of January, (December 23;) the + head of Gainas was brought to Constantinople the third of the nones of + January, (January 3,) in the month Audynaeus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.40" id="linknote-32.40"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 40 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.40">return</a>)<br /> [ Eusebius Scholasticus + acquired much fame by his poem on the Gothic war, in which he had served. + Near forty years afterwards Ammonius recited another poem on the same + subject, in the presence of the emperor Theodosius. See Socrates, l. vi. + c. 6.] + </p> + <p> + After the death of the indolent Nectarius, the successor of Gregory + Nazianzen, the church of Constantinople was distracted by the ambition of + rival candidates, who were not ashamed to solicit, with gold or flattery, + the suffrage of the people, or of the favorite. On this occasion Eutropius + seems to have deviated from his ordinary maxims; and his uncorrupted + judgment was determined only by the superior merit of a stranger. In a + late journey into the East, he had admired the sermons of John, a native + and presbyter of Antioch, whose name has been distinguished by the epithet + of Chrysostom, or the Golden Mouth. <a href="#linknote-32.41" + name="linknoteref-32.41" id="linknoteref-32.41">41</a> A private order was + despatched to the governor of Syria; and as the people might be unwilling + to resign their favorite preacher, he was transported, with speed and + 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 orator, the new + archbishop surpassed the sanguine expectations of the public. Born of a + noble and opulent family, in the capital of Syria, Chrysostom had been + educated, by the care of a tender mother, under the tuition of the most + skilful masters. He studied the art of rhetoric in the school of Libanius; + and that celebrated sophist, who soon discovered the talents of his + disciple, ingenuously confessed that John would have deserved to succeed + him, had he not been stolen away by the Christians. His piety soon + disposed him to receive the sacrament of baptism; to renounce the + lucrative and honorable profession of the law; and to bury himself in the + adjacent desert, where he subdued the lusts of the flesh by an austere + penance of six years. His infirmities compelled him to return to the + society of mankind; and the authority of Meletius devoted his talents to + the service of the church: but in the midst of his family, and afterwards + on the archiepiscopal throne, Chrysostom still persevered in the practice + of the monastic virtues. The ample revenues, which his predecessors had + consumed in pomp and luxury, he diligently applied to the establishment of + hospitals; and the multitudes, who were supported by his charity, + preferred the eloquent and edifying discourses of their archbishop to the + amusements of the theatre or the circus. The monuments of that eloquence, + which was admired near twenty years at Antioch and Constantinople, have + been carefully preserved; and the possession of near one thousand sermons, + or homilies has authorized the critics <a href="#linknote-32.42" + name="linknoteref-32.42" id="linknoteref-32.42">42</a> of succeeding times + to appreciate the genuine merit of Chrysostom. They unanimously attribute + to the Christian orator the free command of an elegant and copious + language; the judgment to conceal the advantages which he derived from the + knowledge of rhetoric and philosophy; an inexhaustible fund of metaphors + and similitudes of ideas and images, to vary and illustrate the most + familiar topics; the happy art of engaging the passions in 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. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.41" id="linknote-32.41"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 41 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.41">return</a>)<br /> [ The sixth book of + Socrates, the eighth of Sozomen, and the fifth of Theodoret, afford + curious and authentic materials for the life of John Chrysostom. Besides + those general historians, I have taken for my guides the four principal + biographers of the saint. 1. The author of a partial and passionate + Vindication of the archbishop of Constantinople, composed in the form of a + dialogue, and under the name of his zealous partisan, Palladius, bishop of + Helenopolis, (Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. xi. p. 500-533.) It is inserted + among the works of Chrysostom. tom. xiii. p. 1-90, edit. Montfaucon. 2. + The moderate Erasmus, (tom. iii. epist. Mcl. p. 1331-1347, edit. Lugd. + Bat.) His vivacity and good sense were his own; his errors, in the + uncultivated state of ecclesiastical antiquity, were almost inevitable. 3. + The learned Tillemont, (Mem. Ecclesiastiques, tom. xi. p. 1-405, 547-626, + &c. &c.,) who compiles the lives of the saints with incredible + patience and religious accuracy. He has minutely searched the voluminous + works of Chrysostom himself. 4. Father Montfaucon, who has perused those + works with the curious diligence of an editor, discovered several new + homilies, and again reviewed and composed the Life of Chrysostom, (Opera + Chrysostom. tom. xiii. p. 91-177.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.42" id="linknote-32.42"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 42 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.42">return</a>)<br /> [ As I am almost a + stranger to the voluminous sermons of Chrysostom, I have given my + confidence to the two most judicious and moderate of the ecclesiastical + critics, Erasmus (tom. iii. p. 1344) and Dupin, (Bibliothèque + Ecclesiastique, tom. iii. p. 38:) yet the good taste of the former is + sometimes vitiated by an excessive love of antiquity; and the good sense + of the latter is always restrained by prudential considerations.] + </p> + <p> + The pastoral labors of the archbishop of Constantinople provoked, and + gradually united against him, two sorts of enemies; the aspiring clergy, + who envied his success, and the obstinate sinners, who were offended by + his reproofs. When Chrysostom thundered, from the pulpit of St. Sophia, + against the degeneracy of the Christians, his shafts were spent among the + crowd, without wounding, or even marking, the character of any individual. + When he declaimed against the peculiar vices of the rich, poverty might + obtain a transient consolation from his invectives; but the guilty were + still sheltered by their numbers; and the reproach itself was dignified by + some ideas of superiority and enjoyment. But as the pyramid rose towards + the summit, it insensibly diminished to a point; and the magistrates, the + ministers, the favorite eunuchs, the ladies of the court, <a + href="#linknote-32.43" name="linknoteref-32.43" id="linknoteref-32.43">43</a> + the empress 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 intrepid preacher assumed the dangerous right of + exposing both the offence and the offender to the public abhorrence. The + secret resentment of the court encouraged the discontent of the clergy and + monks of Constantinople, who were too hastily reformed by the fervent zeal + of their archbishop. He had condemned, from the pulpit, the domestic + females of the clergy of Constantinople, who, under the name of servants, + or sisters, afforded a perpetual occasion either of sin or of scandal. The + silent and solitary ascetics, who had secluded themselves from the world, + were entitled to the warmest approbation of Chrysostom; but he despised + and stigmatized, as the disgrace of their holy profession, the crowd of + degenerate monks, who, from some unworthy motives of pleasure or profit, + so frequently infested the streets of the capital. To the voice of + persuasion, the archbishop was obliged to add the terrors of authority; + and his ardor, in the exercise of ecclesiastical jurisdiction, was not + always exempt from passion; nor was it always guided by prudence. + Chrysostom was naturally of a choleric disposition. <a + href="#linknote-32.44" name="linknoteref-32.44" id="linknoteref-32.44">44</a> + Although he struggled, according to the precepts of the gospel, to love + his private enemies, he indulged himself in the privilege of hating the + enemies of God and of the church; and his sentiments were sometimes + delivered with too much energy of countenance and expression. He still + maintained, from some considerations of health or abstinence, his former + habits of taking his repasts alone; and this inhospitable custom, <a + href="#linknote-32.45" name="linknoteref-32.45" id="linknoteref-32.45">45</a> + which his enemies imputed to pride, contributed, at least, to nourish the + infirmity of a morose and unsocial humor. Separated from that familiar + intercourse, which facilitates the knowledge and the despatch of business, + he reposed an unsuspecting confidence in his deacon Serapion; and seldom + applied his speculative knowledge of human nature to the particular + character, either of his dependants, or of his equals. + </p> + <p> + Conscious of the purity of his intentions, and perhaps of the superiority + of his genius, the archbishop of Constantinople extended the jurisdiction + of the Imperial city, that he might enlarge the sphere of his pastoral + labors; and the conduct which the profane imputed to an ambitious motive, + appeared to Chrysostom himself in the light of a sacred and indispensable + duty. In his visitation through the Asiatic provinces, he deposed thirteen + bishops of Lydia and Phrygia; and indiscreetly declared that a deep + corruption of simony and licentiousness had infected the whole episcopal + order. <a href="#linknote-32.46" name="linknoteref-32.46" + id="linknoteref-32.46">46</a> If those bishops were innocent, such a rash + and unjust condemnation must excite a well-grounded discontent. If they + were guilty, the numerous associates of their guilt would 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. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.43" id="linknote-32.43"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 43 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.43">return</a>)<br /> [ The females of + Constantinople distinguished themselves by their enmity or their + attachment to Chrysostom. Three noble and opulent widows, Marsa, + Castricia, and Eugraphia, were the leaders of the persecution, (Pallad. + Dialog. tom. xiii. p. 14.) It was impossible that they should forgive a + preacher who reproached their affectation to conceal, by the ornaments of + dress, their age and ugliness, (Pallad p. 27.) Olympias, by equal zeal, + displayed in a more pious cause, has obtained the title of saint. See + Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. xi p. 416-440.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.44" id="linknote-32.44"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 44 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.44">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen, and more + especially Socrates, have defined the real character of Chrysostom with a + temperate and impartial freedom, very offensive to his blind admirers. + Those historians lived in the next generation, when party violence was + abated, and had conversed with many persons intimately acquainted with the + virtues and imperfections of the saint.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.45" id="linknote-32.45"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 45 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.45">return</a>)<br /> [ Palladius (tom. xiii. + p. 40, &c.) very seriously defends the archbishop 1. He never tasted + wine. 2. The weakness of his stomach required a peculiar diet. 3. + Business, or study, or devotion, often kept him fasting till sunset. 4. He + detested the noise and levity of great dinners. 5. He saved the expense + for the use of the poor. 6. He was apprehensive, in a capital like + Constantinople, of the envy and reproach of partial invitations.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.46" id="linknote-32.46"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 46 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.46">return</a>)<br /> [ Chrysostom declares his + free opinion (tom. ix. hom. iii in Act. Apostol. p. 29) that the number of + bishops, who might be saved, bore a very small proportion to those who + would be damned.] + </p> + <p> + This ecclesiastical conspiracy was managed by Theophilus, <a + href="#linknote-32.47" name="linknoteref-32.47" id="linknoteref-32.47">47</a> + 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 + dispute with Chrysostom himself. <a href="#linknote-32.48" + name="linknoteref-32.48" id="linknoteref-32.48">48</a> By the private + invitation of the empress, Theophilus landed at Constantinople with a stou + body of Egyptian mariners, to encounter the populace; and a train of + dependent bishops, to secure, by their voices, the majority of a synod. + The synod <a href="#linknote-32.49" name="linknoteref-32.49" + id="linknoteref-32.49">49</a> 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, or + sessions. A bishop and a deacon accused the archbishop of Constantinople; + but the frivolous or improbable nature of the forty-seven articles which + they presented against him, may justly be considered as a fair and + unexceptional 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, prudently + declining the examination of any particular charges, condemned his + contumacious disobedience, and hastily pronounced a sentence of + deposition. The synod of the Oak immediately addressed the emperor to + ratify and execute their judgment, and charitably insinuated, that the + penalties of treason might be inflicted on the audacious preacher, who had + reviled, under the name of Jezebel, the empress Eudoxia herself. The + archbishop was rudely arrested, and conducted through the city, by one of + the Imperial messengers, who landed him, after a short navigation, near + the entrance of the Euxine; from whence, before the expiration of two + days, he was gloriously recalled. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.47" id="linknote-32.47"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 47 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.47">return</a>)<br /> [ See Tillemont, Mem. + Eccles. tom. xi. p. 441-500.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.48" id="linknote-32.48"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 48 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.48">return</a>)<br /> [ I have purposely + omitted the controversy which arose among the monks of Egypt, concerning + Origenism and Anthropomorphism; the dissimulation and violence of + Theophilus; his artful management of the simplicity of Epiphanius; the + persecution and flight of the long, or tall, brothers; the ambiguous + support which they received at Constantinople from Chrysostom, &c. + &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.49" id="linknote-32.49"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 49 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.49">return</a>)<br /> [ Photius (p. 53-60) has + preserved the original acts of the synod of the Oak; which destroys the + false assertion, that Chrysostom was condemned by no more than thirty-six + bishops, of whom twenty-nine were Egyptians. Forty-five bishops subscribed + his sentence. See Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. xi. p. 595. * Note: + Tillemont argues strongly for the number of thirty-six—M] + </p> + <p> + The first astonishment of his faithful people had been mute and passive: + they suddenly rose with unanimous and irresistible fury. Theophilus + escaped, but the promiscuous crowd of monks and Egyptian mariners was + slaughtered without pity in the streets of Constantinople. <a + href="#linknote-32.50" name="linknoteref-32.50" id="linknoteref-32.50">50</a> + A seasonable earthquake justified the interposition of Heaven; the torrent + of sedition rolled forwards to the gates of the palace; and the empress, + agitated by fear or remorse, threw herself at the feet of Arcadius, and + confessed that the public safety could be purchased only by the + restoration of Chrysostom. The Bosphorus was covered with innumerable + vessels; the shores of Europe and Asia were profusely illuminated; and the + acclamations of a victorious people accompanied, from the port to the + cathedral, the triumph of the archbishop; who, too easily, consented to + resume the exercise of his functions, before his sentence had been legally + reversed by the authority of an ecclesiastical synod. Ignorant, or + careless, of the impending danger, Chrysostom indulged his zeal, or + perhaps his resentment; declaimed with peculiar asperity against female + vices; and condemned the profane honors which were addressed, almost in + the precincts of St. Sophia, to the statue of the empress. His imprudence + tempted his enemies to inflame the haughty spirit of Eudoxia, by + reporting, or perhaps inventing, the famous exordium of a sermon, + “Herodias is again furious; Herodias again dances; she once more requires + the head of John;” an insolent allusion, which, as a woman and a + sovereign, it was impossible for her to forgive. <a href="#linknote-32.51" + name="linknoteref-32.51" id="linknoteref-32.51">51</a> The short interval of + a perfidious truce was employed to concert more effectual measures for the + disgrace and ruin of the archbishop. A numerous council of the Eastern + prelates, who were guided from a distance by the advice of Theophilus, + confirmed the validity, without examining the justice, of the former + sentence; and a detachment of Barbarian troops was introduced into the + city, to suppress the emotions of the people. On the vigil of Easter, the + solemn administration of baptism was rudely interrupted by the soldiers, + who alarmed the modesty of the naked catechumens, and violated, by their + presence, the awful mysteries of the Christian worship. Arsacius occupied + the church of St. Sophia, and the archiepiscopal throne. The Catholics + retreated to the baths of Constantine, and afterwards to the fields; where + they were still pursued and insulted by the guards, the bishops, and the + magistrates. The fatal day of the second and final exile of Chrysostom was + marked by the conflagration of the cathedral, of the senate-house, and of + the adjacent buildings; and this calamity was imputed, without proof, but + not without probability, to the despair of a persecuted faction. <a + href="#linknote-32.52" name="linknoteref-32.52" id="linknoteref-32.52">52</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.50" id="linknote-32.50"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 50 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.50">return</a>)<br /> [ Palladius owns (p. 30) + that if the people of Constantinople had found Theophilus, they would + certainly have thrown him into the sea. Socrates mentions (l. vi. c. 17) a + battle between the mob and the sailors of Alexandria, in which many wounds + were given, and some lives were lost. The massacre of the monks is + observed only by the Pagan Zosimus, (l. v. p. 324,) who acknowledges that + Chrysostom had a singular talent to lead the illiterate multitude.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.51" id="linknote-32.51"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 51 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.51">return</a>)<br /> [ See Socrates, l. vi. c. + 18. Sozomen, l. viii. c. 20. Zosimus (l. v. p 324, 327) mentions, in + general terms, his invectives against Eudoxia. The homily, which begins + with those famous words, is rejected as spurious. Montfaucon, tom. xiii. + p. 151. Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom xi. p. 603.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.52" id="linknote-32.52"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 52 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.52">return</a>)<br /> [ We might naturally + expect such a charge from Zosimus, (l. v. p. 327;) but it is remarkable + enough, that it should be confirmed by Socrates, (l. vi. c. 18,) and the + Paschal Chronicle, (p. 307.)] + </p> + <p> + Cicero might claim some merit, if his voluntary banishment preserved the + peace of the republic; <a href="#linknote-32.53" name="linknoteref-32.53" + id="linknoteref-32.53">53</a> but the submission of Chrysostom was the + indispensable duty of a Christian and a subject. Instead of listening to + his humble prayer, that he might be permitted to reside at Cyzicus, or + Nicomedia, the inflexible empress assigned for his exile the remote and + desolate town of Cucusus, among the ridges of Mount Taurus, in the Lesser + Armenia. A secret hope was entertained, that the archbishop might perish + in a difficult and dangerous march of seventy days, in the heat of summer, + through the provinces of Asia Minor, where he was continually threatened + by the hostile attacks of the Isaurians, and the more implacable fury of + the monks. Yet Chrysostom arrived in safety at the place of his + confinement; and the three years which he spent at Cucusus, and the + neighboring 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 no longer remembered; but every tongue repeated + the praises of his genius and virtue: and the respectful attention of the + Christian world was fixed on a desert spot among the mountains of Taurus. + From that solitude the archbishop, whose active mind was invigorated by + misfortunes, maintained a strict and frequent correspondence <a + href="#linknote-32.54" name="linknoteref-32.54" id="linknoteref-32.54">54</a> + with the most distant provinces; exhorted the separate congregation of his + faithful adherents to persevere in their allegiance; urged the destruction + of the temples of Phoenicia, 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, with 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 illustrious 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 Arcadius. + <a href="#linknote-32.55" name="linknoteref-32.55" id="linknoteref-32.55">55</a> + An order was despatched for the instant removal of Chrysostom to the + extreme desert of Pityus: and his guards so faithfully obeyed their cruel + instructions, that, before he reached the sea-coast of the Euxine, he + expired at Comana, in Pontus, in the sixtieth year of his age. The + succeeding generation acknowledged his innocence and merit. The + archbishops of the East, who might blush that their predecessors had been + the enemies of Chrysostom, were gradually disposed, by the firmness of the + Roman pontiff, to restore the honors of that venerable name. <a + href="#linknote-32.56" name="linknoteref-32.56" id="linknoteref-32.56">56</a> + At the pious solicitation of the clergy and people of Constantinople, his + relics, thirty years after his death, were transported from their obscure + sepulchre to the royal city. <a href="#linknote-32.57" + name="linknoteref-32.57" id="linknoteref-32.57">57</a> The emperor + Theodosius advanced to receive them as far as Chalcedon; and, falling + prostrate on the coffin, implored, in the name of his guilty parents, + Arcadius and Eudoxia, the forgiveness of the injured saint. <a + href="#linknote-32.58" name="linknoteref-32.58" id="linknoteref-32.58">58</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.53" id="linknote-32.53"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 53 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.53">return</a>)<br /> [ He displays those + specious motives (Post Reditum, c. 13, 14) in the language of an orator + and a politician.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.54" id="linknote-32.54"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 54 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.54">return</a>)<br /> [ Two hundred and + forty-two of the epistles of Chrysostom are still extant, (Opera, tom. + iii. p. 528-736.) They are addressed to a great variety of persons, and + show a firmness of mind much superior to that of Cicero in his exile. The + fourteenth epistle contains a curious narrative of the dangers of his + journey.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.55" id="linknote-32.55"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 55 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.55">return</a>)<br /> [ After the exile of + Chrysostom, Theophilus published an enormous and horrible volume against + him, in which he perpetually repeats the polite expressions of hostem + humanitatis, sacrilegorum principem, immundum daemonem; he affirms, that + John Chrysostom had delivered his soul to be adulterated by the devil; and + wishes that some further punishment, adequate (if possible) to the + magnitude of his crimes, may be inflicted on him. St. Jerom, at the + request of his friend Theophilus, translated this edifying performance + from Greek into Latin. See Facundus Hermian. Defens. pro iii. Capitul. l. + vi. c. 5 published by Sirmond. Opera, tom. ii. p. 595, 596, 597.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.56" id="linknote-32.56"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 56 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.56">return</a>)<br /> [ His name was inserted + by his successor Atticus in the Dyptics of the church of Constantinople, + A.D. 418. Ten years afterwards he was revered as a saint. Cyril, who + inherited the place, and the passions, of his uncle Theophilus, yielded + with much reluctance. See Facund. Hermian. l. 4, c. 1. Tillemont, Mem. + Eccles. tom. xiv. p. 277-283.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.57" id="linknote-32.57"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 57 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.57">return</a>)<br /> [ Socrates, l. vii. c. + 45. Theodoret, l. v. c. 36. This event reconciled the Joannites, who had + hitherto refused to acknowledge his successors. During his lifetime, the + Joannites were respected, by the Catholics, as the true and orthodox + communion of Constantinople. Their obstinacy gradually drove them to the + brink of schism.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.58" id="linknote-32.58"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 58 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.58">return</a>)<br /> [ According to some + accounts, (Baronius, Annal. Eccles. A.D. 438 No. 9, 10,) the emperor was + forced to send a letter of invitation and excuses, before the body of the + ceremonious saint could be moved from Comana.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap32.3"></a> +Chapter XXXII: Emperors Arcadius, Eutropius, Theodosius II.—Part + III. +</h2> + <p> + Yet a reasonable doubt may be entertained, whether any stain of hereditary + guilt could be derived from Arcadius to his successor. Eudoxia was a young + and beautiful woman, who indulged her passions, and despised her husband; + Count John enjoyed, at least, the familiar confidence of the empress; and + the public named him as the real father of Theodosius the younger. <a + href="#linknote-32.59" name="linknoteref-32.59" id="linknoteref-32.59">59</a> + The birth of a son was accepted, however, by the pious husband, as an + event the most fortunate and honorable to himself, to his family, and to + the Eastern world: and the royal infant, by an unprecedented favor, was + invested with the titles of Caesar and Augustus. In less than four years + afterwards, Eudoxia, in the bloom of youth, was destroyed by the + consequences of a miscarriage; and this untimely death confounded the + prophecy of a holy bishop, <a href="#linknote-32.60" name="linknoteref-32.60" + id="linknoteref-32.60">60</a> who, amidst the universal joy, had ventured + to foretell, that she should behold the long and auspicious reign of her + glorious son. The Catholics applauded the justice of Heaven, which avenged + the persecution of St. Chrysostom; and perhaps the emperor was the only + person who sincerely bewailed the loss of the haughty and rapacious + Eudoxia. Such a domestic misfortune afflicted him more deeply than the + public calamities of the East; <a href="#linknote-32.61" + name="linknoteref-32.61" id="linknoteref-32.61">61</a> the licentious + excursions, from Pontus to Palestine, of the Isaurian robbers, whose + impunity accused the weakness of the government; and the earthquakes, the + conflagrations, the famine, and the flights of locusts, <a + href="#linknote-32.62" name="linknoteref-32.62" id="linknoteref-32.62">62</a> + which the popular discontent was equally disposed to attribute to the + incapacity of the monarch. At length, in the thirty-first year of his age, + after a reign (if we may abuse that word) of thirteen years, three months, + and fifteen days, Arcadius 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 properly belongs to the son of the great Theodosius. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.59" id="linknote-32.59"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 59 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.59">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosimus, l. v. p. 315. + The chastity of an empress should not be impeached without producing a + witness; but it is astonishing, that the witness should write and live + under a prince whose legitimacy he dared to attack. We must suppose that + his history was a party libel, privately read and circulated by the + Pagans. Tillemont (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. v. p. 782) is not averse to + brand the reputation of Eudoxia.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.60" id="linknote-32.60"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 60 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.60">return</a>)<br /> [ Porphyry of Gaza. His + zeal was transported by the order which he had obtained for the + destruction of eight Pagan temples of that city. See the curious details + of his life, (Baronius, A.D. 401, No. 17-51,) originally written in Greek, + or perhaps in Syriac, by a monk, one of his favorite deacons.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.61" id="linknote-32.61"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 61 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.61">return</a>)<br /> [ Philostorg. l. xi. c. + 8, and Godefroy, Dissertat. p. 457.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.62" id="linknote-32.62"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 62 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.62">return</a>)<br /> [ Jerom (tom. vi. p. 73, + 76) describes, in lively colors, the regular and destructive march of the + locusts, which spread a dark cloud, between heaven and earth, over the + land of Palestine. Seasonable winds scattered them, partly into the Dead + Sea, and partly into the Mediterranean.] + </p> + <p> + The historian Procopius <a href="#linknote-32.63" name="linknoteref-32.63" + id="linknoteref-32.63">63</a> has indeed illuminated the mind of the dying + emperor with a ray 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 magnanimity + of a king; and placed, by a solemn testament, the sceptre of the East in + the hands of Jezdegerd himself. The royal guardian accepted and discharged + this honorable 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; and his veracity is not disputed by + Agathias, <a href="#linknote-32.64" name="linknoteref-32.64" + id="linknoteref-32.64">64</a> while he presumes to dissent from 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 heathen. 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 refuse to examine the + propriety, till he has ascertained the truth, 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 strange 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. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.63" id="linknote-32.63"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 63 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.63">return</a>)<br /> [ Procopius, de Bell. + Persic. l. i. c. 2, p. 8, edit. Louvre.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.64" id="linknote-32.64"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 64 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.64">return</a>)<br /> [ Agathias, l. iv. p. + 136, 137. Although he confesses the prevalence of the tradition, he + asserts, that Procopius was the first who had committed it to writing. + Tillemont (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. vi. p. 597) argues very sensibly on + the merits of this fable. His criticism was not warped by any + ecclesiastical authority: both Procopius and Agathias are half Pagans. * + Note: See St Martin’s article on Jezdegerd, in the Biographie Universelle + de Michand.—M.] + </p> + <p> + The maxims of Roman jurisprudence, if they could fairly be transferred + from private property to public dominion, would have adjudged to the + emperor Honorius the guardianship of his nephew, till he had attained, at + least, the fourteenth year of his age. But the weakness of Honorius, and + the calamities of his reign, disqualified him from prosecuting this + natural claim; and such was the absolute separation of the two monarchies, + both in interest and affection, that Constantinople would have obeyed, + with less reluctance, the orders of the Persian, than those of the + Italian, court. Under a prince whose weakness is disguised by the external + signs of manhood and discretion, the most worthless favorites may secretly + dispute the empire of the palace; and dictate to submissive provinces the + commands of a master, whom they direct 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 authority. The great + officers of the state and army, who had been appointed before the death of + Arcadius, formed an aristocracy, which might have inspired them with the + idea of a free republic; and the government of the Eastern empire was + fortunately assumed by the praefect Anthemius, <a href="#linknote-32.65" + name="linknoteref-32.65" id="linknoteref-32.65">65</a> who obtained, by his + superior abilities, a lasting ascendant over the minds of his equals. The + safety of the young emperor proved the merit and integrity of Anthemius; + and his prudent firmness sustained the force and reputation 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 rising sun, declared to the Roman ambassadors, that the + course of that planet should alone terminate the conquest of the Huns. But + the desertion of his confederates, who were privately convinced of the + justice and liberality of the Imperial ministers, obliged Uldin to repass + the Danube: the tribe of the Scyrri, which composed his rear-guard, was + almost extirpated; and many thousand captives were dispersed to cultivate, + with servile labor, the fields of Asia. <a href="#linknote-32.66" + name="linknoteref-32.66" id="linknoteref-32.66">66</a> In the midst of the + public triumph, Constantinople was protected by a strong enclosure of new + and more extensive walls; the same vigilant care was applied to restore + the fortifications of the Illyrian cities; and a plan was judiciously + conceived, which, in the space of seven years, would have secured the + command of the Danube, by establishing on that river a perpetual fleet of + two hundred and fifty armed vessels. <a href="#linknote-32.67" + name="linknoteref-32.67" id="linknoteref-32.67">67</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.65" id="linknote-32.65"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 65 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.65">return</a>)<br /> [ Socrates, l. vii. c. l. + Anthemius was the grandson of Philip, one of the ministers of Constantius, + and the grandfather of the emperor Anthemius. After his return from the + Persian embassy, he was appointed consul and Prætorian praefect of the + East, in the year 405 and held the praefecture about ten years. See his + honors and praises in Godefroy, Cod. Theod. tom. vi. p. 350. Tillemont, + Hist. des Emptom. vi. p. 1. &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.66" id="linknote-32.66"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 66 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.66">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen, l. ix. c. 5. + He saw some Scyrri at work near Mount Olympus, in Bithynia, and cherished + the vain hope that those captives were the last of the nation.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.67" id="linknote-32.67"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 67 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.67">return</a>)<br /> [ Cod. Theod. l. vii. + tit. xvi. l. xv. tit. i. leg. 49.] + </p> + <p> + But the Romans had so long been accustomed to the authority of a monarch, + that the first, even among the females, of the Imperial family, who + displayed any courage or capacity, was permitted to ascend the vacant + throne of Theodosius. His sister Pulcheria, <a href="#linknote-32.68" + name="linknoteref-32.68" id="linknoteref-32.68">68</a> who was only two + years older than himself, received, at the age of sixteen, the title of + Augusta; and though her favor might be sometimes clouded by caprice or + intrigue, she continued to govern the Eastern empire near forty years; + during the long minority of her brother, and after his death, in her own + name, and in the name of Marcian, her nominal husband. From a motive + either of prudence or religion, she embraced a life of celibacy; and + notwithstanding some aspersions on the chastity of Pulcheria, <a + href="#linknote-32.69" name="linknoteref-32.69" id="linknoteref-32.69">69</a> + this resolution, which she communicated to her sisters Arcadia and Marina, + was celebrated by the Christian world, as the sublime effort of heroic + piety. In the presence of the clergy and people, the three daughters of + Arcadius <a href="#linknote-32.70" name="linknoteref-32.70" + id="linknoteref-32.70">70</a> 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 + palace 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 favorite damsels, formed a religious + community: they denounced the vanity of dress; interrupted, by frequent + fasts, their simple and frugal diet; allotted a portion of their time to + works of embroidery; and devoted several hours of the day and night to the + exercises of prayer and psalmody. The piety of a Christian virgin was + adorned by the zeal and liberality of an empress. Ecclesiastical history + describes the splendid churches, which were built at the expense of + Pulcheria, in all the provinces of the East; her charitable foundations + for the benefit of strangers and the poor; the ample donations which she + assigned for the perpetual maintenance of monastic societies; and the + active severity with which she labored to suppress the opposite heresies + of Nestorius and Eutyches. Such virtues were supposed to deserve the + peculiar favor of the Deity: and the relics of martyrs, as well as the + knowledge of future events, were communicated in visions and revelations + to the Imperial saint. <a href="#linknote-32.71" name="linknoteref-32.71" + id="linknoteref-32.71">71</a> Yet the devotion of Pulcheria never diverted + her indefatigable attention from temporal affairs; and she alone, among + all the descendants of the great Theodosius, appears to have inherited any + share of his manly spirit and abilities. The elegant and familiar use + which she had acquired, both of the Greek and Latin languages, was readily + applied to the various occasions of speaking or writing, on public + business: her deliberations were maturely weighed; her actions were prompt + and decisive; and, while she moved, without noise or ostentation, the + wheel of government, she discreetly attributed to the genius of the + emperor the long tranquillity of his reign. In the last years of his + peaceful life, Europe was indeed afflicted by the arms of war; but the + more extensive provinces of Asia still continued to enjoy a profound and + permanent repose. Theodosius the younger was never reduced to the + disgraceful necessity of encountering and punishing a rebellious subject: + and since we cannot applaud the vigor, some praise may be due to the + mildness and prosperity, of the administration of Pulcheria. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.68" id="linknote-32.68"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 68 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.68">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen has filled + three chapters with a magnificent panegyric of Pulcheria, (l. ix. c. 1, 2, + 3;) and Tillemont (Mémoires Eccles. tom. xv. p. 171-184) has dedicated a + separate article to the honor of St. Pulcheria, virgin and empress. * + Note: The heathen Eunapius gives a frightful picture of the venality and a + justice of the court of Pulcheria. Fragm. Eunap. in Mai, ii. 293, in p. + 97.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.69" id="linknote-32.69"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 69 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.69">return</a>)<br /> [ Suidas, (Excerpta, p. + 68, in Script. Byzant.) pretends, on the credit of the Nestorians, that + Pulcheria was exasperated against their founder, because he censured her + connection with the beautiful Paulinus, and her incest with her brother + Theodosius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.70" id="linknote-32.70"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 70 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.70">return</a>)<br /> [ See Ducange, Famil. + Byzantin. p. 70. Flaccilla, the eldest daughter, either died before + Arcadius, or, if she lived till the year 431, (Marcellin. Chron.,) some + defect of mind or body must have excluded her from the honors of her + rank.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.71" id="linknote-32.71"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 71 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.71">return</a>)<br /> [ She was admonished, by + repeated dreams, of the place where the relics of the forty martyrs had + been buried. The ground had successively belonged to the house and garden + of a woman of Constantinople, to a monastery of Macedonian monks, and to a + church of St. Thyrsus, erected by Caesarius, who was consul A.D. 397; and + the memory of the relics was almost obliterated. Notwithstanding the + charitable wishes of Dr. Jortin, (Remarks, tom. iv. p. 234,) it is not + easy to acquit Pulcheria of some share in the pious fraud; which must have + been transacted when she was more than five-and-thirty years of age.] + </p> + <p> + The Roman world was deeply interested in the education of its master. A + regular course of study and exercise was judiciously instituted; of the + military exercises of riding, and shooting with the bow; of the liberal + studies of grammar, rhetoric, and philosophy: the most skilful masters of + the East ambitiously solicited the attention of their royal pupil; and + several noble youths were introduced into the palace, to animate his + diligence by the emulation of friendship. Pulcheria alone discharged the + important task of instructing her brother in the arts of government; but + her precepts may countenance some suspicions of the extent of her + capacity, or of the purity of her intentions. She taught him to maintain a + grave and majestic deportment; to walk, to hold his robes, to seat himself + on his throne, in a manner worthy of a great prince; to abstain from + laughter; to listen with condescension; to return suitable answers; to + assume, by turns, a serious or a placid countenance: in a word, to + represent with grace and dignity the external figure of a Roman emperor. + But Theodosius <a href="#linknote-32.72" name="linknoteref-32.72" + id="linknoteref-32.72">72</a> was never excited to support the weight and + glory of an illustrious name: and, instead of aspiring to support his + ancestors, he degenerated (if we may presume to measure the degrees of + incapacity) below the weakness of his father and his uncle. Arcadius and + Honorius had been assisted by the guardian care of a parent, whose lessons + were enforced by his authority and example. But the unfortunate prince, + who is born in the purple, must remain a stranger to the voice of truth; + and the son of Arcadius was condemned to pass his perpetual infancy + encompassed only by a servile train of women and eunuchs. The ample + leisure which he acquired by neglecting the essential duties of his high + office, was filled by idle amusements and unprofitable studies. Hunting + was the only active pursuit that could tempt him beyond the limits of the + palace; but he most assiduously labored, sometimes by the light of a + midnight lamp, in the mechanic occupations of painting and carving; and + the elegance with which he transcribed religious books entitled the Roman + emperor to the singular epithet of Calligraphes, 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 papers 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 + qualities, which can only deserve the name of virtues when they are + supported by courage and regulated by discretion, were seldom beneficial, + and they sometimes 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. Theodosius devoutly + worshipped the dead and living saints of the Catholic 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. <a href="#linknote-32.73" name="linknoteref-32.73" + id="linknoteref-32.73">73</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.72" id="linknote-32.72"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 72 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.72">return</a>)<br /> [ There is a remarkable + difference between the two ecclesiastical historians, who in general bear + so close a resemblance. Sozomen (l. ix. c. 1) ascribes to Pulcheria the + government of the empire, and the education of her brother, whom he + scarcely condescends to praise. Socrates, though he affectedly disclaims + all hopes of favor or fame, composes an elaborate panegyric on the + emperor, and cautiously suppresses the merits of his sister, (l. vii. c. + 22, 42.) Philostorgius (l. xii. c. 7) expresses the influence of Pulcheria + in gentle and courtly language. Suidas (Excerpt. p. 53) gives a true + character of Theodosius; and I have followed the example of Tillemont + (tom. vi. p. 25) in borrowing some strokes from the modern Greeks.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.73" id="linknote-32.73"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 73 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.73">return</a>)<br /> [ Theodoret, l. v. c. 37. + The bishop of Cyrrhus, one of the first men of his age for his learning + and piety, applauds the obedience of Theodosius to the divine laws.] + </p> + <p> + The story of a fair and virtuous maiden, exalted from a private condition + to the Imperial throne, might be deemed an incredible romance, if such a + romance had not been verified in the marriage of Theodosius. The + celebrated Athenais <a href="#linknote-32.74" name="linknoteref-32.74" + id="linknoteref-32.74">74</a> was educated by her father Leontius in the + religion and sciences of the Greeks; and so advantageous was the opinion + which the Athenian philosopher entertained of his contemporaries, that he + divided his patrimony between his two sons, bequeathing to his daughter a + small legacy of one hundred pieces of gold, in the lively confidence that + her beauty and merit would be a sufficient portion. The jealousy and + avarice of her brothers soon compelled Athenais to seek a refuge at + Constantinople; and, with some hopes, either of justice or favor, to throw + herself at the feet of Pulcheria. That sagacious princess listened to her + eloquent complaint; and secretly destined the daughter of the philosopher + Leontius for the future wife of the emperor of the East, who had now + attained the twentieth year of his age. She easily excited the curiosity + of her brother, by an interesting picture of the charms of Athenais; large + eyes, a well-proportioned nose, a fair complexion, golden locks, a slender + person, a graceful demeanor, an understanding improved by study, and a + virtue tried by distress. Theodosius, concealed behind a curtain in the + apartment of his sister, was permitted to behold the Athenian virgin: the + modest youth immediately declared his pure and honorable love; and the + royal nuptials were celebrated amidst the acclamations of the capital and + the provinces. Athenais, who was easily persuaded to renounce the errors + of Paganism, received at her baptism the Christian name of Eudocia; but + the cautious Pulcheria withheld the title of Augusta, till the wife of + Theodosius had approved her fruitfulness by the birth of a daughter, who + espoused, fifteen years afterwards, the emperor of the West. The brothers + of Eudocia obeyed, with some anxiety, her Imperial summons; but as she + could easily forgive their unfortunate unkindness, she indulged the + tenderness, or perhaps the vanity, of a sister, by promoting them to the + rank of consuls and praefects. In the luxury of the palace, she still + cultivated those ingenuous arts which had contributed to her greatness; + and wisely dedicated her talents to the honor of religion, and of her + husband. Eudocia composed a poetical paraphrase of the first eight books + of the Old Testament, and of the prophecies of Daniel and Zechariah; a + cento of the verses of Homer, applied to the life and miracles of Christ, + the legend of St. Cyprian, and a panegyric on the Persian victories of + Theodosius; and her writings, which were applauded by a servile and + superstitious age, have not been disdained by the candor of impartial + criticism. <a href="#linknote-32.75" name="linknoteref-32.75" + id="linknoteref-32.75">75</a> 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 ostentatious progress through the East may seem + inconsistent with the spirit of Christian humility; she pronounced, from a + throne 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 Holy 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 conscious satisfaction of + returning to Constantinople with the chains of St. Peter, the right arm of + St. Stephen, and an undoubted picture of the Virgin, painted by St. Luke. + <a href="#linknote-32.76" name="linknoteref-32.76" id="linknoteref-32.76">76</a> + But this pilgrimage was the fatal term of the glories of Eudocia. Satiated + with empty pomp, and unmindful, perhaps, of her obligations to Pulcheria, + she ambitiously aspired to the government of the Eastern empire; the + palace was distracted by female discord; but the victory was at last + decided, by the superior ascendant of the sister of Theodosius. The + execution of Paulinus, master of the offices, and the disgrace of Cyrus, + Prætorian praefect of the East, convinced the public that the favor of + Eudocia was insufficient to protect her most faithful friends; and the + uncommon beauty of Paulinus encouraged the secret rumor, that his guilt + was that of a successful lover. <a href="#linknote-32.77" + name="linknoteref-32.77" id="linknoteref-32.77">77</a> As soon as the + empress perceived that the affection of Theodosius was irretrievably lost, + she requested the permission of retiring to the distant solitude of + Jerusalem. She obtained her request; but the jealousy of Theodosius, or + the vindictive spirit of Pulcheria, pursued her in her last retreat; and + Saturninus, count of the domestics, was directed to punish with death two + ecclesiastics, her most favored servants. Eudocia instantly revenged them + by the assassination of the count; the furious passions which she indulged + on this suspicious occasion, seemed to justify the severity of Theodosius; + and the empress, ignominiously stripped of the honors of her rank, <a + href="#linknote-32.78" name="linknoteref-32.78" id="linknoteref-32.78">78</a> + was disgraced, perhaps unjustly, in the eyes of the world. The remainder + of the life of Eudocia, about sixteen years, was spent in exile and + devotion; and 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 Holy Monks of Palestine, insensibly + confirmed the religious temper of her mind. After a full experience of the + vicissitudes of human life, the daughter of the philosopher Leontius + expired, at Jerusalem, in the sixty-seventh year of her age; protesting, + with her dying breath, that she had never transgressed the bounds of + innocence and friendship. <a href="#linknote-32.79" name="linknoteref-32.79" + id="linknoteref-32.79">79</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.74" id="linknote-32.74"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 74 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.74">return</a>)<br /> [ Socrates (l. vii. c. + 21) mentions her name, (Athenais, the daughter of Leontius, an Athenian + sophist,) her baptism, marriage, and poetical genius. The most ancient + account of her history is in John Malala (part ii. p. 20, 21, edit. Venet. + 1743) and in the Paschal Chronicle, (p. 311, 312.) Those authors had + probably seen original pictures of the empress Eudocia. The modern Greeks, + Zonaras, Cedrenus, &c., have displayed the love, rather than the + talent of fiction. From Nicephorus, indeed, I have ventured to assume her + age. The writer of a romance would not have imagined, that Athenais was + near twenty eight years old when she inflamed the heart of a young + emperor.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.75" id="linknote-32.75"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 75 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.75">return</a>)<br /> [ Socrates, l. vii. c. + 21, Photius, p. 413-420. The Homeric cento is still extant, and has been + repeatedly printed: but the claim of Eudocia to that insipid performance + is disputed by the critics. See Fabricius, Biblioth. Graec. tom. i. p. + 357. The Ionia, a miscellaneous dictionary of history and fable, was + compiled by another empress of the name of Eudocia, who lived in the + eleventh century: and the work is still extant in manuscript.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.76" id="linknote-32.76"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 76 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.76">return</a>)<br /> [ Baronius (Annal. + Eccles. A.D. 438, 439) is copious and florid, but he is accused of placing + the lies of different ages on the same level of authenticity.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.77" id="linknote-32.77"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 77 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.77">return</a>)<br /> [ In this short view of + the disgrace of Eudocia, I have imitated the caution of Evagrius (l. i. c. + 21) and Count Marcellinus, (in Chron A.D. 440 and 444.) The two authentic + dates assigned by the latter, overturn a great part of the Greek fictions; + and the celebrated story of the apple, &c., is fit only for the + Arabian Nights, where something not very unlike it may be found.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.78" id="linknote-32.78"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 78 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.78">return</a>)<br /> [ Priscus, (in Excerpt. + Legat. p. 69,) a contemporary, and a courtier, dryly mentions her Pagan + and Christian names, without adding any title of honor or respect.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.79" id="linknote-32.79"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 79 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.79">return</a>)<br /> [ For the two pilgrimages + of Eudocia, and her long residence at Jerusalem, her devotion, alms, &c., + see Socrates (l. vii. c. 47) and Evagrius, (l. i. c. 21, 22.) The Paschal + Chronicle may sometimes deserve regard; and in the domestic history of + Antioch, John Malala becomes a writer of good authority. The Abbe Guenee, + in a memoir on the fertility of Palestine, of which I have only seen an + extract, calculates the gifts of Eudocia at 20,488 pounds of gold, above + 800,000 pounds sterling.] + </p> + <p> + The gentle mind of Theodosius was never inflamed by the ambition of + conquest, or military renown; and the slight alarm of a Persian war + scarcely interrupted the tranquillity of the East. The motives of this war + were just and honorable. In the last year of the reign of Jezdegerd, the + supposed guardian of Theodosius, a bishop, who aspired to the crown of + martyrdom, destroyed one of the fire-temples of Susa. <a + href="#linknote-32.80" name="linknoteref-32.80" id="linknoteref-32.80">80</a> + His zeal and obstinacy were revenged on his brethren: the Magi excited a + cruel persecution; and the intolerant zeal of Jezdegerd was imitated by + his son Varanes, or Bahram, who soon afterwards ascended the throne. Some + Christian fugitives, who escaped to the Roman frontier, were sternly + demanded, and generously refused; and the refusal, aggravated by + commercial disputes, soon kindled a war between the rival monarchies. The + mountains of Armenia, and the plains of Mesopotamia, were filled with + hostile armies; but the operations of two successive campaigns were not + productive of any decisive or memorable events. Some engagements were + fought, some towns were besieged, with various and doubtful success: and + if the Romans failed in their attempt to recover the long-lost possession + of Nisibis, the Persians were repulsed from the walls of a Mesopotamian + city, by the valor 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 messenger Palladius repeatedly announced to + the palace of Constantinople, were celebrated with festivals and + panegyrics. From these panegyrics the historians <a href="#linknote-32.81" + name="linknoteref-32.81" id="linknoteref-32.81">81</a> of the age might + borrow their extraordinary, and, perhaps, fabulous tales; of the proud + challenge of a Persian hero, who was entangled by the net, and despatched + by the sword, of Areobindus the Goth; of the ten thousand Immortals, who + were slain 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 + disregarded; 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; supplied their wants with affectionate liberality; and dismissed + them to their native country, to inform their 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 respected near fourscore years by the successors of + Constantine and Artaxerxes. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.80" id="linknote-32.80"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 80 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.80">return</a>)<br /> [ Theodoret, l. v. c. 39 + Tillemont. Mem. Eccles tom. xii. 356-364. Assemanni, Bibliot. Oriental. + tom. iii. p. 396, tom. iv. p. 61. Theodoret blames the rashness of Abdas, + but extols the constancy of his martyrdom. Yet I do not clearly understand + the casuistry which prohibits our repairing the damage which we have + unlawfully committed.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.81" id="linknote-32.81"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 81 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.81">return</a>)<br /> [ Socrates (l. vii. c. + 18, 19, 20, 21) is the best author for the Persian war. We may likewise + consult the three Chronicles, the Paschal and those of Marcellinus and + Malala.] + </p> + <p> + Since the Roman and Parthian standards first encountered on the banks of + the Euphrates, the kingdom of Armenia <a href="#linknote-32.82" + name="linknoteref-32.82" id="linknoteref-32.82">82</a> was alternately + oppressed by its formidable protectors; and in the course of this History, + several events, which inclined the balance of peace and war, have been + already related. A disgraceful treaty had resigned Armenia to the ambition + of Sapor; and the scale of Persia appeared to preponderate. But the royal + race of Arsaces impatiently submitted to the house of Sassan; the + turbulent nobles asserted, or betrayed, their hereditary independence; and + the nation was still attached to the Christian princes of Constantinople. + In the beginning of the fifth century, Armenia was divided by the progress + of war and faction; <a href="#linknote-32.83" name="linknoteref-32.83" + id="linknoteref-32.83">83</a> and the unnatural division precipitated the + downfall of that ancient monarchy. Chosroes, the Persian vassal, reigned + over the Eastern and most extensive portion of the country; while the + Western province acknowledged the jurisdiction of Arsaces, and the + supremacy of the emperor Arcadius. <a href="#linknote-32.8111" + name="linknoteref-32.8111" id="linknoteref-32.8111">8111</a> After the death + of Arsaces, the Romans suppressed the regal government, and imposed on + their allies the condition of subjects. The military command was delegated + to the count of the Armenian frontier; the city of Theodosiopolis <a + href="#linknote-32.84" name="linknoteref-32.84" id="linknoteref-32.84">84</a> + was built and fortified in a strong situation, on a fertile and lofty + ground, near the sources of the Euphrates; and the dependent territories + were ruled by five satraps, whose dignity was marked by a peculiar habit + of gold and purple. The less fortunate nobles, who lamented the loss of + their king, and envied the honors of their equals, were provoked to + negotiate their peace and pardon at the Persian court; and returning, with + their followers, to the palace of Artaxata, acknowledged Chosroes <a + href="#linknote-32.8411" name="linknoteref-32.8411" id="linknoteref-32.8411">8411</a> + for their lawful sovereign. About thirty years afterwards, Artasires, the + nephew and successor of Chosroes, fell under the displeasure of the + haughty and capricious nobles of Armenia; and they unanimously desired a + Persian governor in the room of an unworthy king. The answer of the + archbishop Isaac, whose sanction they earnestly solicited, is expressive + of the character of a superstitious people. He deplored the manifest and + inexcusable vices of Artasires; and declared, that he should not hesitate + to accuse him before the tribunal of a Christian emperor, who would + punish, without destroying, 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 + flagitious. I will never consent to abandon my sheep to the rage of + devouring wolves; and you would soon repent your rash exchange of the + infirmities of a believer, for the specious virtues of a heathen.” <a + href="#linknote-32.85" name="linknoteref-32.85" id="linknoteref-32.85">85</a> + Exasperated by the firmness of Isaac, the factious nobles accused both the + king and the archbishop as the secret adherents of the emperor; and + absurdly rejoiced in the sentence of condemnation, which, after a partial + hearing, was solemnly pronounced by Bahram himself. The descendants of + Arsaces were degraded from the royal dignity, <a href="#linknote-32.86" + name="linknoteref-32.86" id="linknoteref-32.86">86</a> which they had + possessed above five hundred and sixty years; <a href="#linknote-32.87" + name="linknoteref-32.87" id="linknoteref-32.87">87</a> and the dominions of + the unfortunate Artasires, <a href="#linknote-32.8711" + name="linknoteref-32.8711" id="linknoteref-32.8711">8711</a> under the new + and significant appellation of Persarmenia, were reduced into the 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 kingdom of Armenia: <a + href="#linknote-32.8712" name="linknoteref-32.8712" id="linknoteref-32.8712">8712</a> + and a territorial acquisition, which Augustus might have despised, + reflected some lustre on the declining empire of the younger Theodosius. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.82" id="linknote-32.82"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 82 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.82">return</a>)<br /> [ This account of the + ruin and division of the kingdom of Armenia is taken from the third book + of the Armenian history of Moses of Chorene. Deficient as he is in every + qualification of a good historian, his local information, his passions, + and his prejudices are strongly expressive of a native and contemporary. + Procopius (de Edificiis, l. iii. c. 1, 5) relates the same facts in a very + different manner; but I have extracted the circumstances the most probable + in themselves, and the least inconsistent with Moses of Chorene.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.83" id="linknote-32.83"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 83 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.83">return</a>)<br /> [ The western Armenians + used the Greek language and characters in their religious offices; but the + use of that hostile tongue was prohibited by the Persians in the Eastern + provinces, which were obliged to use the Syriac, till the invention of the + Armenian letters by Mesrobes, in the beginning of the fifth century, and + the subsequent version of the Bible into the Armenian language; an event + which relaxed to the connection of the church and nation with + Constantinople.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.84" id="linknote-32.84"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 84 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.84">return</a>)<br /> [ Moses Choren. l. iii. + c. 59, p. 309, and p. 358. Procopius, de Edificiis, l. iii. c. 5. + Theodosiopolis stands, or rather stood, about thirty-five miles to the + east of Arzeroum, the modern capital of Turkish Armenia. See D’Anville, + Geographie Ancienne, tom. ii. p. 99, 100.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.8111" id="linknote-32.8111"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8111 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.8111">return</a>)<br /> [ The division of + Armenia, according to M. St. Martin, took place much earlier, A. C. 390. + The Eastern or Persian division was four times as large as the Western or + Roman. This partition took place during the reigns of Theodosius the + First, and Varanes (Bahram) the Fourth. St. Martin, Sup. to Le Beau, iv. + 429. This partition was but imperfectly accomplished, as both parts were + afterwards reunited under Chosroes, who paid tribute both to the Roman + emperor and to the Persian king. v. 439.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.8411" id="linknote-32.8411"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8411 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.8411">return</a>)<br /> [ Chosroes, according + to Procopius (who calls him Arsaces, the common name of the Armenian + kings) and the Armenian writers, bequeathed to his two sons, to Tigranes + the Persian, to Arsaces the Roman, division of Armenia, A. C. 416. With + the assistance of the discontented nobles the Persian king placed his son + Sapor on the throne of the Eastern division; the Western at the same time + was united to the Roman empire, and called the Greater Armenia. It was + then that Theodosiopolis was built. Sapor abandoned the throne of Armenia + to assert his rights to that of Persia; he perished in the struggle, and + after a period of anarchy, Bahram V., who had ascended the throne of + Persia, placed the last native prince, Ardaschir, son of Bahram Schahpour, + on the throne of the Persian division of Armenia. St. Martin, v. 506. This + Ardaschir was the Artasires of Gibbon. The archbishop Isaac is called by + the Armenians the Patriarch Schag. St. Martin, vi. 29.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.85" id="linknote-32.85"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 85 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.85">return</a>)<br /> [ Moses Choren, l. iii. + c. 63, p. 316. According to the institution of St. Gregory, the Apostle of + Armenia, the archbishop was always of the royal family; a circumstance + which, in some degree, corrected the influence of the sacerdotal + character, and united the mitre with the crown.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.86" id="linknote-32.86"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 86 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.86">return</a>)<br /> [ A branch of the royal + house of Arsaces still subsisted with the rank and possessions (as it + should seem) of Armenian satraps. See Moses Choren. l. iii. c. 65, p. + 321.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.87" id="linknote-32.87"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 87 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.87">return</a>)<br /> [ Valarsaces was + appointed king of Armenia by his brother the Parthian monarch, immediately + after the defeat of Antiochus Sidetes, (Moses Choren. l. ii. c. 2, p. 85,) + one hundred and thirty years before Christ. Without depending on the + various and contradictory periods of the reigns of the last kings, we may + be assured, that the ruin of the Armenian kingdom happened after the + council of Chalcedon, A.D. 431, (l. iii. c. 61, p. 312;) and under + Varamus, or Bahram, king of Persia, (l. iii. c. 64, p. 317,) who reigned + from A.D. 420 to 440. See Assemanni, Bibliot. Oriental. tom. iii. p. 396. + * Note: Five hundred and eighty. St. Martin, ibid. He places this event A. + C 429.—M.——Note: According to M. St. Martin, vi. 32, + Vagharschah, or Valarsaces, was appointed king by his brother Mithridates + the Great, king of Parthia.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.8711" id="linknote-32.8711"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8711 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.8711">return</a>)<br /> [ Artasires or + Ardaschir was probably sent to the castle of Oblivion. St. Martin, vi. 31.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-32.8712" id="linknote-32.8712"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8712 (<a href="#linknoteref-32.8712">return</a>)<br /> [ The duration of the + Armenian kingdom according to M. St. Martin, was 580 years.—M] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap33.1"></a> +Chapter XXXIII: Conquest Of Africa By The Vandals.—Part I. +</h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Death Of Honorius.—Valentinian III.—Emperor Of The East. + —Administration Of His Mother Placidia—Ætius And + Boniface.—Conquest Of Africa By The Vandals. +</pre> + <p> + During a long and disgraceful reign of twenty-eight years, Honorius, + emperor of the West, was separated from the friendship of his brother, and + afterwards of his nephew, who reigned over the East; and Constantinople + beheld, with apparent indifference and secret joy, the calamities of Rome. + The strange adventures of Placidia <a href="#linknote-33.1" + name="linknoteref-33.1" id="linknoteref-33.1">1</a> gradually renewed and + cemented the alliance of the two empires. The daughter of the great + Theodosius had been the captive, and the queen, of the Goths; she lost an + affectionate husband; she was dragged in chains by his insulting assassin; + she tasted the pleasure of revenge, and was exchanged, in the treaty of + peace, for six hundred thousand measures of wheat. After her return from + Spain to Italy, Placidia experienced a new persecution in the bosom of her + family. She was averse to a marriage, which had been stipulated without + her consent; and the brave Constantius, as a noble reward for the tyrants + whom he had vanquished, received, from the hand of Honorius himself, the + struggling and the reluctant hand of the widow of Adolphus. But her + resistance ended with the ceremony of the nuptials: nor did Placidia + refuse to become the mother of Honoria and Valentinian the Third, or to + assume and exercise an absolute dominion over the mind of her grateful + husband. The generous soldier, whose time had hitherto been divided + between social pleasure and military service, was taught new lessons of + avarice and ambition: he extorted the title of Augustus: and the servant + of Honorius was associated to the empire of the West. The death of + Constantius, in the seventh month of his reign, instead of diminishing, + seemed to inerease the power of Placidia; and the indecent familiarity <a + href="#linknote-33.2" name="linknoteref-33.2" id="linknoteref-33.2">2</a> of + her brother, which might be no more than the symptoms of a childish + affection, were universally attributed to incestuous love. On a sudden, by + some base intrigues of a steward and a nurse, this excessive fondness was + converted into an irreconcilable quarrel: the debates of the emperor and + his sister were not long confined within the walls of the palace; and as + the Gothic soldiers adhered to their queen, the city of Ravenna was + agitated with bloody and dangerous tumults, which could only be appeased + by the forced or voluntary retreat of Placidia and her children. The royal + exiles landed at Constantinople, soon after the marriage of Theodosius, + during the festival of the Persian victories. They were treated with + kindness and magnificence; but as the statues of the emperor Constantius + had been rejected by the Eastern court, the title of Augusta could not + decently be allowed to his widow. Within a few months after the arrival of + Placidia, a swift messenger announced the death of Honorius, the + consequence of a dropsy; but the important secret was not divulged, till + the necessary orders had been despatched for the march of a large body of + troops to the sea-coast of Dalmatia. The shops and the gates of + Constantinople remained shut during seven days; and the loss of a foreign + prince, who could neither be esteemed nor regretted, was celebrated with + loud and affected demonstrations of the public grief. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.1" id="linknote-33.1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.1">return</a>)<br /> [ See vol. iii. p. 296.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.2" id="linknote-33.2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.2">return</a>)<br /> [ It is the expression of + Olympiodorus (apud Phetium p. 197;) who means, perhaps, to describe the + same caresses which Mahomet bestowed on his daughter Phatemah. Quando, + (says the prophet himself,) quando subit mihi desiderium Paradisi, osculor + eam, et ingero linguam meam in os ejus. But this sensual indulgence was + justified by miracle and mystery; and the anecdote has been communicated + to the public by the Reverend Father Maracci in his Version and + Confutation of the Koran, tom. i. p. 32.] + </p> + <p> + While the ministers of Constantinople deliberated, the vacant throne of + Honorius was usurped by the ambition of a stranger. The name of the rebel + was John; he filled the confidential office of Primicerius, or principal + secretary, and history has attributed to his character more virtues, than + can easily be reconciled with the violation of the most sacred duty. + Elated by the submission of Italy, and the hope of an alliance with the + Huns, John presumed to insult, by an embassy, the majesty of the Eastern + emperor; but when he understood that his agents had been banished, + imprisoned, and at length chased away with deserved ignominy, John + prepared to assert, by arms, the injustice of his claims. In such a cause, + the grandson of the great Theodosius should have marched in person: but + the young emperor was easily diverted, by his physicians, from so rash and + hazardous a design; and the conduct of the Italian expedition was + prudently intrusted to Ardaburius, and his son Aspar, who had already + signalized their valor against the Persians. It was resolved, that + Ardaburius should embark with the infantry; whilst Aspar, at the head of + the cavalry, conducted Placidia and her son Valentinian along the + sea-coast of the Adriatic. The march of the cavalry was performed with + such active diligence, that they surprised, without resistance, the + important city of Aquileia: when the hopes of Aspar were unexpectedly + confounded by the intelligence, that a storm had dispersed the Imperial + fleet; and that his father, with only two galleys, was taken and carried a + prisoner into the port of Ravenna. Yet this incident, unfortunate as it + might seem, facilitated the conquest of Italy. Ardaburius employed, or + abused, the courteous freedom which he was permitted to enjoy, to revive + among the troops a sense of loyalty and gratitude; and as soon as the + conspiracy was ripe for execution, he invited, by private messages, and + pressed the approach of, Aspar. A shepherd, whom the popular credulity + transformed into an angel, guided the eastern cavalry by a secret, and, it + was thought, an impassable road, through the morasses of the Po: the gates + of Ravenna, after a short struggle, were thrown open; and the defenceless + tyrant was delivered to the mercy, or rather to the cruelty, of the + conquerors. His right hand was first cut off; and, after he had been + exposed, mounted on an ass, to the public derision, John was beheaded in + the circus of Aquileia. The emperor Theodosius, when he received the news + of the victory, interrupted the horse-races; and singing, as he marched + through the streets, a suitable psalm, conducted his people from the + Hippodrome to the church, where he spent the remainder of the day in + grateful devotion. <a href="#linknote-33.3" name="linknoteref-33.3" + id="linknoteref-33.3">3</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.3" id="linknote-33.3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.3">return</a>)<br /> [ For these revolutions of + the Western empire, consult Olympiodor, apud Phot. p. 192, 193, 196, 197, + 200; Sozomen, l. ix. c. 16; Socrates, l. vii. 23, 24; Philostorgius, l. + xii. c. 10, 11, and Godefroy, Dissertat p. 486; Procopius, de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. c. 3, p. 182, 183, in Chronograph, p. 72, 73, and the + Chronicles.] + </p> + <p> + In a monarchy, which, according to various precedents, might be considered + as elective, or hereditary, or patrimonial, it was impossible that the + intricate claims of female and collateral succession should be clearly + defined; <a href="#linknote-33.4" name="linknoteref-33.4" + id="linknoteref-33.4">4</a> and Theodosius, by the right of consanguinity + or conquest, might have reigned the sole legitimate emperor of the Romans. + For a moment, perhaps, his eyes were dazzled by the prospect of unbounded + sway; but his indolent temper gradually acquiesced in the dictates of + sound policy. He contented himself with the possession of the East; and + wisely relinquished the laborious task of waging a distant and doubtful + war against the Barbarians beyond the Alps; or of securing the obedience + of the Italians and Africans, whose minds were alienated by the + irreconcilable difference of language and interest. Instead of listening + to the voice of ambition, Theodosius resolved to imitate the moderation of + his grandfather, and to seat his cousin Valentinian on the throne of the + West. The royal infant was distinguished at Constantinople by the title of + Nobilissimus: he was promoted, before his departure from Thessalonica, to + the rank and dignity of Caesar; and after the conquest of Italy, the + patrician Helion, by the authority of Theodosius, and in the presence of + the senate, saluted Valentinian the Third by the name of Augustus, and + solemnly invested him with the diadem and the Imperial purple. <a + href="#linknote-33.5" name="linknoteref-33.5" id="linknoteref-33.5">5</a> By + the agreement of the three females who governed the Roman world, the son + of Placidia was betrothed to Eudoxia, the daughter of Theodosius and + Athenais; and as soon as the lover and his bride had attained the age of + puberty, this honorable alliance was faithfully accomplished. At the same + time, as a compensation, perhaps, for the expenses of the war, the Western + Illyricum was detached from the Italian dominions, and yielded to the + throne of Constantinople. <a href="#linknote-33.6" name="linknoteref-33.6" + id="linknoteref-33.6">6</a> The emperor of the East acquired the useful + dominion of the rich and maritime province of Dalmatia, and the dangerous + sovereignty of Pannonia and Noricum, which had been filled and ravaged + above twenty years by a promiscuous crowd of Huns, Ostrogoths, Vandals, + and Bavarians. Theodosius and Valentinian continued to respect the + obligations of their public and domestic alliance; but the unity of the + Roman government was finally dissolved. By a positive declaration, the + validity of all future laws was limited to the dominions of their peculiar + author; unless he should think proper to communicate them, subscribed with + his own hand, for the approbation of his independent colleague. <a + href="#linknote-33.7" name="linknoteref-33.7" id="linknoteref-33.7">7</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.4" id="linknote-33.4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.4">return</a>)<br /> [ See Grotius de Jure Belli + et Pacis, l. ii. c. 7. He has laboriously out vainly, attempted to form a + reasonable system of jurisprudence from the various and discordant modes + of royal succession, which have been introduced by fraud or force, by time + or accident.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.5" id="linknote-33.5"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.5">return</a>)<br /> [ The original writers are + not agreed (see Muratori, Annali d’Italia tom. iv. p. 139) whether + Valentinian received the Imperial diadem at Rome or Ravenna. In this + uncertainty, I am willing to believe, that some respect was shown to the + senate.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.6" id="linknote-33.6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.6">return</a>)<br /> [ The count de Buat (Hist. + des Peup es de l’Europe, tom. vii. p. 292-300) has established the + reality, explained the motives, and traced the consequences, of this + remarkable cession.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.7" id="linknote-33.7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.7">return</a>)<br /> [ See the first Novel of + Theodosius, by which he ratifies and communicates (A.D. 438) the + Theodosian Code. About forty years before that time, the unity of + legislation had been proved by an exception. The Jews, who were numerous + in the cities of Apulia and Calabria, produced a law of the East to + justify their exemption from municipal offices, (Cod. Theod. l. xvi. tit. + viii. leg. 13;) and the Western emperor was obliged to invalidate, by a + special edict, the law, quam constat meis partibus esse damnosam. Cod. + Theod. l. xi. tit. i. leg. 158.] + </p> + <p> + Valentinian, when he received the title of Augustus, was no more than six + years of age; and his long minority was intrusted to the guardian care of + a mother, who might assert a female claim to the succession of the Western + empire. Placidia envied, but she could not equal, the reputation and + virtues of the wife and sister of Theodosius, the elegant genius of + Eudocia, the wise and successful policy of Pulcheria. The mother of + Valentinian was jealous of the power which she was incapable of + exercising; <a href="#linknote-33.8" name="linknoteref-33.8" + id="linknoteref-33.8">8</a> she reigned twenty-five years, in the name of + her son; and the character of that unworthy emperor gradually countenanced + the suspicion that Placidia had enervated his youth by a dissolute + education, and studiously diverted his attention from every manly and + honorable pursuit. Amidst the decay of military spirit, her armies were + commanded by two generals, Ætius <a href="#linknote-33.9" + name="linknoteref-33.9" id="linknoteref-33.9">9</a> and Boniface, <a + href="#linknote-33.10" name="linknoteref-33.10" id="linknoteref-33.10">10</a> + who may be deservedly named as the last of the Romans. Their union might + have supported a sinking empire; their discord was the fatal and immediate + cause of the loss of Africa. The invasion and defeat of Attila have + immortalized the fame of Ætius; and though time has thrown a shade over + the exploits of his rival, the defence of Marseilles, and the deliverance + of Africa, attest the military talents of Count Boniface. In the field of + battle, in partial encounters, in single combats, he was still the terror + of the Barbarians: the clergy, and particularly his friend Augustin, were + edified by the Christian piety which had once tempted him to retire from + the world; the people applauded his spotless integrity; the army dreaded + his equal and inexorable justice, which may be displayed in a very + singular example. A peasant, who complained of the criminal intimacy + between his wife and a Gothic soldier, was directed to attend his tribunal + the following day: in the evening the count, who had diligently informed + himself of the time and place of the assignation, mounted his horse, rode + ten miles into the country, surprised the guilty couple, punished the + soldier with instant death, and silenced the complaints of the husband by + presenting him, the next morning, with the head of the adulterer. The + abilities of Ætius and Boniface might have been usefully employed against + the public enemies, in separate and important commands; but the experience + of their past conduct should have decided the real favor and confidence of + the empress Placidia. In the melancholy season of her exile and distress, + Boniface alone had maintained her cause with unshaken fidelity: and the + troops and treasures of Africa had essentially contributed to extinguish + the rebellion. The same rebellion had been supported by the zeal and + activity of Ætius, who brought an army of sixty thousand Huns from the + Danube to the confines of Italy, for the service of the usurper. The + untimely death of John compelled him to accept an advantageous treaty; but + he still continued, the subject and the soldier of Valentinian, to + entertain a secret, perhaps a treasonable, correspondence with his + Barbarian allies, whose retreat had been purchased by liberal gifts, and + more liberal promises. But Ætius possessed an advantage of singular + moment in a female reign; he was present: he besieged, with artful and + assiduous flattery, the palace of Ravenna; disguised his dark designs with + the mask of loyalty and friendship; and at length deceived both his + mistress and his absent rival, by a subtle conspiracy, which a weak woman + and a brave man could not easily suspect. He had secretly persuaded <a + href="#linknote-33.11" name="linknoteref-33.11" id="linknoteref-33.11">11</a> + Placidia to recall Boniface from the government of Africa; he secretly + advised Boniface to disobey the Imperial summons: to the one, he + represented the order as a sentence of death; to the other, he stated the + refusal as a signal of revolt; and when the credulous and unsuspectful + count had armed the province in his defence, Ætius applauded his sagacity + in foreseeing the rebellion, which his own perfidy had excited. A + temperate inquiry into the real motives of Boniface would have restored a + faithful servant to his duty and to the republic; but the arts of Ætius + still continued to betray and to inflame, and the count was urged, by + persecution, to embrace the most desperate counsels. The success with + which he eluded or repelled the first attacks, could not inspire a vain + confidence, that at the head of some loose, disorderly Africans, he should + be able to withstand the regular forces of the West, commanded by a rival, + whose military character it was impossible for him to despise. After some + hesitation, the last struggles of prudence and loyalty, Boniface + despatched a trusty friend to the court, or rather to the camp, of + Gonderic, king of the Vandals, with the proposal of a strict alliance, and + the offer of an advantageous and perpetual settlement. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.8" id="linknote-33.8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.8">return</a>)<br /> [ Cassiodorus (Variar. l. + xi. Epist. i. p. 238) has compared the regencies of Placidia and + Amalasuntha. He arraigns the weakness of the mother of Valentinian, and + praises the virtues of his royal mistress. On this occasion, flattery + seems to have spoken the language of truth.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.9" id="linknote-33.9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.9">return</a>)<br /> [ Philostorgius, l. xii. c. + 12, and Godefroy’s Dissertat. p. 493, &c.; and Renatus Frigeridus, + apud Gregor. Turon. l. ii. c. 8, in tom. ii. p. 163. The father of Ætius + was Gaudentius, an illustrious citizen of the province of Scythia, and + master-general of the cavalry; his mother was a rich and noble Italian. + From his earliest youth, Ætius, as a soldier and a hostage, had conversed + with the Barbarians.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.10" id="linknote-33.10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.10">return</a>)<br /> [ For the character of + Boniface, see Olympiodorus, apud Phot. p. 196; and St. Augustin apud + Tillemont, Mémoires Eccles. tom. xiii. p. 712-715, 886. The bishop of + Hippo at length deplored the fall of his friend, who, after a solemn vow + of chastity, had married a second wife of the Arian sect, and who was + suspected of keeping several concubines in his house.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.11" id="linknote-33.11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.11">return</a>)<br /> [ Procopius (de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. c. 3, 4, p. 182-186) relates the fraud of Ætius, the revolt + of Boniface, and the loss of Africa. This anecdote, which is supported by + some collateral testimony, (see Ruinart, Hist. Persecut. Vandal. p. 420, + 421,) seems agreeable to the practice of ancient and modern courts, and + would be naturally revealed by the repentance of Boniface.] + </p> + <p> + After the retreat of the Goths, the authority of Honorius had obtained a + precarious establishment in Spain; except only in the province of + Gallicia, where the Suevi and the Vandals had fortified their camps, in + mutual discord and hostile independence. The Vandals prevailed; and their + adversaries were besieged in the Nervasian hills, between Leon and Oviedo, + till the approach of Count Asterius compelled, or rather provoked, the + victorious Barbarians to remove the scene of the war to the plains of + Boetica. The rapid progress of the Vandals soon acquired a more effectual + opposition; and the master-general Castinus marched against them with a + numerous army of Romans and Goths. Vanquished in battle by an inferior + army, Castinus fled with dishonor to Tarragona; and this memorable defeat, + which has been represented as the punishment, was most probably the + effect, of his rash presumption. <a href="#linknote-33.12" + name="linknoteref-33.12" id="linknoteref-33.12">12</a> Seville and + Carthagena became the reward, or rather the prey, of the ferocious + conquerors; and the vessels which they found in the harbor of Carthagena + might easily transport them to the Isles of Majorca and Minorca, where the + Spanish fugitives, as in a secure recess, had vainly concealed their + families and their fortunes. The experience of navigation, and perhaps the + prospect of Africa, encouraged the Vandals to accept the invitation which + they received from Count Boniface; and the death of Gonderic served only + to forward and animate the bold enterprise. In the room of a prince not + conspicuous for any superior powers of the mind or body, they acquired his + bastard brother, the terrible Genseric; <a href="#linknote-33.13" + name="linknoteref-33.13" id="linknoteref-33.13">13</a> a name, which, in the + destruction of the Roman empire, has deserved an equal rank with the names + of Alaric and Attila. The king of the Vandals is described to have been of + a middle stature, with a lameness in one leg, which he had contracted by + an accidental fall from his horse. His slow and cautious speech seldom + declared the deep purposes of his soul; he disdained to imitate the luxury + of the vanquished; but he indulged the sterner passions of anger and + revenge. The ambition of Genseric was without bounds and without scruples; + and the warrior could dexterously employ the dark engines of policy to + solicit the allies who might be useful to his success, or to scatter among + his enemies the seeds of hatred and contention. Almost in the moment of + his departure he was informed that Hermanric, king of the Suevi, had + presumed to ravage the Spanish territories, which he was resolved to + abandon. + </p> + <p> + Impatient of the insult, Genseric pursued the hasty retreat of the Suevi + as far as Merida; precipitated the king and his army into the River Anas, + and calmly returned to the sea-shore to embark his victorious troops. The + vessels which transported the Vandals over the modern Straits of + Gibraltar, a channel only twelve miles in breadth, were furnished by the + Spaniards, who anxiously wished their departure; and by the African + general, who had implored their formidable assistance. <a + href="#linknote-33.14" name="linknoteref-33.14" id="linknoteref-33.14">14</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.12" id="linknote-33.12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.12">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Chronicles of + Prosper and Idatius. Salvian (de Gubernat. Dei, l. vii. p. 246, Paris, + 1608) ascribes the victory of the Vandals to their superior piety. They + fasted, they prayed, they carried a Bible in the front of the Host, with + the design, perhaps, of reproaching the perfidy and sacrilege of their + enemies.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.13" id="linknote-33.13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.13">return</a>)<br /> [ Gizericus (his name is + variously expressed) statura mediocris et equi casu claudicans, animo + profundus, sermone rarus, luxuriae contemptor, ira turbidus, habendi + cupidus, ad solicitandas gentes providentissimus, semina contentionum + jacere, odia miscere paratus. Jornandes, de Rebus Geticis, c. 33, p. 657. + This portrait, which is drawn with some skill, and a strong likeness, must + have been copied from the Gothic history of Cassiodorus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.14" id="linknote-33.14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.14">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Chronicle of + Idatius. That bishop, a Spaniard and a contemporary, places the passage of + the Vandals in the month of May, of the year of Abraham, (which commences + in October,) 2444. This date, which coincides with A.D. 429, is confirmed + by Isidore, another Spanish bishop, and is justly preferred to the opinion + of those writers who have marked for that event one of the two preceding + years. See Pagi Critica, tom. ii. p. 205, &c.] + </p> + <p> + Our fancy, so long accustomed to exaggerate and multiply the martial + swarms of Barbarians that seemed to issue from the North, will perhaps be + surprised by the account of the army which Genseric mustered on the coast + of Mauritania. The Vandals, who in twenty years had penetrated from the + Elbe to Mount Atlas, were united under the command of their warlike king; + and he reigned with equal authority over the Alani, who had passed, within + the term of human life, from the cold of Scythia to the excessive heat of + an African climate. The hopes of the bold enterprise had excited many + brave adventurers of the Gothic nation; and many desperate provincials + were tempted to repair their fortunes by the same means which had + occasioned their ruin. Yet this various multitude amounted only to fifty + thousand effective men; and though Genseric artfully magnified his + apparent strength, by appointing eighty chinarchs, or commanders of + thousands, the fallacious increase of old men, of children, and of slaves, + would scarcely have swelled his army to the number of four-score thousand + persons. <a href="#linknote-33.15" name="linknoteref-33.15" + id="linknoteref-33.15">15</a> But his own dexterity, and the discontents of + Africa, soon fortified the Vandal powers, by the accession of numerous and + active allies. The parts of Mauritania which border on the Great Desert + and the Atlantic Ocean, were filled with a fierce and untractable race of + men, whose savage temper had been exasperated, rather than reclaimed, by + their dread of the Roman arms. The wandering Moors, <a + href="#linknote-33.16" name="linknoteref-33.16" id="linknoteref-33.16">16</a> + as they gradually ventured to approach the seashore, and the camp of the + Vandals, must have viewed with terror and astonishment the dress, the + armor, the martial pride and discipline of the unknown strangers who had + landed on their coast; and the fair complexions of the blue-eyed warriors + of Germany formed a very singular contrast with the swarthy or olive hue + which is derived from the neighborhood of the torrid zone. After the first + difficulties had in some measure been removed, which arose from the mutual + ignorance of their respective language, the Moors, regardless of any + future consequence, embraced the alliance of the enemies of Rome; and a + crowd of naked savages rushed from the woods and valleys of Mount Atlas, + to satiate their revenge on the polished tyrants, who had injuriously + expelled them from the native sovereignty of the land. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.15" id="linknote-33.15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.15">return</a>)<br /> [ Compare Procopius (de + Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 5, p. 190) and Victor Vitensis, (de Persecutione + Vandal. l. i. c. 1, p. 3, edit. Ruinart.) We are assured by Idatius, that + Genseric evacuated Spain, cum Vandalis omnibus eorumque familiis; and + Possidius (in Vit. Augustin. c. 28, apud Ruinart, p. 427) describes his + army as manus ingens immanium gentium Vandalorum et Alanorum, commixtam + secum babens Gothorum gentem, aliarumque diversarum personas.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.16" id="linknote-33.16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.16">return</a>)<br /> [ For the manners of the + Moors, see Procopius, (de Bell. Vandal. l. ii. c. 6, p. 249;) for their + figure and complexion, M. de Buffon, (Histoire Naturelle, tom. iii. p. + 430.) Procopius says in general, that the Moors had joined the Vandals + before the death of Valentinian, (de Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 5, p. 190;) + and it is probable that the independent tribes did not embrace any uniform + system of policy.] + </p> + <p> + The persecution of the Donatists <a href="#linknote-33.17" + name="linknoteref-33.17" id="linknoteref-33.17">17</a> was an event not less + favorable to the designs of Genseric. Seventeen years before he landed in + Africa, a public conference was held at Carthage, by the order of the + magistrate. The Catholics were satisfied, that, after the invincible + reasons which they had alleged, the obstinacy of the schismatics must be + inexcusable and voluntary; and the emperor Honorius was persuaded to + inflict the most rigorous penalties on a faction which had so long abused + his patience and clemency. Three hundred bishops, <a href="#linknote-33.18" + name="linknoteref-33.18" id="linknoteref-33.18">18</a> with many thousands + of the inferior clergy, were torn from their churches, stripped of their + ecclesiastical possessions, banished to the islands, and proscribed by the + laws, if they presumed to conceal themselves in the provinces of Africa. + Their numerous congregations, both in cities and in the country, were + deprived of the rights of citizens, and of the exercise of religious + worship. A regular scale of fines, from ten to two hundred pounds of + silver, was curiously ascertained, according to the distinction of rank + and fortune, to punish the crime of assisting at a schismatic conventicle; + and if the fine had been levied five times, without subduing the obstinacy + of the offender, his future punishment was referred to the discretion of + the Imperial court. <a href="#linknote-33.19" name="linknoteref-33.19" + id="linknoteref-33.19">19</a> By these severities, which obtained the + warmest approbation of St. Augustin, <a href="#linknote-33.20" + name="linknoteref-33.20" id="linknoteref-33.20">20</a> great numbers of + Donatists were reconciled to the Catholic Church; but the fanatics, who + still persevered in their opposition, were provoked to madness and + despair; the distracted country was filled with tumult and bloodshed; the + armed troops of Circumcellions alternately pointed their rage against + themselves, or against their adversaries; and the calendar of martyrs + received on both sides a considerable augmentation. <a + href="#linknote-33.21" name="linknoteref-33.21" id="linknoteref-33.21">21</a> + Under these circumstances, Genseric, a Christian, but an enemy of the + orthodox communion, showed himself to the Donatists as a powerful + deliverer, from whom they might reasonably expect the repeal of the odious + and oppressive edicts of the Roman emperors. <a href="#linknote-33.22" + name="linknoteref-33.22" id="linknoteref-33.22">22</a> The conquest of + Africa was facilitated by the active zeal, or the secret favor, of a + domestic faction; the wanton outrages against the churches and the clergy + of which the Vandals are accused, may be fairly imputed to the fanaticism + of their allies; and the intolerant spirit which disgraced the triumph of + Christianity, contributed to the loss of the most important province of + the West. <a href="#linknote-33.23" name="linknoteref-33.23" + id="linknoteref-33.23">23</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.17" id="linknote-33.17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.17">return</a>)<br /> [ See Tillemont, Mémoires + Eccles. tom. xiii. p. 516-558; and the whole series of the persecution, in + the original monuments, published by Dupin at the end of Optatus, p. + 323-515.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.18" id="linknote-33.18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.18">return</a>)<br /> [ The Donatist Bishops, + at the conference of Carthage, amounted to 279; and they asserted that + their whole number was not less than 400. The Catholics had 286 present, + 120 absent, besides sixty four vacant bishoprics.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.19" id="linknote-33.19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.19">return</a>)<br /> [ The fifth title of the + sixteenth book of the Theodosian Code exhibits a series of the Imperial + laws against the Donatists, from the year 400 to the year 428. Of these + the 54th law, promulgated by Honorius, A.D. 414, is the most severe and + effectual.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.20" id="linknote-33.20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.20">return</a>)<br /> [ St. Augustin altered + his opinion with regard tosthe proper treatment of heretics. His pathetic + declaration of pity and indulgence for the Manichæans, has been inserted + by Mr. Locke (vol. iii. p. 469) among the choice specimens of his + common-place book. Another philosopher, the celebrated Bayle, (tom. ii. p. + 445-496,) has refuted, with superfluous diligence and ingenuity, the + arguments by which the bishop of Hippo justified, in his old age, the + persecution of the Donatists.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.21" id="linknote-33.21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.21">return</a>)<br /> [ See Tillemont, Mem. + Eccles. tom. xiii. p. 586-592, 806. The Donatists boasted of thousands of + these voluntary martyrs. Augustin asserts, and probably with truth, that + these numbers were much exaggerated; but he sternly maintains, that it was + better that some should burn themselves in this world, than that all + should burn in hell flames.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.22" id="linknote-33.22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.22">return</a>)<br /> [ According to St. + Augustin and Theodoret, the Donatists were inclined to the principles, or + at least to the party, of the Arians, which Genseric supported. Tillemont, + Mem. Eccles. tom. vi. p. 68.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.23" id="linknote-33.23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.23">return</a>)<br /> [ See Baronius, Annal. + Eccles. A.D. 428, No. 7, A.D. 439, No. 35. The cardinal, though more + inclined to seek the cause of great events in heaven than on the earth, + has observed the apparent connection of the Vandals and the Donatists. + Under the reign of the Barbarians, the schismatics of Africa enjoyed an + obscure peace of one hundred years; at the end of which we may again trace + them by the fight of the Imperial persecutions. See Tillemont, Mem. + Eccles. tom. vi. p. 192. &c.] + </p> + <p> + The court and the people were astonished by the strange intelligence, that + a virtuous hero, after so many favors, and so many services, had renounced + his allegiance, and invited the Barbarians to destroy the province + intrusted to his command. The friends of Boniface, who still believed that + his criminal behavior might be excused by some honorable motive, + solicited, during the absence of Ætius, a free conference with the Count + of Africa; and Darius, an officer of high distinction, was named for the + important embassy. <a href="#linknote-33.24" name="linknoteref-33.24" + id="linknoteref-33.24">24</a> In their first interview at Carthage, the + imaginary provocations were mutually explained; the opposite letters of + Ætius were produced and compared; and the fraud was easily detected. + Placidia and Boniface lamented their fatal error; and the count had + sufficient magnanimity to confide in the forgiveness of his sovereign, or + to expose his head to her future resentment. His repentance was fervent + and sincere; but he soon discovered that it was no longer in his power to + restore the edifice which he had shaken to its foundations. Carthage and + the Roman garrisons returned with their general to the allegiance of + Valentinian; but the rest of Africa was still distracted with war and + faction; and the inexorable king of the Vandals, disdaining all terms of + accommodation, sternly refused to relinquish the possession of his prey. + The band of veterans who marched under the standard of Boniface, and his + hasty levies of provincial troops, were defeated with considerable loss; + the victorious Barbarians insulted the open country; and Carthage, Cirta, + and Hippo Regius, were the only cities that appeared to rise above the + general inundation. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.24" id="linknote-33.24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.24">return</a>)<br /> [ In a confidential + letter to Count Boniface, St. Augustin, without examining the grounds of + the quarrel, piously exhorts him to discharge the duties of a Christian + and a subject: to extricate himself without delay from his dangerous and + guilty situation; and even, if he could obtain the consent of his wife, to + embrace a life of celibacy and penance, (Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. + xiii. p. 890.) The bishop was intimately connected with Darius, the + minister of peace, (Id. tom. xiii. p. 928.)] + </p> + <p> + The long and narrow tract of the African coast was filled with frequent + monuments of Roman art and magnificence; and the respective degrees of + improvement might be accurately measured by the distance from Carthage and + the Mediterranean. A simple reflection will impress every thinking mind + with the clearest idea of fertility and cultivation: the country was + extremely populous; the inhabitants reserved a liberal subsistence for + their own use; and the annual exportation, particularly of wheat, was so + regular and plentiful, that Africa deserved the name of the common granary + of Rome and of mankind. On a sudden the seven fruitful provinces, from + Tangier to Tripoli, were overwhelmed by the invasion of the Vandals; whose + destructive rage has perhaps been exaggerated by popular animosity, + religious zeal, and extravagant declamation. War, in its fairest form, + implies a perpetual violation of humanity and justice; and the hostilities + of Barbarians are inflamed by the fierce and lawless spirit which + incessantly disturbs their peaceful and domestic society. The Vandals, + where they found resistance, seldom gave quarter; and the deaths of their + valiant countrymen were expiated by the ruin of the cities under whose + walls they had fallen. Careless of the distinctions of age, or sex, or + rank, they employed every species of indignity and torture, to force from + the captives a discovery of their hidden wealth. The stern policy of + Genseric justified his frequent examples of military execution: he was not + always the master of his own passions, or of those of his followers; and + the calamities of war were aggravated by the licentiousness of the Moors, + and the fanaticism of the Donatists. Yet I shall not easily be persuaded, + that it was the common practice of the Vandals to extirpate the olives, + and other fruit trees, of a country where they intended to settle: nor can + I believe that it was a usual stratagem to slaughter great numbers of + their prisoners before the walls of a besieged city, for the sole purpose + of infecting the air, and producing a pestilence, of which they themselves + must have been the first victims. <a href="#linknote-33.25" + name="linknoteref-33.25" id="linknoteref-33.25">25</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.25" id="linknote-33.25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.25">return</a>)<br /> [ The original complaints + of the desolation of Africa are contained 1. In a letter from Capreolus, + bishop of Carthage, to excuse his absence from the council of Ephesus, + (ap. Ruinart, p. 427.) 2. In the life of St. Augustin, by his friend and + colleague Possidius, (ap. Ruinart, p. 427.) 3. In the history of the + Vandalic persecution, by Victor Vitensis, (l. i. c. 1, 2, 3, edit. + Ruinart.) The last picture, which was drawn sixty years after the event, + is more expressive of the author’s passions than of the truth of facts.] + </p> + <p> + The generous mind of Count Boniface was tortured by the exquisite distress + of beholding the ruin which he had occasioned, and whose rapid progress he + was unable to check. After the loss of a battle he retired into Hippo + Regius; where he was immediately besieged by an enemy, who considered him + as the real bulwark of Africa. The maritime colony of Hippo, <a + href="#linknote-33.26" name="linknoteref-33.26" id="linknoteref-33.26">26</a> + about two hundred miles westward of Carthage, had formerly acquired the + distinguishing epithet of Regius, from the residence of Numidian kings; + and some remains of trade and populousness still adhere to the modern + city, which is known in Europe by the corrupted name of Bona. The military + labors, and anxious reflections, of Count Boniface, were alleviated by the + edifying conversation of his friend St. Augustin; <a href="#linknote-33.27" + name="linknoteref-33.27" id="linknoteref-33.27">27</a> till that bishop, the + light and pillar of the Catholic church, was gently released, in the third + month of the siege, and in the seventy-sixth year of his age, from the + actual and the impending calamities of his country. The youth of Augustin + had been stained by the vices and errors which he so ingenuously + confesses; but from the moment of his conversion to that of his death, the + manners of the bishop of Hippo were pure and austere: and the most + conspicuous of his virtues was an ardent zeal against heretics of every + denomination; the Manichæans, the Donatists, and the Pelagians, against + whom he waged a perpetual controversy. When the city, some months after + his death, was burnt by the Vandals, the library was fortunately saved, + which contained his voluminous writings; two hundred and thirty-two + separate books or treatises on theological subjects, besides a complete + exposition of the psalter and the gospel, and a copious magazine of + epistles and homilies. <a href="#linknote-33.28" name="linknoteref-33.28" + id="linknoteref-33.28">28</a> According to the judgment of the most + impartial critics, the superficial learning of Augustin was confined to + the Latin language; <a href="#linknote-33.29" name="linknoteref-33.29" + id="linknoteref-33.29">29</a> and his style, though sometimes animated by + the eloquence of passion, is usually clouded by false and affected + rhetoric. But he possessed a strong, capacious, argumentative mind; he + boldly sounded the dark abyss of grace, predestination, free will, and + original sin; and the rigid system of Christianity which he framed or + restored, <a href="#linknote-33.30" name="linknoteref-33.30" + id="linknoteref-33.30">30</a> has been entertained, with public applause, + and secret reluctance, by the Latin church. <a href="#linknote-33.31" + name="linknoteref-33.31" id="linknoteref-33.31">31</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.26" id="linknote-33.26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.26">return</a>)<br /> [ See Cellarius, + Geograph. Antiq. tom. ii. part ii. p. 112. Leo African. in Ramusio, tom. + i. fol. 70. L’Afrique de Marmol, tom. ii. p. 434, 437. Shaw’s Travels, p. + 46, 47. The old Hippo Regius was finally destroyed by the Arabs in the + seventh century; but a new town, at the distance of two miles, was built + with the materials; and it contained, in the sixteenth century, about + three hundred families of industrious, but turbulent manufacturers. The + adjacent territory is renowned for a pure air, a fertile soil, and plenty + of exquisite fruits.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.27" id="linknote-33.27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.27">return</a>)<br /> [ The life of St. + Augustin, by Tillemont, fills a quarto volume (Mem. Eccles. tom. xiii.) of + more than one thousand pages; and the diligence of that learned Jansenist + was excited, on this occasion, by factious and devout zeal for the founder + of his sect.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.28" id="linknote-33.28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.28">return</a>)<br /> [ Such, at least, is the + account of Victor Vitensis, (de Persecut. Vandal. l. i. c. 3;) though + Gennadius seems to doubt whether any person had read, or even collected, + all the works of St. Augustin, (see Hieronym. Opera, tom. i. p. 319, in + Catalog. Scriptor. Eccles.) They have been repeatedly printed; and Dupin + (Bibliothèque Eccles. tom. iii. p. 158-257) has given a large and + satisfactory abstract of them as they stand in the last edition of the + Benedictines. My personal acquaintance with the bishop of Hippo does not + extend beyond the Confessions, and the City of God.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.29" id="linknote-33.29"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 29 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.29">return</a>)<br /> [ In his early youth + (Confess. i. 14) St. Augustin disliked and neglected the study of Greek; + and he frankly owns that he read the Platonists in a Latin version, + (Confes. vii. 9.) Some modern critics have thought, that his ignorance of + Greek disqualified him from expounding the Scriptures; and Cicero or + Quintilian would have required the knowledge of that language in a + professor of rhetoric.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.30" id="linknote-33.30"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 30 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.30">return</a>)<br /> [ These questions were + seldom agitated, from the time of St. Paul to that of St. Augustin. I am + informed that the Greek fathers maintain the natural sentiments of the + Semi-Pelagians; and that the orthodoxy of St. Augustin was derived from + the Manichaean school.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.31" id="linknote-33.31"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 31 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.31">return</a>)<br /> [ The church of Rome has + canonized Augustin, and reprobated Calvin. Yet as the real difference + between them is invisible even to a theological microscope, the Molinists + are oppressed by the authority of the saint, and the Jansenists are + disgraced by their resemblance to the heretic. In the mean while, the + Protestant Arminians stand aloof, and deride the mutual perplexity of the + disputants, (see a curious Review of the Controversy, by Le Clerc, + Bibliothèque Universelle, tom. xiv. p. 144-398.) Perhaps a reasoner still + more independent may smile in his turn, when he peruses an Arminian + Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap33.2"></a> +Chapter XXXIII: Conquest Of Africa By The Vandals.—Part II. +</h2> + <p> + By the skill of Boniface, and perhaps by the ignorance of the Vandals, the + siege of Hippo was protracted above fourteen months: the sea was + continually open; and when the adjacent country had been exhausted by + irregular rapine, the besiegers themselves were compelled by famine to + relinquish their enterprise. The importance and danger of Africa were + deeply felt by the regent of the West. Placidia implored the assistance of + her eastern ally; and the Italian fleet and army were reenforced by Asper, + who sailed from Constantinople with a powerful armament. As soon as the + force of the two empires was united under the command of Boniface, he + boldly marched against the Vandals; and the loss of a second battle + irretrievably decided the fate of Africa. He embarked with the + precipitation of despair; and the people of Hippo were permitted, with + their families and effects, to occupy the vacant place of the soldiers, + the greatest part of whom were either slain or made prisoners by the + Vandals. The count, whose fatal credulity had wounded the vitals of the + republic, might enter the palace of Ravenna with some anxiety, which was + soon removed by the smiles of Placidia. Boniface accepted with gratitude + the rank of patrician, and the dignity of master-general of the Roman + armies; but he must have blushed at the sight of those medals, in which he + was represented with the name and attributes of victory. <a + href="#linknote-33.32" name="linknoteref-33.32" id="linknoteref-33.32">32</a> + The discovery of his fraud, the displeasure of the empress, and the + distinguished favor of his rival, exasperated the haughty and perfidious + soul of Ætius. He hastily returned from Gaul to Italy, with a retinue, or + rather with an army, of Barbarian followers; and such was the weakness of + the government, that the two generals decided their private quarrel in a + bloody battle. Boniface was successful; but he received in the conflict a + mortal wound from the spear of his adversary, of which he expired within a + few days, in such Christian and charitable sentiments, that he exhorted + his wife, a rich heiress of Spain, to accept Ætius for her second + husband. But Ætius could not derive any immediate advantage from the + generosity of his dying enemy: he was proclaimed a rebel by the justice of + Placidia; and though he attempted to defend some strong fortresses, + erected on his patrimonial estate, the Imperial power soon compelled him + to retire into Pannonia, to the tents of his faithful Huns. The republic + was deprived, by their mutual discord, of the service of her two most + illustrious champions. <a href="#linknote-33.33" name="linknoteref-33.33" + id="linknoteref-33.33">33</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.32" id="linknote-33.32"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 32 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.32">return</a>)<br /> [ Ducange, Fam. Byzant. + p. 67. On one side, the head of Valentinian; on the reverse, Boniface, + with a scourge in one hand, and a palm in the other, standing in a + triumphal car, which is drawn by four horses, or, in another medal, by + four stags; an unlucky emblem! I should doubt whether another example can + be found of the head of a subject on the reverse of an Imperial medal. See + Science des Medailles, by the Pere Jobert, tom. i. p. 132-150, edit. of + 1739, by the haron de la Bastie. * Note: Lord Mahon, Life of Belisarius, + p. 133, mentions one of Belisarius on the authority of Cedrenus—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.33" id="linknote-33.33"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 33 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.33">return</a>)<br /> [ Procopius (de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. c. 3, p. 185) continues the history of Boniface no further + than his return to Italy. His death is mentioned by Prosper and + Marcellinus; the expression of the latter, that Ætius, the day before, + had provided himself with a longer spear, implies something like a regular + duel.] + </p> + <p> + It might naturally be expected, after the retreat of Boniface, that the + Vandals would achieve, without resistance or delay, the conquest of + Africa. Eight years, however, elapsed, from the evacuation of Hippo to the + reduction of Carthage. In the midst of that interval, the ambitious + Genseric, in the full tide of apparent prosperity, negotiated a treaty of + peace, by which he gave his son Hunneric for a hostage; and consented to + leave the Western emperor in the undisturbed possession of the three + Mauritanias. <a href="#linknote-33.34" name="linknoteref-33.34" + id="linknoteref-33.34">34</a> This moderation, which cannot be imputed to + the justice, must be ascribed to the policy, of the conqueror. + </p> + <p> + His throne was encompassed with domestic enemies, who accused the baseness + of his birth, and asserted the legitimate claims of his nephews, the sons + of Gonderic. Those nephews, indeed, he sacrificed to his safety; and their + mother, the widow of the deceased king, was precipitated, by his order, + into the river Ampsaga. But the public discontent burst forth in dangerous + and frequent conspiracies; and the warlike tyrant is supposed to have shed + more Vandal blood by the hand of the executioner, than in the field of + battle. <a href="#linknote-33.35" name="linknoteref-33.35" + id="linknoteref-33.35">35</a> The convulsions of Africa, which had favored + his attack, opposed the firm establishment of his power; and the various + seditions of the Moors and Germans, the Donatists and Catholics, + continually disturbed, or threatened, the unsettled reign of the + conqueror. As he advanced towards Carthage, he was forced to withdraw his + troops from the Western provinces; the sea-coast was exposed to the naval + enterprises of the Romans of Spain and Italy; and, in the heart of + Numidia, the strong inland city of Corta still persisted in obstinate + independence. <a href="#linknote-33.36" name="linknoteref-33.36" + id="linknoteref-33.36">36</a> These difficulties were gradually subdued by + the spirit, the perseverance, and the cruelty of Genseric; who alternately + applied the arts of peace and war to the establishment of his African + kingdom. He subscribed a solemn treaty, with the hope of deriving some + advantage from the term of its continuance, and the moment of its + violation. The vigilance of his enemies was relaxed by the protestations + of friendship, which concealed his hostile approach; and Carthage was at + length surprised by the Vandals, five hundred and eighty-five years after + the destruction of the city and republic by the younger Scipio. <a + href="#linknote-33.37" name="linknoteref-33.37" id="linknoteref-33.37">37</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.34" id="linknote-33.34"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 34 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.34">return</a>)<br /> [ See Procopius, de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. c. 4, p. 186. Valentinian published several humane laws, to + relieve the distress of his Numidian and Mauritanian subjects; he + discharged them, in a great measure, from the payment of their debts, + reduced their tribute to one eighth, and gave them a right of appeal from + their provincial magistrates to the praefect of Rome. Cod. Theod. tom. vi. + Novell. p. 11, 12.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.35" id="linknote-33.35"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 35 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.35">return</a>)<br /> [ Victor Vitensis, de + Persecut. Vandal. l. ii. c. 5, p. 26. The cruelties of Genseric towards + his subjects are strongly expressed in Prosper’s Chronicle, A.D. 442.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.36" id="linknote-33.36"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 36 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.36">return</a>)<br /> [ Possidius, in Vit. + Augustin. c. 28, apud Ruinart, p. 428.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.37" id="linknote-33.37"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 37 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.37">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Chronicles of + Idatius, Isidore, Prosper, and Marcellinus. They mark the same year, but + different days, for the surprisal of Carthage.] + </p> + <p> + A new city had arisen from its ruins, with the title of a colony; and + though Carthage might yield to the royal prerogatives of Constantinople, + and perhaps to the trade of Alexandria, or the splendor of Antioch, she + still maintained the second rank in the West; as the Rome (if we may use + the style of contemporaries) of the African world. That wealthy and + opulent metropolis <a href="#linknote-33.38" name="linknoteref-33.38" + id="linknoteref-33.38">38</a> displayed, in a dependent condition, the + image of a flourishing republic. Carthage contained the manufactures, the + arms, and the treasures of the six provinces. A regular subordination of + civil honors gradually ascended from the procurators of the streets and + quarters of the city, to the tribunal of the supreme magistrate, who, with + the title of proconsul, represented the state and dignity of a consul of + ancient Rome. Schools and gymnasia were instituted for the education of + the African youth; and the liberal arts and manners, grammar, rhetoric, + and philosophy, were publicly taught in the Greek and Latin languages. The + buildings of Carthage were uniform and magnificent; a shady grove was + planted in the midst of the capital; the new port, a secure and capacious + harbor, was subservient to the commercial industry of citizens and + strangers; and the splendid games of the circus and theatre were exhibited + almost in the presence of the Barbarians. The reputation of the + Carthaginians was not equal to that of their country, and the reproach of + Punic faith still adhered to their subtle and faithless character. <a + href="#linknote-33.39" name="linknoteref-33.39" id="linknoteref-33.39">39</a> + The habits of trade, and the abuse of luxury, had corrupted their manners; + but their impious contempt of monks, and the shameless practice of + unnatural lusts, are the two abominations which excite the pious vehemence + of Salvian, the preacher of the age. <a href="#linknote-33.40" + name="linknoteref-33.40" id="linknoteref-33.40">40</a> The king of the + Vandals severely reformed the vices of a voluptuous people; and the + ancient, noble, ingenuous freedom of Carthage (these expressions of Victor + are not without energy) was reduced by Genseric into a state of + ignominious servitude. After he had permitted his licentious troops to + satiate their rage and avarice, he instituted a more regular system of + rapine and oppression. An edict was promulgated, which enjoined all + persons, without fraud or delay, to deliver their gold, silver, jewels, + and valuable furniture or apparel, to the royal officers; and the attempt + to secrete any part of their patrimony was inexorably punished with death + and torture, as an act of treason against the state. The lands of the + proconsular province, which formed the immediate district of Carthage, + were accurately measured, and divided among the Barbarians; and the + conqueror reserved for his peculiar domain the fertile territory of + Byzacium, and the adjacent parts of Numidia and Getulia. <a + href="#linknote-33.41" name="linknoteref-33.41" id="linknoteref-33.41">41</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.38" id="linknote-33.38"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 38 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.38">return</a>)<br /> [ The picture of + Carthage; as it flourished in the fourth and fifth centuries, is taken + from the Expositio totius Mundi, p. 17, 18, in the third volume of + Hudson’s Minor Geographers, from Ausonius de Claris Urbibus, p. 228, 229; + and principally from Salvian, de Gubernatione Dei, l. vii. p. 257, 258.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.39" id="linknote-33.39"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 39 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.39">return</a>)<br /> [ The anonymous author of + the Expositio totius Mundi compares in his barbarous Latin, the country + and the inhabitants; and, after stigmatizing their want of faith, he + coolly concludes, Difficile autem inter eos invenitur bonus, tamen in + multis pauci boni esse possunt P. 18.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.40" id="linknote-33.40"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 40 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.40">return</a>)<br /> [ He declares, that the + peculiar vices of each country were collected in the sink of Carthage, (l. + vii. p. 257.) In the indulgence of vice, the Africans applauded their + manly virtue. Et illi se magis virilis fortitudinis esse crederent, qui + maxime vires foeminei usus probositate fregissent, (p. 268.) The streets + of Carthage were polluted by effeminate wretches, who publicly assumed the + countenance, the dress, and the character of women, (p. 264.) If a monk + appeared in the city, the holy man was pursued with impious scorn and + ridicule; de testantibus ridentium cachinnis, (p. 289.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.41" id="linknote-33.41"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 41 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.41">return</a>)<br /> [ Compare Procopius de + Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 5, p. 189, 190, and Victor Vitensis, de Persecut + Vandal. l. i. c. 4.] + </p> + <p> + It was natural enough that Genseric should hate those whom he had injured: + the nobility and senators of Carthage were exposed to his jealousy and + resentment; and all those who refused the ignominious terms, which their + honor and religion forbade them to accept, were compelled by the Arian + tyrant to embrace the condition of perpetual banishment. Rome, Italy, and + the provinces of the East, were filled with a crowd of exiles, of + fugitives, and of ingenuous captives, who solicited the public compassion; + and the benevolent epistles of Theodoret still preserve the names and + misfortunes of Cælestian and Maria. <a href="#linknote-33.42" + name="linknoteref-33.42" id="linknoteref-33.42">42</a> The Syrian bishop + deplores the misfortunes of Cælestian, who, from the state of a noble and + opulent senator of Carthage, was reduced, with his wife and family, and + servants, to beg his bread in a foreign country; but he applauds the + resignation of the Christian exile, and the philosophic temper, which, + under the pressure of such calamities, could enjoy more real happiness + than was the ordinary lot of wealth and prosperity. The story of Maria, + the daughter of the magnificent Eudaemon, is singular and interesting. In + the sack of Carthage, she was purchased from the Vandals by some merchants + of Syria, who afterwards sold her as a slave in their native country. A + female attendant, transported in the same ship, and sold in the same + family, still continued to respect a mistress whom fortune had reduced to + the common level of servitude; and the daughter of Eudaemon received from + her grateful affection the domestic services which she had once required + from her obedience. This remarkable behavior divulged the real condition + of Maria, who, in the absence of the bishop of Cyrrhus, was redeemed from + slavery by the generosity of some soldiers of the garrison. The liberality + of Theodoret provided for her decent maintenance; and she passed ten + months among the deaconesses of the church; till she was unexpectedly + informed, that her father, who had escaped from the ruin of Carthage, + exercised an honorable office in one of the Western provinces. Her filial + impatience was seconded by the pious bishop: Theodoret, in a letter still + extant, recommends Maria to the bishop of Aegae, a maritime city of + Cilicia, which was frequented, during the annual fair, by the vessels of + the West; most earnestly requesting, that his colleague would use the + maiden with a tenderness suitable to her birth; and that he would intrust + her to the care of such faithful merchants, as would esteem it a + sufficient gain, if they restored a daughter, lost beyond all human hope, + to the arms of her afflicted parent. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.42" id="linknote-33.42"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 42 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.42">return</a>)<br /> [ Ruinart (p. 441-457) + has collected from Theodoret, and other authors, the misfortunes, real and + fabulous, of the inhabitants of Carthage.] + </p> + <p> + Among the insipid legends of ecclesiastical history, I am tempted to + distinguish the memorable fable of the Seven Sleepers; <a + href="#linknote-33.43" name="linknoteref-33.43" id="linknoteref-33.43">43</a> + whose imaginary date corresponds with the reign of the younger Theodosius, + and the conquest of Africa by the Vandals. <a href="#linknote-33.44" + name="linknoteref-33.44" id="linknoteref-33.44">44</a> When the emperor + Decius persecuted the Christians, seven noble youths of Ephesus concealed + themselves in a spacious cavern in the side of an adjacent mountain; where + they were doomed to perish by the tyrant, who gave orders that the + entrance should be firmly secured by the a pile of huge stones. They + immediately fell into a deep slumber, which was miraculously prolonged + without injuring the powers of life, during a period of one hundred and + eighty-seven years. At the end of that time, the slaves of Adolius, to + whom the inheritance of the mountain had descended, removed the stones to + supply materials for some rustic edifice: the light of the sun darted into + the cavern, and the Seven Sleepers were permitted to awake. After a + slumber, as they thought of a few hours, they were pressed by the calls of + hunger; and resolved that Jamblichus, one of their number, should secretly + return to the city to purchase bread for the use of his companions. The + youth (if we may still employ that appellation) could no longer recognize + the once familiar aspect of his native country; and his surprise was + increased by the appearance of a large cross, triumphantly erected over + the principal gate of Ephesus. His singular dress, and obsolete language, + confounded the baker, to whom he offered an ancient medal of Decius as the + current coin of the empire; and Jamblichus, on the suspicion of a secret + treasure, was dragged before the judge. Their mutual inquiries produced + the amazing discovery, that two centuries were almost elapsed since + Jamblichus and his friends had escaped from the rage of a Pagan tyrant. + The bishop of Ephesus, the clergy, the magistrates, the people, and, as it + is said, the emperor Theodosius himself, hastened to visit the cavern of + the Seven Sleepers; who bestowed their benediction, related their story, + and at the same instant peaceably expired. The origin of this marvellous + fable cannot be ascribed to the pious fraud and credulity of the modern + Greeks, since the authentic tradition may be traced within half a century + of the supposed miracle. James of Sarug, a Syrian bishop, who was born + only two years after the death of the younger Theodosius, has devoted one + of his two hundred and thirty homilies to the praise of the young men of + Ephesus. <a href="#linknote-33.45" name="linknoteref-33.45" + id="linknoteref-33.45">45</a> Their legend, before the end of the sixth + century, was translated from the Syriac into the Latin language, by the + care of Gregory of Tours. The hostile communions of the East preserve + their memory with equal reverence; and their names are honorably inscribed + in the Roman, the Abyssinian, and the Russian calendar. <a + href="#linknote-33.46" name="linknoteref-33.46" id="linknoteref-33.46">46</a> + Nor has their reputation been confined to the Christian world. This + popular tale, which Mahomet might learn when he drove his camels to the + fairs of Syria, is introduced as a divine revelation, into the Koran. <a + href="#linknote-33.47" name="linknoteref-33.47" id="linknoteref-33.47">47</a> + The story of the Seven Sleepers has been adopted and adorned by the + nations, from Bengal to Africa, who profess the Mahometan religion; <a + href="#linknote-33.48" name="linknoteref-33.48" id="linknoteref-33.48">48</a> + and some vestiges of a similar tradition have been discovered in the + remote extremities of Scandinavia. <a href="#linknote-33.49" + name="linknoteref-33.49" id="linknoteref-33.49">49</a> This easy and + universal belief, so expressive of the sense of mankind, may be ascribed + to the genuine merit of the fable itself. We imperceptibly advance from + youth to age, without observing the gradual, but incessant, change of + human affairs; and even in our larger experience of history, the + imagination is accustomed, by a perpetual series of causes and effects, to + unite the most distant revolutions. But if the interval between two + memorable eras could be instantly annihilated; if it were possible, after + a momentary slumber of two hundred years, to display the new world to the + eyes of a spectator, who still retained a lively and recent impression of + the old, his surprise and his reflections would furnish the pleasing + subject of a philosophical romance. The scene could not be more + advantageously placed, than in the two centuries which elapsed between the + reigns of Decius and of Theodosius the Younger. During this period, the + seat of government had been transported from Rome to a new city on the + banks of the Thracian Bosphorus; and the abuse of military spirit had been + suppressed by an artificial system of tame and ceremonious servitude. The + throne of the persecuting Decius was filled by a succession of Christian + and orthodox princes, who had extirpated the fabulous gods of antiquity: + and the public devotion of the age was impatient to exalt the saints and + martyrs of the Catholic church, on the altars of Diana and Hercules. The + union of the Roman empire was dissolved; its genius was humbled in the + dust; and armies of unknown Barbarians, issuing from the frozen regions of + the North, had established their victorious reign over the fairest + provinces of Europe and Africa. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.43" id="linknote-33.43"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 43 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.43">return</a>)<br /> [ The choice of fabulous + circumstances is of small importance; yet I have confined myself to the + narrative which was translated from the Syriac by the care of Gregory of + Tours, (de Gloria Martyrum, l. i. c. 95, in Max. Bibliotheca Patrum, tom. + xi. p. 856,) to the Greek acts of their martyrdom (apud Photium, p. 1400, + 1401) and to the Annals of the Patriarch Eutychius, (tom. i. p. 391, 531, + 532, 535, Vers. Pocock.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.44" id="linknote-33.44"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 44 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.44">return</a>)<br /> [ Two Syriac writers, as + they are quoted by Assemanni, (Bibliot. Oriental. tom. i. p. 336, 338,) + place the resurrection of the Seven Sleepers in the year 736 (A.D. 425) or + 748, (A.D. 437,) of the era of the Seleucides. Their Greek acts, which + Photius had read, assign the date of the thirty-eighth year of the reign + of Theodosius, which may coincide either with A.D. 439, or 446. The period + which had elapsed since the persecution of Decius is easily ascertained; + and nothing less than the ignorance of Mahomet, or the legendaries, could + suppose an internal of three or four hundred years.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.45" id="linknote-33.45"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 45 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.45">return</a>)<br /> [ James, one of the + orthodox fathers of the Syrian church, was born A.D. 452; he began to + compose his sermons A.D. 474; he was made bishop of Batnae, in the + district of Sarug, and province of Mesopotamia, A.D. 519, and died A.D. + 521. (Assemanni, tom. i. p. 288, 289.) For the homily de Pueris Ephesinis, + see p. 335-339: though I could wish that Assemanni had translated the text + of James of Sarug, instead of answering the objections of Baronius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.46" id="linknote-33.46"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 46 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.46">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Acta Sanctorum + of the Bollandists, Mensis Julii, tom. vi. p. 375-397. This immense + calendar of Saints, in one hundred and twenty-six years, (1644-1770,) and + in fifty volumes in folio, has advanced no further than the 7th day of + October. The suppression of the Jesuits has most probably checked an + undertaking, which, through the medium of fable and superstition, + communicates much historical and philosophical instruction.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.47" id="linknote-33.47"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 47 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.47">return</a>)<br /> [ See Maracci Alcoran. + Sura xviii. tom. ii. p. 420-427, and tom. i. part iv. p. 103. With such an + ample privilege, Mahomet has not shown much taste or ingenuity. He has + invented the dog (Al Rakim) the Seven Sleepers; the respect of the sun, + who altered his course twice a day, that he might not shine into the + cavern; and the care of God himself, who preserved their bodies from + putrefaction, by turning them to the right and left.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.48" id="linknote-33.48"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 48 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.48">return</a>)<br /> [ See D’Herbelot, + Bibliothèque Orientale, p. 139; and Renaudot, Hist. Patriarch. Alexandrin. + p. 39, 40.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-33.49" id="linknote-33.49"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 49 (<a href="#linknoteref-33.49">return</a>)<br /> [ Paul, the deacon of + Aquileia, (de Gestis Langobardorum, l. i. c. 4, p. 745, 746, edit. Grot.,) + who lived towards the end of the eight century, has placed in a cavern, + under a rock, on the shore of the ocean, the Seven Sleepers of the North, + whose long repose was respected by the Barbarians. Their dress declared + them to be Romans and the deacon conjectures, that they were reserved by + Providence as the future apostles of those unbelieving countries.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap34.1"></a> +Chapter XXXIV: Attila.—Part I. +</h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + The Character, Conquests, And Court Of Attila, King Of The + Huns.—Death Of Theodosius The Younger.—Elevation Of + Marcian To The Empire Of The East. +</pre> + <p> + The Western world was oppressed by the Goths and Vandals, who fled before + the Huns; but the achievements of the Huns themselves were not adequate to + their power and prosperity. Their victorious hordes had spread from the + Volga to the Danube; but the public force was exhausted by the discord of + independent chieftains; their valor was idly consumed in obscure and + predatory excursions; and they often degraded their national dignity, by + condescending, for the hopes of spoil, to enlist under the banners of + their fugitive enemies. In the reign of Attila, <a href="#linknote-34.1" + name="linknoteref-34.1" id="linknoteref-34.1">1</a> the Huns again became + the terror of the world; and I shall now describe the character and + actions of that formidable Barbarian; who alternately insulted and invaded + the East and the West, and urged the rapid downfall of the Roman empire. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.1" id="linknote-34.1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.1">return</a>)<br /> [ The authentic materials + for the history of Attila, may be found in Jornandes (de Rebus Geticis, c. + 34-50, p. 668-688, edit. Grot.) and Priscus (Excerpta de Legationibus, p. + 33-76, Paris, 1648.) I have not seen the Lives of Attila, composed by + Juvencus Caelius Calanus Dalmatinus, in the twelfth century, or by + Nicholas Olahus, archbishop of Gran, in the sixteenth. See Mascou’s + History of the Germans, ix., and Maffei Osservazioni Litterarie, tom. i. + p. 88, 89. Whatever the modern Hungarians have added must be fabulous; and + they do not seem to have excelled in the art of fiction. They suppose, + that when Attila invaded Gaul and Italy, married innumerable wives, &c., + he was one hundred and twenty years of age. Thewrocz Chron. c. i. p. 22, + in Script. Hunger. tom. i. p. 76.] + </p> + <p> + In the tide of emigration which impetuously rolled from the confines of + China to those of Germany, the most powerful and populous tribes may + commonly be found on the verge of the Roman provinces. The accumulated + weight was sustained for a while by artificial barriers; and the easy + condescension of the emperors invited, without satisfying, the insolent + demands of the Barbarians, who had acquired an eager appetite for the + luxuries of civilized life. The Hungarians, who ambitiously insert the + name of Attila among their native kings, may affirm with truth that the + hordes, which were subject to his uncle Roas, or Rugilas, had formed their + encampments within the limits of modern Hungary, <a href="#linknote-34.2" + name="linknoteref-34.2" id="linknoteref-34.2">2</a> in a fertile country, + which liberally supplied the wants of a nation of hunters and shepherds. + In this advantageous situation, Rugilas, and his valiant brothers, who + continually added to their power and reputation, commanded the alternative + of peace or war with the two empires. His alliance with the Romans of the + West was cemented by his personal friendship for the great Ætius; who was + always secure of finding, in the Barbarian camp, a hospitable reception + and a powerful support. At his solicitation, and in the name of John the + usurper, sixty thousand Huns advanced to the confines of Italy; their + march and their retreat were alike expensive to the state; and the + grateful policy of Ætius abandoned the possession of Pannonia to his + faithful confederates. The Romans of the East were not less apprehensive + of the arms of Rugilas, which threatened the provinces, or even the + capital. Some ecclesiastical historians have destroyed the Barbarians with + lightning and pestilence; <a href="#linknote-34.3" name="linknoteref-34.3" + id="linknoteref-34.3">3</a> but Theodosius was reduced to the more humble + expedient of stipulating an annual payment of three hundred and fifty + pounds of gold, and of disguising this dishonorable tribute by the title + of general, which the king of the Huns condescended to accept. The public + tranquillity was frequently interrupted by the fierce impatience of the + Barbarians, and the perfidious intrigues of the Byzantine court. Four + dependent nations, among whom we may distinguish the Barbarians, + disclaimed the sovereignty of the Huns; and their revolt was encouraged + and protected by a Roman alliance; till the just claims, and formidable + power, of Rugilas, were effectually urged by the voice of Eslaw his + ambassador. Peace was the unanimous wish of the senate: their decree was + ratified by the emperor; and two ambassadors were named, Plinthas, a + general of Scythian extraction, but of consular rank; and the quaestor + Epigenes, a wise and experienced statesman, who was recommended to that + office by his ambitious colleague. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.2" id="linknote-34.2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.2">return</a>)<br /> [ Hungary has been + successively occupied by three Scythian colonies. 1. The Huns of Attila; + 2. The Abares, in the sixth century; and, 3. The Turks or Magiars, A.D. + 889; the immediate and genuine ancestors of the modern Hungarians, whose + connection with the two former is extremely faint and remote. The + Prodromus and Notitia of Matthew Belius appear to contain a rich fund of + information concerning ancient and modern Hungary. I have seen the + extracts in Bibliothèque Ancienne et Moderne, tom. xxii. p. 1-51, and + Bibliothèque Raisonnée, tom. xvi. p. 127-175. * Note: Mailath (in his + Geschichte der Magyaren) considers the question of the origin of the + Magyars as still undecided. The old Hungarian chronicles unanimously + derived them from the Huns of Attila See note, vol. iv. pp. 341, 342. The + later opinion, adopted by Schlozer, Belnay, and Dankowsky, ascribes them, + from their language, to the Finnish race. Fessler, in his history of + Hungary, agrees with Gibbon in supposing them Turks. Mailath has inserted + an ingenious dissertation of Fejer, which attempts to connect them with + the Parthians. Vol. i. Ammerkungen p. 50—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.3" id="linknote-34.3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.3">return</a>)<br /> [ Socrates, l. vii. c. 43. + Theodoret, l. v. c. 36. Tillemont, who always depends on the faith of his + ecclesiastical authors, strenuously contends (Hist. des Emp. tom. vi. p. + 136, 607) that the wars and personages were not the same.] + </p> + <p> + The death of Rugilas suspended the progress of the treaty. His two + nephews, Attila and Bleda, who succeeded to the throne of their uncle, + consented to a personal interview with the ambassadors of Constantinople; + but as they proudly refused to dismount, the business was transacted on + horseback, in a spacious plain near the city of Margus, in the Upper + Maesia. The kings of the Huns assumed the solid benefits, as well as the + vain honors, of the negotiation. They dictated the conditions of peace, + and each condition was an insult on the majesty of the empire. Besides the + freedom of a safe and plentiful market on the banks of the Danube, they + required that the annual contribution should be augmented from three + hundred and fifty to seven hundred pounds of gold; that a fine or ransom + of eight pieces of gold should be paid for every Roman captive who had + escaped from his Barbarian master; that the emperor should renounce all + treaties and engagements with the enemies of the Huns; and that all the + fugitives who had taken refuge in the court or provinces of Theodosius, + should be delivered to the justice of their offended sovereign. This + justice was rigorously inflicted on some unfortunate youths of a royal + race. They were crucified on the territories of the empire, by the command + of Attila: and as soon as the king of the Huns had impressed the Romans + with the terror of his name, he indulged them in a short and arbitrary + respite, whilst he subdued the rebellious or independent nations of + Scythia and Germany. <a href="#linknote-34.4" name="linknoteref-34.4" + id="linknoteref-34.4">4</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.4" id="linknote-34.4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.4">return</a>)<br /> [ See Priscus, p. 47, 48, + and Hist. de Peuples de l’Europe, tom. v. i. c. xii, xiii, xiv, xv.] + </p> + <p> + Attila, the son of Mundzuk, deduced his noble, perhaps his regal, descent + <a href="#linknote-34.5" name="linknoteref-34.5" id="linknoteref-34.5">5</a> + from the ancient Huns, who had formerly contended with the monarchs of + China. His features, according to the observation of a Gothic historian, + bore the stamp of his national origin; and the portrait of Attila exhibits + the genuine deformity of a modern Calmuk; <a href="#linknote-34.6" + name="linknoteref-34.6" id="linknoteref-34.6">6</a> a large head, a swarthy + complexion, small, deep-seated eyes, a flat nose, a few hairs in the place + of a beard, broad shoulders, and a short square body, of nervous strength, + though of a disproportioned form. The haughty step and demeanor of the + king of the Huns expressed the consciousness of his superiority above the + rest of mankind; and he had a custom of fiercely rolling his eyes, as if + he wished to enjoy the terror which he inspired. Yet this savage hero was + not inaccessible to pity; his suppliant enemies might confide in the + assurance of peace or pardon; and Attila was considered by his subjects as + a just and indulgent master. He delighted in war; but, after he had + ascended the throne in a mature age, his head, rather than his hand, + achieved the conquest of the North; and the fame of an adventurous soldier + was usefully exchanged for that of a prudent and successful general. The + effects of personal valor are so inconsiderable, except in poetry or + romance, that victory, even among Barbarians, must depend on the degree of + skill with which the passions of the multitude are combined and guided for + the service of a single man. The Scythian conquerors, Attila and Zingis, + surpassed their rude countrymen in art rather than in courage; and it may + be observed that the monarchies, both of the Huns and of the Moguls, were + erected by their founders on the basis of popular superstition. The + miraculous conception, which fraud and credulity ascribed to the + virgin-mother of Zingis, raised him above the level of human nature; and + the naked prophet, who in the name of the Deity invested him with the + empire of the earth, pointed the valor of the Moguls with irresistible + enthusiasm. <a href="#linknote-34.7" name="linknoteref-34.7" + id="linknoteref-34.7">7</a> The religious arts of Attila were not less + skillfully adapted to the character of his age and country. It was natural + enough that the Scythians should adore, with peculiar devotion, the god of + war; but as they were incapable of forming either an abstract idea, or a + corporeal representation, they worshipped their tutelar deity under the + symbol of an iron cimeter. <a href="#linknote-34.8" name="linknoteref-34.8" + id="linknoteref-34.8">8</a> One of the shepherds of the Huns perceived, + that a heifer, who was grazing, had wounded herself in the foot, and + curiously followed the track of the blood, till he discovered, among the + long grass, the point of an ancient sword, which he dug out of the ground + and presented to Attila. That magnanimous, or rather that artful, prince + accepted, with pious gratitude, this celestial favor; and, as the rightful + possessor of the sword of Mars, asserted his divine and indefeasible claim + to the dominion of the earth. <a href="#linknote-34.9" + name="linknoteref-34.9" id="linknoteref-34.9">9</a> If the rites of Scythia + were practised on this solemn occasion, a lofty altar, or rather pile of + fagots, three hundred yards in length and in breadth, was raised in a + spacious plain; and the sword of Mars was placed erect on the summit of + this rustic altar, which was annually consecrated by the blood of sheep, + horses, and of the hundredth captive. <a href="#linknote-34.10" + name="linknoteref-34.10" id="linknoteref-34.10">10</a> Whether human + sacrifices formed any part of the worship of Attila, or whether he + propitiated the god of war with the victims which he continually offered + in the field of battle, the favorite of Mars soon acquired a sacred + character, which rendered his conquests more easy and more permanent; and + the Barbarian princes confessed, in the language of devotion or flattery, + that they could not presume to gaze, with a steady eye, on the divine + majesty of the king of the Huns. <a href="#linknote-34.11" + name="linknoteref-34.11" id="linknoteref-34.11">11</a> His brother Bleda, + who reigned over a considerable part of the nation, was compelled to + resign his sceptre and his life. Yet even this cruel act was attributed to + a supernatural impulse; and the vigor with which Attila wielded the sword + of Mars, convinced the world that it had been reserved alone for his + invincible arm. <a href="#linknote-34.12" name="linknoteref-34.12" + id="linknoteref-34.12">12</a> But the extent of his empire affords the only + remaining evidence of the number and importance of his victories; and the + Scythian monarch, however ignorant of the value of science and philosophy, + might perhaps lament that his illiterate subjects were destitute of the + art which could perpetuate the memory of his exploits. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.5" id="linknote-34.5"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.5">return</a>)<br /> [ Priscus, p. 39. The + modern Hungarians have deduced his genealogy, which ascends, in the + thirty-fifth degree, to Ham, the son of Noah; yet they are ignorant of his + father’s real name. (De Guignes, Hist. des Huns, tom. ii. p. 297.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.6" id="linknote-34.6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.6">return</a>)<br /> [ Compare Jornandes (c. 35, + p. 661) with Buffon, Hist. Naturelle, tom. iii. p. 380. The former had a + right to observe, originis suae sigua restituens. The character and + portrait of Attila are probably transcribed from Cassiodorus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.7" id="linknote-34.7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.7">return</a>)<br /> [ Abulpharag. Pocock, p. + 281. Genealogical History of the Tartars, by Abulghazi Bahader Khan, part + iii c. 15, part iv c. 3. Vie de Gengiscan, par Petit de la Croix, l. 1, c. + 1, 6. The relations of the missionaries, who visited Tartary in the + thirteenth century, (see the seventh volume of the Histoire des Voyages,) + express the popular language and opinions; Zingis is styled the son of + God, &c. &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.8" id="linknote-34.8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.8">return</a>)<br /> [ Nec templum apud eos + visitur, aut delubrum, ne tugurium quidem culmo tectum cerni usquam + potest; sed gladius Barbarico ritu humi figitur nudus, eumque ut Martem + regionum quas circumcircant praesulem verecundius colunt. Ammian. + Marcellin. xxxi. 2, and the learned Notes of Lindenbrogius and Valesius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.9" id="linknote-34.9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.9">return</a>)<br /> [ Priscus relates this + remarkable story, both in his own text (p. 65) and in the quotation made + by Jornandes, (c. 35, p. 662.) He might have explained the tradition, or + fable, which characterized this famous sword, and the name, as well as + attributes, of the Scythian deity, whom he has translated into the Mars of + the Greeks and Romans.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.10" id="linknote-34.10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.10">return</a>)<br /> [ Herodot. l. iv. c. 62. + For the sake of economy, I have calculated by the smallest stadium. In the + human sacrifices, they cut off the shoulder and arm of the victim, which + they threw up into the air, and drew omens and presages from the manner of + their falling on the pile] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.11" id="linknote-34.11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.11">return</a>)<br /> [ Priscus, p. 65. A more + civilized hero, Augustus himself, was pleased, if the person on whom he + fixed his eyes seemed unable to support their divine lustre. Sueton. in + August. c. 79.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.12" id="linknote-34.12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.12">return</a>)<br /> [ The Count de Buat + (Hist. des Peuples de l’Europe, tom. vii. p. 428, 429) attempts to clear + Attila from the murder of his brother; and is almost inclined to reject + the concurrent testimony of Jornandes, and the contemporary Chronicles.] + </p> + <p> + If a line of separation were drawn between the civilized and the savage + climates of the globe; between the inhabitants of cities, who cultivated + the earth, and the hunters and shepherds, who dwelt in tents, Attila might + aspire to the title of supreme and sole monarch of the Barbarians. <a + href="#linknote-34.13" name="linknoteref-34.13" id="linknoteref-34.13">13</a> + He alone, among the conquerors of ancient and modern times, united the two + mighty kingdoms of Germany and Scythia; and those vague appellations, when + they are applied to his reign, may be understood with an ample latitude. + Thuringia, which stretched beyond its actual limits as far as the Danube, + was in the number of his provinces; he interposed, with the weight of a + powerful neighbor, in the domestic affairs of the Franks; and one of his + lieutenants chastised, and almost exterminated, the Burgundians of the + Rhine. + </p> + <p> + He subdued the islands of the ocean, the kingdoms of Scandinavia, + encompassed and divided by the waters of the Baltic; and the Huns might + derive a tribute of furs from that northern region, which has been + protected from all other conquerors by the severity of the climate, and + the courage of the natives. Towards the East, it is difficult to + circumscribe the dominion of Attila over the Scythian deserts; yet we may + be assured, that he reigned on the banks of the Volga; that the king of + the Huns was dreaded, not only as a warrior, but as a magician; <a + href="#linknote-34.14" name="linknoteref-34.14" id="linknoteref-34.14">14</a> + that he insulted and vanquished the khan of the formidable Geougen; and + that he sent ambassadors to negotiate an equal alliance with the empire of + China. In the proud review of the nations who acknowledged the sovereignty + of Attila, and who never entertained, during his lifetime, the thought of + a revolt, the Gepidae and the Ostrogoths were distinguished by their + numbers, their bravery, and the personal merits of their chiefs. The + renowned Ardaric, king of the Gepidae, was the faithful and sagacious + counsellor of the monarch, who esteemed his intrepid genius, whilst he + loved the mild and discreet virtues of the noble Walamir, king of the + Ostrogoths. The crowd of vulgar kings, the leaders of so many martial + tribes, who served under the standard of Attila, were ranged in the + submissive order of guards and domestics round the person of their master. + They watched his nod; they trembled at his frown; and at the first signal + of his will, they executed, without murmur or hesitation, his stern and + absolute commands. In time of peace, the dependent princes, with their + national troops, attended the royal camp in regular succession; but when + Attila collected his military force, he was able to bring into the field + an army of five, or, according to another account, of seven hundred + thousand Barbarians. <a href="#linknote-34.15" name="linknoteref-34.15" + id="linknoteref-34.15">15</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.13" id="linknote-34.13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.13">return</a>)<br /> [ Fortissimarum gentium + dominus, qui inaudita ante se potentia colus Scythica et Germanica regna + possedit. Jornandes, c. 49, p. 684. Priscus, p. 64, 65. M. de Guignes, by + his knowledge of the Chinese, has acquired (tom. ii. p. 295-301) an + adequate idea of the empire of Attila.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.14" id="linknote-34.14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.14">return</a>)<br /> [ See Hist. des Huns, + tom. ii. p. 296. The Geougen believed that the Huns could excite, at + pleasure, storms of wind and rain. This phenomenon was produced by the + stone Gezi; to whose magic power the loss of a battle was ascribed by the + Mahometan Tartars of the fourteenth century. See Cherefeddin Ali, Hist. de + Timur Bec, tom. i. p. 82, 83.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.15" id="linknote-34.15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.15">return</a>)<br /> [ Jornandes, c. 35, p. + 661, c. 37, p. 667. See Tillemont, Hist. dea Empereurs, tom. vi. p. 129, + 138. Corneille has represented the pride of Attila to his subject kings, + and his tragedy opens with these two ridiculous lines:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Ils ne sont pas venus, nos deux rois! qu’on leur die + Qu’ils se font trop attendre, et qu’Attila s’ennuie. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The two kings of the Gepidae and the Ostrogoths are profound politicians + and sentimental lovers, and the whole piece exhibits the defects without + the genius, of the poet.] + </p> + <p> + The ambassadors of the Huns might awaken the attention of Theodosius, by + reminding him that they were his neighbors both in Europe and Asia; since + they touched the Danube on one hand, and reached, with the other, as far + as the Tanais. In the reign of his father Arcadius, a band of adventurous + Huns had ravaged the provinces of the East; from whence they brought away + rich spoils and innumerable captives. <a href="#linknote-34.16" + name="linknoteref-34.16" id="linknoteref-34.16">16</a> They advanced, by a + secret path, along the shores of the Caspian Sea; traversed the snowy + mountains of Armenia; passed the Tigris, the Euphrates, and the Halys; + recruited their weary cavalry with the generous breed of Cappadocian + horses; occupied the hilly country of Cilicia, and disturbed the festal + songs and dances of the citizens of Antioch. Egypt trembled at their + approach; and the monks and pilgrims of the Holy Land prepared to escape + their fury by a speedy embarkation. The memory of this invasion was still + recent in the minds of the Orientals. The subjects of Attila might + execute, with superior forces, the design which these adventurers had so + boldly attempted; and it soon became the subject of anxious conjecture, + whether the tempest would fall on the dominions of Rome, or of Persia. + Some of the great vassals of the king of the Huns, who were themselves in + the rank of powerful princes, had been sent to ratify an alliance and + society of arms with the emperor, or rather with the general of the West. + They related, during their residence at Rome, the circumstances of an + expedition, which they had lately made into the East. After passing a + desert and a morass, supposed by the Romans to be the Lake Maeotis, they + penetrated through the mountains, and arrived, at the end of fifteen days’ + march, on the confines of Media; where they advanced as far as the unknown + cities of Basic and Cursic. <a href="#linknote-34.1611" + name="linknoteref-34.1611" id="linknoteref-34.1611">1611</a> They + encountered the Persian army in the plains of Media and the air, according + to their own expression, was darkened by a cloud of arrows. But the Huns + were obliged to retire before the numbers of the enemy. Their laborious + retreat was effected by a different road; they lost the greatest part of + their booty; and at length returned to the royal camp, with some knowledge + of the country, and an impatient desire of revenge. In the free + conversation of the Imperial ambassadors, who discussed, at the court of + Attila, the character and designs of their formidable enemy, the ministers + of Constantinople expressed their hope, that his strength might be + diverted and employed in a long and doubtful contest with the princes of + the house of Sassan. The more sagacious Italians admonished their Eastern + brethren of the folly and danger of such a hope; and convinced them, that + the Medes and Persians were incapable of resisting the arms of the Huns; + and that the easy and important acquisition would exalt the pride, as well + as power, of the conqueror. Instead of contenting himself with a moderate + contribution, and a military title, which equalled him only to the + generals of Theodosius, Attila would proceed to impose a disgraceful and + intolerable yoke on the necks of the prostrate and captive Romans, who + would then be encompassed, on all sides, by the empire of the Huns. <a + href="#linknote-34.17" name="linknoteref-34.17" id="linknoteref-34.17">17</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.16" id="linknote-34.16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.16">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Alii per Caspia claustra + Armeniasque nives, inopino tramite ducti + Invadunt Orientis opes: jam pascua fumant + Cappadocum, volucrumque parens Argaeus equorum. + Jam rubet altus Halys, nec se defendit iniquo + Monte Cilix; Syriae tractus vestantur amoeni + Assuetumque choris, et laeta plebe canorum, + Proterit imbellem sonipes hostilis Orontem. + —-Claudian, in Rufin. l. ii. 28-35. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + See likewise, in Eutrop. l. i. 243-251, and the strong description of + Jerom, who wrote from his feelings, tom. i. p. 26, ad Heliodor. p. 200 ad + Ocean. Philostorgius (l. ix. c. 8) mentions this irruption.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.1611" id="linknote-34.1611"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1611 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.1611">return</a>)<br /> [ Gibbon has made a + curious mistake; Basic and Cursic were the names of the commanders of the + Huns. Priscus, edit. Bonn, p. 200.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.17" id="linknote-34.17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.17">return</a>)<br /> [ See the original + conversation in Priscus, p. 64, 65.] + </p> + <p> + While the powers of Europe and Asia were solicitous to avert the impending + danger, the alliance of Attila maintained the Vandals in the possession of + Africa. An enterprise had been concerted between the courts of Ravenna and + Constantinople, for the recovery of that valuable province; and the ports + of Sicily were already filled with the military and naval forces of + Theodosius. But the subtle Genseric, who spread his negotiations round the + world, prevented their designs, by exciting the king of the Huns to invade + the Eastern empire; and a trifling incident soon became the motive, or + pretence, of a destructive war. <a href="#linknote-34.18" + name="linknoteref-34.18" id="linknoteref-34.18">18</a> Under the faith of + the treaty of Margus, a free market was held on the Northern side of the + Danube, which was protected by a Roman fortress surnamed Constantia. A + troop of Barbarians violated the commercial security; killed, or + dispersed, the unsuspecting traders; and levelled the fortress with the + ground. The Huns justified this outrage as an act of reprisal; alleged, + that the bishop of Margus had entered their territories, to discover and + steal a secret treasure of their kings; and sternly demanded the guilty + prelate, the sacrilegious spoil, and the fugitive subjects, who had + escaped from the justice of Attila. The refusal of the Byzantine court was + the signal of war; and the Maesians at first applauded the generous + firmness of their sovereign. But they were soon intimidated by the + destruction of Viminiacum and the adjacent towns; and the people was + persuaded to adopt the convenient maxim, that a private citizen, however + innocent or respectable, may be justly sacrificed to the safety of his + country. The bishop of Margus, who did not possess the spirit of a martyr, + resolved to prevent the designs which he suspected. He boldly treated with + the princes of the Huns: secured, by solemn oaths, his pardon and reward; + posted a numerous detachment of Barbarians, in silent ambush, on the banks + of the Danube; and, at the appointed hour, opened, with his own hand, the + gates of his episcopal city. This advantage, which had been obtained by + treachery, served as a prelude to more honorable and decisive victories. + The Illyrian frontier was covered by a line of castles and fortresses; and + though the greatest part of them consisted only of a single tower, with a + small garrison, they were commonly sufficient to repel, or to intercept, + the inroads of an enemy, who was ignorant of the art, and impatient of the + delay, of a regular siege. But these slight obstacles were instantly swept + away by the inundation of the Huns. <a href="#linknote-34.19" + name="linknoteref-34.19" id="linknoteref-34.19">19</a> They destroyed, with + fire and sword, the populous cities of Sirmium and Singidunum, of Ratiaria + and Marcianopolis, of Naissus and Sardica; where every circumstance of the + discipline of the people, and the construction of the buildings, had been + gradually adapted to the sole purpose of defence. The whole breadth of + Europe, as it extends above five hundred miles from the Euxine to the + Hadriatic, was at once invaded, and occupied, and desolated, by the + myriads of Barbarians whom Attila led into the field. The public danger + and distress could not, however, provoke Theodosius to interrupt his + amusements and devotion, or to appear in person at the head of the Roman + legions. But the troops, which had been sent against Genseric, were + hastily recalled from Sicily; the garrisons, on the side of Persia, were + exhausted; and a military force was collected in Europe, formidable by + their arms and numbers, if the generals had understood the science of + command, and the soldiers the duty of obedience. The armies of the Eastern + empire were vanquished in three successive engagements; and the progress + of Attila may be traced by the fields of battle. + </p> + <p> + The two former, on the banks of the Utus, and under the walls of + Marcianopolis, were fought in the extensive plains between the Danube and + Mount Haemus. As the Romans were pressed by a victorious enemy, they + gradually, and unskilfully, retired towards the Chersonesus of Thrace; and + that narrow peninsula, the last extremity of the land, was marked by their + third, and irreparable, defeat. By the destruction of this army, Attila + acquired the indisputable possession of the field. From the Hellespont to + Thermopylae, and the suburbs of Constantinople, he ravaged, without + resistance, and without mercy, the provinces of Thrace and Macedonia. + Heraclea and Hadrianople might, perhaps, escape this dreadful irruption of + the Huns; but the words, the most expressive of total extirpation and + erasure, are applied to the calamities which they inflicted on seventy + cities of the Eastern empire. <a href="#linknote-34.20" + name="linknoteref-34.20" id="linknoteref-34.20">20</a> Theodosius, his + court, and the unwarlike people, were protected by the walls of + Constantinople; but those walls had been shaken by a recent earthquake, + and the fall of fifty-eight towers had opened a large and tremendous + breach. The damage indeed was speedily repaired; but this accident was + aggravated by a superstitious fear, that Heaven itself had delivered the + Imperial city to the shepherds of Scythia, who were strangers to the laws, + the language, and the religion, of the Romans. <a href="#linknote-34.21" + name="linknoteref-34.21" id="linknoteref-34.21">21</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.18" id="linknote-34.18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.18">return</a>)<br /> [ Priscus, p. 331. His + history contained a copious and elegant account of the war, (Evagrius, l. + i. c. 17;) but the extracts which relate to the embassies are the only + parts that have reached our times. The original work was accessible, + however, to the writers from whom we borrow our imperfect knowledge, + Jornandes, Theophanes, Count Marcellinus, Prosper-Tyro, and the author of + the Alexandrian, or Paschal, Chronicle. M. de Buat (Hist. des Peuples de + l’Europe, tom. vii. c. xv.) has examined the cause, the circumstances, and + the duration of this war; and will not allow it to extend beyond the year + 44.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.19" id="linknote-34.19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.19">return</a>)<br /> [ Procopius, de + Edificiis, l. 4, c. 5. These fortresses were afterwards restored, + strengthened, and enlarged by the emperor Justinian, but they were soon + destroyed by the Abares, who succeeded to the power and possessions of the + Huns.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.20" id="linknote-34.20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.20">return</a>)<br /> [ Septuaginta civitates + (says Prosper-Tyro) depredatione vastatoe. The language of Count + Marcellinus is still more forcible. Pene totam Europam, invasis excisisque + civitatibus atque castellis, conrasit.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.21" id="linknote-34.21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.21">return</a>)<br /> [ Tillemont (Hist des + Empereurs, tom. vi. p. 106, 107) has paid great attention to this + memorable earthquake; which was felt as far from Constantinople as Antioch + and Alexandria, and is celebrated by all the ecclesiastical writers. In + the hands of a popular preacher, an earthquake is an engine of admirable + effect.] + </p> + <p> + In all their invasions of the civilized empires of the South, the Scythian + shepherds have been uniformly actuated by a savage and destructive spirit. + The laws of war, that restrain the exercise of national rapine and murder, + are founded on two principles of substantial interest: the knowledge of + the permanent benefits which may be obtained by a moderate use of + conquest; and a just apprehension, lest the desolation which we inflict on + the enemy’s country may be retaliated on our own. But these considerations + of hope and fear are almost unknown in the pastoral state of nations. The + Huns of Attila may, without injustice, be compared to the Moguls and + Tartars, before their primitive manners were changed by religion and + luxury; and the evidence of Oriental history may reflect some light on the + short and imperfect annals of Rome. After the Moguls had subdued the + northern provinces of China, it was seriously proposed, not in the hour of + victory and passion, but in calm deliberate council, to exterminate all + the inhabitants of that populous country, that the vacant land might be + converted to the pasture of cattle. The firmness of a Chinese mandarin, <a + href="#linknote-34.22" name="linknoteref-34.22" id="linknoteref-34.22">22</a> + who insinuated some principles of rational policy into the mind of Zingis, + diverted him from the execution of this horrid design. But in the cities + of Asia, which yielded to the Moguls, the inhuman abuse of the rights of + war was exercised with a regular form of discipline, which may, with equal + reason, though not with equal authority, be imputed to the victorious + Huns. The inhabitants, who had submitted to their discretion, were ordered + to evacuate their houses, and to assemble in some plain adjacent to the + city; where a division was made of the vanquished into three parts. The + first class consisted of the soldiers of the garrison, and of the young + men capable of bearing arms; and their fate was instantly decided: they + were either enlisted among the Moguls, or they were massacred on the spot + by the troops, who, with pointed spears and bended bows, had formed a + circle round the captive multitude. The second class, composed of the + young and beautiful women, of the artificers of every rank and profession, + and of the more wealthy or honorable citizens, from whom a private ransom + might be expected, was distributed in equal or proportionable lots. The + remainder, whose life or death was alike useless to the conquerors, were + permitted to return to the city; which, in the mean while, had been + stripped of its valuable furniture; and a tax was imposed on those + wretched inhabitants for the indulgence of breathing their native air. + Such was the behavior of the Moguls, when they were not conscious of any + extraordinary rigor. <a href="#linknote-34.23" name="linknoteref-34.23" + id="linknoteref-34.23">23</a> But the most casual provocation, the + slightest motive of caprice or convenience, often provoked them to involve + a whole people in an indiscriminate massacre; and the ruin of some + flourishing cities was executed with such unrelenting perseverance, that, + according to their own expression, horses might run, without stumbling, + over the ground where they had once stood. The three great capitals of + Khorasan, Maru, Neisabour, and Herat, were destroyed by the armies of + Zingis; and the exact account which was taken of the slain amounted to + four millions three hundred and forty-seven thousand persons. <a + href="#linknote-34.24" name="linknoteref-34.24" id="linknoteref-34.24">24</a> + Timur, or Tamerlane, was educated in a less barbarous age, and in the + profession of the Mahometan religion; yet, if Attila equalled the hostile + ravages of Tamerlane, <a href="#linknote-34.25" name="linknoteref-34.25" + id="linknoteref-34.25">25</a> either the Tartar or the Hun might deserve + the epithet of the Scourge of God. <a href="#linknote-34.26" + name="linknoteref-34.26" id="linknoteref-34.26">26</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.22" id="linknote-34.22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.22">return</a>)<br /> [ He represented to the + emperor of the Moguls that the four provinces, (Petcheli, Chantong, + Chansi, and Leaotong,)which he already possessed, might annually produce, + under a mild administration, 500,000 ounces of silver, 400,000 measures of + rice, and 800,000 pieces of silk. Gaubil, Hist. de la Dynastie des + Mongous, p. 58, 59. Yelut chousay (such was the name of the mandarin) was + a wise and virtuous minister, who saved his country, and civilized the + conquerors. * Note: Compare the life of this remarkable man, translated + from the Chinese by M. Abel Remusat. Nouveaux Melanges Asiatiques, t. ii. + p. 64.—M] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.23" id="linknote-34.23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.23">return</a>)<br /> [ Particular instances + would be endless; but the curious reader may consult the life of + Gengiscan, by Petit de la Croix, the Histoire des Mongous, and the + fifteenth book of the History of the Huns.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.24" id="linknote-34.24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.24">return</a>)<br /> [ At Maru, 1,300,000; at + Herat, 1,600,000; at Neisabour, 1,747,000. D’Herbelot, Bibliothèque + Orientale, p. 380, 381. I use the orthography of D’Anville’s maps. It + must, however, be allowed, that the Persians were disposed to exaggerate + their losses and the Moguls to magnify their exploits.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.25" id="linknote-34.25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.25">return</a>)<br /> [ Cherefeddin Ali, his + servile panegyrist, would afford us many horrid examples. In his camp + before Delhi, Timour massacred 100,000 Indian prisoners, who had smiled + when the army of their countrymen appeared in sight, (Hist. de Timur Bec, + tom. iii. p. 90.) The people of Ispahan supplied 70,000 human skulls for + the structure of several lofty towers, (id. tom. i. p. 434.) A similar tax + was levied on the revolt of Bagdad, (tom. iii. p. 370;) and the exact + account, which Cherefeddin was not able to procure from the proper + officers, is stated by another historian (Ahmed Arabsiada, tom. ii. p. + 175, vera Manger) at 90,000 heads.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.26" id="linknote-34.26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.26">return</a>)<br /> [ The ancients, + Jornandes, Priscus, &c., are ignorant of this epithet. The modern + Hungarians have imagined, that it was applied, by a hermit of Gaul, to + Attila, who was pleased to insert it among the titles of his royal + dignity. Mascou, ix. 23, and Tillemont, Hist. des Empereurs, tom. vi. p. + 143.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap34.2"></a> +Chapter XXXIV: Attila.—Part II. +</h2> + <p> + It may be affirmed, with bolder assurance, that the Huns depopulated the + provinces of the empire, by the number of Roman subjects whom they led + away into captivity. In the hands of a wise legislator, such an + industrious colony might have contributed to diffuse through the deserts + of Scythia the rudiments of the useful and ornamental arts; but these + captives, who had been taken in war, were accidentally dispersed among the + hordes that obeyed the empire of Attila. The estimate of their respective + value was formed by the simple judgment of unenlightened and unprejudiced + Barbarians. Perhaps they might not understand the merit of a theologian, + profoundly skilled in the controversies of the Trinity and the + Incarnation; yet they respected the ministers of every religion; and the + active zeal of the Christian missionaries, without approaching the person + or the palace of the monarch, successfully labored in the propagation of + the gospel. <a href="#linknote-34.27" name="linknoteref-34.27" + id="linknoteref-34.27">27</a> The pastoral tribes, who were ignorant of the + distinction of landed property, must have disregarded the use, as well as + the abuse, of civil jurisprudence; and the skill of an eloquent lawyer + could excite only their contempt or their abhorrence. <a + href="#linknote-34.28" name="linknoteref-34.28" id="linknoteref-34.28">28</a> + The perpetual intercourse of the Huns and the Goths had communicated the + familiar knowledge of the two national dialects; and the Barbarians were + ambitious of conversing in Latin, the military idiom even of the Eastern + empire. <a href="#linknote-34.29" name="linknoteref-34.29" + id="linknoteref-34.29">29</a> But they disdained the language and the + sciences of the Greeks; and the vain sophist, or grave philosopher, who + had enjoyed the flattering applause of the schools, was mortified to find + that his robust servant was a captive of more value and importance than + himself. The mechanic arts were encouraged and esteemed, as they tended to + satisfy the wants of the Huns. An architect in the service of Onegesius, + one of the favorites of Attila, was employed to construct a bath; but this + work was a rare example of private luxury; and the trades of the smith, + the carpenter, the armorer, were much more adapted to supply a wandering + people with the useful instruments of peace and war. But the merit of the + physician was received with universal favor and respect: the Barbarians, + who despised death, might be apprehensive of disease; and the haughty + conqueror trembled in the presence of a captive, to whom he ascribed, + perhaps, an imaginary power of prolonging or preserving his life. <a + href="#linknote-34.30" name="linknoteref-34.30" id="linknoteref-34.30">30</a> + The Huns might be provoked to insult the misery of their slaves, over whom + they exercised a despotic command; <a href="#linknote-34.31" + name="linknoteref-34.31" id="linknoteref-34.31">31</a> but their manners + were not susceptible of a refined system of oppression; and the efforts of + courage and diligence were often recompensed by the gift of freedom. The + historian Priscus, whose embassy is a source of curious instruction, was + accosted in the camp of Attila by a stranger, who saluted him in the Greek + language, but whose dress and figure displayed the appearance of a wealthy + Scythian. In the siege of Viminiacum, he had lost, according to his own + account, his fortune and liberty; he became the slave of Onegesius; but + his faithful services, against the Romans and the Acatzires, had gradually + raised him to the rank of the native Huns; to whom he was attached by the + domestic pledges of a new wife and several children. The spoils of war had + restored and improved his private property; he was admitted to the table + of his former lord; and the apostate Greek blessed the hour of his + captivity, since it had been the introduction to a happy and independent + state; which he held by the honorable tenure of military service. This + reflection naturally produced a dispute on the advantages and defects of + the Roman government, which was severely arraigned by the apostate, and + defended by Priscus in a prolix and feeble declamation. The freedman of + Onegesius exposed, in true and lively colors, the vices of a declining + empire, of which he had so long been the victim; the cruel absurdity of + the Roman princes, unable to protect their subjects against the public + enemy, unwilling to trust them with arms for their own defence; the + intolerable weight of taxes, rendered still more oppressive by the + intricate or arbitrary modes of collection; the obscurity of numerous and + contradictory laws; the tedious and expensive forms of judicial + proceedings; the partial administration of justice; and the universal + corruption, which increased the influence of the rich, and aggravated the + misfortunes of the poor. A sentiment of patriotic sympathy was at length + revived in the breast of the fortunate exile; and he lamented, with a + flood of tears, the guilt or weakness of those magistrates who had + perverted the wisest and most salutary institutions. <a + href="#linknote-34.32" name="linknoteref-34.32" id="linknoteref-34.32">32</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.27" id="linknote-34.27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.27">return</a>)<br /> [ The missionaries of St. + Chrysostom had converted great numbers of the Scythians, who dwelt beyond + the Danube in tents and wagons. Theodoret, l. v. c. 31. Photius, p. 1517. + The Mahometans, the Nestorians, and the Latin Christians, thought + themselves secure of gaining the sons and grandsons of Zingis, who treated + the rival missionaries with impartial favor.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.28" id="linknote-34.28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.28">return</a>)<br /> [ The Germans, who + exterminated Varus and his legions, had been particularly offended with + the Roman laws and lawyers. One of the Barbarians, after the effectual + precautions of cutting out the tongue of an advocate, and sewing up his + mouth, observed, with much satisfaction, that the viper could no longer + hiss. Florus, iv. 12.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.29" id="linknote-34.29"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 29 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.29">return</a>)<br /> [ Priscus, p. 59. It + should seem that the Huns preferred the Gothic and Latin languages to + their own; which was probably a harsh and barren idiom.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.30" id="linknote-34.30"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 30 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.30">return</a>)<br /> [ Philip de Comines, in + his admirable picture of the last moments of Lewis XI., (Mémoires, l. vi. + c. 12,) represents the insolence of his physician, who, in five months, + extorted 54,000 crowns, and a rich bishopric, from the stern, avaricious + tyrant.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.31" id="linknote-34.31"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 31 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.31">return</a>)<br /> [ Priscus (p. 61) extols + the equity of the Roman laws, which protected the life of a slave. + Occidere solent (says Tacitus of the Germans) non disciplina et + severitate, sed impetu et ira, ut inimicum, nisi quod impune. De Moribus + Germ. c. 25. The Heruli, who were the subjects of Attila, claimed, and + exercised, the power of life and death over their slaves. See a remarkable + instance in the second book of Agathias] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.32" id="linknote-34.32"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 32 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.32">return</a>)<br /> [ See the whole + conversation in Priscus, p. 59-62.] + </p> + <p> + The timid or selfish policy of the Western Romans had abandoned the + Eastern empire to the Huns. <a href="#linknote-34.33" + name="linknoteref-34.33" id="linknoteref-34.33">33</a> The loss of armies, + and the want of discipline or virtue, were not supplied by the personal + character of the monarch. Theodosius might still affect the style, as well + as the title, of Invincible Augustus; but he was reduced to solicit the + clemency of Attila, who imperiously dictated these harsh and humiliating + conditions of peace. I. The emperor of the East resigned, by an express or + tacit convention, an extensive and important territory, which stretched + along the southern banks of the Danube, from Singidunum, or Belgrade, as + far as Novae, in the diocese of Thrace. The breadth was defined by the + vague computation of fifteen <a href="#linknote-34.3311" + name="linknoteref-34.3311" id="linknoteref-34.3311">3311</a> days’ journey; + but, from the proposal of Attila to remove the situation of the national + market, it soon appeared, that he comprehended the ruined city of Naissus + within the limits of his dominions. II. The king of the Huns required and + obtained, that his tribute or subsidy should be augmented from seven + hundred pounds of gold to the annual sum of two thousand one hundred; and + he stipulated the immediate payment of six thousand pounds of gold, to + defray the expenses, or to expiate the guilt, of the war. One might + imagine, that such a demand, which scarcely equalled the measure of + private wealth, would have been readily discharged by the opulent empire + of the East; and the public distress affords a remarkable proof of the + impoverished, or at least of the disorderly, state of the finances. A + large proportion of the taxes extorted from the people was detained and + intercepted in their passage, though the foulest channels, to the treasury + of Constantinople. The revenue was dissipated by Theodosius and his + favorites in wasteful and profuse luxury; which was disguised by the names + of Imperial magnificence, or Christian charity. The immediate supplies had + been exhausted by the unforeseen necessity of military preparations. A + personal contribution, rigorously, but capriciously, imposed on the + members of the senatorian order, was the only expedient that could disarm, + without loss of time, the impatient avarice of Attila; and the poverty of + the nobles compelled them to adopt the scandalous resource of exposing to + public auction the jewels of their wives, and the hereditary ornaments of + their palaces. <a href="#linknote-34.34" name="linknoteref-34.34" + id="linknoteref-34.34">34</a> III. The king of the Huns appears to have + established, as a principle of national jurisprudence, that he could never + lose the property, which he had once acquired, in the persons who had + yielded either a voluntary, or reluctant, submission to his authority. + From this principle he concluded, and the conclusions of Attila were + irrevocable laws, that the Huns, who had been taken prisoner in war, + should be released without delay, and without ransom; that every Roman + captive, who had presumed to escape, should purchase his right to freedom + at the price of twelve pieces of gold; and that all the Barbarians, who + had deserted the standard of Attila, should be restored, without any + promise or stipulation of pardon. + </p> + <p> + In the execution of this cruel and ignominious treaty, the Imperial + officers were forced to massacre several loyal and noble deserters, who + refused to devote themselves to certain death; and the Romans forfeited + all reasonable claims to the friendship of any Scythian people, by this + public confession, that they were destitute either of faith, or power, to + protect the suppliant, who had embraced the throne of Theodosius. <a + href="#linknote-34.35" name="linknoteref-34.35" id="linknoteref-34.35">35</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.33" id="linknote-34.33"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 33 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.33">return</a>)<br /> [ Nova iterum Orienti + assurgit ruina... quum nulla ab Cocidentalibus ferrentur auxilia. Prosper + Tyro composed his Chronicle in the West; and his observation implies a + censure.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.3311" id="linknote-34.3311"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3311 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.3311">return</a>)<br /> [ Five in the last + edition of Priscus. Niebuhr, Byz. Hist. p 147—M] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.34" id="linknote-34.34"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 34 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.34">return</a>)<br /> [ According to the + description, or rather invective, of Chrysostom, an auction of Byzantine + luxury must have been very productive. Every wealthy house possessed a + semicircular table of massy silver such as two men could scarcely lift, a + vase of solid gold of the weight of forty pounds, cups, dishes, of the + same metal, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.35" id="linknote-34.35"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 35 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.35">return</a>)<br /> [ The articles of the + treaty, expressed without much order or precision, may be found in + Priscus, (p. 34, 35, 36, 37, 53, &c.) Count Marcellinus dispenses some + comfort, by observing, 1. That Attila himself solicited the peace and + presents, which he had formerly refused; and, 2dly, That, about the same + time, the ambassadors of India presented a fine large tame tiger to the + emperor Theodosius.] + </p> + <p> + The firmness of a single town, so obscure, that, except on this occasion, + it has never been mentioned by any historian or geographer, exposed the + disgrace of the emperor and empire. Azimus, or Azimuntium, a small city of + Thrace on the Illyrian borders, <a href="#linknote-34.36" + name="linknoteref-34.36" id="linknoteref-34.36">36</a> had been + distinguished by the martial spirit of its youth, the skill and reputation + of the leaders whom they had chosen, and their daring exploits against the + innumerable host of the Barbarians. Instead of tamely expecting their + approach, the Azimuntines attacked, in frequent and successful sallies, + the troops of the Huns, who gradually declined the dangerous neighborhood, + rescued from their hands the spoil and the captives, and recruited their + domestic force by the voluntary association of fugitives and deserters. + After the conclusion of the treaty, Attila still menaced the empire with + implacable war, unless the Azimuntines were persuaded, or compelled, to + comply with the conditions which their sovereign had accepted. The + ministers of Theodosius confessed with shame, and with truth, that they no + longer possessed any authority over a society of men, who so bravely + asserted their natural independence; and the king of the Huns condescended + to negotiate an equal exchange with the citizens of Azimus. They demanded + the restitution of some shepherds, who, with their cattle, had been + accidentally surprised. A strict, though fruitless, inquiry was allowed: + but the Huns were obliged to swear, that they did not detain any prisoners + belonging to the city, before they could recover two surviving countrymen, + whom the Azimuntines had reserved as pledges for the safety of their lost + companions. Attila, on his side, was satisfied, and deceived, by their + solemn asseveration, that the rest of the captives had been put to the + sword; and that it was their constant practice, immediately to dismiss the + Romans and the deserters, who had obtained the security of the public + faith. This prudent and officious dissimulation may be condemned, or + excused, by the casuists, as they incline to the rigid decree of St. + Augustin, or to the milder sentiment of St. Jerom and St. Chrysostom: but + every soldier, every statesman, must acknowledge, that, if the race of the + Azimuntines had been encouraged and multiplied, the Barbarians would have + ceased to trample on the majesty of the empire. <a href="#linknote-34.37" + name="linknoteref-34.37" id="linknoteref-34.37">37</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.36" id="linknote-34.36"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 36 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.36">return</a>)<br /> [ Priscus, p. 35, 36. + Among the hundred and eighty-two forts, or castles, of Thrace, enumerated + by Procopius, (de Edificiis, l. iv. c. xi. tom. ii. p. 92, edit. Paris,) + there is one of the name of Esimontou, whose position is doubtfully + marked, in the neighborhood of Anchialus and the Euxine Sea. The name and + walls of Azimuntium might subsist till the reign of Justinian; but the + race of its brave defenders had been carefully extirpated by the jealousy + of the Roman princes] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.37" id="linknote-34.37"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 37 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.37">return</a>)<br /> [ The peevish dispute of + St. Jerom and St. Augustin, who labored, by different expedients, to + reconcile the seeming quarrel of the two apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, + depends on the solution of an important question, (Middleton’s Works, vol. + ii. p. 5-20,) which has been frequently agitated by Catholic and + Protestant divines, and even by lawyers and philosophers of every age.] + </p> + <p> + It would have been strange, indeed, if Theodosius had purchased, by the + loss of honor, a secure and solid tranquillity, or if his tameness had not + invited the repetition of injuries. The Byzantine court was insulted by + five or six successive embassies; <a href="#linknote-34.38" + name="linknoteref-34.38" id="linknoteref-34.38">38</a> and the ministers of + Attila were uniformly instructed to press the tardy or imperfect execution + of the last treaty; to produce the names of fugitives and deserters, who + were still protected by the empire; and to declare, with seeming + moderation, that, unless their sovereign obtained complete and immediate + satisfaction, it would be impossible for him, were it even his wish, to + check the resentment of his warlike tribes. Besides the motives of pride + and interest, which might prompt the king of the Huns to continue this + train of negotiation, he was influenced by the less honorable view of + enriching his favorites at the expense of his enemies. The Imperial + treasury was exhausted, to procure the friendly offices of the ambassadors + and their principal attendants, whose favorable report might conduce to + the maintenance of peace. The Barbarian monarch was flattered by the + liberal reception of his ministers; he computed, with pleasure, the value + and splendor of their gifts, rigorously exacted the performance of every + promise which would contribute to their private emolument, and treated as + an important business of state the marriage of his secretary Constantius. + <a href="#linknote-34.39" name="linknoteref-34.39" id="linknoteref-34.39">39</a> + That Gallic adventurer, who was recommended by Ætius to the king of the + Huns, had engaged his service to the ministers of Constantinople, for the + stipulated reward of a wealthy and noble wife; and the daughter of Count + Saturninus was chosen to discharge the obligations of her country. The + reluctance of the victim, some domestic troubles, and the unjust + confiscation of her fortune, cooled the ardor of her interested lover; but + he still demanded, in the name of Attila, an equivalent alliance; and, + after many ambiguous delays and excuses, the Byzantine court was compelled + to sacrifice to this insolent stranger the widow of Armatius, whose birth, + opulence, and beauty, placed her in the most illustrious rank of the Roman + matrons. For these importunate and oppressive embassies, Attila claimed a + suitable return: he weighed, with suspicious pride, the character and + station of the Imperial envoys; but he condescended to promise that he + would advance as far as Sardica to receive any ministers who had been + invested with the consular dignity. The council of Theodosius eluded this + proposal, by representing the desolate and ruined condition of Sardica, + and even ventured to insinuate that every officer of the army or household + was qualified to treat with the most powerful princes of Scythia. Maximin, + <a href="#linknote-34.40" name="linknoteref-34.40" id="linknoteref-34.40">40</a> + a respectable courtier, whose abilities had been long exercised in civil + and military employments, accepted, with reluctance, the troublesome, and + perhaps dangerous, commission of reconciling the angry spirit of the king + of the Huns. His friend, the historian Priscus, <a href="#linknote-34.41" + name="linknoteref-34.41" id="linknoteref-34.41">41</a> embraced the + opportunity of observing the Barbarian hero in the peaceful and domestic + scenes of life: but the secret of the embassy, a fatal and guilty secret, + was intrusted only to the interpreter Vigilius. The two last ambassadors + of the Huns, Orestes, a noble subject of the Pannonian province, and + Edecon, a valiant chieftain of the tribe of the Scyrri, returned at the + same time from Constantinople to the royal camp. Their obscure names were + afterwards illustrated by the extraordinary fortune and the contrast of + their sons: the two servants of Attila became the fathers of the last + Roman emperor of the West, and of the first Barbarian king of Italy. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.38" id="linknote-34.38"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 38 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.38">return</a>)<br /> [ Montesquieu + (Considerations sur la Grandeur, &c. c. xix.) has delineated, with a + bold and easy pencil, some of the most striking circumstances of the pride + of Attila, and the disgrace of the Romans. He deserves the praise of + having read the Fragments of Priscus, which have been too much + disregarded.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.39" id="linknote-34.39"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 39 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.39">return</a>)<br /> [ See Priscus, p. 69, 71, + 72, &c. I would fain believe, that this adventurer was afterwards + crucified by the order of Attila, on a suspicion of treasonable practices; + but Priscus (p. 57) has too plainly distinguished two persons of the name + of Constantius, who, from the similar events of their lives, might have + been easily confounded.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.40" id="linknote-34.40"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 40 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.40">return</a>)<br /> [ In the Persian treaty, + concluded in the year 422, the wise and eloquent Maximin had been the + assessor of Ardaburius, (Socrates, l. vii. c. 20.) When Marcian ascended + the throne, the office of Great Chamberlain was bestowed on Maximin, who + is ranked, in the public edict, among the four principal ministers of + state, (Novell. ad Calc. Cod. Theod. p. 31.) He executed a civil and + military commission in the Eastern provinces; and his death was lamented + by the savages of Æthiopia, whose incursions he had repressed. See + Priscus, p. 40, 41.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.41" id="linknote-34.41"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 41 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.41">return</a>)<br /> [ Priscus was a native of + Panium in Thrace, and deserved, by his eloquence, an honorable place among + the sophists of the age. His Byzantine history, which related to his own + times, was comprised in seven books. See Fabricius, Bibliot. Graec. tom. + vi. p. 235, 236. Notwithstanding the charitable judgment of the critics, I + suspect that Priscus was a Pagan. * Note: Niebuhr concurs in this opinion. + Life of Priscus in the new edition of the Byzantine historians.—M] + </p> + <p> + The ambassadors, who were followed by a numerous train of men and horses, + made their first halt at Sardica, at the distance of three hundred and + fifty miles, or thirteen days’ journey, from Constantinople. As the + remains of Sardica were still included within the limits of the empire, it + was incumbent on the Romans to exercise the duties of hospitality. They + provided, with the assistance of the provincials, a sufficient number of + sheep and oxen, and invited the Huns to a splendid, or at least, a + plentiful supper. But the harmony of the entertainment was soon disturbed + by mutual prejudice and indiscretion. The greatness of the emperor and the + empire was warmly maintained by their ministers; the Huns, with equal + ardor, asserted the superiority of their victorious monarch: the dispute + was inflamed by the rash and unseasonable flattery of Vigilius, who + passionately rejected the comparison of a mere mortal with the divine + Theodosius; and it was with extreme difficulty that Maximin and Priscus + were able to divert the conversation, or to soothe the angry minds, of the + Barbarians. When they rose from table, the Imperial ambassador presented + Edecon and Orestes with rich gifts of silk robes and Indian pearls, which + they thankfully accepted. Yet Orestes could not forbear insinuating that + he had not always been treated with such respect and liberality: and the + offensive distinction which was implied, between his civil office and the + hereditary rank of his colleague seems to have made Edecon a doubtful + friend, and Orestes an irreconcilable enemy. After this entertainment, + they travelled about one hundred miles from Sardica to Naissus. That + flourishing city, which has given birth to the great Constantine, was + levelled with the ground: the inhabitants were destroyed or dispersed; and + the appearance of some sick persons, who were still permitted to exist + among the ruins of the churches, served only to increase the horror of the + prospect. The surface of the country was covered with the bones of the + slain; and the ambassadors, who directed their course to the north-west, + were obliged to pass the hills of modern Servia, before they descended + into the flat and marshy grounds which are terminated by the Danube. The + Huns were masters of the great river: their navigation was performed in + large canoes, hollowed out of the trunk of a single tree; the ministers of + Theodosius were safely landed on the opposite bank; and their Barbarian + associates immediately hastened to the camp of Attila, which was equally + prepared for the amusements of hunting or of war. No sooner had Maximin + advanced about two miles <a href="#linknote-34.4111" + name="linknoteref-34.4111" id="linknoteref-34.4111">4111</a> from the + Danube, than he began to experience the fastidious insolence of the + conqueror. He was sternly forbid to pitch his tents in a pleasant valley, + lest he should infringe the distant awe that was due to the royal mansion. + <a href="#linknote-34.4112" name="linknoteref-34.4112" + id="linknoteref-34.4112">4112</a> The ministers of Attila pressed them to + communicate the business, and the instructions, which he reserved for the + ear of their sovereign. When Maximin temperately urged the contrary + practice of nations, he was still more confounded to find that the + resolutions of the Sacred Consistory, those secrets (says Priscus) which + should not be revealed to the gods themselves, had been treacherously + disclosed to the public enemy. On his refusal to comply with such + ignominious terms, the Imperial envoy was commanded instantly to depart; + the order was recalled; it was again repeated; and the Huns renewed their + ineffectual attempts to subdue the patient firmness of Maximin. At length, + by the intercession of Scotta, the brother of Onegesius, whose friendship + had been purchased by a liberal gift, he was admitted to the royal + presence; but, instead of obtaining a decisive answer, he was compelled + to undertake a remote journey towards the north, that Attila might enjoy + the proud satisfaction of receiving, in the same camp, the ambassadors of + the Eastern and Western empires. His journey was regulated by the guides, + who obliged him to halt, to hasten his march, or to deviate from the + common road, as it best suited the convenience of the king. The Romans, + who traversed the plains of Hungary, suppose that they passed several + navigable rivers, either in canoes or portable boats; but there is reason + to suspect that the winding stream of the Teyss, or Tibiscus, might + present itself in different places under different names. From the + contiguous villages they received a plentiful and regular supply of + provisions; mead instead of wine, millet in the place of bread, and a + certain liquor named camus, which according to the report of Priscus, was + distilled from barley. <a href="#linknote-34.42" name="linknoteref-34.42" + id="linknoteref-34.42">42</a> Such fare might appear coarse and indelicate + to men who had tasted the luxury of Constantinople; but, in their + accidental distress, they were relieved by the gentleness and hospitality + of the same Barbarians, so terrible and so merciless in war. The + ambassadors had encamped on the edge of a large morass. A violent tempest + of wind and rain, of thunder and lightning, overturned their tents, + immersed their baggage and furniture in the water, and scattered their + retinue, who wandered in the darkness of the night, uncertain of their + road, and apprehensive of some unknown danger, till they awakened by their + cries the inhabitants of a neighboring village, the property of the widow + of Bleda. A bright illumination, and, in a few moments, a comfortable fire + of reeds, was kindled by their officious benevolence; the wants, and even + the desires, of the Romans were liberally satisfied; and they seem to have + been embarrassed by the singular politeness of Bleda’s widow, who added to + her other favors the gift, or at least the loan, of a sufficient number of + beautiful and obsequious damsels. The sunshine of the succeeding day was + dedicated to repose, to collect and dry the baggage, and to the + refreshment of the men and horses: but, in the evening, before they + pursued their journey, the ambassadors expressed their gratitude to the + bounteous lady of the village, by a very acceptable present of silver + cups, red fleeces, dried fruits, and Indian pepper. Soon after this + adventure, they rejoined the march of Attila, from whom they had been + separated about six days, and slowly proceeded to the capital of an + empire, which did not contain, in the space of several thousand miles, a + single city. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.4111" id="linknote-34.4111"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4111 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.4111">return</a>)<br /> [ 70 stadia. Priscus, + 173.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.4112" id="linknote-34.4112"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4112 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.4112">return</a>)<br /> [ He was forbidden to + pitch his tents on an eminence because Attila’s were below on the plain. + Ibid.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.42" id="linknote-34.42"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 42 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.42">return</a>)<br /> [ The Huns themselves + still continued to despise the labors of agriculture: they abused the + privilege of a victorious nation; and the Goths, their industrious + subjects, who cultivated the earth, dreaded their neighborhood, like that + of so many ravenous wolves, (Priscus, p. 45.) In the same manner the Sarts + and Tadgics provide for their own subsistence, and for that of the Usbec + Tartars, their lazy and rapacious sovereigns. See Genealogical History of + the Tartars, p. 423 455, &c.] + </p> + <p> + As far as we may ascertain the vague and obscure geography of Priscus, + this capital appears to have been seated between the Danube, the Teyss, + and the Carpathian hills, in the plains of Upper Hungary, and most + probably in the neighborhood of Jezberin, Agria, or Tokay. <a + href="#linknote-34.43" name="linknoteref-34.43" id="linknoteref-34.43">43</a> + In its origin it could be no more than an accidental camp, which, by the + long and frequent residence of Attila, had insensibly swelled into a huge + village, for the reception of his court, of the troops who followed his + person, and of the various multitude of idle or industrious slaves and + retainers. <a href="#linknote-34.44" name="linknoteref-34.44" + id="linknoteref-34.44">44</a> The baths, constructed by Onegesius, were the + only edifice of stone; the materials had been transported from Pannonia; + and since the adjacent country was destitute even of large timber, it may + be presumed, that the meaner habitations of the royal village consisted of + straw, or mud, or of canvass. The wooden houses of the more illustrious + Huns were built and adorned with rude magnificence, according to the rank, + the fortune, or the taste of the proprietors. They seem to have been + distributed with some degree of order and symmetry; and each spot became + more honorable as it approached the person of the sovereign. The palace of + Attila, which surpassed all other houses in his dominions, was built + entirely of wood, and covered an ample space of ground. The outward + enclosure was a lofty wall, or palisade, of smooth square timber, + intersected with high towers, but intended rather for ornament than + defence. This wall, which seems to have encircled the declivity of a hill, + comprehended a great variety of wooden edifices, adapted to the uses of + royalty. + </p> + <p> + A separate house was assigned to each of the numerous wives of Attila; + and, instead of the rigid and illiberal confinement imposed by Asiatic + jealousy they politely admitted the Roman ambassadors to their presence, + their table, and even to the freedom of an innocent embrace. When Maximin + offered his presents to Cerca, <a href="#linknote-34.4411" + name="linknoteref-34.4411" id="linknoteref-34.4411">4411</a> the principal + queen, he admired the singular architecture on her mansion, the height of + the round columns, the size and beauty of the wood, which was curiously + shaped or turned or polished or carved; and his attentive eye was able to + discover some taste in the ornaments and some regularity in the + proportions. After passing through the guards, who watched before the + gate, the ambassadors were introduced into the private apartment of Cerca. + The wife of Attila received their visit sitting, or rather lying, on a + soft couch; the floor was covered with a carpet; the domestics formed a + circle round the queen; and her damsels, seated on the ground, were + employed in working the variegated embroidery which adorned the dress of + the Barbaric warriors. The Huns were ambitious of displaying those riches + which were the fruit and evidence of their victories: the trappings of + their horses, their swords, and even their shoes, were studded with gold + and precious stones; and their tables were profusely spread with plates, + and goblets, and vases of gold and silver, which had been fashioned by the + labor of Grecian artists. + </p> + <p> + The monarch alone assumed the superior pride of still adhering to the + simplicity of his Scythian ancestors. <a href="#linknote-34.45" + name="linknoteref-34.45" id="linknoteref-34.45">45</a> The dress of Attila, + his arms, and the furniture of his horse, were plain, without ornament, + and of a single color. The royal table was served in wooden cups and + platters; flesh was his only food; and the conqueror of the North never + tasted the luxury of bread. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.43" id="linknote-34.43"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 43 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.43">return</a>)<br /> [ It is evident that + Priscus passed the Danube and the Teyss, and that he did not reach the + foot of the Carpathian hills. Agria, Tokay, and Jazberin, are situated in + the plains circumscribed by this definition. M. de Buat (Histoire des + Peuples, &c., tom. vii. p. 461) has chosen Tokay; Otrokosci, (p. 180, + apud Mascou, ix. 23,) a learned Hungarian, has preferred Jazberin, a place + about thirty-six miles westward of Buda and the Danube. * Note: M. St. + Martin considers the narrative of Priscus, the only authority of M. de + Buat and of Gibbon, too vague to fix the position of Attila’s camp. “It is + worthy of remark, that in the Hungarian traditions collected by Thwrocz, + l. 2, c. 17, precisely on the left branch of the Danube, where Attila’s + residence was situated, in the same parallel stands the present city of + Buda, in Hungarian Buduvur. It is for this reason that this city has + retained for a long time among the Germans of Hungary the name of + Etzelnburgh or Etzela-burgh, i. e., the city of Attila. The distance of + Buda from the place where Priscus crossed the Danube, on his way from + Naissus, is equal to that which he traversed to reach the residence of the + king of the Huns. I see no good reason for not acceding to the relations + of the Hungarian historians.” St. Martin, vi. 191.—M] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.44" id="linknote-34.44"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 44 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.44">return</a>)<br /> [ The royal village of + Attila may be compared to the city of Karacorum, the residence of the + successors of Zingis; which, though it appears to have been a more stable + habitation, did not equal the size or splendor of the town and abbey of + St. Denys, in the 13th century. (See Rubruquis, in the Histoire Generale + des Voyages, tom. vii p. 286.) The camp of Aurengzebe, as it is so + agreeably described by Bernier, (tom. ii. p. 217-235,) blended the manners + of Scythia with the magnificence and luxury of Hindostan.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.4411" id="linknote-34.4411"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4411 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.4411">return</a>)<br /> [ The name of this + queen occurs three times in Priscus, and always in a different form—Cerca, + Creca, and Rheca. The Scandinavian poets have preserved her memory under + the name of Herkia. St. Martin, vi. 192.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.45" id="linknote-34.45"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 45 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.45">return</a>)<br /> [ When the Moguls + displayed the spoils of Asia, in the diet of Toncat, the throne of Zingis + was still covered with the original black felt carpet, on which he had + been seated, when he was raised to the command of his warlike countrymen. + See Vie de Gengiscan, v. c. 9.] + </p> + <p> + When Attila first gave audience to the Roman ambassadors on the banks of + the Danube, his tent was encompassed with a formidable guard. The monarch + himself was seated in a wooden chair. His stern countenance, angry + gestures, and impatient tone, astonished the firmness of Maximin; but + Vigilius had more reason to tremble, since he distinctly understood the + menace, that if Attila did not respect the law of nations, he would nail + the deceitful interpreter to the cross. and leave his body to the + vultures. The Barbarian condescended, by producing an accurate list, to + expose the bold falsehood of Vigilius, who had affirmed that no more than + seventeen deserters could be found. But he arrogantly declared, that he + apprehended only the disgrace of contending with his fugitive slaves; + since he despised their impotent efforts to defend the provinces which + Theodosius had intrusted to their arms: “For what fortress,” (added + Attila,) “what city, in the wide extent of the Roman empire, can hope to + exist, secure and impregnable, if it is our pleasure that it should be + erased from the earth?” He dismissed, however, the interpreter, who + returned to Constantinople with his peremptory demand of more complete + restitution, and a more splendid embassy. + </p> + <p> + His anger gradually subsided, and his domestic satisfaction in a marriage + which he celebrated on the road with the daughter of Eslam, <a + href="#linknote-34.4511" name="linknoteref-34.4511" id="linknoteref-34.4511">4511</a> + might perhaps contribute to mollify the native fierceness of his temper. + The entrance of Attila into the royal village was marked by a very + singular ceremony. A numerous troop of women came out to meet their hero + and their king. They marched before him, distributed into long and regular + files; the intervals between the files were filled by white veils of thin + linen, which the women on either side bore aloft in their hands, and which + formed a canopy for a chorus of young virgins, who chanted hymns and songs + in the Scythian language. The wife of his favorite Onegesius, with a train + of female attendants, saluted Attila at the door of her own house, on his + way to the palace; and offered, according to the custom of the country, + her respectful homage, by entreating him to taste the wine and meat which + she had prepared for his reception. As soon as the monarch had graciously + accepted her hospitable gift, his domestics lifted a small silver table to + a convenient height, as he sat on horseback; and Attila, when he had + touched the goblet with his lips, again saluted the wife of Onegesius, and + continued his march. During his residence at the seat of empire, his hours + were not wasted in the recluse idleness of a seraglio; and the king of the + Huns could maintain his superior dignity, without concealing his person + from the public view. He frequently assembled his council, and gave + audience to the ambassadors of the nations; and his people might appeal to + the supreme tribunal, which he held at stated times, and, according to the + Eastern custom, before the principal gate of his wooden palace. The + Romans, both of the East and of the West, were twice invited to the + banquets, where Attila feasted with the princes and nobles of Scythia. + Maximin and his colleagues were stopped on the threshold, till they had + made a devout libation to the health and prosperity of the king of the + Huns; and were conducted, after this ceremony, to their respective seats + in a spacious hall. The royal table and couch, covered with carpets and + fine linen, was raised by several steps in the midst of the hall; and a + son, an uncle, or perhaps a favorite king, were admitted to share the + simple and homely repast of Attila. Two lines of small tables, each of + which contained three or four guests, were ranged in order on either hand; + the right was esteemed the most honorable, but the Romans ingenuously + confess, that they were placed on the left; and that Beric, an unknown + chieftain, most probably of the Gothic race, preceded the representatives + of Theodosius and Valentinian. The Barbarian monarch received from his + cup-bearer a goblet filled with wine, and courteously drank to the health + of the most distinguished guest; who rose from his seat, and expressed, in + the same manner, his loyal and respectful vows. This ceremony was + successively performed for all, or at least for the illustrious persons of + the assembly; and a considerable time must have been consumed, since it + was thrice repeated as each course or service was placed on the table. But + the wine still remained after the meat had been removed; and the Huns + continued to indulge their intemperance long after the sober and decent + ambassadors of the two empires had withdrawn themselves from the nocturnal + banquet. Yet before they retired, they enjoyed a singular opportunity of + observing the manners of the nation in their convivial amusements. Two + Scythians stood before the couch of Attila, and recited the verses which + they had composed, to celebrate his valor and his victories. <a + href="#linknote-34.4512" name="linknoteref-34.4512" id="linknoteref-34.4512">4512</a> + A profound silence prevailed in the hall; and the attention of the guests + was captivated by the vocal harmony, which revived and perpetuated the + memory of their own exploits; a martial ardor flashed from the eyes of the + warriors, who were impatient for battle; and the tears of the old men + expressed their generous despair, that they could no longer partake the + danger and glory of the field. <a href="#linknote-34.46" + name="linknoteref-34.46" id="linknoteref-34.46">46</a> This entertainment, + which might be considered as a school of military virtue, was succeeded by + a farce, that debased the dignity of human nature. A Moorish and a + Scythian buffoon successively excited the mirth of the rude spectators, by + their deformed figure, ridiculous dress, antic gestures, absurd speeches, + and the strange, unintelligible confusion of the Latin, the Gothic, and + the Hunnic languages; and the hall resounded with loud and licentious + peals of laughter. In the midst of this intemperate riot, Attila alone, + without a change of countenance, maintained his steadfast and inflexible + gravity; which was never relaxed, except on the entrance of Irnac, the + youngest of his sons: he embraced the boy with a smile of paternal + tenderness, gently pinched him by the cheek, and betrayed a partial + affection, which was justified by the assurance of his prophets, that + Irnac would be the future support of his family and empire. Two days + afterwards, the ambassadors received a second invitation; and they had + reason to praise the politeness, as well as the hospitality, of Attila. + The king of the Huns held a long and familiar conversation with Maximin; + but his civility was interrupted by rude expressions and haughty + reproaches; and he was provoked, by a motive of interest, to support, with + unbecoming zeal, the private claims of his secretary Constantius. + </p> + <p> + “The emperor” (said Attila) “has long promised him a rich wife: + Constantius must not be disappointed; nor should a Roman emperor deserve + the name of liar.” On the third day, the ambassadors were dismissed; the + freedom of several captives was granted, for a moderate ransom, to their + pressing entreaties; and, besides the royal presents, they were permitted + to accept from each of the Scythian nobles the honorable and useful gift + of a horse. Maximin returned, by the same road, to Constantinople; and + though he was involved in an accidental dispute with Beric, the new + ambassador of Attila, he flattered himself that he had contributed, by the + laborious journey, to confirm the peace and alliance of the two nations. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.4511" id="linknote-34.4511"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4511 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.4511">return</a>)<br /> [ Was this his own + daughter, or the daughter of a person named Escam? (Gibbon has written + incorrectly Eslam, an unknown name. The officer of Attila, called Eslas.) + In either case the construction is imperfect: a good Greek writer would + have introduced an article to determine the sense. Nor is it quite clear, + whether Scythian usage is adduced to excuse the polygamy, or a marriage, + which would be considered incestuous in other countries. The Latin version + has carefully preserved the ambiguity, filiam Escam uxorem. I am not + inclined to construe it ‘his own daughter’ though I have too little + confidence in the uniformity of the grammatical idioms of the Byzantines + (though Priscus is one of the best) to express myself without + hesitation.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.4512" id="linknote-34.4512"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4512 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.4512">return</a>)<br /> [ This passage is + remarkable from the connection of the name of Attila with that + extraordinary cycle of poetry, which is found in different forms in almost + all the Teutonic languages.] + </p> + <p> + A Latin poem, de prima expeditione Attilæ, Regis Hunnorum, in Gallias, + was published in the year 1780, by Fischer at Leipsic. It contains, with + the continuation, 1452 lines. It abounds in metrical faults, but is + occasionally not without some rude spirit and some copiousness of fancy in + the variation of the circumstances in the different combats of the hero + Walther, prince of Aquitania. It contains little which can be supposed + historical, and still less which is characteristic concerning Attila. It + relates to a first expedition of Attila into Europe which cannot be traced + in history, during which the kings of the Franks, of the Burgundians, and + of Aquitaine, submit themselves, and give hostages to Attila: the king of + the Franks, a personage who seems the same with the Hagen of Teutonic + romance; the king of Burgundy, his daughter Heldgund; the king of + Aquitaine, his son Walther. The main subject of the poem is the escape of + Walther and Heldgund from the camp of Attila, and the combat between + Walther and Gunthar, king of the Franks. with his twelve peers, among whom + is Hagen. Walther had been betrayed while he passed through Worms, the + city of the Frankish king, by paying for his ferry over the Rhine with + some strange fish, which he had caught during his flight, and which were + unknown in the waters of the Rhine. Gunthar was desirous of plundering him + of the treasure, which Walther had carried off from the camp of Attila. + The author of this poem is unknown, nor can I, on the vague and rather + doubtful allusion to Thule, as Iceland, venture to assign its date. It + was, evidently, recited in a monastery, as appears by the first line; and + no doubt composed there. The faults of metre would point out a late date; + and it may have been formed upon some local tradition, as Walther, the + hero, seems to have turned monk. + </p> + <p> + This poem, however, in its character and its incidents, bears no relation + to the Teutonic cycle, of which the Nibelungen Lied is the most complete + form. In this, in the Heldenbuch, in some of the Danish Sagas. in countess + lays and ballads in all the dialects of Scandinavia, appears King Etzel + (Attila) in strife with the Burgundians and the Franks. With these + appears, by a poetic anachronism, Dietrich of Berne. (Theodoric of + Verona,) the celebrated Ostrogothic king; and many other very singular + coincidences of historic names, which appear in the poems. (See Lachman + Kritik der Sage in his volume of various readings to the Nibelungen; + Berlin, 1836, p. 336.) + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap34.3"></a> +Chapter XXXIV: Attila.—Part III. +</h2> + <p> + I must acknowledge myself unable to form any satisfactory theory as to the + connection of these poems with the history of the time, or the period, + from which they may date their origin; notwithstanding the laborious + investigations and critical sagacity of the Schlegels, the Grimms, of P. + E. Muller and Lachman, and a whole host of German critics and antiquaries; + not to omit our own countryman, Mr. Herbert, whose theory concerning + Attila is certainly neither deficient in boldness nor originality. I + conceive the only way to obtain any thing like a clear conception on this + point would be what Lachman has begun, (see above,) patiently to collect + and compare the various forms which the traditions have assumed, without + any preconceived, either mythical or poetical, theory, and, if possible, + to discover the original basis of the whole rich and fantastic legend. One + point, which to me is strongly in favor of the antiquity of this poetic + cycle, is, that the manners are so clearly anterior to chivalry, and to + the influence exercised on the poetic literature of Europe by the + chivalrous poems and romances. I think I find some traces of that + influence in the Latin poem, though strained through the imagination of a + monk. The English reader will find an amusing account of the German + Nibelungen and Heldenbuch, and of some of the Scandinavian Sagas, in the + volume of Northern Antiquities published by Weber, the friend of Sir + Walter Scott. Scott himself contributed a considerable, no doubt far the + most valuable, part to the work. <a href="#linknote-34.4612" + name="linknoteref-34.4612" id="linknoteref-34.4612">4612</a> <a + href="#linknote-34.4712" name="linknoteref-34.4712" id="linknoteref-34.4712">4712</a> + </p> + <p> + See also the various German editions of the Nibelungen, to which Lachman, + with true German perseverance, has compiled a thick volume of various + readings; the Heldenbuch, the old Danish poems by Grimm, the Eddas, &c. + Herbert’s Attila, p. 510, et seq.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.46" id="linknote-34.46"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 46 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.46">return</a>)<br /> [ If we may believe + Plutarch, (in Demetrio, tom. v. p. 24,) it was the custom of the + Scythians, when they indulged in the pleasures of the table, to awaken + their languid courage by the martial harmony of twanging their + bow-strings.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.4612" id="linknote-34.4612"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4612 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.4612">return</a>)<br /> [ The Scythian was an + idiot or lunatic; the Moor a regular buffoon—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.4712" id="linknote-34.4712"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4712 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.4712">return</a>)<br /> [ The curious + narrative of this embassy, which required few observations, and was not + susceptible of any collateral evidence, may be found in Priscus, p. 49-70. + But I have not confined myself to the same order; and I had previously + extracted the historical circumstances, which were less intimately + connected with the journey, and business, of the Roman ambassadors.] + </p> + <p> + But the Roman ambassador was ignorant of the treacherous design, which had + been concealed under the mask of the public faith. The surprise and + satisfaction of Edecon, when he contemplated the splendor of + Constantinople, had encouraged the interpreter Vigilius to procure for him + a secret interview with the eunuch Chrysaphius, <a href="#linknote-34.48" + name="linknoteref-34.48" id="linknoteref-34.48">48</a> who governed the + emperor and the empire. After some previous conversation, and a mutual + oath of secrecy, the eunuch, who had not, from his own feelings or + experience, imbibed any exalted notions of ministerial virtue, ventured to + propose the death of Attila, as an important service, by which Edecon + might deserve a liberal share of the wealth and luxury which he admired. + The ambassador of the Huns listened to the tempting offer; and professed, + with apparent zeal, his ability, as well as readiness, to execute the + bloody deed; the design was communicated to the master of the offices, and + the devout Theodosius consented to the assassination of his invincible + enemy. But this perfidious conspiracy was defeated by the dissimulation, + or the repentance, of Edecon; and though he might exaggerate his inward + abhorrence for the treason, which he seemed to approve, he dexterously + assumed the merit of an early and voluntary confession. If we now review + the embassy of Maximin, and the behavior of Attila, we must applaud the + Barbarian, who respected the laws of hospitality, and generously + entertained and dismissed the minister of a prince who had conspired + against his life. But the rashness of Vigilius will appear still more + extraordinary, since he returned, conscious of his guilt and danger, to + the royal camp, accompanied by his son, and carrying with him a weighty + purse of gold, which the favorite eunuch had furnished, to satisfy the + demands of Edecon, and to corrupt the fidelity of the guards. The + interpreter was instantly seized, and dragged before the tribunal of + Attila, where he asserted his innocence with specious firmness, till the + threat of inflicting instant death on his son extorted from him a sincere + discovery of the criminal transaction. Under the name of ransom, or + confiscation, the rapacious king of the Huns accepted two hundred pounds + of gold for the life of a traitor, whom he disdained to punish. He pointed + his just indignation against a nobler object. His ambassadors, Eslaw and + Orestes, were immediately despatched to Constantinople, with a peremptory + instruction, which it was much safer for them to execute than to disobey. + They boldly entered the Imperial presence, with the fatal purse hanging + down from the neck of Orestes; who interrogated the eunuch Chrysaphius, as + he stood beside the throne, whether he recognized the evidence of his + guilt. But the office of reproof was reserved for the superior dignity of + his colleague Eslaw, who gravely addressed the emperor of the East in the + following words: “Theodosius is the son of an illustrious and respectable + parent: Attila likewise is descended from a noble race; and he has + supported, by his actions, the dignity which he inherited from his father + Mundzuk. But Theodosius has forfeited his paternal honors, and, by + consenting to pay tribute has degraded himself to the condition of a + slave. It is therefore just, that he should reverence the man whom fortune + and merit have placed above him; instead of attempting, like a wicked + slave, clandestinely to conspire against his master.” The son of Arcadius, + who was accustomed only to the voice of flattery, heard with astonishment + the severe language of truth: he blushed and trembled; nor did he presume + directly to refuse the head of Chrysaphius, which Eslaw and Orestes were + instructed to demand. A solemn embassy, armed with full powers and + magnificent gifts, was hastily sent to deprecate the wrath of Attila; and + his pride was gratified by the choice of Nomius and Anatolius, two + ministers of consular or patrician rank, of whom the one was great + treasurer, and the other was master-general of the armies of the East. He + condescended to meet these ambassadors on the banks of the River Drenco; + and though he at first affected a stern and haughty demeanor, his anger + was insensibly mollified by their eloquence and liberality. He + condescended to pardon the emperor, the eunuch, and the interpreter; bound + himself by an oath to observe the conditions of peace; released a great + number of captives; abandoned the fugitives and deserters to their fate; + and resigned a large territory, to the south of the Danube, which he had + already exhausted of its wealth and inhabitants. But this treaty was + purchased at an expense which might have supported a vigorous and + successful war; and the subjects of Theodosius were compelled to redeem + the safety of a worthless favorite by oppressive taxes, which they would + more cheerfully have paid for his destruction. <a href="#linknote-34.49" + name="linknoteref-34.49" id="linknoteref-34.49">49</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.48" id="linknote-34.48"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 48 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.48">return</a>)<br /> [ M. de Tillemont has + very properly given the succession of chamberlains, who reigned in the + name of Theodosius. Chrysaphius was the last, and, according to the + unanimous evidence of history, the worst of these favorites, (see Hist. + des Empereurs, tom. vi. p. 117-119. Mem. Eccles. tom. xv. p. 438.) His + partiality for his godfather the heresiarch Eutyches, engaged him to + persecute the orthodox party] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.49" id="linknote-34.49"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 49 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.49">return</a>)<br /> [ This secret conspiracy + and its important consequences, may be traced in the fragments of Priscus, + p. 37, 38, 39, 54, 70, 71, 72. The chronology of that historian is not + fixed by any precise date; but the series of negotiations between Attila + and the Eastern empire must be included within the three or four years + which are terminated, A.D. 450. by the death of Theodosius.] + </p> + <p> + The emperor Theodosius did not long survive the most humiliating + circumstance of an inglorious life. As he was riding, or hunting, in the + neighborhood of Constantinople, he was thrown from his horse into the + River Lycus: the spine of the back was injured by the fall; and he expired + some days afterwards, in the fiftieth year of his age, and the forty-third + of his reign. <a href="#linknote-34.50" name="linknoteref-34.50" + id="linknoteref-34.50">50</a> His sister Pulcheria, whose authority had + been controlled both in civil and ecclesiastical affairs by the pernicious + influence of the eunuchs, was unanimously proclaimed Empress of the East; + and the Romans, for the first time, submitted to a female reign. No sooner + had Pulcheria ascended the throne, than she indulged her own and the + public resentment, by an act of popular justice. Without any legal trial, + the eunuch Chrysaphius was executed before the gates of the city; and the + immense riches which had been accumulated by the rapacious favorite, + served only to hasten and to justify his punishment. <a + href="#linknote-34.51" name="linknoteref-34.51" id="linknoteref-34.51">51</a> + Amidst the general acclamations of the clergy and people, the empress did + not forget the prejudice and disadvantage to which her sex was exposed; + and she wisely resolved to prevent their murmurs by the choice of a + colleague, who would always respect the superior rank and virgin chastity + of his wife. She gave her hand to Marcian, a senator, about sixty years of + age; and the nominal husband of Pulcheria was solemnly invested with the + Imperial purple. The zeal which he displayed for the orthodox creed, as it + was established by the council of Chalcedon, would alone have inspired the + grateful eloquence of the Catholics. But the behavior of Marcian in a + private life, and afterwards on the throne, may support a more rational + belief, that he was qualified to restore and invigorate an empire, which + had been almost dissolved by the successive weakness of two hereditary + monarchs. He was born in Thrace, and educated to the profession of arms; + but Marcian’s youth had been severely exercised by poverty and misfortune, + since his only resource, when he first arrived at Constantinople, + consisted in two hundred pieces of gold, which he had borrowed of a + friend. He passed nineteen years in the domestic and military service of + Aspar, and his son Ardaburius; followed those powerful generals to the + Persian and African wars; and obtained, by their influence, the honorable + rank of tribune and senator. His mild disposition, and useful talents, + without alarming the jealousy, recommended Marcian to the esteem and favor + of his patrons; he had seen, perhaps he had felt, the abuses of a venal + and oppressive administration; and his own example gave weight and energy + to the laws, which he promulgated for the reformation of manners. <a + href="#linknote-34.52" name="linknoteref-34.52" id="linknoteref-34.52">52</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.50" id="linknote-34.50"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 50 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.50">return</a>)<br /> [ Theodorus the Reader, + (see Vales. Hist. Eccles. tom. iii. p. 563,) and the Paschal Chronicle, + mention the fall, without specifying the injury: but the consequence was + so likely to happen, and so unlikely to be invented, that we may safely + give credit to Nicephorus Callistus, a Greek of the fourteenth century.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.51" id="linknote-34.51"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 51 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.51">return</a>)<br /> [ Pulcheriae nutu (says + Count Marcellinus) sua cum avaritia interemptus est. She abandoned the + eunuch to the pious revenge of a son, whose father had suffered at his + instigation. Note: Might not the execution of Chrysaphius have been a + sacrifice to avert the anger of Attila, whose assassination the eunuch had + attempted to contrive?—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-34.52" id="linknote-34.52"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 52 (<a href="#linknoteref-34.52">return</a>)<br /> [ de Bell. Vandal. l. i. + c. 4. Evagrius, l. ii. c. 1. Theophanes, p. 90, 91. Novell. ad Calcem. + Cod. Theod. tom. vi. p. 30. The praises which St. Leo and the Catholics + have bestowed on Marcian, are diligently transcribed by Baronius, as an + encouragement for future princes.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap35.1"></a> +Chapter XXXV: Invasion By Attila.—Part I. +</h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Invasion Of Gaul By Attila.—He Is Repulsed By Ætius And + The Visigoths.—Attila Invades And Evacuates Italy.—The + Deaths Of Attila, Ætius, And Valentinian The Third. +</pre> + <p> + It was the opinion of Marcian, that war should be avoided, as long as it + is possible to preserve a secure and honorable peace; but it was likewise + his opinion, that peace cannot be honorable or secure, if the sovereign + betrays a pusillanimous aversion to war. This temperate courage dictated + his reply to the demands of Attila, who insolently pressed the payment of + the annual tribute. The emperor signified to the Barbarians, that they + must no longer insult the majesty of Rome by the mention of a tribute; + that he was disposed to reward, with becoming liberality, the faithful + friendship of his allies; but that, if they presumed to violate the public + peace, they should feel that he possessed troops, and arms, and + resolution, to repel their attacks. The same language, even in the camp of + the Huns, was used by his ambassador Apollonius, whose bold refusal to + deliver the presents, till he had been admitted to a personal interview, + displayed a sense of dignity, and a contempt of danger, which Attila was + not prepared to expect from the degenerate Romans. <a href="#linknote-35.1" + name="linknoteref-35.1" id="linknoteref-35.1">1</a> He threatened to + chastise the rash successor of Theodosius; but he hesitated whether he + should first direct his invincible arms against the Eastern or the Western + empire. While mankind awaited his decision with awful suspense, he sent an + equal defiance to the courts of Ravenna and Constantinople; and his + ministers saluted the two emperors with the same haughty declaration. + “Attila, my lord, and thy lord, commands thee to provide a palace for his + immediate reception.” <a href="#linknote-35.2" name="linknoteref-35.2" + id="linknoteref-35.2">2</a> But as the Barbarian despised, or affected to + despise, the Romans of the East, whom he had so often vanquished, he soon + declared his resolution of suspending the easy conquest, till he had + achieved a more glorious and important enterprise. In the memorable + invasions of Gaul and Italy, the Huns were naturally attracted by the + wealth and fertility of those provinces; but the particular motives and + provocations of Attila can only be explained by the state of the Western + empire under the reign of Valentinian, or, to speak more correctly, under + the administration of Ætius. <a href="#linknote-35.3" + name="linknoteref-35.3" id="linknoteref-35.3">3</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.1" id="linknote-35.1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.1">return</a>)<br /> [ See Priscus, p. 39, 72.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.2" id="linknote-35.2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.2">return</a>)<br /> [ The Alexandrian or + Paschal Chronicle, which introduces this haughty message, during the + lifetime of Theodosius, may have anticipated the date; but the dull + annalist was incapable of inventing the original and genuine style of + Attila.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.3" id="linknote-35.3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.3">return</a>)<br /> [ The second book of the + Histoire Critique de l’Etablissement de la Monarchie Francoise tom. i. p. + 189-424, throws great light on the state of Gaul, when it was invaded by + Attila; but the ingenious author, the Abbe Dubos, too often bewilders + himself in system and conjecture.] + </p> + <p> + After the death of his rival Boniface, Ætius had prudently retired to the + tents of the Huns; and he was indebted to their alliance for his safety + and his restoration. Instead of the suppliant language of a guilty exile, + he solicited his pardon at the head of sixty thousand Barbarians; and the + empress Placidia confessed, by a feeble resistance, that the + condescension, which might have been ascribed to clemency, was the effect + of weakness or fear. She delivered herself, her son Valentinian, and the + Western empire, into the hands of an insolent subject; nor could Placidia + protect the son-in-law of Boniface, the virtuous and faithful Sebastian, + <a href="#linknote-35.4" name="linknoteref-35.4" id="linknoteref-35.4">4</a> + from the implacable persecution which urged him from one kingdom to + another, till he miserably perished in the service of the Vandals. The + fortunate Ætius, who was immediately promoted to the rank of patrician, + and thrice invested with the honors of the consulship, assumed, with the + title of master of the cavalry and infantry, the whole military power of + the state; and he is sometimes styled, by contemporary writers, the duke, + or general, of the Romans of the West. His prudence, rather than his + virtue, engaged him to leave the grandson of Theodosius in the possession + of the purple; and Valentinian was permitted to enjoy the peace and luxury + of Italy, while the patrician appeared in the glorious light of a hero and + a patriot, who supported near twenty years the ruins of the Western + empire. The Gothic historian ingenuously confesses, that Ætius was born + for the salvation of the Roman republic; <a href="#linknote-35.5" + name="linknoteref-35.5" id="linknoteref-35.5">5</a> and the following + portrait, though it is drawn in the fairest colors, must be allowed to + contain a much larger proportion of truth than of flattery. <a + href="#linknote-35.411" name="linknoteref-35.411" id="linknoteref-35.411">411</a> + “His mother was a wealthy and noble Italian, and his father Gaudentius, + who held a distinguished rank in the province of Scythia, gradually rose + from the station of a military domestic, to the dignity of master of the + cavalry. Their son, who was enrolled almost in his infancy in the guards, + was given as a hostage, first to Alaric, and afterwards to the Huns; <a + href="#linknote-35.412" name="linknoteref-35.412" id="linknoteref-35.412">412</a> + and he successively obtained the civil and military honors of the palace, + for which he was equally qualified by superior merit. The graceful figure + of Ætius was not above the middle stature; but his manly limbs were + admirably formed for strength, beauty, and agility; and he excelled in the + martial exercises of managing a horse, drawing the bow, and darting the + javelin. He could patiently endure the want of food, or of sleep; and his + mind and body were alike capable of the most laborious efforts. He + possessed the genuine courage that can despise not only dangers, but + injuries: and it was impossible either to corrupt, or deceive, or + intimidate the firm integrity of his soul.” <a href="#linknote-35.6" + name="linknoteref-35.6" id="linknoteref-35.6">6</a> The Barbarians, who had + seated themselves in the Western provinces, were insensibly taught to + respect the faith and valor of the patrician Ætius. He soothed their + passions, consulted their prejudices, balanced their interests, and + checked their ambition. <a href="#linknote-35.611" name="linknoteref-35.611" + id="linknoteref-35.611">611</a> A seasonable treaty, which he concluded + with Genseric, protected Italy from the depredations of the Vandals; the + independent Britons implored and acknowledged his salutary aid; the + Imperial authority was restored and maintained in Gaul and Spain; and he + compelled the Franks and the Suevi, whom he had vanquished in the field, + to become the useful confederates of the republic. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.4" id="linknote-35.4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.4">return</a>)<br /> [ Victor Vitensis (de + Persecut. Vandal. l. i. 6, p. 8, edit. Ruinart) calls him, acer consilio + et strenuus in bello: but his courage, when he became unfortunate, was + censured as desperate rashness; and Sebastian deserved, or obtained, the + epithet of proeceps, (Sidon. Apollinar Carmen ix. 181.) His adventures in + Constantinople, in Sicily, Gaul, Spain, and Africa, are faintly marked in + the Chronicles of Marcellinus and Idatius. In his distress he was always + followed by a numerous train; since he could ravage the Hellespont and + Propontis, and seize the city of Barcelona.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.5" id="linknote-35.5"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.5">return</a>)<br /> [ Reipublicae Romanae + singulariter natus, qui superbiam Suevorum, Francorumque barbariem + immensis caedibus servire Imperio Romano coegisset. Jornandes de Rebus + Geticis, c. 34, p. 660.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.411" id="linknote-35.411"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 411 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.411">return</a>)<br /> [ Some valuable + fragments of a poetical panegyric on Ætius by Merobaudes, a Spaniard, + have been recovered from a palimpsest MS. by the sagacity and industry of + Niebuhr. They have been reprinted in the new edition of the Byzantine + Historians. The poet speaks in glowing terms of the long (annosa) peace + enjoyed under the administration of Ætius. The verses are very spirited. + The poet was rewarded by a statue publicly dedicated to his honor in Rome. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Danuvii cum pace redit, Tanaimque furore + Exuit, et nigro candentes aethere terras + Marte suo caruisse jubet. Dedit otia ferro + Caucasus, et saevi condemnant praelia reges. + Addidit hiberni famulantia foedera Rhenus + Orbis...... + Lustrat Aremoricos jam mitior incola saltus; + Perdidit et mores tellus, adsuetaque saevo + Crimine quaesitas silvis celare rapinas, + Discit inexpertis Cererem committere campis; + Caesareoque diu manus obluctata labori + Sustinet acceptas nostro sub consule leges; + Et quamvis Geticis sulcum confundat aratris, + Barbara vicinae refugit consortia gentis. + —Merobaudes, p. 1] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.412" id="linknote-35.412"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 412 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.412">return</a>)<br /> [—cum Scythicis + succumberet ensibus orbis, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Telaque Tarpeias premerent Arctoa secures, + Hostilem fregit rabiem, pignus quesuperbi + Foederis et mundi pretium fuit. Hinc modo voti + Rata fides, validis quod dux premat impiger armis + Edomuit quos pace puer; bellumque repressit + Ignarus quid bella forent. Stupuere feroces + In tenero jam membra Getae. Rex ipse, verendum + Miratus pueri decus et prodentia fatum + Lumina, primaevas dederat gestare faretras, + Laudabatque manus librantem et tela gerentem + Oblitus quod noster erat Pro nescia regis + Corda, feris quanto populis discrimine constet + Quod Latium docet arma ducem. + —Merobaudes, Panegyr. p. 15.—M.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.6" id="linknote-35.6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.6">return</a>)<br /> [ This portrait is drawn by + Renetus Profuturus Frigeridus, a contemporary historian, known only by + some extracts, which are preserved by Gregory of Tours, (l. ii. c. 8, in + tom. ii. p. 163.) It was probably the duty, or at least the interest, of + Renatus, to magnify the virtues of Ætius; but he would have shown more + dexterity if he had not insisted on his patient, forgiving disposition.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.611" id="linknote-35.611"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 611 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.611">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Insessor Libyes, quamvis, fatalibus armis + Ausus Elisaei solium rescindere regni, + Milibus Arctois Tyrias compleverat arces, + Nunc hostem exutus pactis proprioribus arsit + + Romanam vincire fidem, Latiosque parentes + Adnumerare sib, sociamque intexere prolem. + —-Merobaudes, p. 12.—M.] +</pre> + <p> + From a principle of interest, as well as gratitude, Ætius assiduously + cultivated the alliance of the Huns. While he resided in their tents as a + hostage, or an exile, he had familiarly conversed with Attila himself, the + nephew of his benefactor; and the two famous antagonists appeared to have + been connected by a personal and military friendship, which they + afterwards confirmed by mutual gifts, frequent embassies, and the + education of Carpilio, the son of Ætius, in the camp of Attila. By the + specious professions of gratitude and voluntary attachment, the patrician + might disguise his apprehensions of the Scythian conqueror, who pressed + the two empires with his innumerable armies. His demands were obeyed or + eluded. When he claimed the spoils of a vanquished city, some vases of + gold, which had been fraudulently embezzled, the civil and military + governors of Noricum were immediately despatched to satisfy his + complaints: <a href="#linknote-35.7" name="linknoteref-35.7" + id="linknoteref-35.7">7</a> and it is evident, from their conversation with + Maximin and Priscus, in the royal village, that the valor and prudence of + Ætius had not saved the Western Romans from the common ignominy of + tribute. Yet his dexterous policy prolonged the advantages of a salutary + peace; and a numerous army of Huns and Alani, whom he had attached to his + person, was employed in the defence of Gaul. Two colonies of these + Barbarians were judiciously fixed in the territories of Valens and + Orleans; <a href="#linknote-35.8" name="linknoteref-35.8" + id="linknoteref-35.8">8</a> and their active cavalry secured the important + passages of the Rhone and of the Loire. These savage allies were not + indeed less formidable to the subjects than to the enemies of Rome. Their + original settlement was enforced with the licentious violence of conquest; + and the province through which they marched was exposed to all the + calamities of a hostile invasion. <a href="#linknote-35.9" + name="linknoteref-35.9" id="linknoteref-35.9">9</a> Strangers to the emperor + or the republic, the Alani of Gaul were devoted to the ambition of Ætius, + and though he might suspect, that, in a contest with Attila himself, they + would revolt to the standard of their national king, the patrician labored + to restrain, rather than to excite, their zeal and resentment against the + Goths, the Burgundians, and the Franks. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.7" id="linknote-35.7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.7">return</a>)<br /> [ The embassy consisted of + Count Romulus; of Promotus, president of Noricum; and of Romanus, the + military duke. They were accompanied by Tatullus, an illustrious citizen + of Petovio, in the same province, and father of Orestes, who had married + the daughter of Count Romulus. See Priscus, p. 57, 65. Cassiodorus + (Variar. i. 4) mentions another embassy, which was executed by his father + and Carpilio, the son of Ætius; and, as Attila was no more, he could + safely boast of their manly, intrepid behavior in his presence.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.8" id="linknote-35.8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.8">return</a>)<br /> [ Deserta Valentinae urbis + rura Alanis partienda traduntur. Prosper. Tyronis Chron. in Historiens de + France, tom. i. p. 639. A few lines afterwards, Prosper observes, that + lands in the ulterior Gaul were assigned to the Alani. Without admitting + the correction of Dubos, (tom. i. p. 300,) the reasonable supposition of + two colonies or garrisons of Alani will confirm his arguments, and remove + his objections.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.9" id="linknote-35.9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.9">return</a>)<br /> [ See Prosper. Tyro, p. + 639. Sidonius (Panegyr. Avit. 246) complains, in the name of Auvergne, his + native country, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Litorius Scythicos equites tunc forte subacto + Celsus Aremorico, Geticum rapiebat in agmen + Per terras, Averne, tuas, qui proxima quaedue + Discursu, flammis, ferro, feritate, rapinis, + Delebant; pacis fallentes nomen inane. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + another poet, Paulinus of Perigord, confirms the complaint:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Nam socium vix ferre queas, qui durior hoste. + —-See Dubos, tom. i. p. 330.] +</pre> + <p> + The kingdom established by the Visigoths in the southern provinces of + Gaul, had gradually acquired strength and maturity; and the conduct of + those ambitious Barbarians, either in peace or war, engaged the perpetual + vigilance of Ætius. After the death of Wallia, the Gothic sceptre + devolved to Theodoric, the son of the great Alaric; <a + href="#linknote-35.10" name="linknoteref-35.10" id="linknoteref-35.10">10</a> + and his prosperous reign of more than thirty years, over a turbulent + people, may be allowed to prove, that his prudence was supported by + uncommon vigor, both of mind and body. Impatient of his narrow limits, + Theodoric aspired to the possession of Arles, the wealthy seat of + government and commerce; but the city was saved by the timely approach of + Ætius; and the Gothic king, who had raised the siege with some loss and + disgrace, was persuaded, for an adequate subsidy, to divert the martial + valor of his subjects in a Spanish war. Yet Theodoric still watched, and + eagerly seized, the favorable moment of renewing his hostile attempts. The + Goths besieged Narbonne, while the Belgic provinces were invaded by the + Burgundians; and the public safety was threatened on every side by the + apparent union of the enemies of Rome. On every side, the activity of + Ætius, and his Scythian cavalry, opposed a firm and successful + resistance. Twenty thousand Burgundians were slain in battle; and the + remains of the nation humbly accepted a dependent seat in the mountains of + Savoy. <a href="#linknote-35.11" name="linknoteref-35.11" + id="linknoteref-35.11">11</a> The walls of Narbonne had been shaken by the + battering engines, and the inhabitants had endured the last extremities of + famine, when Count Litorius, approaching in silence, and directing each + horseman to carry behind him two sacks of flour, cut his way through the + intrenchments of the besiegers. The siege was immediately raised; and the + more decisive victory, which is ascribed to the personal conduct of Ætius + himself, was marked with the blood of eight thousand Goths. But in the + absence of the patrician, who was hastily summoned to Italy by some public + or private interest, Count Litorius succeeded to the command; and his + presumption soon discovered that far different talents are required to + lead a wing of cavalry, or to direct the operations of an important war. + At the head of an army of Huns, he rashly advanced to the gates of + Thoulouse, full of careless contempt for an enemy whom his misfortunes had + rendered prudent, and his situation made desperate. The predictions of the + augurs had inspired Litorius with the profane confidence that he should + enter the Gothic capital in triumph; and the trust which he reposed in his + Pagan allies, encouraged him to reject the fair conditions of peace, which + were repeatedly proposed by the bishops in the name of Theodoric. The king + of the Goths exhibited in his distress the edifying contrast of Christian + piety and moderation; nor did he lay aside his sackcloth and ashes till he + was prepared to arm for the combat. His soldiers, animated with martial + and religious enthusiasm, assaulted the camp of Litorius. The conflict was + obstinate; the slaughter was mutual. The Roman general, after a total + defeat, which could be imputed only to his unskilful rashness, was + actually led through the streets of Thoulouse, not in his own, but in a + hostile triumph; and the misery which he experienced, in a long and + ignominious captivity, excited the compassion of the Barbarians + themselves. <a href="#linknote-35.12" name="linknoteref-35.12" + id="linknoteref-35.12">12</a> Such a loss, in a country whose spirit and + finances were long since exhausted, could not easily be repaired; and the + Goths, assuming, in their turn, the sentiments of ambition and revenge, + would have planted their victorious standards on the banks of the Rhone, + if the presence of Ætius had not restored strength and discipline to the + Romans. <a href="#linknote-35.13" name="linknoteref-35.13" + id="linknoteref-35.13">13</a> The two armies expected the signal of a + decisive action; but the generals, who were conscious of each other’s + force, and doubtful of their own superiority, prudently sheathed their + swords in the field of battle; and their reconciliation was permanent and + sincere. Theodoric, king of the Visigoths, appears to have deserved the + love of his subjects, the confidence of his allies, and the esteem of + mankind. His throne was surrounded by six valiant sons, who were educated + with equal care in the exercises of the Barbarian camp, and in those of + the Gallic schools: from the study of the Roman jurisprudence, they + acquired the theory, at least, of law and justice; and the harmonious + sense of Virgil contributed to soften the asperity of their native + manners. <a href="#linknote-35.14" name="linknoteref-35.14" + id="linknoteref-35.14">14</a> The two daughters of the Gothic king were + given in marriage to the eldest sons of the kings of the Suevi and of the + Vandals, who reigned in Spain and Africa: but these illustrious alliances + were pregnant with guilt and discord. The queen of the Suevi bewailed the + death of a husband inhumanly massacred by her brother. The princess of the + Vandals was the victim of a jealous tyrant, whom she called her father. + The cruel Genseric suspected that his son’s wife had conspired to poison + him; the supposed crime was punished by the amputation of her nose and + ears; and the unhappy daughter of Theodoric was ignominiously returned to + the court of Thoulouse in that deformed and mutilated condition. This + horrid act, which must seem incredible to a civilized age drew tears from + every spectator; but Theodoric was urged, by the feelings of a parent and + a king, to revenge such irreparable injuries. The Imperial ministers, who + always cherished the discord of the Barbarians, would have supplied the + Goths with arms, and ships, and treasures, for the African war; and the + cruelty of Genseric might have been fatal to himself, if the artful Vandal + had not armed, in his cause, the formidable power of the Huns. His rich + gifts and pressing solicitations inflamed the ambition of Attila; and the + designs of Ætius and Theodoric were prevented by the invasion of Gaul. <a + href="#linknote-35.15" name="linknoteref-35.15" id="linknoteref-35.15">15</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.10" id="linknote-35.10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.10">return</a>)<br /> [ Theodoric II., the son + of Theodoric I., declares to Avitus his resolution of repairing, or + expiating, the faults which his grandfather had committed,— + </p> + <p> + Quae noster peccavit avus, quem fuscat id unum, Quod te, Roma, capit. + </p> + <p> + Sidon. Panegyric. Avit. 505. + </p> + <p> + This character, applicable only to the great Alaric, establishes the + genealogy of the Gothic kings, which has hitherto been unnoticed.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.11" id="linknote-35.11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.11">return</a>)<br /> [ The name of Sapaudia, + the origin of Savoy, is first mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus; and two + military posts are ascertained by the Notitia, within the limits of that + province; a cohort was stationed at Grenoble in Dauphine; and Ebredunum, + or Iverdun, sheltered a fleet of small vessels, which commanded the Lake + of Neufchatel. See Valesius, Notit. Galliarum, p. 503. D’Anville, Notice + de l’Ancienne Gaule, p. 284, 579.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.12" id="linknote-35.12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.12">return</a>)<br /> [ Salvian has attempted + to explain the moral government of the Deity; a task which may be readily + performed by supposing that the calamities of the wicked are judgments, + and those of the righteous, trials.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.13" id="linknote-35.13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.13">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + —Capto terrarum damna patebant + Litorio, in Rhodanum proprios producere fines, + Thendoridae fixum; nec erat pugnare necesse, + Sed migrare Getis; rabidam trux asperat iram + Victor; quod sensit Scythicum sub moenibus hostem + Imputat, et nihil estgravius, si forsitan unquam + Vincerecontingat, trepido. + —Panegyr. Avit. 300, &c. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Sitionius then proceeds, according to the duty of a panegyrist, to + transfer the whole merit from Ætius to his minister Avitus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.14" id="linknote-35.14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.14">return</a>)<br /> [ Theodoric II. revered, + in the person of Avitus, the character of his preceptor. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Mihi Romula dudum + Per te jura placent; parvumque ediscere jussit + Ad tua verba pater, docili quo prisca Maronis + Carmine molliret Scythicos mihi pagina mores. + —-Sidon. Panegyr. Avit. 495 &c.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.15" id="linknote-35.15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.15">return</a>)<br /> [ Our authorities for the + reign of Theodoric I. are, Jornandes de Rebus Geticis, c. 34, 36, and the + Chronicles of Idatius, and the two Prospers, inserted in the historians of + France, tom. i. p. 612-640. To these we may add Salvian de Gubernatione + Dei, l. vii. p. 243, 244, 245, and the panegyric of Avitus, by Sidonius.] + </p> + <p> + The Franks, whose monarchy was still confined to the neighborhood of the + Lower Rhine, had wisely established the right of hereditary succession in + the noble family of the Merovingians. <a href="#linknote-35.16" + name="linknoteref-35.16" id="linknoteref-35.16">16</a> These princes were + elevated on a buckler, the symbol of military command; <a + href="#linknote-35.17" name="linknoteref-35.17" id="linknoteref-35.17">17</a> + and the royal fashion of long hair was the ensign of their birth and + dignity. Their flaxen locks, which they combed and dressed with singular + care, hung down in flowing ringlets on their back and shoulders; while the + rest of the nation were obliged, either by law or custom, to shave the + hinder part of their head, to comb their hair over the forehead, and to + content themselves with the ornament of two small whiskers. <a + href="#linknote-35.18" name="linknoteref-35.18" id="linknoteref-35.18">18</a> + The lofty stature of the Franks, and their blue eyes, denoted a Germanic + origin; their close apparel accurately expressed the figure of their + limbs; a weighty sword was suspended from a broad belt; their bodies were + protected by a large shield; and these warlike Barbarians were trained, + from their earliest youth, to run, to leap, to swim; to dart the javelin, + or battle-axe, with unerring aim; to advance, without hesitation, against + a superior enemy; and to maintain, either in life or death, the invincible + reputation of their ancestors. <a href="#linknote-35.19" + name="linknoteref-35.19" id="linknoteref-35.19">19</a> Clodion, the first of + their long-haired kings, whose name and actions are mentioned in authentic + history, held his residence at Dispargum, <a href="#linknote-35.20" + name="linknoteref-35.20" id="linknoteref-35.20">20</a> a village or + fortress, whose place may be assigned between Louvain and Brussels. From + the report of his spies, the king of the Franks was informed, that the + defenceless state of the second Belgic must yield, on the slightest + attack, to the valor of his subjects. He boldly penetrated through the + thickets and morasses of the Carbonarian forest; <a href="#linknote-35.21" + name="linknoteref-35.21" id="linknoteref-35.21">21</a> occupied Tournay and + Cambray, the only cities which existed in the fifth century, and extended + his conquests as far as the River Somme, over a desolate country, whose + cultivation and populousness are the effects of more recent industry. <a + href="#linknote-35.22" name="linknoteref-35.22" id="linknoteref-35.22">22</a> + While Clodion lay encamped in the plains of Artois, <a + href="#linknote-35.23" name="linknoteref-35.23" id="linknoteref-35.23">23</a> + and celebrated, with vain and ostentatious security, the marriage, + perhaps, of his son, the nuptial feast was interrupted by the unexpected + and unwelcome presence of Ætius, who had passed the Somme at the head of + his light cavalry. The tables, which had been spread under the shelter of + a hill, along the banks of a pleasant stream, were rudely overturned; the + Franks were oppressed before they could recover their arms, or their + ranks; and their unavailing valor was fatal only to themselves. The loaded + wagons, which had followed their march, afforded a rich booty; and the + virgin-bride, with her female attendants, submitted to the new lovers, who + were imposed on them by the chance of war. This advance, which had been + obtained by the skill and activity of Ætius, might reflect some disgrace + on the military prudence of Clodion; but the king of the Franks soon + regained his strength and reputation, and still maintained the possession + of his Gallic kingdom from the Rhine to the Somme. <a href="#linknote-35.24" + name="linknoteref-35.24" id="linknoteref-35.24">24</a> Under his reign, and + most probably from the enterprising spirit of his subjects, his three + capitals, Mentz, Treves, and Cologne, experienced the effects of hostile + cruelty and avarice. The distress of Cologne was prolonged by the + perpetual dominion of the same Barbarians, who evacuated the ruins of + Treves; and Treves, which in the space of forty years had been four times + besieged and pillaged, was disposed to lose the memory of her afflictions + in the vain amusements of the Circus. <a href="#linknote-35.25" + name="linknoteref-35.25" id="linknoteref-35.25">25</a> The death of Clodion, + after a reign of twenty years, exposed his kingdom to the discord and + ambition of his two sons. Meroveus, the younger, <a href="#linknote-35.26" + name="linknoteref-35.26" id="linknoteref-35.26">26</a> was persuaded to + implore the protection of Rome; he was received at the Imperial court, as + the ally of Valentinian, and the adopted son of the patrician Ætius; and + dismissed to his native country, with splendid gifts, and the strongest + assurances of friendship and support. During his absence, his elder + brother had solicited, with equal ardor, the formidable aid of Attila; and + the king of the Huns embraced an alliance, which facilitated the passage + of the Rhine, and justified, by a specious and honorable pretence, the + invasion of Gaul. <a href="#linknote-35.27" name="linknoteref-35.27" + id="linknoteref-35.27">27</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.16" id="linknote-35.16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.16">return</a>)<br /> [ Reges Crinitos se + creavisse de prima, et ut ita dicam nobiliori suorum familia, (Greg. + Turon. l. ii. c. 9, p. 166, of the second volume of the Historians of + France.) Gregory himself does not mention the Merovingian name, which may + be traced, however, to the beginning of the seventh century, as the + distinctive appellation of the royal family, and even of the French + monarchy. An ingenious critic has deduced the Merovingians from the great + Maroboduus; and he has clearly proved, that the prince, who gave his name + to the first race, was more ancient than the father of Childeric. See + Mémoires de l’Academie des Inscriptions, tom. xx. p. 52-90, tom. xxx. p. + 557-587.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.17" id="linknote-35.17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.17">return</a>)<br /> [ This German custom, + which may be traced from Tacitus to Gregory of Tours, was at length + adopted by the emperors of Constantinople. From a MS. of the tenth + century, Montfaucon has delineated the representation of a similar + ceremony, which the ignorance of the age had applied to King David. See + Monumens de la Monarchie Francoise, tom. i. Discours Preliminaire.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.18" id="linknote-35.18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.18">return</a>)<br /> [ Caesaries prolixa... + crinium flagellis per terga dimissis, &c. See the Preface to the third + volume of the Historians of France, and the Abbe Le Boeuf, (Dissertat. + tom. iii. p. 47-79.) This peculiar fashion of the Merovingians has been + remarked by natives and strangers; by Priscus, (tom. i. p. 608,) by + Agathias, (tom. ii. p. 49,) and by Gregory of Tours, (l. viii. 18, vi. 24, + viii. 10, tom. ii. p. 196, 278, 316.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.19" id="linknote-35.19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.19">return</a>)<br /> [ See an original picture + of the figure, dress, arms, and temper of the ancient Franks, in Sidonius + Apollinaris, (Panegyr. Majorian. 238-254;) and such pictures, though + coarsely drawn, have a real and intrinsic value. Father Daniel (History de + la Milice Francoise, tom. i. p. 2-7) has illustrated the description.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.20" id="linknote-35.20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.20">return</a>)<br /> [ Dubos, Hist. Critique, + &c., tom. i. p. 271, 272. Some geographers have placed Dispargum on + the German side of the Rhine. See a note of the Benedictine Editors, to + the Historians of France, tom. ii p. 166.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.21" id="linknote-35.21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.21">return</a>)<br /> [ The Carbonarian wood + was that part of the great forest of the Ardennes which lay between the + Escaut, or Scheldt, and the Meuse. Vales. Notit. Gall. p. 126.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.22" id="linknote-35.22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.22">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregor. Turon. l. ii. + c. 9, in tom. ii. p. 166, 167. Fredegar. Epitom. c. 9, p. 395. Gesta Reg. + Francor. c. 5, in tom. ii. p. 544. Vit St. Remig. ab Hincmar, in tom. iii. + p. 373.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.23" id="linknote-35.23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.23">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + —Francus qua Cloio patentes + Atrebatum terras pervaserat. + —Panegyr. Majorian 213 +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The precise spot was a town or village, called Vicus Helena; and both the + name and place are discovered by modern geographers at Lens See Vales. + Notit. Gall. p. 246. Longuerue, Description de la France tom. ii. p. 88.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.24" id="linknote-35.24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.24">return</a>)<br /> [ See a vague account of + the action in Sidonius. Panegyr. Majorian 212-230. The French critics, + impatient to establish their monarchy in Gaul, have drawn a strong + argument from the silence of Sidonius, who dares not insinuate, that the + vanquished Franks were compelled to repass the Rhine. Dubos, tom. i. p. + 322.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.25" id="linknote-35.25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.25">return</a>)<br /> [ Salvian (de Gubernat. + Dei, l. vi.) has expressed, in vague and declamatory language, the + misfortunes of these three cities, which are distinctly ascertained by the + learned Mascou, Hist. of the Ancient Germans, ix. 21.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.26" id="linknote-35.26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.26">return</a>)<br /> [ Priscus, in relating + the contest, does not name the two brothers; the second of whom he had + seen at Rome, a beardless youth, with long, flowing hair, (Historians of + France, tom. i. p. 607, 608.) The Benedictine Editors are inclined to + believe, that they were the sons of some unknown king of the Franks, who + reigned on the banks of the Neckar; but the arguments of M. de Foncemagne + (Mem. de l’Academie, tom. viii. p. 464) seem to prove that the succession + of Clodion was disputed by his two sons, and that the younger was + Meroveus, the father of Childeric. * Note: The relationship of Meroveus to + Clodion is extremely doubtful.—By some he is called an illegitimate + son; by others merely of his race. Tur ii. c. 9, in Sismondi, Hist. des + Francais, i. 177. See Mezeray.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.27" id="linknote-35.27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.27">return</a>)<br /> [ Under the Merovingian + race, the throne was hereditary; but all the sons of the deceased monarch + were equally entitled to their share of his treasures and territories. See + the Dissertations of M. de Foncemagne, in the sixth and eighth volumes of + the Mémoires de l’Academie.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap35.2"></a> +Chapter XXXV: Invasion By Attila.—Part II. +</h2> + <p> + When Attila declared his resolution of supporting the cause of his allies, + the Vandals and the Franks, at the same time, and almost in the spirit of + romantic chivalry, the savage monarch professed himself the lover and the + champion of the princess Honoria. The sister of Valentinian was educated + in the palace of Ravenna; and as her marriage might be productive of some + danger to the state, she was raised, by the title of Augusta, <a + href="#linknote-35.28" name="linknoteref-35.28" id="linknoteref-35.28">28</a> + above the hopes of the most presumptuous subject. But the fair Honoria had + no sooner attained the sixteenth year of her age, than she detested the + importunate greatness which must forever exclude her from the comforts of + honorable love; in the midst of vain and unsatisfactory pomp, Honoria + sighed, yielded to the impulse of nature, and threw herself into the arms + of her chamberlain Eugenius. Her guilt and shame (such is the absurd + language of imperious man) were soon betrayed by the appearances of + pregnancy; but the disgrace of the royal family was published to the world + by the imprudence of the empress Placidia who dismissed her daughter, + after a strict and shameful confinement, to a remote exile at + Constantinople. The unhappy princess passed twelve or fourteen years in + the irksome society of the sisters of Theodosius, and their chosen + virgins; to whose crown Honoria could no longer aspire, and whose monastic + assiduity of prayer, fasting, and vigils, she reluctantly imitated. Her + impatience of long and hopeless celibacy urged her to embrace a strange + and desperate resolution. The name of Attila was familiar and formidable + at Constantinople; and his frequent embassies entertained a perpetual + intercourse between his camp and the Imperial palace. In the pursuit of + love, or rather of revenge, the daughter of Placidia sacrificed every duty + and every prejudice; and offered to deliver her person into the arms of a + Barbarian, of whose language she was ignorant, whose figure was scarcely + human, and whose religion and manners she abhorred. By the ministry of a + faithful eunuch, she transmitted to Attila a ring, the pledge of her + affection; and earnestly conjured him to claim her as a lawful spouse, to + whom he had been secretly betrothed. These indecent advances were + received, however, with coldness and disdain; and the king of the Huns + continued to multiply the number of his wives, till his love was awakened + by the more forcible passions of ambition and avarice. The invasion of + Gaul was preceded, and justified, by a formal demand of the princess + Honoria, with a just and equal share of the Imperial patrimony. His + predecessors, the ancient Tanjous, had often addressed, in the same + hostile and peremptory manner, the daughters of China; and the pretensions + of Attila were not less offensive to the majesty of Rome. A firm, but + temperate, refusal was communicated to his ambassadors. The right of + female succession, though it might derive a specious argument from the + recent examples of Placidia and Pulcheria, was strenuously denied; and the + indissoluble engagements of Honoria were opposed to the claims of her + Scythian lover. <a href="#linknote-35.29" name="linknoteref-35.29" + id="linknoteref-35.29">29</a> On the discovery of her connection with the + king of the Huns, the guilty princess had been sent away, as an object of + horror, from Constantinople to Italy: her life was spared; but the + ceremony of her marriage was performed with some obscure and nominal + husband, before she was immured in a perpetual prison, to bewail those + crimes and misfortunes, which Honoria might have escaped, had she not been + born the daughter of an emperor. <a href="#linknote-35.30" + name="linknoteref-35.30" id="linknoteref-35.30">30</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.28" id="linknote-35.28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.28">return</a>)<br /> [ A medal is still + extant, which exhibits the pleasing countenance of Honoria, with the title + of Augusta; and on the reverse, the improper legend of Salus Reipublicoe + round the monogram of Christ. See Ducange, Famil. Byzantin. p. 67, 73.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.29" id="linknote-35.29"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 29 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.29">return</a>)<br /> [ See Priscus, p, 39, 40. + It might be fairly alleged, that if females could succeed to the throne, + Valentinian himself, who had married the daughter and heiress of the + younger Theodosius, would have asserted her right to the Eastern empire.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.30" id="linknote-35.30"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 30 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.30">return</a>)<br /> [ The adventures of + Honoria are imperfectly related by Jornandes, de Successione Regn. c. 97, + and de Reb. Get. c. 42, p. 674; and in the Chronicles of Prosper and + Marcellinus; but they cannot be made consistent, or probable, unless we + separate, by an interval of time and place, her intrigue with Eugenius, + and her invitation of Attila.] + </p> + <p> + A native of Gaul, and a contemporary, the learned and eloquent Sidonius, + who was afterwards bishop of Clermont, had made a promise to one of his + friends, that he would compose a regular history of the war of Attila. If + the modesty of Sidonius had not discouraged him from the prosecution of + this interesting work, <a href="#linknote-35.31" name="linknoteref-35.31" + id="linknoteref-35.31">31</a> the historian would have related, with the + simplicity of truth, those memorable events, to which the poet, in vague + and doubtful metaphors, has concisely alluded. <a href="#linknote-35.32" + name="linknoteref-35.32" id="linknoteref-35.32">32</a> The kings and nations + of Germany and Scythia, from the Volga perhaps to the Danube, obeyed the + warlike summons of Attila. From the royal village, in the plains of + Hungary his standard moved towards the West; and after a march of seven or + eight hundred miles, he reached the conflux of the Rhine and the Neckar, + where he was joined by the Franks, who adhered to his ally, the elder of + the sons of Clodion. A troop of light Barbarians, who roamed in quest of + plunder, might choose the winter for the convenience of passing the river + on the ice; but the innumerable cavalry of the Huns required such plenty + of forage and provisions, as could be procured only in a milder season; + the Hercynian forest supplied materials for a bridge of boats; and the + hostile myriads were poured, with resistless violence, into the Belgic + provinces. <a href="#linknote-35.33" name="linknoteref-35.33" + id="linknoteref-35.33">33</a> The consternation of Gaul was universal; and + the various fortunes of its cities have been adorned by tradition with + martyrdoms and miracles. <a href="#linknote-35.34" name="linknoteref-35.34" + id="linknoteref-35.34">34</a> Troyes was saved by the merits of St. Lupus; + St. Servatius was removed from the world, that he might not behold the + ruin of Tongres; and the prayers of St. Genevieve diverted the march of + Attila from the neighborhood of Paris. But as the greatest part of the + Gallic cities were alike destitute of saints and soldiers, they were + besieged and stormed by the Huns; who practised, in the example of Metz, + <a href="#linknote-35.35" name="linknoteref-35.35" id="linknoteref-35.35">35</a> + their customary maxims of war. They involved, in a promiscuous massacre, + the priests who served at the altar, and the infants, who, in the hour of + danger, had been providently baptized by the bishop; the flourishing city + was delivered to the flames, and a solitary chapel of St. Stephen marked + the place where it formerly stood. From the Rhine and the Moselle, Attila + advanced into the heart of Gaul; crossed the Seine at Auxerre; and, after + a long and laborious march, fixed his camp under the walls of Orleans. He + was desirous of securing his conquests by the possession of an + advantageous post, which commanded the passage of the Loire; and he + depended on the secret invitation of Sangiban, king of the Alani, who had + promised to betray the city, and to revolt from the service of the empire. + But this treacherous conspiracy was detected and disappointed: Orleans had + been strengthened with recent fortifications; and the assaults of the Huns + were vigorously repelled by the faithful valor of the soldiers, or + citizens, who defended the place. The pastoral diligence of Anianus, a + bishop of primitive sanctity and consummate prudence, exhausted every art + of religious policy to support their courage, till the arrival of the + expected succors. After an obstinate siege, the walls were shaken by the + battering rams; the Huns had already occupied the suburbs; and the people, + who were incapable of bearing arms, lay prostrate in prayer. Anianus, who + anxiously counted the days and hours, despatched a trusty messenger to + observe, from the rampart, the face of the distant country. He returned + twice, without any intelligence that could inspire hope or comfort; but, + in his third report, he mentioned a small cloud, which he had faintly + descried at the extremity of the horizon. “It is the aid of God!” + exclaimed the bishop, in a tone of pious confidence; and the whole + multitude repeated after him, “It is the aid of God.” The remote object, + on which every eye was fixed, became each moment larger, and more + distinct; the Roman and Gothic banners were gradually perceived; and a + favorable wind blowing aside the dust, discovered, in deep array, the + impatient squadrons of Ætius and Theodoric, who pressed forwards to the + relief of Orleans. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.31" id="linknote-35.31"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 31 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.31">return</a>)<br /> [ Exegeras mihi, ut + promitterem tibi, Attilæ bellum stylo me posteris intimaturum.... + coeperam scribere, sed operis arrepti fasce perspecto, taeduit inchoasse. + Sidon. Apoll. l. viii. epist. 15, p. 235] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.32" id="linknote-35.32"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 32 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.32">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Subito cum rupta tumultu + Barbaries totas in te transfuderat Arctos, + + Gallia. Pugnacem Rugum comitante Gelono, + Gepida trux sequitur; Scyrum Burgundio cogit: + + Chunus, Bellonotus, Neurus, Basterna, Toringus, + + Bructerus, ulvosa vel quem Nicer abluit unda +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Prorumpit Francus. Cecidit cito secta bipenni Hercynia in lintres, et + Rhenum texuit alno. Et jam terrificis diffuderat Attila turmis In campos + se, Belga, tuos. Panegyr. Avit.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.33" id="linknote-35.33"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 33 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.33">return</a>)<br /> [ The most authentic and + circumstantial account of this war is contained in Jornandes, (de Reb. + Geticis, c. 36-41, p. 662-672,) who has sometimes abridged, and sometimes + transcribed, the larger history of Cassiodorus. Jornandes, a quotation + which it would be superfluous to repeat, may be corrected and illustrated + by Gregory of Tours, l. ii. c. 5, 6, 7, and the Chronicles of Idatius, + Isidore, and the two Prospers. All the ancient testimonies are collected + and inserted in the Historians of France; but the reader should be + cautioned against a supposed extract from the Chronicle of Idatius, (among + the fragments of Fredegarius, tom. ii. p. 462,) which often contradicts + the genuine text of the Gallician bishop.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.34" id="linknote-35.34"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 34 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.34">return</a>)<br /> [ The ancient legendaries + deserve some regard, as they are obliged to connect their fables with the + real history of their own times. See the lives of St. Lupus, St. Anianus, + the bishops of Metz, Ste. Genevieve, &c., in the Historians of France, + tom. i. p. 644, 645, 649, tom. iii. p. 369.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.35" id="linknote-35.35"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 35 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.35">return</a>)<br /> [ The scepticism of the + count de Buat (Hist. des Peuples, tom. vii. p. 539, 540) cannot be + reconciled with any principles of reason or criticism. Is not Gregory of + Tours precise and positive in his account of the destruction of Metz? At + the distance of no more than a hundred years, could he be ignorant, could + the people be ignorant of the fate of a city, the actual residence of his + sovereigns, the kings of Austrasia? The learned count, who seems to have + undertaken the apology of Attila and the Barbarians, appeals to the false + Idatius, parcens Germaniae et Galliae, and forgets that the true Idatius + had explicitly affirmed, plurimae civitates effractoe, among which he + enumerates Metz.] + </p> + <p> + The facility with which Attila had penetrated into the heart of Gaul, may + be ascribed to his insidious policy, as well as to the terror of his arms. + His public declarations were skilfully mitigated by his private + assurances; he alternately soothed and threatened the Romans and the + Goths; and the courts of Ravenna and Thoulouse, mutually suspicious of + each other’s intentions, beheld, with supine indifference, the approach of + their common enemy. Ætius was the sole guardian of the public safety; but + his wisest measures were embarrassed by a faction, which, since the death + of Placidia, infested the Imperial palace: the youth of Italy trembled at + the sound of the trumpet; and the Barbarians, who, from fear or affection, + were inclined to the cause of Attila, awaited with doubtful and venal + faith, the event of the war. The patrician passed the Alps at the head of + some troops, whose strength and numbers scarcely deserved the name of an + army. <a href="#linknote-35.36" name="linknoteref-35.36" + id="linknoteref-35.36">36</a> But on his arrival at Arles, or Lyons, he was + confounded by the intelligence, that the Visigoths, refusing to embrace + the defence of Gaul, had determined to expect, within their own + territories, the formidable invader, whom they professed to despise. The + senator Avitus, who, after the honorable exercise of the Prætorian + praefecture, had retired to his estate in Auvergne, was persuaded to + accept the important embassy, which he executed with ability and success. + He represented to Theodoric, that an ambitious conqueror, who aspired to + the dominion of the earth, could be resisted only by the firm and + unanimous alliance of the powers whom he labored to oppress. The lively + eloquence of Avitus inflamed the Gothic warriors, by the description of + the injuries which their ancestors had suffered from the Huns; whose + implacable fury still pursued them from the Danube to the foot of the + Pyrenees. He strenuously urged, that it was the duty of every Christian to + save, from sacrilegious violation, the churches of God, and the relics of + the saints: that it was the interest of every Barbarian, who had acquired + a settlement in Gaul, to defend the fields and vineyards, which were + cultivated for his use, against the desolation of the Scythian shepherds. + Theodoric yielded to the evidence of truth; adopted the measure at once + the most prudent and the most honorable; and declared, that, as the + faithful ally of Ætius and the Romans, he was ready to expose his life + and kingdom for the common safety of Gaul. <a href="#linknote-35.37" + name="linknoteref-35.37" id="linknoteref-35.37">37</a> The Visigoths, who, + at that time, were in the mature vigor of their fame and power, obeyed + with alacrity the signal of war; prepared their arms and horses, and + assembled under the standard of their aged king, who was resolved, with + his two eldest sons, Torismond and Theodoric, to command in person his + numerous and valiant people. The example of the Goths determined several + tribes or nations, that seemed to fluctuate between the Huns and the + Romans. The indefatigable diligence of the patrician gradually collected + the troops of Gaul and Germany, who had formerly acknowledged themselves + the subjects, or soldiers, of the republic, but who now claimed the + rewards of voluntary service, and the rank of independent allies; the + Læti, the Armoricans, the Breones, the Saxons, the Burgundians, the + Sarmatians, or Alani, the Ripuarians, and the Franks who followed Meroveus + as their lawful prince. Such was the various army, which, under the + conduct of Ætius and Theodoric, advanced, by rapid marches to relieve + Orleans, and to give battle to the innumerable host of Attila. <a + href="#linknote-35.38" name="linknoteref-35.38" id="linknoteref-35.38">38</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.36" id="linknote-35.36"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 36 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.36">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Vix liquerat Alpes + Ætius, tenue, et rarum sine milite ducens + Robur, in auxiliis Geticum male credulus agmen + Incassum propriis praesumens adfore castris. + —-Panegyr. Avit. 328, &c.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.37" id="linknote-35.37"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 37 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.37">return</a>)<br /> [ The policy of Attila, + of Ætius, and of the Visigoths, is imperfectly described in the Panegyric + of Avitus, and the thirty-sixth chapter of Jornandes. The poet and the + historian were both biased by personal or national prejudices. The former + exalts the merit and importance of Avitus; orbis, Avite, salus, &c.! + The latter is anxious to show the Goths in the most favorable light. Yet + their agreement when they are fairly interpreted, is a proof of their + veracity.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.38" id="linknote-35.38"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 38 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.38">return</a>)<br /> [ The review of the army + of Ætius is made by Jornandes, c. 36, p. 664, edit. Grot. tom. ii. p. 23, + of the Historians of France, with the notes of the Benedictine editor. The + Loeti were a promiscuous race of Barbarians, born or naturalized in Gaul; + and the Riparii, or Ripuarii, derived their name from their post on the + three rivers, the Rhine, the Meuse, and the Moselle; the Armoricans + possessed the independent cities between the Seine and the Loire. A colony + of Saxons had been planted in the diocese of Bayeux; the Burgundians were + settled in Savoy; and the Breones were a warlike tribe of Rhaetians, to + the east of the Lake of Constance.] + </p> + <p> + On their approach the king of the Huns immediately raised the siege, and + sounded a retreat to recall the foremost of his troops from the pillage of + a city which they had already entered. <a href="#linknote-35.39" + name="linknoteref-35.39" id="linknoteref-35.39">39</a> The valor of Attila + was always guided by his prudence; and as he foresaw the fatal + consequences of a defeat in the heart of Gaul, he repassed the Seine, and + expected the enemy in the plains of Chalons, whose smooth and level + surface was adapted to the operations of his Scythian cavalry. But in this + tumultuary retreat, the vanguard of the Romans and their allies + continually pressed, and sometimes engaged, the troops whom Attila had + posted in the rear; the hostile columns, in the darkness of the night and + the perplexity of the roads, might encounter each other without design; + and the bloody conflict of the Franks and Gepidae, in which fifteen + thousand <a href="#linknote-35.40" name="linknoteref-35.40" + id="linknoteref-35.40">40</a> Barbarians were slain, was a prelude to a + more general and decisive action. The Catalaunian fields <a + href="#linknote-35.41" name="linknoteref-35.41" id="linknoteref-35.41">41</a> + spread themselves round Chalons, and extend, according to the vague + measurement of Jornandes, to the length of one hundred and fifty, and the + breadth of one hundred miles, over the whole province, which is entitled + to the appellation of a champaign country. <a href="#linknote-35.42" + name="linknoteref-35.42" id="linknoteref-35.42">42</a> This spacious plain + was distinguished, however, by some inequalities of ground; and the + importance of a height, which commanded the camp of Attila, was understood + and disputed by the two generals. The young and valiant Torismond first + occupied the summit; the Goths rushed with irresistible weight on the + Huns, who labored to ascend from the opposite side: and the possession of + this advantageous post inspired both the troops and their leaders with a + fair assurance of victory. The anxiety of Attila prompted him to consult + his priests and haruspices. It was reported, that, after scrutinizing the + entrails of victims, and scraping their bones, they revealed, in + mysterious language, his own defeat, with the death of his principal + adversary; and that the Barbarians, by accepting the equivalent, expressed + his involuntary esteem for the superior merit of Ætius. But the unusual + despondency, which seemed to prevail among the Huns, engaged Attila to use + the expedient, so familiar to the generals of antiquity, of animating his + troops by a military oration; and his language was that of a king, who had + often fought and conquered at their head. <a href="#linknote-35.43" + name="linknoteref-35.43" id="linknoteref-35.43">43</a> He pressed them to + consider their past glory, their actual danger, and their future hopes. + The same fortune, which opened the deserts and morasses of Scythia to + their unarmed valor, which had laid so many warlike nations prostrate at + their feet, had reserved the joys of this memorable field for the + consummation of their victories. The cautious steps of their enemies, + their strict alliance, and their advantageous posts, he artfully + represented as the effects, not of prudence, but of fear. The Visigoths + alone were the strength and nerves of the opposite army; and the Huns + might securely trample on the degenerate Romans, whose close and compact + order betrayed their apprehensions, and who were equally incapable of + supporting the dangers or the fatigues of a day of battle. The doctrine of + predestination, so favorable to martial virtue, was carefully inculcated by + the king of the Huns; who assured his subjects, that the warriors, + protected by Heaven, were safe and invulnerable amidst the darts of the + enemy; but that the unerring Fates would strike their victims in the bosom + of inglorious peace. “I myself,” continued Attila, “will throw the first + javelin, and the wretch who refuses to imitate the example of his + sovereign, is devoted to inevitable death.” The spirit of the Barbarians + was rekindled by the presence, the voice, and the example of their + intrepid leader; and Attila, yielding to their impatience, immediately + formed his order of battle. At the head of his brave and faithful Huns, he + occupied in person the centre of the line. The nations subject to his + empire, the Rugians, the Heruli, the Thuringians, the Franks, the + Burgundians, were extended on either hand, over the ample space of the + Catalaunian fields; the right wing was commanded by Ardaric, king of the + Gepidae; and the three valiant brothers, who reigned over the Ostrogoths, + were posted on the left to oppose the kindred tribes of the Visigoths. The + disposition of the allies was regulated by a different principle. + Sangiban, the faithless king of the Alani, was placed in the centre, where + his motions might be strictly watched, and that the treachery might be + instantly punished. Ætius assumed the command of the left, and Theodoric + of the right wing; while Torismond still continued to occupy the heights + which appear to have stretched on the flank, and perhaps the rear, of the + Scythian army. The nations from the Volga to the Atlantic were assembled + on the plain of Chalons; but many of these nations had been divided by + faction, or conquest, or emigration; and the appearance of similar arms + and ensigns, which threatened each other, presented the image of a civil + war. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.39" id="linknote-35.39"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 39 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.39">return</a>)<br /> [ Aurelianensis urbis + obsidio, oppugnatio, irruptio, nec direptio, l. v. Sidon. Apollin. l. + viii. Epist. 15, p. 246. The preservation of Orleans might easily be + turned into a miracle, obtained and foretold by the holy bishop.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.40" id="linknote-35.40"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 40 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.40">return</a>)<br /> [ The common editions + read xcm but there is some authority of manuscripts (and almost any + authority is sufficient) for the more reasonable number of xvm.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.41" id="linknote-35.41"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 41 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.41">return</a>)<br /> [ Chalons, or + Duro-Catalaunum, afterwards Catalauni, had formerly made a part of the + territory of Rheims from whence it is distant only twenty-seven miles. See + Vales, Notit. Gall. p. 136. D’Anville, Notice de l’Ancienne Gaule, p. 212, + 279.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.42" id="linknote-35.42"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 42 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.42">return</a>)<br /> [ The name of Campania, + or Champagne, is frequently mentioned by Gregory of Tours; and that great + province, of which Rheims was the capital, obeyed the command of a duke. + Vales. Notit. p. 120-123.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.43" id="linknote-35.43"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 43 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.43">return</a>)<br /> [ I am sensible that + these military orations are usually composed by the historian; yet the old + Ostrogoths, who had served under Attila, might repeat his discourse to + Cassiodorus; the ideas, and even the expressions, have an original + Scythian cast; and I doubt, whether an Italian of the sixth century would + have thought of the hujus certaminis gaudia.] + </p> + <p> + The discipline and tactics of the Greeks and Romans form an interesting + part of their national manners. The attentive study of the military + operations of Xenophon, or Caesar, or Frederic, when they are described by + the same genius which conceived and executed them, may tend to improve (if + such improvement can be wished) the art of destroying the human species. + But the battle of Chalons can only excite our curiosity by the magnitude + of the object; since it was decided by the blind impetuosity of + Barbarians, and has been related by partial writers, whose civil or + ecclesiastical profession secluded them from the knowledge of military + affairs. Cassiolorus, however, had familiarly conversed with many Gothic + warriors, who served in that memorable engagement; “a conflict,” as they + informed him, “fierce, various, obstinate, and bloody; such as could not + be paralleled either in the present or in past ages.” The number of the + slain amounted to one hundred and sixty-two thousand, or, according to + another account, three hundred thousand persons; <a href="#linknote-35.44" + name="linknoteref-35.44" id="linknoteref-35.44">44</a> and these incredible + exaggerations suppose a real and effective loss sufficient to justify the + historian’s remark, that whole generations may be swept away by the + madness of kings, in the space of a single hour. After the mutual and + repeated discharge of missile weapons, in which the archers of Scythia + might signalize their superior dexterity, the cavalry and infantry of the + two armies were furiously mingled in closer combat. The Huns, who fought + under the eyes of their king pierced through the feeble and doubtful + centre of the allies, separated their wings from each other, and wheeling, + with a rapid effort, to the left, directed their whole force against the + Visigoths. As Theodoric rode along the ranks, to animate his troops, he + received a mortal stroke from the javelin of Andages, a noble Ostrogoth, + and immediately fell from his horse. The wounded king was oppressed in the + general disorder, and trampled under the feet of his own cavalry; and this + important death served to explain the ambiguous prophecy of the + haruspices. Attila already exulted in the confidence of victory, when the + valiant Torismond descended from the hills, and verified the remainder of + the prediction. The Visigoths, who had been thrown into confusion by the + flight or defection of the Alani, gradually restored their order of + battle; and the Huns were undoubtedly vanquished, since Attila was + compelled to retreat. He had exposed his person with the rashness of a + private soldier; but the intrepid troops of the centre had pushed forwards + beyond the rest of the line; their attack was faintly supported; their + flanks were unguarded; and the conquerors of Scythia and Germany were + saved by the approach of the night from a total defeat. They retired + within the circle of wagons that fortified their camp; and the dismounted + squadrons prepared themselves for a defence, to which neither their arms, + nor their temper, were adapted. The event was doubtful: but Attila had + secured a last and honorable resource. The saddles and rich furniture of + the cavalry were collected, by his order, into a funeral pile; and the + magnanimous Barbarian had resolved, if his intrenchments should be forced, + to rush headlong into the flames, and to deprive his enemies of the glory + which they might have acquired, by the death or captivity of Attila. <a + href="#linknote-35.45" name="linknoteref-35.45" id="linknoteref-35.45">45</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.44" id="linknote-35.44"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 44 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.44">return</a>)<br /> [ The expressions of + Jornandes, or rather of Cassiodorus, are extremely strong. Bellum atrox, + multiplex, immane, pertinax, cui simile nulla usquam narrat antiquitas: + ubi talia gesta referuntur, ut nihil esset quod in vita sua conspicere + potuisset egregius, qui hujus miraculi privaretur aspectu. Dubos (Hist. + Critique, tom. i. p. 392, 393) attempts to reconcile the 162,000 of + Jornandes with the 300,000 of Idatius and Isidore, by supposing that the + larger number included the total destruction of the war, the effects of + disease, the slaughter of the unarmed people, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.45" id="linknote-35.45"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 45 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.45">return</a>)<br /> [ The count de Buat, + (Hist. des Peuples, &c., tom. vii. p. 554-573,) still depending on the + false, and again rejecting the true, Idatius, has divided the defeat of + Attila into two great battles; the former near Orleans, the latter in + Champagne: in the one, Theodoric was slain in the other, he was revenged.] + </p> + <p> + But his enemies had passed the night in equal disorder and anxiety. The + inconsiderate courage of Torismond was tempted to urge the pursuit, till + he unexpectedly found himself, with a few followers, in the midst of the + Scythian wagons. In the confusion of a nocturnal combat, he was thrown + from his horse; and the Gothic prince must have perished like his father, + if his youthful strength, and the intrepid zeal of his companions, had not + rescued him from this dangerous situation. In the same manner, but on the + left of the line, Ætius himself, separated from his allies, ignorant of + their victory, and anxious for their fate, encountered and escaped the + hostile troops that were scattered over the plains of Chalons; and at + length reached the camp of the Goths, which he could only fortify with a + slight rampart of shields, till the dawn of day. The Imperial general was + soon satisfied of the defeat of Attila, who still remained inactive within + his intrenchments; and when he contemplated the bloody scene, he observed, + with secret satisfaction, that the loss had principally fallen on the + Barbarians. The body of Theodoric, pierced with honorable wounds, was + discovered under a heap of the slain: his subjects bewailed the death of + their king and father; but their tears were mingled with songs and + acclamations, and his funeral rites were performed in the face of a + vanquished enemy. The Goths, clashing their arms, elevated on a buckler + his eldest son Torismond, to whom they justly ascribed the glory of their + success; and the new king accepted the obligation of revenge as a sacred + portion of his paternal inheritance. Yet the Goths themselves were + astonished by the fierce and undaunted aspect of their formidable + antagonist; and their historian has compared Attila to a lion encompassed + in his den, and threatening his hunters with redoubled fury. The kings and + nations who might have deserted his standard in the hour of distress, were + made sensible that the displeasure of their monarch was the most imminent + and inevitable danger. All his instruments of martial music incessantly + sounded a loud and animating strain of defiance; and the foremost troops + who advanced to the assault were checked or destroyed by showers of arrows + from every side of the intrenchments. It was determined, in a general + council of war, to besiege the king of the Huns in his camp, to intercept + his provisions, and to reduce him to the alternative of a disgraceful + treaty or an unequal combat. But the impatience of the Barbarians soon + disdained these cautious and dilatory measures; and the mature policy of + Ætius was apprehensive that, after the extirpation of the Huns, the + republic would be oppressed by the pride and power of the Gothic nation. + The patrician exerted the superior ascendant of authority and reason to + calm the passions, which the son of Theodoric considered as a duty; + represented, with seeming affection and real truth, the dangers of absence + and delay and persuaded Torismond to disappoint, by his speedy return, the + ambitious designs of his brothers, who might occupy the throne and + treasures of Thoulouse. <a href="#linknote-35.46" name="linknoteref-35.46" + id="linknoteref-35.46">46</a> After the departure of the Goths, and the + separation of the allied army, Attila was surprised at the vast silence + that reigned over the plains of Chalons: the suspicion of some hostile + stratagem detained him several days within the circle of his wagons, and + his retreat beyond the Rhine confessed the last victory which was achieved + in the name of the Western empire. Meroveus and his Franks, observing a + prudent distance, and magnifying the opinion of their strength by the + numerous fires which they kindled every night, continued to follow the + rear of the Huns till they reached the confines of Thuringia. The + Thuringians served in the army of Attila: they traversed, both in their + march and in their return, the territories of the Franks; and it was + perhaps in this war that they exercised the cruelties which, about + fourscore years afterwards, were revenged by the son of Clovis. They + massacred their hostages, as well as their captives: two hundred young + maidens were tortured with exquisite and unrelenting rage; their bodies + were torn asunder by wild horses, or their bones were crushed under the + weight of rolling wagons; and their unburied limbs were abandoned on the + public roads, as a prey to dogs and vultures. Such were those savage + ancestors, whose imaginary virtues have sometimes excited the praise and + envy of civilized ages. <a href="#linknote-35.47" name="linknoteref-35.47" + id="linknoteref-35.47">47</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.46" id="linknote-35.46"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 46 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.46">return</a>)<br /> [ Jornandes de Rebus + Geticis, c. 41, p. 671. The policy of Ætius, and the behavior of + Torismond, are extremely natural; and the patrician, according to Gregory + of Tours, (l. ii. c. 7, p. 163,) dismissed the prince of the Franks, by + suggesting to him a similar apprehension. The false Idatius ridiculously + pretends, that Ætius paid a clandestine nocturnal visit to the kings of + the Huns and of the Visigoths; from each of whom he obtained a bribe of + ten thousand pieces of gold, as the price of an undisturbed retreat.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.47" id="linknote-35.47"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 47 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.47">return</a>)<br /> [ These cruelties, which + are passionately deplored by Theodoric, the son of Clovis, (Gregory of + Tours, l. iii. c. 10, p. 190,) suit the time and circumstances of the + invasion of Attila. His residence in Thuringia was long attested by + popular tradition; and he is supposed to have assembled a couroultai, or + diet, in the territory of Eisenach. See Mascou, ix. 30, who settles with + nice accuracy the extent of ancient Thuringia, and derives its name from + the Gothic tribe of the Therungi] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap35.3"></a> +Chapter XXXV: Invasion By Attila.—Part III. +</h2> + <p> + Neither the spirit, nor the forces, nor the reputation, of Attila, were + impaired by the failure of the Gallic expedition. In the ensuing spring he + repeated his demand of the princess Honoria, and her patrimonial + treasures. The demand was again rejected, or eluded; and the indignant + lover immediately took the field, passed the Alps, invaded Italy, and + besieged Aquileia with an innumerable host of Barbarians. Those Barbarians + were unskilled in the methods of conducting a regular siege, which, even + among the ancients, required some knowledge, or at least some practice, of + the mechanic arts. But the labor of many thousand provincials and + captives, whose lives were sacrificed without pity, might execute the most + painful and dangerous work. The skill of the Roman artists might be + corrupted to the destruction of their country. The walls of Aquileia were + assaulted by a formidable train of battering rams, movable turrets, and + engines, that threw stones, darts, and fire; <a href="#linknote-35.48" + name="linknoteref-35.48" id="linknoteref-35.48">48</a> and the monarch of + the Huns employed the forcible impulse of hope, fear, emulation, and + interest, to subvert the only barrier which delayed the conquest of Italy. + Aquileia was at that period one of the richest, the most populous, and the + strongest of the maritime cities of the Adriatic coast. The Gothic + auxiliaries, who appeared to have served under their native princes, + Alaric and Antala, communicated their intrepid spirit; and the citizens + still remembered the glorious and successful resistance which their + ancestors had opposed to a fierce, inexorable Barbarian, who disgraced the + majesty of the Roman purple. Three months were consumed without effect in + the siege of the Aquileia; till the want of provisions, and the clamors of + his army, compelled Attila to relinquish the enterprise; and reluctantly + to issue his orders, that the troops should strike their tents the next + morning, and begin their retreat. But as he rode round the walls, pensive, + angry, and disappointed, he observed a stork preparing to leave her nest, + in one of the towers, and to fly with her infant family towards the + country. He seized, with the ready penetration of a statesman, this + trifling incident, which chance had offered to superstition; and + exclaimed, in a loud and cheerful tone, that such a domestic bird, so + constantly attached to human society, would never have abandoned her + ancient seats, unless those towers had been devoted to impending ruin and + solitude. <a href="#linknote-35.49" name="linknoteref-35.49" + id="linknoteref-35.49">49</a> The favorable omen inspired an assurance of + victory; the siege was renewed and prosecuted with fresh vigor; a large + breach was made in the part of the wall from whence the stork had taken + her flight; the Huns mounted to the assault with irresistible fury; and + the succeeding generation could scarcely discover the ruins of Aquileia. + <a href="#linknote-35.50" name="linknoteref-35.50" id="linknoteref-35.50">50</a> + After this dreadful chastisement, Attila pursued his march; and as he + passed, the cities of Altinum, Concordia, and Padua, were reduced into + heaps of stones and ashes. The inland towns, Vicenza, Verona, and Bergamo, + were exposed to the rapacious cruelty of the Huns. Milan and Pavia + submitted, without resistance, to the loss of their wealth; and applauded + the unusual clemency which preserved from the flames the public, as well + as private, buildings, and spared the lives of the captive multitude. The + popular traditions of Comum, Turin, or Modena, may justly be suspected; + yet they concur with more authentic evidence to prove, that Attila spread + his ravages over the rich plains of modern Lombardy; which are divided by + the Po, and bounded by the Alps and Apennine. <a href="#linknote-35.51" + name="linknoteref-35.51" id="linknoteref-35.51">51</a> When he took + possession of the royal palace of Milan, he was surprised and offended at + the sight of a picture which represented the Caesars seated on their + throne, and the princes of Scythia prostrate at their feet. The revenge + which Attila inflicted on this monument of Roman vanity, was harmless and + ingenious. He commanded a painter to reverse the figures and the + attitudes; and the emperors were delineated on the same canvas, + approaching in a suppliant posture to empty their bags of tributary gold + before the throne of the Scythian monarch. <a href="#linknote-35.52" + name="linknoteref-35.52" id="linknoteref-35.52">52</a> The spectators must + have confessed the truth and propriety of the alteration; and were perhaps + tempted to apply, on this singular occasion, the well-known fable of the + dispute between the lion and the man. <a href="#linknote-35.53" + name="linknoteref-35.53" id="linknoteref-35.53">53</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.48" id="linknote-35.48"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 48 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.48">return</a>)<br /> [ Machinis constructis, + omnibusque tormentorum generibus adhibitis. Jornandes, c. 42, p. 673. In + the thirteenth century, the Moguls battered the cities of China with large + engines, constructed by the Mahometans or Christians in their service, + which threw stones from 150 to 300 pounds weight. In the defence of their + country, the Chinese used gunpowder, and even bombs, above a hundred years + before they were known in Europe; yet even those celestial, or infernal, + arms were insufficient to protect a pusillanimous nation. See Gaubil. + Hist. des Mongous, p. 70, 71, 155, 157, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.49" id="linknote-35.49"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 49 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.49">return</a>)<br /> [ The same story is told + by Jornandes, and by Procopius, (de Bell Vandal. l. i. c. 4, p. 187, 188:) + nor is it easy to decide which is the original. But the Greek historian is + guilty of an inexcusable mistake, in placing the siege of Aquileia after + the death of Ætius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.50" id="linknote-35.50"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 50 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.50">return</a>)<br /> [ Jornandes, about a + hundred years afterwards, affirms, that Aquileia was so completely ruined, + ita ut vix ejus vestigia, ut appareant, reliquerint. See Jornandes de Reb. + Geticis, c. 42, p. 673. Paul. Diacon. l. ii. c. 14, p. 785. Liutprand, + Hist. l. iii. c. 2. The name of Aquileia was sometimes applied to Forum + Julii, (Cividad del Friuli,) the more recent capital of the Venetian + province. * Note: Compare the curious Latin poems on the destruction of + Aquileia, published by M. Endlicher in his valuable catalogue of Latin + Mss. in the library of Vienna, p. 298, &c. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Repleta quondam domibus sublimibus, ornatis mire, niveis, marmorels, + Nune ferax frugum metiris funiculo ruricolarum. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The monkish poet has his consolation in Attila’s sufferings in soul and + body. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Vindictam tamen non evasit impius destructor tuus Attila sevissimus, + Nunc igni simul gehennae et vermibus excruciatur—P. 290.—M.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.51" id="linknote-35.51"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 51 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.51">return</a>)<br /> [ In describing this war + of Attila, a war so famous, but so imperfectly known, I have taken for my + guides two learned Italians, who considered the subject with some peculiar + advantages; Sigonius, de Imperio Occidentali, l. xiii. in his works, tom. + i. p. 495-502; and Muratori, Annali d’Italia, tom. iv. p. 229-236, 8vo. + edition.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.52" id="linknote-35.52"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 52 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.52">return</a>)<br /> [ This anecdote may be + found under two different articles of the miscellaneous compilation of + Suidas.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.53" id="linknote-35.53"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 53 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.53">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Leo respondit, humana, hoc pictum manu: + Videres hominem dejectum, si pingere + Leones scirent. + —Appendix ad Phaedrum, Fab. xxv. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The lion in Phaedrus very foolishly appeals from pictures to the + amphitheatre; and I am glad to observe, that the native taste of La + Fontaine (l. iii. fable x.) has omitted this most lame and impotent + conclusion.] + </p> + <p> + It is a saying worthy of the ferocious pride of Attila, that the grass + never grew on the spot where his horse had trod. Yet the savage destroyer + undesignedly laid the foundation of a republic, which revived, in the + feudal state of Europe, the art and spirit of commercial industry. The + celebrated name of Venice, or Venetia, <a href="#linknote-35.54" + name="linknoteref-35.54" id="linknoteref-35.54">54</a> was formerly diffused + over a large and fertile province of Italy, from the confines of Pannonia + to the River Addua, and from the Po to the Rhaetian and Julian Alps. + Before the irruption of the Barbarians, fifty Venetian cities flourished + in peace and prosperity: Aquileia was placed in the most conspicuous + station: but the ancient dignity of Padua was supported by agriculture and + manufactures; and the property of five hundred citizens, who were entitled + to the equestrian rank, must have amounted, at the strictest computation, + to one million seven hundred thousand pounds. Many families of Aquileia, + Padua, and the adjacent towns, who fled from the sword of the Huns, found + a safe, though obscure, refuge in the neighboring islands. <a + href="#linknote-35.55" name="linknoteref-35.55" id="linknoteref-35.55">55</a> + At the extremity of the Gulf, where the Adriatic feebly imitates the tides + of the ocean, near a hundred small islands are separated by shallow water + from the continent, and protected from the waves by several long slips of + land, which admit the entrance of vessels through some secret and narrow + channels. <a href="#linknote-35.56" name="linknoteref-35.56" + id="linknoteref-35.56">56</a> Till the middle of the fifth century, these + remote and sequestered spots remained without cultivation, with few + inhabitants, and almost without a name. But the manners of the Venetian + fugitives, their arts and their government, were gradually formed by their + new situation; and one of the epistles of Cassiodorus, <a + href="#linknote-35.57" name="linknoteref-35.57" id="linknoteref-35.57">57</a> + which describes their condition about seventy years afterwards, may be + considered as the primitive monument of the republic. <a + href="#linknote-35.571" name="linknoteref-35.571" id="linknoteref-35.571">571</a> + The minister of Theodoric compares them, in his quaint declamatory style, + to water-fowl, who had fixed their nests on the bosom of the waves; and + though he allows, that the Venetian provinces had formerly contained many + noble families, he insinuates, that they were now reduced by misfortune to + the same level of humble poverty. Fish was the common, and almost the + universal, food of every rank: their only treasure consisted in the plenty + of salt, which they extracted from the sea: and the exchange of that + commodity, so essential to human life, was substituted in the neighboring + markets to the currency of gold and silver. A people, whose habitations + might be doubtfully assigned to the earth or water, soon became alike + familiar with the two elements; and the demands of avarice succeeded to + those of necessity. The islanders, who, from Grado to Chiozza, were + intimately connected with each other, penetrated into the heart of Italy, + by the secure, though laborious, navigation of the rivers and inland + canals. Their vessels, which were continually increasing in size and + number, visited all the harbors of the Gulf; and the marriage which Venice + annually celebrates with the Adriatic, was contracted in her early + infancy. The epistle of Cassiodorus, the Prætorian praefect, is addressed + to the maritime tribunes; and he exhorts them, in a mild tone of + authority, to animate the zeal of their countrymen for the public service, + which required their assistance to transport the magazines of wine and oil + from the province of Istria to the royal city of Ravenna. The ambiguous + office of these magistrates is explained by the tradition, that, in the + twelve principal islands, twelve tribunes, or judges, were created by an + annual and popular election. The existence of the Venetian republic under + the Gothic kingdom of Italy, is attested by the same authentic record, + which annihilates their lofty claim of original and perpetual + independence. <a href="#linknote-35.58" name="linknoteref-35.58" + id="linknoteref-35.58">58</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.54" id="linknote-35.54"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 54 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.54">return</a>)<br /> [ Paul the Deacon (de + Gestis Langobard. l. ii. c. 14, p. 784) describes the provinces of Italy + about the end of the eighth century Venetia non solum in paucis insulis + quas nunc Venetias dicimus, constat; sed ejus terminus a Pannoniae finibus + usque Adduam fluvium protelatur. The history of that province till the age + of Charlemagne forms the first and most interesting part of the Verona + (Illustrata, p. 1-388,) in which the marquis Scipio Maffei has shown + himself equally capable of enlarged views and minute disquisitions.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.55" id="linknote-35.55"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 55 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.55">return</a>)<br /> [ This emigration is not + attested by any contemporary evidence; but the fact is proved by the + event, and the circumstances might be preserved by tradition. The citizens + of Aquileia retired to the Isle of Gradus, those of Padua to Rivus Altus, + or Rialto, where the city of Venice was afterwards built, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.56" id="linknote-35.56"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 56 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.56">return</a>)<br /> [ The topography and + antiquities of the Venetian islands, from Gradus to Clodia, or Chioggia, + are accurately stated in the Dissertatio Chorographica de Italia Medii + Aevi. p. 151-155.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.57" id="linknote-35.57"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 57 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.57">return</a>)<br /> [ Cassiodor. Variar. l. + xii. epist. 24. Maffei (Verona Illustrata, part i. p. 240-254) has + translated and explained this curious letter, in the spirit of a learned + antiquarian and a faithful subject, who considered Venice as the only + legitimate offspring of the Roman republic. He fixes the date of the + epistle, and consequently the praefecture, of Cassiodorus, A.D. 523; and + the marquis’s authority has the more weight, as he prepared an edition of + his works, and actually published a dissertation on the true orthography + of his name. See Osservazioni Letterarie, tom. ii. p. 290-339.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.571" id="linknote-35.571"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 571 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.571">return</a>)<br /> [ The learned count + Figliasi has proved, in his memoirs upon the Veneti (Memorie de’ Veneti + primi e secondi del conte Figliasi, t. vi. Veneziai, 796,) that from the + most remote period, this nation, which occupied the country which has + since been called the Venetian States or Terra Firma, likewise inhabited + the islands scattered upon the coast, and that from thence arose the names + of Venetia prima and secunda, of which the first applied to the main land + and the second to the islands and lagunes. From the time of the Pelasgi + and of the Etrurians, the first Veneti, inhabiting a fertile and pleasant + country, devoted themselves to agriculture: the second, placed in the + midst of canals, at the mouth of several rivers, conveniently situated + with regard to the islands of Greece, as well as the fertile plains of + Italy, applied themselves to navigation and commerce. Both submitted to + the Romans a short time before the second Punic war; yet it was not till + after the victory of Marius over the Cimbri, that their country was + reduced to a Roman province. Under the emperors, Venetia Prima obtained + more than once, by its calamities, a place in history. * * But the + maritime province was occupied in salt works, fisheries, and commerce. The + Romans have considered the inhabitants of this part as beneath the dignity + of history, and have left them in obscurity. * * * They dwelt there until + the period when their islands afforded a retreat to their ruined and + fugitive compatriots. Sismondi. Hist. des Rep. Italiens, v. i. p. 313.—G. + ——Compare, on the origin of Venice, Daru, Hist. de Venise, + vol. i. c. l.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.58" id="linknote-35.58"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 58 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.58">return</a>)<br /> [ See, in the second + volume of Amelot de la Houssaie, Histoire du Gouvernement de Venise, a + translation of the famous Squittinio. This book, which has been exalted + far above its merits, is stained, in every line, with the disingenuous + malevolence of party: but the principal evidence, genuine and apocryphal, + is brought together and the reader will easily choose the fair medium.] + </p> + <p> + The Italians, who had long since renounced the exercise of arms, were + surprised, after forty years’ peace, by the approach of a formidable + Barbarian, whom they abhorred, as the enemy of their religion, as well as + of their republic. Amidst the general consternation, Ætius alone was + incapable of fear; but it was impossible that he should achieve, alone and + unassisted, any military exploits worthy of his former renown. The + Barbarians who had defended Gaul, refused to march to the relief of Italy; + and the succors promised by the Eastern emperor were distant and doubtful. + Since Ætius, at the head of his domestic troops, still maintained the + field, and harassed or retarded the march of Attila, he never showed + himself more truly great, than at the time when his conduct was blamed by + an ignorant and ungrateful people. <a href="#linknote-35.59" + name="linknoteref-35.59" id="linknoteref-35.59">59</a> If the mind of + Valentinian had been susceptible of any generous sentiments, he would have + chosen such a general for his example and his guide. But the timid + grandson of Theodosius, instead of sharing the dangers, escaped from the + sound of war; and his hasty retreat from Ravenna to Rome, from an + impregnable fortress to an open capital, betrayed his secret intention of + abandoning Italy, as soon as the danger should approach his Imperial + person. This shameful abdication was suspended, however, by the spirit of + doubt and delay, which commonly adheres to pusillanimous counsels, and + sometimes corrects their pernicious tendency. The Western emperor, with + the senate and people of Rome, embraced the more salutary resolution of + deprecating, by a solemn and suppliant embassy, the wrath of Attila. This + important commission was accepted by Avienus, who, from his birth and + riches, his consular dignity, the numerous train of his clients, and his + personal abilities, held the first rank in the Roman senate. The specious + and artful character of Avienus <a href="#linknote-35.60" + name="linknoteref-35.60" id="linknoteref-35.60">60</a> was admirably + qualified to conduct a negotiation either of public or private interest: + his colleague Trigetius had exercised the Prætorian praefecture of Italy; + and Leo, bishop of Rome, consented to expose his life for the safety of + his flock. The genius of Leo <a href="#linknote-35.61" + name="linknoteref-35.61" id="linknoteref-35.61">61</a> was exercised and + displayed in the public misfortunes; and he has deserved the appellation + of Great, by the successful zeal with which he labored to establish his + opinions and his authority, under the venerable names of orthodox faith + and ecclesiastical discipline. The Roman ambassadors were introduced to + the tent of Attila, as he lay encamped at the place where the slow-winding + Mincius is lost in the foaming waves of the Lake Benacus, <a + href="#linknote-35.62" name="linknoteref-35.62" id="linknoteref-35.62">62</a> + and trampled, with his Scythian cavalry, the farms of Catullus and Virgil. + <a href="#linknote-35.63" name="linknoteref-35.63" id="linknoteref-35.63">63</a> + The Barbarian monarch listened with favorable, and even respectful, + attention; and the deliverance of Italy was purchased by the immense + ransom, or dowry, of the princess Honoria. The state of his army might + facilitate the treaty, and hasten his retreat. Their martial spirit was + relaxed by the wealth and idolence of a warm climate. The shepherds of the + North, whose ordinary food consisted of milk and raw flesh, indulged + themselves too freely in the use of bread, of wine, and of meat, prepared + and seasoned by the arts of cookery; and the progress of disease revenged + in some measure the injuries of the Italians. <a href="#linknote-35.64" + name="linknoteref-35.64" id="linknoteref-35.64">64</a> When Attila declared + his resolution of carrying his victorious arms to the gates of Rome, he + was admonished by his friends, as well as by his enemies, that Alaric had + not long survived the conquest of the eternal city. His mind, superior to + real danger, was assaulted by imaginary terrors; nor could he escape the + influence of superstition, which had so often been subservient to his + designs. <a href="#linknote-35.65" name="linknoteref-35.65" + id="linknoteref-35.65">65</a> The pressing eloquence of Leo, his majestic + aspect and sacerdotal robes, excited the veneration of Attila for the + spiritual father of the Christians. The apparition of the two apostles, + St. Peter and St. Paul, who menaced the Barbarian with instant death, if + he rejected the prayer of their successor, is one of the noblest legends + of ecclesiastical tradition. The safety of Rome might deserve the + interposition of celestial beings; and some indulgence is due to a fable, + which has been represented by the pencil of Raphael, and the chisel of + Algardi. <a href="#linknote-35.66" name="linknoteref-35.66" + id="linknoteref-35.66">66</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.59" id="linknote-35.59"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 59 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.59">return</a>)<br /> [ Sirmond (Not. ad Sidon. + Apollin. p. 19) has published a curious passage from the Chronicle of + Prosper. Attila, redintegratis viribus, quas in Gallia amiserat, Italiam + ingredi per Pannonias intendit; nihil duce nostro Aetio secundum prioris + belli opera prospiciente, &c. He reproaches Ætius with neglecting to + guard the Alps, and with a design to abandon Italy; but this rash censure + may at least be counterbalanced by the favorable testimonies of Idatius + and Isidore.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.60" id="linknote-35.60"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 60 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.60">return</a>)<br /> [ See the original + portraits of Avienus and his rival Basilius, delineated and contrasted in + the epistles (i. 9. p. 22) of Sidonius. He had studied the characters of + the two chiefs of the senate; but he attached himself to Basilius, as the + more solid and disinterested friend.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.61" id="linknote-35.61"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 61 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.61">return</a>)<br /> [ The character and + principles of Leo may be traced in one hundred and forty-one original + epistles, which illustrate the ecclesiastical history of his long and busy + pontificate, from A.D. 440 to 461. See Dupin, Bibliothèque Ecclesiastique, + tom. iii. part ii p. 120-165.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.62" id="linknote-35.62"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 62 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.62">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Tardis ingens ubi flexibus errat + Mincius, et tenera praetexit arundine ripas + ———- + Anne lacus tantos, te Lari maxime, teque + Fluctibus, et fremitu assurgens Benace marino.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.63" id="linknote-35.63"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 63 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.63">return</a>)<br /> [ The marquis Maffei + (Verona Illustrata, part i. p. 95, 129, 221, part ii. p. 2, 6) has + illustrated with taste and learning this interesting topography. He places + the interview of Attila and St. Leo near Ariolica, or Ardelica, now + Peschiera, at the conflux of the lake and river; ascertains the villa of + Catullus, in the delightful peninsula of Sirmio, and discovers the Andes + of Virgil, in the village of Bandes, precisely situate, qua se subducere + colles incipiunt, where the Veronese hills imperceptibly slope down into + the plain of Mantua. * Note: Gibbon has made a singular mistake: the + Mincius flows out of the Bonacus at Peschiera, not into it. The interview + is likewise placed at Ponte Molino. and at Governolo, at the conflux of + the Mincio and the Gonzaga. bishop of Mantua, erected a tablet in the year + 1616, in the church of the latter place, commemorative of the event. + Descrizione di Verona a de la sua provincia. C. 11, p. 126.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.64" id="linknote-35.64"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 64 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.64">return</a>)<br /> [ Si statim infesto + agmine urbem petiissent, grande discrimen esset: sed in Venetia quo fere + tractu Italia mollissima est, ipsa soli coelique clementia robur elanquit. + Ad hoc panis usu carnisque coctae, et dulcedine vini mitigatos, &c. + This passage of Florus (iii. 3) is still more applicable to the Huns than + to the Cimbri, and it may serve as a commentary on the celestial plague, + with which Idatius and Isidore have afflicted the troops of Attila.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.65" id="linknote-35.65"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 65 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.65">return</a>)<br /> [ The historian Priscus + had positively mentioned the effect which this example produced on the + mind of Attila. Jornandes, c. 42, p. 673] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.66" id="linknote-35.66"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 66 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.66">return</a>)<br /> [ The picture of Raphael + is in the Vatican; the basso (or perhaps the alto) relievo of Algardi, on + one of the altars of St. Peter, (see Dubos, Reflexions sur la Poesie et + sur la Peinture, tom. i. p. 519, 520.) Baronius (Annal. Eccles. A.D. 452, + No. 57, 58) bravely sustains the truth of the apparition; which is + rejected, however, by the most learned and pious Catholics.] + </p> + <p> + Before the king of the Huns evacuated Italy, he threatened to return more + dreadful, and more implacable, if his bride, the princess Honoria, were + not delivered to his ambassadors within the term stipulated by the treaty. + Yet, in the mean while, Attila relieved his tender anxiety, by adding a + beautiful maid, whose name was Ildico, to the list of his innumerable + wives. <a href="#linknote-35.67" name="linknoteref-35.67" + id="linknoteref-35.67">67</a> Their marriage was celebrated with barbaric + pomp and festivity, at his wooden palace beyond the Danube; and the + monarch, oppressed with wine and sleep, retired at a late hour from the + banquet to the nuptial bed. His attendants continued to respect his + pleasures, or his repose, the greatest part of the ensuing day, till the + unusual silence alarmed their fears and suspicions; and, after attempting + to awaken Attila by loud and repeated cries, they at length broke into the + royal apartment. They found the trembling bride sitting by the bedside, + hiding her face with her veil, and lamenting her own danger, as well as + the death of the king, who had expired during the night. <a + href="#linknote-35.68" name="linknoteref-35.68" id="linknoteref-35.68">68</a> + An artery had suddenly burst: and as Attila lay in a supine posture, he + was suffocated by a torrent of blood, which, instead of finding a passage + through the nostrils, regurgitated into the lungs and stomach. His body + was solemnly exposed in the midst of the plain, under a silken pavilion; + and the chosen squadrons of the Huns, wheeling round in measured + evolutions, chanted a funeral song to the memory of a hero, glorious in + his life, invincible in his death, the father of his people, the scourge + of his enemies, and the terror of the world. According to their national + custom, the Barbarians cut off a part of their hair, gashed their faces + with unseemly wounds, and bewailed their valiant leader as he deserved, + not with the tears of women, but with the blood of warriors. The remains + of Attila were enclosed within three coffins, of gold, of silver, and of + iron, and privately buried in the night: the spoils of nations were thrown + into his grave; the captives who had opened the ground were inhumanly + massacred; and the same Huns, who had indulged such excessive grief, + feasted, with dissolute and intemperate mirth, about the recent sepulchre + of their king. It was reported at Constantinople, that on the fortunate + night on which he expired, Marcian beheld in a dream the bow of Attila + broken asunder: and the report may be allowed to prove, how seldom the + image of that formidable Barbarian was absent from the mind of a Roman + emperor. <a href="#linknote-35.69" name="linknoteref-35.69" + id="linknoteref-35.69">69</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.67" id="linknote-35.67"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 67 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.67">return</a>)<br /> [ Attila, ut Priscus + historicus refert, extinctionis suae tempore, puellam Ildico nomine, + decoram, valde, sibi matrimonium post innumerabiles uxores... socians. + Jornandes, c. 49, p. 683, 684. + </p> + <p> + He afterwards adds, (c. 50, p. 686,) Filii Attilæ, quorum per licentiam + libidinis poene populus fuit. Polygamy has been established among the + Tartars of every age. The rank of plebeian wives is regulated only by + their personal charms; and the faded matron prepares, without a murmur, + the bed which is destined for her blooming rival. But in royal families, + the daughters of Khans communicate to their sons a prior right. See + Genealogical History, p. 406, 407, 408.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.68" id="linknote-35.68"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 68 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.68">return</a>)<br /> [ The report of her guilt + reached Constantinople, where it obtained a very different name; and + Marcellinus observes, that the tyrant of Europe was slain in the night by + the hand, and the knife, of a woman Corneille, who has adapted the genuine + account to his tragedy, describes the irruption of blood in forty bombast + lines, and Attila exclaims, with ridiculous fury, + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + S’il ne veut s’arreter, (his blood.) + (Dit-il) on me payera ce qui m’en va couter.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.69" id="linknote-35.69"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 69 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.69">return</a>)<br /> [ The curious + circumstances of the death and funeral of Attila are related by Jornandes, + (c. 49, p. 683, 684, 685,) and were probably transcribed from Priscus.] + </p> + <p> + The revolution which subverted the empire of the Huns, established the + fame of Attila, whose genius alone had sustained the huge and disjointed + fabric. After his death, the boldest chieftains aspired to the rank of + kings; the most powerful kings refused to acknowledge a superior; and the + numerous sons, whom so many various mothers bore to the deceased monarch, + divided and disputed, like a private inheritance, the sovereign command of + the nations of Germany and Scythia. The bold Ardaric felt and represented + the disgrace of this servile partition; and his subjects, the warlike + Gepidae, with the Ostrogoths, under the conduct of three valiant brothers, + encouraged their allies to vindicate the rights of freedom and royalty. In + a bloody and decisive conflict on the banks of the River Netad, in + Pannonia, the lance of the Gepidae, the sword of the Goths, the arrows of + the Huns, the Suevic infantry, the light arms of the Heruli, and the heavy + weapons of the Alani, encountered or supported each other; and the victory + of the Ardaric was accompanied with the slaughter of thirty thousand of + his enemies. Ellac, the eldest son of Attila, lost his life and crown in + the memorable battle of Netad: his early valor had raised him to the + throne of the Acatzires, a Scythian people, whom he subdued; and his + father, who loved the superior merit, would have envied the death of + Ellac. <a href="#linknote-35.70" name="linknoteref-35.70" + id="linknoteref-35.70">70</a> His brother, Dengisich, with an army of Huns, + still formidable in their flight and ruin, maintained his ground above + fifteen years on the banks of the Danube. The palace of Attila, with the + old country of Dacia, from the Carpathian hills to the Euxine, became the + seat of a new power, which was erected by Ardaric, king of the Gepidae. + The Pannonian conquests from Vienna to Sirmium, were occupied by the + Ostrogoths; and the settlements of the tribes, who had so bravely asserted + their native freedom, were irregularly distributed, according to the + measure of their respective strength. Surrounded and oppressed by the + multitude of his father’s slaves, the kingdom of Dengisich was confined to + the circle of his wagons; his desperate courage urged him to invade the + Eastern empire: he fell in battle; and his head ignominiously exposed in + the Hippodrome, exhibited a grateful spectacle to the people of + Constantinople. Attila had fondly or superstitiously believed, that Irnac, + the youngest of his sons, was destined to perpetuate the glories of his + race. The character of that prince, who attempted to moderate the rashness + of his brother Dengisich, was more suitable to the declining condition of + the Huns; and Irnac, with his subject hordes, retired into the heart of + the Lesser Scythia. They were soon overwhelmed by a torrent of new + Barbarians, who followed the same road which their own ancestors had + formerly discovered. The Geougen, or Avares, whose residence is assigned + by the Greek writers to the shores of the ocean, impelled the adjacent + tribes; till at length the Igours of the North, issuing from the cold + Siberian regions, which produce the most valuable furs, spread themselves + over the desert, as far as the Borysthenes and the Caspian gates; and + finally extinguished the empire of the Huns. <a href="#linknote-35.71" + name="linknoteref-35.71" id="linknoteref-35.71">71</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.70" id="linknote-35.70"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 70 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.70">return</a>)<br /> [ See Jornandes, de Rebus + Geticis, c. 50, p. 685, 686, 687, 688. His distinction of the national + arms is curious and important. Nan ibi admirandum reor fuisse spectaculum, + ubi cernere erat cunctis, pugnantem Gothum ense furentem, Gepidam in + vulnere suorum cuncta tela frangentem, Suevum pede, Hunnum sagitta + praesumere, Alanum gravi Herulum levi, armatura, aciem instruere. I am not + precisely informed of the situation of the River Netad.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.71" id="linknote-35.71"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 71 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.71">return</a>)<br /> [ Two modern historians + have thrown much new light on the ruin and division of the empire of + Attila; M. de Buat, by his laborious and minute diligence, (tom. viii. p. + 3-31, 68-94,) and M. de Guignes, by his extraordinary knowledge of the + Chinese language and writers. See Hist. des Huns, tom. ii. p. 315-319.] + </p> + <p> + Such an event might contribute to the safety of the Eastern empire, under + the reign of a prince who conciliated the friendship, without forfeiting + the esteem, of the Barbarians. But the emperor of the West, the feeble and + dissolute Valentinian, who had reached his thirty-fifth year without + attaining the age of reason or courage, abused this apparent security, to + undermine the foundations of his own throne, by the murder of the + patrician Ætius. From the instinct of a base and jealous mind, he hated + the man who was universally celebrated as the terror of the Barbarians, + and the support of the republic; <a href="#linknote-35.711" + name="linknoteref-35.711" id="linknoteref-35.711">711</a> and his new + favorite, the eunuch Heraclius, awakened the emperor from the supine + lethargy, which might be disguised, during the life of Placidia, <a + href="#linknote-35.72" name="linknoteref-35.72" id="linknoteref-35.72">72</a> + by the excuse of filial piety. The fame of Ætius, his wealth and dignity, + the numerous and martial train of Barbarian followers, his powerful + dependants, who filled the civil offices of the state, and the hopes of + his son Gaudentius, who was already contracted to Eudoxia, the emperor’s + daughter, had raised him above the rank of a subject. The ambitious + designs, of which he was secretly accused, excited the fears, as well as + the resentment, of Valentinian. Ætius himself, supported by the + consciousness of his merit, his services, and perhaps his innocence, seems + to have maintained a haughty and indiscreet behavior. The patrician + offended his sovereign by a hostile declaration; he aggravated the + offence, by compelling him to ratify, with a solemn oath, a treaty of + reconciliation and alliance; he proclaimed his suspicions, he neglected + his safety; and from a vain confidence that the enemy, whom he despised, + was incapable even of a manly crime, he rashly ventured his person in the + palace of Rome. Whilst he urged, perhaps with intemperate vehemence, the + marriage of his son, Valentinian, drawing his sword, the first sword he + had ever drawn, plunged it in the breast of a general who had saved his + empire: his courtiers and eunuchs ambitiously struggled to imitate their + master; and Ætius, pierced with a hundred wounds, fell dead in the royal + presence. Boethius, the Prætorian praefect, was killed at the same + moment, and before the event could be divulged, the principal friends of + the patrician were summoned to the palace, and separately murdered. The + horrid deed, palliated by the specious names of justice and necessity, was + immediately communicated by the emperor to his soldiers, his subjects, and + his allies. The nations, who were strangers or enemies to Ætius, + generously deplored the unworthy fate of a hero: the Barbarians, who had + been attached to his service, dissembled their grief and resentment: and + the public contempt, which had been so long entertained for Valentinian, + was at once converted into deep and universal abhorrence. Such sentiments + seldom pervade the walls of a palace; yet the emperor was confounded by + the honest reply of a Roman, whose approbation he had not disdained to + solicit. “I am ignorant, sir, of your motives or provocations; I only + know, that you have acted like a man who cuts off his right hand with his + left.” <a href="#linknote-35.73" name="linknoteref-35.73" + id="linknoteref-35.73">73</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.711" id="linknote-35.711"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 711 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.711">return</a>)<br /> [ The praises awarded + by Gibbon to the character of Ætius have been animadverted upon with + great severity. (See Mr. Herbert’s Attila. p. 321.) I am not aware that + Gibbon has dissembled or palliated any of the crimes or treasons of + Ætius: but his position at the time of his murder was certainly that of + the preserver of the empire, the conqueror of the most dangerous of the + barbarians: it is by no means clear that he was not “innocent” of any + treasonable designs against Valentinian. If the early acts of his life, + the introduction of the Huns into Italy, and of the Vandals into Africa, + were among the proximate causes of the ruin of the empire, his murder was + the signal for its almost immediate downfall.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.72" id="linknote-35.72"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 72 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.72">return</a>)<br /> [ Placidia died at Rome, + November 27, A.D. 450. She was buried at Ravenna, where her sepulchre, and + even her corpse, seated in a chair of cypress wood, were preserved for + ages. The empress received many compliments from the orthodox clergy; and + St. Peter Chrysologus assured her, that her zeal for the Trinity had been + recompensed by an august trinity of children. See Tillemont, Uist. Jer + Emp. tom. vi. p. 240.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.73" id="linknote-35.73"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 73 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.73">return</a>)<br /> [ Aetium Placidus + mactavit semivir amens, is the expression of Sidonius, (Panegyr. Avit. + 359.) The poet knew the world, and was not inclined to flatter a minister + who had injured or disgraced Avitus and Majorian, the successive heroes of + his song.] + </p> + <p> + The luxury of Rome seems to have attracted the long and frequent visits of + Valentinian; who was consequently more despised at Rome than in any other + part of his dominions. A republican spirit was insensibly revived in the + senate, as their authority, and even their supplies, became necessary for + the support of his feeble government. The stately demeanor of an hereditary + monarch offended their pride; and the pleasures of Valentinian were + injurious to the peace and honor of noble families. The birth of the + empress Eudoxia was equal to his own, and her charms and tender affection + deserved those testimonies of love which her inconstant husband dissipated + in vague and unlawful amours. Petronius Maximus, a wealthy senator of the + Anician family, who had been twice consul, was possessed of a chaste and + beautiful wife: her obstinate resistance served only to irritate the + desires of Valentinian; and he resolved to accomplish them, either by + stratagem or force. Deep gaming was one of the vices of the court: the + emperor, who, by chance or contrivance, had gained from Maximus a + considerable sum, uncourteously exacted his ring as a security for the + debt; and sent it by a trusty messenger to his wife, with an order, in her + husband’s name, that she should immediately attend the empress Eudoxia. + The unsuspecting wife of Maximus was conveyed in her litter to the + Imperial palace; the emissaries of her impatient lover conducted her to a + remote and silent bed-chamber; and Valentinian violated, without remorse, + the laws of hospitality. Her tears, when she returned home, her deep + affliction, and her bitter reproaches against a husband whom she + considered as the accomplice of his own shame, excited Maximus to a just + revenge; the desire of revenge was stimulated by ambition; and he might + reasonably aspire, by the free suffrage of the Roman senate, to the throne + of a detested and despicable rival. Valentinian, who supposed that every + human breast was devoid, like his own, of friendship and gratitude, had + imprudently admitted among his guards several domestics and followers of + Ætius. Two of these, of Barbarian race were persuaded to execute a sacred + and honorable duty, by punishing with death the assassin of their patron; + and their intrepid courage did not long expect a favorable moment. Whilst + Valentinian amused himself, in the field of Mars, with the spectacle of + some military sports, they suddenly rushed upon him with drawn weapons, + despatched the guilty Heraclius, and stabbed the emperor to the heart, + without the least opposition from his numerous train, who seemed to + rejoice in the tyrant’s death. Such was the fate of Valentinian the Third, + <a href="#linknote-35.74" name="linknoteref-35.74" id="linknoteref-35.74">74</a> + the last Roman emperor of the family of Theodosius. He faithfully imitated + the hereditary weakness of his cousin and his two uncles, without + inheriting the gentleness, the purity, the innocence, which alleviate, in + their characters, the want of spirit and ability. Valentinian was less + excusable, since he had passions, without virtues: even his religion was + questionable; and though he never deviated into the paths of heresy, he + scandalized the pious Christians by his attachment to the profane arts of + magic and divination. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.74" id="linknote-35.74"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 74 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.74">return</a>)<br /> [ With regard to the + cause and circumstances of the deaths of Ætius and Valentinian, our + information is dark and imperfect. Procopius (de Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 4, + p. 186, 187, 188) is a fabulous writer for the events which precede his + own memory. His narrative must therefore be supplied and corrected by five + or six Chronicles, none of which were composed in Rome or Italy; and which + can only express, in broken sentences, the popular rumors, as they were + conveyed to Gaul, Spain, Africa, Constantinople, or Alexandria.] + </p> + <p> + As early as the time of Cicero and Varro, it was the opinion of the Roman + augurs, that the twelve vultures which Romulus had seen, represented the + twelve centuries, assigned for the fatal period of his city. <a + href="#linknote-35.75" name="linknoteref-35.75" id="linknoteref-35.75">75</a> + This prophecy, disregarded perhaps in the season of health and prosperity, + inspired the people with gloomy apprehensions, when the twelfth century, + clouded with disgrace and misfortune, was almost elapsed; <a + href="#linknote-35.76" name="linknoteref-35.76" id="linknoteref-35.76">76</a> + and even posterity must acknowledge with some surprise, that the arbitrary + interpretation of an accidental or fabulous circumstance has been + seriously verified in the downfall of the Western empire. But its fall was + announced by a clearer omen than the flight of vultures: the Roman + government appeared every day less formidable to its enemies, more odious + and oppressive to its subjects. <a href="#linknote-35.77" + name="linknoteref-35.77" id="linknoteref-35.77">77</a> The taxes were + multiplied with the public distress; economy was neglected in proportion + as it became necessary; and the injustice of the rich shifted the unequal + burden from themselves to the people, whom they defrauded of the + indulgences that might sometimes have alleviated their misery. The severe + inquisition which confiscated their goods, and tortured their persons, + compelled the subjects of Valentinian to prefer the more simple tyranny of + the Barbarians, to fly to the woods and mountains, or to embrace the vile + and abject condition of mercenary servants. They abjured and abhorred the + name of Roman citizens, which had formerly excited the ambition of + mankind. The Armorican provinces of Gaul, and the greatest part of Spain, + were-thrown into a state of disorderly independence, by the confederations + of the Bagaudae; and the Imperial ministers pursued with proscriptive + laws, and ineffectual arms, the rebels whom they had made. <a + href="#linknote-35.78" name="linknoteref-35.78" id="linknoteref-35.78">78</a> + If all the Barbarian conquerors had been annihilated in the same hour, + their total destruction would not have restored the empire of the West: + and if Rome still survived, she survived the loss of freedom, of virtue, + and of honor. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.75" id="linknote-35.75"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 75 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.75">return</a>)<br /> [ This interpretation of + Vettius, a celebrated augur, was quoted by Varro, in the xviiith book of + his Antiquities. Censorinus, de Die Natali, c. 17, p. 90, 91, edit. + Havercamp.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.76" id="linknote-35.76"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 76 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.76">return</a>)<br /> [ According to Varro, the + twelfth century would expire A.D. 447, but the uncertainty of the true + era of Rome might allow some latitude of anticipation or delay. The poets + of the age, Claudian (de Bell Getico, 265) and Sidonius, (in Panegyr. + Avit. 357,) may be admitted as fair witnesses of the popular opinion. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Jam reputant annos, interceptoque volatu + Vulturis, incidunt properatis saecula metis. + ....... + Jam prope fata tui bissenas Vulturis alas + Implebant; seis namque tuos, scis, Roma, labores. + —See Dubos, Hist. Critique, tom. i. p. 340-346.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.77" id="linknote-35.77"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 77 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.77">return</a>)<br /> [ The fifth book of + Salvian is filled with pathetic lamentations and vehement invectives. His + immoderate freedom serves to prove the weakness, as well as the + corruption, of the Roman government. His book was published after the loss + of Africa, (A.D. 439,) and before Attila’s war, (A.D. 451.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-35.78" id="linknote-35.78"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 78 (<a href="#linknoteref-35.78">return</a>)<br /> [ The Bagaudae of Spain, + who fought pitched battles with the Roman troops, are repeatedly mentioned + in the Chronicle of Idatius. Salvian has described their distress and + rebellion in very forcible language. Itaque nomen civium Romanorum... nunc + ultro repudiatur ac fugitur, nec vile tamen sed etiam abominabile poene + habetur... Et hinc est ut etiam hi quid ad Barbaros non confugiunt, + Barbari tamen esse coguntur, scilicet ut est pars magna Hispanorum, et non + minima Gallorum.... De Bagaudis nunc mihi sermo est, qui per malos judices + et cruentos spoliati, afflicti, necati postquam jus Romanae libertatis + amiserant, etiam honorem Romani nominis perdiderunt.... Vocamus rabelles, + vocamus perditos quos esse compulimua criminosos. De Gubernat. Dei, l. v. + p. 158, 159.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap36.1"></a> +Chapter XXXVI: Total Extinction Of The Western Empire.—Part I. +</h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Sack Of Rome By Genseric, King Of The Vandals.—His Naval + Depredations.—Succession Of The Last Emperors Of The West, + Maximus, Avitus, Majorian, Severus, Anthemius, Olybrius, + Glycerius, Nepos, Augustulus.—Total Extinction Of The + Western Empire.—Reign Of Odoacer, The First Barbarian King + Of Italy. +</pre> + <p> + The loss or desolation of the provinces, from the Ocean to the Alps, + impaired the glory and greatness of Rome: her internal prosperity was + irretrievably destroyed by the separation of Africa. The rapacious Vandals + confiscated the patrimonial estates of the senators, and intercepted the + regular subsidies, which relieved the poverty and encouraged the idleness + of the plebeians. The distress of the Romans was soon aggravated by an + unexpected attack; and the province, so long cultivated for their use by + industrious and obedient subjects, was armed against them by an ambitious + Barbarian. The Vandals and Alani, who followed the successful standard of + Genseric, had acquired a rich and fertile territory, which stretched along + the coast above ninety days’ journey from Tangier to Tripoli; but their + narrow limits were pressed and confined, on either side, by the sandy + desert and the Mediterranean. The discovery and conquest of the Black + nations, that might dwell beneath the torrid zone, could not tempt the + rational ambition of Genseric; but he cast his eyes towards the sea; he + resolved to create a naval power, and his bold resolution was executed + with steady and active perseverance. + </p> + <p> + The woods of Mount Atlas afforded an inexhaustible nursery of timber: his + new subjects were skilled in the arts of navigation and ship-building; he + animated his daring Vandals to embrace a mode of warfare which would + render every maritime country accessible to their arms; the Moors and + Africans were allured by the hopes of plunder; and, after an interval of + six centuries, the fleets that issued from the port of Carthage again + claimed the empire of the Mediterranean. The success of the Vandals, the + conquest of Sicily, the sack of Palermo, and the frequent descents on the + coast of Lucania, awakened and alarmed the mother of Valentinian, and the + sister of Theodosius. Alliances were formed; and armaments, expensive and + ineffectual, were prepared, for the destruction of the common enemy; who + reserved his courage to encounter those dangers which his policy could not + prevent or elude. The designs of the Roman government were repeatedly + baffled by his artful delays, ambiguous promises, and apparent + concessions; and the interposition of his formidable confederate, the king + of the Huns, recalled the emperors from the conquest of Africa to the care + of their domestic safety. The revolutions of the palace, which left the + Western empire without a defender, and without a lawful prince, dispelled + the apprehensions, and stimulated the avarice, of Genseric. He immediately + equipped a numerous fleet of Vandals and Moors, and cast anchor at the + mouth of the Tyber, about three months after the death of Valentinian, and + the elevation of Maximus to the Imperial throne. + </p> + <p> + The private life of the senator Petronius Maximus <a href="#linknote-36.1" + name="linknoteref-36.1" id="linknoteref-36.1">1</a> was often alleged as a + rare example of human felicity. His birth was noble and illustrious, since + he descended from the Anician family; his dignity was supported by an + adequate patrimony in land and money; and these advantages of fortune were + accompanied with liberal arts and decent manners, which adorn or imitate + the inestimable gifts of genius and virtue. The luxury of his palace and + table was hospitable and elegant. Whenever Maximus appeared in public, he + was surrounded by a train of grateful and obsequious clients; <a + href="#linknote-36.2" name="linknoteref-36.2" id="linknoteref-36.2">2</a> and + it is possible that among these clients, he might deserve and possess some + real friends. His merit was rewarded by the favor of the prince and + senate: he thrice exercised the office of Prætorian praefect of Italy; he + was twice invested with the consulship, and he obtained the rank of + patrician. These civil honors were not incompatible with the enjoyment of + leisure and tranquillity; his hours, according to the demands of pleasure + or reason, were accurately distributed by a water-clock; and this avarice + of time may be allowed to prove the sense which Maximus entertained of his + own happiness. The injury which he received from the emperor Valentinian + appears to excuse the most bloody revenge. Yet a philosopher might have + reflected, that, if the resistance of his wife had been sincere, her + chastity was still inviolate, and that it could never be restored if she + had consented to the will of the adulterer. A patriot would have hesitated + before he plunged himself and his country into those inevitable calamities + which must follow the extinction of the royal house of Theodosius. The + imprudent Maximus disregarded these salutary considerations; he gratified + his resentment and ambition; he saw the bleeding corpse of Valentinian at + his feet; and he heard himself saluted Emperor by the unanimous voice of + the senate and people. But the day of his inauguration was the last day of + his happiness. He was imprisoned (such is the lively expression of + Sidonius) in the palace; and after passing a sleepless night, he sighed + that he had attained the summit of his wishes, and aspired only to descend + from the dangerous elevation. Oppressed by the weight of the diadem, he + communicated his anxious thoughts to his friend and quaestor Fulgentius; + and when he looked back with unavailing regret on the secure pleasures of + his former life, the emperor exclaimed, “O fortunate Damocles, <a + href="#linknote-36.3" name="linknoteref-36.3" id="linknoteref-36.3">3</a> thy + reign began and ended with the same dinner;” a well-known allusion, which + Fulgentius afterwards repeated as an instructive lesson for princes and + subjects. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.1" id="linknote-36.1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.1">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius Apollinaris + composed the thirteenth epistle of the second book, to refute the paradox + of his friend Serranus, who entertained a singular, though generous, + enthusiasm for the deceased emperor. This epistle, with some indulgence, + may claim the praise of an elegant composition; and it throws much light + on the character of Maximus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.2" id="linknote-36.2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.2">return</a>)<br /> [ Clientum, praevia, + pedisequa, circumfusa, populositas, is the train which Sidonius himself + (l. i. epist. 9) assigns to another senator of rank] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.3" id="linknote-36.3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.3">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Districtus ensis cui super impia + Cervice pendet, non Siculoe dapes + Dulcem elaborabunt saporem: + Non avium citharaeque cantus + Somnum reducent. + —Horat. Carm. iii. 1. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Sidonius concludes his letter with the story of Damocles, which Cicero + (Tusculan. v. 20, 21) had so inimitably told.] + </p> + <p> + The reign of Maximus continued about three months. His hours, of which he + had lost the command, were disturbed by remorse, or guilt, or terror, and + his throne was shaken by the seditions of the soldiers, the people, and + the confederate Barbarians. The marriage of his son Paladius with the + eldest daughter of the late emperor, might tend to establish the + hereditary succession of his family; but the violence which he offered to + the empress Eudoxia, could proceed only from the blind impulse of lust or + revenge. His own wife, the cause of these tragic events, had been + seasonably removed by death; and the widow of Valentinian was compelled to + violate her decent mourning, perhaps her real grief, and to submit to the + embraces of a presumptuous usurper, whom she suspected as the assassin of + her deceased husband. These suspicions were soon justified by the + indiscreet confession of Maximus himself; and he wantonly provoked the + hatred of his reluctant bride, who was still conscious that she was + descended from a line of emperors. From the East, however, Eudoxia could + not hope to obtain any effectual assistance; her father and her aunt + Pulcheria were dead; her mother languished at Jerusalem in disgrace and + exile; and the sceptre of Constantinople was in the hands of a stranger. + She directed her eyes towards Carthage; secretly implored the aid of the + king of the Vandals; and persuaded Genseric to improve the fair + opportunity of disguising his rapacious designs by the specious names of + honor, justice, and compassion. <a href="#linknote-36.4" + name="linknoteref-36.4" id="linknoteref-36.4">4</a> Whatever abilities + Maximus might have shown in a subordinate station, he was found incapable + of administering an empire; and though he might easily have been informed + of the naval preparations which were made on the opposite shores of + Africa, he expected with supine indifference the approach of the enemy, + without adopting any measures of defence, of negotiation, or of a timely + retreat. When the Vandals disembarked at the mouth of the Tyber, the + emperor was suddenly roused from his lethargy by the clamors of a + trembling and exasperated multitude. The only hope which presented itself + to his astonished mind was that of a precipitate flight, and he exhorted + the senators to imitate the example of their prince. But no sooner did + Maximus appear in the streets, than he was assaulted by a shower of + stones; a Roman, or a Burgundian soldier, claimed the honor of the first + wound; his mangled body was ignominiously cast into the Tyber; the Roman + people rejoiced in the punishment which they had inflicted on the author + of the public calamities; and the domestics of Eudoxia signalized their + zeal in the service of their mistress. <a href="#linknote-36.5" + name="linknoteref-36.5" id="linknoteref-36.5">5</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.4" id="linknote-36.4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.4">return</a>)<br /> [ Notwithstanding the + evidence of Procopius, Evagrius, Idatius Marcellinus, &c., the learned + Muratori (Annali d’Italia, tom. iv. p. 249) doubts the reality of this + invitation, and observes, with great truth, “Non si puo dir quanto sia + facile il popolo a sognare e spacciar voci false.” But his argument, from + the interval of time and place, is extremely feeble. The figs which grew + near Carthage were produced to the senate of Rome on the third day.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.5" id="linknote-36.5"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.5">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Infidoque tibi Burgundio ductu + Extorquet trepidas mactandi principis iras. + —-Sidon. in Panegyr. Avit. 442. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + A remarkable line, which insinuates that Rome and Maximus were betrayed by + their Burgundian mercenaries.] + </p> + <p> + On the third day after the tumult, Genseric boldly advanced from the port + of Ostia to the gates of the defenceless city. Instead of a sally of the + Roman youth, there issued from the gates an unarmed and venerable + procession of the bishop at the head of his clergy. <a href="#linknote-36.6" + name="linknoteref-36.6" id="linknoteref-36.6">6</a> The fearless spirit of + Leo, his authority and eloquence, again mitigated the fierceness of a + Barbarian conqueror; the king of the Vandals promised to spare the + unresisting multitude, to protect the buildings from fire, and to exempt + the captives from torture; and although such orders were neither seriously + given, nor strictly obeyed, the mediation of Leo was glorious to himself, + and in some degree beneficial to his country. But Rome and its inhabitants + were delivered to the licentiousness of the Vandals and Moors, whose blind + passions revenged the injuries of Carthage. The pillage lasted fourteen + days and nights; and all that yet remained of public or private wealth, of + sacred or profane treasure, was diligently transported to the vessels of + Genseric. Among the spoils, the splendid relics of two temples, or rather + of two religions, exhibited a memorable example of the vicissitudes of + human and divine things. + </p> + <p> + Since the abolition of Paganism, the Capitol had been violated and + abandoned; yet the statues of the gods and heroes were still respected, + and the curious roof of gilt bronze was reserved for the rapacious hands + of Genseric. <a href="#linknote-36.7" name="linknoteref-36.7" + id="linknoteref-36.7">7</a> The holy instruments of the Jewish worship, <a + href="#linknote-36.8" name="linknoteref-36.8" id="linknoteref-36.8">8</a> the + gold table, and the gold candlestick with seven branches, originally + framed according to the particular instructions of God himself, and which + were placed in the sanctuary of his temple, had been ostentatiously + displayed to the Roman people in the triumph of Titus. They were + afterwards deposited in the temple of Peace; and at the end of four + hundred years, the spoils of Jerusalem were transferred from Rome to + Carthage, by a Barbarian who derived his origin from the shores of the + Baltic. These ancient monuments might attract the notice of curiosity, as + well as of avarice. But the Christian churches, enriched and adorned by + the prevailing superstition of the times, afforded more plentiful + materials for sacrilege; and the pious liberality of Pope Leo, who melted + six silver vases, the gift of Constantine, each of a hundred pounds + weight, is an evidence of the damage which he attempted to repair. In the + forty-five years that had elapsed since the Gothic invasion, the pomp and + luxury of Rome were in some measure restored; and it was difficult either + to escape, or to satisfy, the avarice of a conqueror, who possessed + leisure to collect, and ships to transport, the wealth of the capital. The + Imperial ornaments of the palace, the magnificent furniture and wardrobe, + the sideboards of massy plate, were accumulated with disorderly rapine; + the gold and silver amounted to several thousand talents; yet even the + brass and copper were laboriously removed. Eudoxia herself, who advanced + to meet her friend and deliverer, soon bewailed the imprudence of her own + conduct. She was rudely stripped of her jewels; and the unfortunate + empress, with her two daughters, the only surviving remains of the great + Theodosius, was compelled, as a captive, to follow the haughty Vandal; who + immediately hoisted sail, and returned with a prosperous navigation to the + port of Carthage. <a href="#linknote-36.9" name="linknoteref-36.9" + id="linknoteref-36.9">9</a> Many thousand Romans of both sexes, chosen for + some useful or agreeable qualifications, reluctantly embarked on board the + fleet of Genseric; and their distress was aggravated by the unfeeling + Barbarians, who, in the division of the booty, separated the wives from + their husbands, and the children from their parents. The charity of + Deogratias, bishop of Carthage, <a href="#linknote-36.10" + name="linknoteref-36.10" id="linknoteref-36.10">10</a> was their only + consolation and support. He generously sold the gold and silver plate of + the church to purchase the freedom of some, to alleviate the slavery of + others, and to assist the wants and infirmities of a captive multitude, + whose health was impaired by the hardships which they had suffered in + their passage from Italy to Africa. By his order, two spacious churches + were converted into hospitals; the sick were distributed into convenient + beds, and liberally supplied with food and medicines; and the aged prelate + repeated his visits both in the day and night, with an assiduity that + surpassed his strength, and a tender sympathy which enhanced the value of + his services. Compare this scene with the field of Cannae; and judge + between Hannibal and the successor of St. Cyprian. <a href="#linknote-36.11" + name="linknoteref-36.11" id="linknoteref-36.11">11</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.6" id="linknote-36.6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.6">return</a>)<br /> [The apparant success of + Pope Leo may be justified by Prosper, and the Historia Miscellan.; but the + improbable notion of Baronius A.D. 455, (No. 13) that Genseric spared the + three apostolical churches, is not countenanced even by the doubtful + testimony of the Liber Pontificalis.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.7" id="linknote-36.7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.7">return</a>)<br /> [ The profusion of Catulus, + the first who gilt the roof of the Capitol, was not universally approved, + (Plin. Hist. Natur. xxxiii. 18;) but it was far exceeded by the emperor’s, + and the external gilding of the temple cost Domitian 12,000 talents, + (2,400,000 L.) The expressions of Claudian and Rutilius (luce metalli + oemula.... fastigia astris, and confunduntque vagos delubra micantia + visus) manifestly prove, that this splendid covering was not removed + either by the Christians or the Goths, (see Donatus, Roma Antiqua, l. ii. + c. 6, p. 125.) It should seem that the roof of the Capitol was decorated + with gilt statues, and chariots drawn by four horses.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.8" id="linknote-36.8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.8">return</a>)<br /> [ The curious reader may + consult the learned and accurate treatise of Hadrian Reland, de Spoliis + Templi Hierosolymitani in Arcu Titiano Romae conspicuis, in 12mo. Trajecti + ad Rhenum, 1716.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.9" id="linknote-36.9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.9">return</a>)<br /> [ The vessel which + transported the relics of the Capitol was the only one of the whole fleet + that suffered shipwreck. If a bigoted sophist, a Pagan bigot, had + mentioned the accident, he might have rejoiced that this cargo of + sacrilege was lost in the sea.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.10" id="linknote-36.10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.10">return</a>)<br /> [ See Victor Vitensis, de + Persecut. Vandal. l. i. c. 8, p. 11, 12, edit. Ruinart. Deogratius + governed the church of Carthage only three years. If he had not been + privately buried, his corpse would have been torn piecemeal by the mad + devotion of the people.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.11" id="linknote-36.11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.11">return</a>)<br /> [ The general evidence + for the death of Maximus, and the sack of Rome by the Vandals, is + comprised in Sidonius, (Panegyr. Avit. 441-450,) Procopius, (de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. c. 4, 5, p. 188, 189, and l. ii. c. 9, p. 255,) Evagrius, + (l. ii. c. 7,) Jornandes, (de Reb. Geticis, c. 45, p. 677,) and the + Chronicles of Idatius, Prosper, Marcellinus, and Theophanes, under the + proper year.] + </p> + <p> + The deaths of Ætius and Valentinian had relaxed the ties which held the + Barbarians of Gaul in peace and subordination. The sea-coast was infested + by the Saxons; the Alemanni and the Franks advanced from the Rhine to the + Seine; and the ambition of the Goths seemed to meditate more extensive and + permanent conquests. The emperor Maximus relieved himself, by a judicious + choice, from the weight of these distant cares; he silenced the + solicitations of his friends, listened to the voice of fame, and promoted + a stranger to the general command of the forces of Gaul. + </p> + <p> + Avitus, <a href="#linknote-36.12" name="linknoteref-36.12" + id="linknoteref-36.12">12</a> the stranger, whose merit was so nobly + rewarded, descended from a wealthy and honorable family in the diocese of + Auvergne. The convulsions of the times urged him to embrace, with the same + ardor, the civil and military professions: and the indefatigable youth + blended the studies of literature and jurisprudence with the exercise of + arms and hunting. Thirty years of his life were laudably spent in the + public service; he alternately displayed his talents in war and + negotiation; and the soldier of Ætius, after executing the most important + embassies, was raised to the station of Prætorian praefect of Gaul. + Either the merit of Avitus excited envy, or his moderation was desirous of + repose, since he calmly retired to an estate, which he possessed in the + neighborhood of Clermont. A copious stream, issuing from the mountain, and + falling headlong in many a loud and foaming cascade, discharged its waters + into a lake about two miles in length, and the villa was pleasantly seated + on the margin of the lake. The baths, the porticos, the summer and winter + apartments, were adapted to the purposes of luxury and use; and the + adjacent country afforded the various prospects of woods, pastures, and + meadows. <a href="#linknote-36.13" name="linknoteref-36.13" + id="linknoteref-36.13">13</a> In this retreat, where Avitus amused his + leisure with books, rural sports, the practice of husbandry, and the + society of his friends, <a href="#linknote-36.14" name="linknoteref-36.14" + id="linknoteref-36.14">14</a> he received the Imperial diploma, which + constituted him master-general of the cavalry and infantry of Gaul. He + assumed the military command; the Barbarians suspended their fury; and + whatever means he might employ, whatever concessions he might be forced to + make, the people enjoyed the benefits of actual tranquillity. But the fate + of Gaul depended on the Visigoths; and the Roman general, less attentive + to his dignity than to the public interest, did not disdain to visit + Thoulouse in the character of an ambassador. He was received with + courteous hospitality by Theodoric, the king of the Goths; but while + Avitus laid the foundations of a solid alliance with that powerful nation, + he was astonished by the intelligence, that the emperor Maximus was slain, + and that Rome had been pillaged by the Vandals. A vacant throne, which he + might ascend without guilt or danger, tempted his ambition; <a + href="#linknote-36.15" name="linknoteref-36.15" id="linknoteref-36.15">15</a> + and the Visigoths were easily persuaded to support his claim by their + irresistible suffrage. They loved the person of Avitus; they respected his + virtues; and they were not insensible of the advantage, as well as honor, + of giving an emperor to the West. The season was now approaching, in which + the annual assembly of the seven provinces was held at Arles; their + deliberations might perhaps be influenced by the presence of Theodoric and + his martial brothers; but their choice would naturally incline to the most + illustrious of their countrymen. Avitus, after a decent resistance, + accepted the Imperial diadem from the representatives of Gaul; and his + election was ratified by the acclamations of the Barbarians and + provincials. The formal consent of Marcian, emperor of the East, was + solicited and obtained; but the senate, Rome, and Italy, though humbled by + their recent calamities, submitted with a secret murmur to the presumption + of the Gallic usurper. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.12" id="linknote-36.12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.12">return</a>)<br /> [ The private life and + elevation of Avitus must be deduced, with becoming suspicion, from the + panegyric pronounced by Sidonius Apollinaris, his subject, and his + son-in-law.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.13" id="linknote-36.13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.13">return</a>)<br /> [ After the example of + the younger Pliny, Sidonius (l. ii. c. 2) has labored the florid, prolix, + and obscure description of his villa, which bore the name, (Avitacum,) and + had been the property of Avitus. The precise situation is not ascertained. + Consult, however, the notes of Savaron and Sirmond.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.14" id="linknote-36.14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.14">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius (l. ii. epist. + 9) has described the country life of the Gallic nobles, in a visit which + he made to his friends, whose estates were in the neighborhood of Nismes. + The morning hours were spent in the sphoeristerium, or tennis-court; or in + the library, which was furnished with Latin authors, profane and + religious; the former for the men, the latter for the ladies. The table + was twice served, at dinner and supper, with hot meat (boiled and roast) + and wine. During the intermediate time, the company slept, took the air on + horseback, and need the warm bath.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.15" id="linknote-36.15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.15">return</a>)<br /> [ Seventy lines of + panegyric (505-575) which describe the importunity of Theodoric and of + Gaul, struggling to overcome the modest reluctance of Avitus, are blown + away by three words of an honest historian. Romanum ambisset Imperium, + (Greg. Turon. l. ii. c. 1l, in tom. ii. p. 168.)] + </p> + <p> + Theodoric, to whom Avitus was indebted for the purple, had acquired the + Gothic sceptre by the murder of his elder brother Torismond; and he + justified this atrocious deed by the design which his predecessor had + formed of violating his alliance with the empire. <a href="#linknote-36.16" + name="linknoteref-36.16" id="linknoteref-36.16">16</a> Such a crime might + not be incompatible with the virtues of a Barbarian; but the manners of + Theodoric were gentle and humane; and posterity may contemplate without + terror the original picture of a Gothic king, whom Sidonius had intimately + observed, in the hours of peace and of social intercourse. In an epistle, + dated from the court of Thoulouse, the orator satisfies the curiosity of + one of his friends, in the following description: <a href="#linknote-36.17" + name="linknoteref-36.17" id="linknoteref-36.17">17</a> “By the majesty of + his appearance, Theodoric would command the respect of those who are + ignorant of his merit; and although he is born a prince, his merit would + dignify a private station. He is of a middle stature, his body appears + rather plump than fat, and in his well-proportioned limbs agility is + united with muscular strength. <a href="#linknote-36.18" + name="linknoteref-36.18" id="linknoteref-36.18">18</a> If you examine his + countenance, you will distinguish a high forehead, large shaggy eyebrows, + an aquiline nose, thin lips, a regular set of white teeth, and a fair + complexion, that blushes more frequently from modesty than from anger. The + ordinary distribution of his time, as far as it is exposed to the public + view, may be concisely represented. Before daybreak, he repairs, with a + small train, to his domestic chapel, where the service is performed by the + Arian clergy; but those who presume to interpret his secret sentiments, + consider this assiduous devotion as the effect of habit and policy. The + rest of the morning is employed in the administration of his kingdom. His + chair is surrounded by some military officers of decent aspect and + behavior: the noisy crowd of his Barbarian guards occupies the hall of + audience; but they are not permitted to stand within the veils or curtains + that conceal the council-chamber from vulgar eyes. The ambassadors of the + nations are successively introduced: Theodoric listens with attention, + answers them with discreet brevity, and either announces or delays, + according to the nature of their business, his final resolution. About + eight (the second hour) he rises from his throne, and visits either his + treasury or his stables. If he chooses to hunt, or at least to exercise + himself on horseback, his bow is carried by a favorite youth; but when the + game is marked, he bends it with his own hand, and seldom misses the + object of his aim: as a king, he disdains to bear arms in such ignoble + warfare; but as a soldier, he would blush to accept any military service + which he could perform himself. On common days, his dinner is not + different from the repast of a private citizen, but every Saturday, many + honorable guests are invited to the royal table, which, on these + occasions, is served with the elegance of Greece, the plenty of Gaul, and + the order and diligence of Italy. <a href="#linknote-36.19" + name="linknoteref-36.19" id="linknoteref-36.19">19</a> The gold or silver + plate is less remarkable for its weight than for the brightness and + curious workmanship: the taste is gratified without the help of foreign + and costly luxury; the size and number of the cups of wine are regulated + with a strict regard to the laws of temperance; and the respectful silence + that prevails, is interrupted only by grave and instructive conversation. + After dinner, Theodoric sometimes indulges himself in a short slumber; and + as soon as he wakes, he calls for the dice and tables, encourages his + friends to forget the royal majesty, and is delighted when they freely + express the passions which are excited by the incidents of play. At this + game, which he loves as the image of war, he alternately displays his + eagerness, his skill, his patience, and his cheerful temper. If he loses, + he laughs; he is modest and silent if he wins. Yet, notwithstanding this + seeming indifference, his courtiers choose to solicit any favor in the + moments of victory; and I myself, in my applications to the king, have + derived some benefit from my losses. <a href="#linknote-36.20" + name="linknoteref-36.20" id="linknoteref-36.20">20</a> About the ninth hour + (three o’clock) the tide of business again returns, and flows incessantly + till after sunset, when the signal of the royal supper dismisses the weary + crowd of suppliants and pleaders. At the supper, a more familiar repast, + buffoons and pantomimes are sometimes introduced, to divert, not to + offend, the company, by their ridiculous wit: but female singers, and the + soft, effeminate modes of music, are severely banished, and such martial + tunes as animate the soul to deeds of valor are alone grateful to the ear + of Theodoric. He retires from table; and the nocturnal guards are + immediately posted at the entrance of the treasury, the palace, and the + private apartments.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.16" id="linknote-36.16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.16">return</a>)<br /> [ Isidore, archbishop of + Seville, who was himself of the blood royal of the Goths, acknowledges, + and almost justifies, (Hist. Goth. p. 718,) the crime which their slave + Jornandes had basely dissembled, (c 43, p. 673.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.17" id="linknote-36.17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.17">return</a>)<br /> [ This elaborate + description (l. i. ep. ii. p. 2-7) was dictated by some political motive. + It was designed for the public eye, and had been shown by the friends of + Sidonius, before it was inserted in the collection of his epistles. The + first book was published separately. See Tillemont, Mémoires Eccles. tom. + xvi. p. 264.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.18" id="linknote-36.18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.18">return</a>)<br /> [ I have suppressed, in + this portrait of Theodoric, several minute circumstances, and technical + phrases, which could be tolerable, or indeed intelligible, to those only + who, like the contemporaries of Sidonius, had frequented the markets where + naked slaves were exposed to sale, (Dubos, Hist. Critique, tom. i. p. + 404.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.19" id="linknote-36.19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.19">return</a>)<br /> [ Videas ibi elegantiam + Græcam, abundantiam Gallicanam; celeritatem Italam; publicam pompam, + privatam diligentiam, regiam disciplinam.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.20" id="linknote-36.20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.20">return</a>)<br /> [ Tunc etiam ego aliquid + obsecraturus feliciter vincor, et mihi tabula perit ut causa salvetur. + Sidonius of Auvergne was not a subject of Theodoric; but he might be + compelled to solicit either justice or favor at the court of Thoulouse.] + </p> + <p> + When the king of the Visigoths encouraged Avitus to assume the purple, he + offered his person and his forces, as a faithful soldier of the republic. + <a href="#linknote-36.21" name="linknoteref-36.21" id="linknoteref-36.21">21</a> + The exploits of Theodoric soon convinced the world that he had not + degenerated from the warlike virtues of his ancestors. After the + establishment of the Goths in Aquitain, and the passage of the Vandals + into Africa, the Suevi, who had fixed their kingdom in Gallicia, aspired + to the conquest of Spain, and threatened to extinguish the feeble remains + of the Roman dominion. The provincials of Carthagena and Tarragona, + afflicted by a hostile invasion, represented their injuries and their + apprehensions. Count Fronto was despatched, in the name of the emperor + Avitus, with advantageous offers of peace and alliance; and Theodoric + interposed his weighty mediation, to declare, that, unless his + brother-in-law, the king of the Suevi, immediately retired, he should be + obliged to arm in the cause of justice and of Rome. “Tell him,” replied + the haughty Rechiarius, “that I despise his friendship and his arms; but + that I shall soon try whether he will dare to expect my arrival under the + walls of Thoulouse.” Such a challenge urged Theodoric to prevent the bold + designs of his enemy; he passed the Pyrenees at the head of the Visigoths: + the Franks and Burgundians served under his standard; and though he + professed himself the dutiful servant of Avitus, he privately stipulated, + for himself and his successors, the absolute possession of his Spanish + conquests. The two armies, or rather the two nations, encountered each + other on the banks of the River Urbicus, about twelve miles from Astorga; + and the decisive victory of the Goths appeared for a while to have + extirpated the name and kingdom of the Suevi. From the field of battle + Theodoric advanced to Braga, their metropolis, which still retained the + splendid vestiges of its ancient commerce and dignity. <a + href="#linknote-36.22" name="linknoteref-36.22" id="linknoteref-36.22">22</a> + His entrance was not polluted with blood; and the Goths respected the + chastity of their female captives, more especially of the consecrated + virgins: but the greatest part of the clergy and people were made slaves, + and even the churches and altars were confounded in the universal pillage. + The unfortunate king of the Suevi had escaped to one of the ports of the + ocean; but the obstinacy of the winds opposed his flight: he was delivered + to his implacable rival; and Rechiarius, who neither desired nor expected + mercy, received, with manly constancy, the death which he would probably + have inflicted. After this bloody sacrifice to policy or resentment, + Theodoric carried his victorious arms as far as Merida, the principal town + of Lusitania, without meeting any resistance, except from the miraculous + powers of St. Eulalia; but he was stopped in the full career of success, + and recalled from Spain before he could provide for the security of his + conquests. In his retreat towards the Pyrenees, he revenged his + disappointment on the country through which he passed; and, in the sack of + Pollentia and Astorga, he showed himself a faithless ally, as well as a + cruel enemy. Whilst the king of the Visigoths fought and vanquished in the + name of Avitus, the reign of Avitus had expired; and both the honor and + the interest of Theodoric were deeply wounded by the disgrace of a friend, + whom he had seated on the throne of the Western empire. <a + href="#linknote-36.23" name="linknoteref-36.23" id="linknoteref-36.23">23</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.21" id="linknote-36.21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.21">return</a>)<br /> [ Theodoric himself had + given a solemn and voluntary promise of fidelity, which was understood + both in Gaul and Spain. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Romae sum, te duce, Amicus, + Principe te, Miles. + Sidon. Panegyr. Avit. 511.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.22" id="linknote-36.22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.22">return</a>)<br /> [ Quaeque sinu pelagi + jactat se Bracara dives. Auson. de Claris Urbibus, p. 245. ——From + the design of the king of the Suevi, it is evident that the navigation + from the ports of Gallicia to the Mediterranean was known and practised. + The ships of Bracara, or Braga, cautiously steered along the coast, + without daring to lose themselves in the Atlantic.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.23" id="linknote-36.23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.23">return</a>)<br /> [ This Suevic war is the + most authentic part of the Chronicle of Idatius, who, as bishop of Iria + Flavia, was himself a spectator and a sufferer. Jornandes (c. 44, p. 675, + 676, 677) has expatiated, with pleasure, on the Gothic victory.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap36.2"></a> +Chapter XXXVI: Total Extinction Of The Western Empire.—Part II. +</h2> + <p> + The pressing solicitations of the senate and people persuaded the emperor + Avitus to fix his residence at Rome, and to accept the consulship for the + ensuing year. On the first day of January, his son-in-law, Sidonius + Apollinaris, celebrated his praises in a panegyric of six hundred verses; + but this composition, though it was rewarded with a brass statue, <a + href="#linknote-36.24" name="linknoteref-36.24" id="linknoteref-36.24">24</a> + seems to contain a very moderate proportion, either of genius or of truth. + The poet, if we may degrade that sacred name, exaggerates the merit of a + sovereign and a father; and his prophecy of a long and glorious reign was + soon contradicted by the event. Avitus, at a time when the Imperial + dignity was reduced to a preeminence of toil and danger, indulged himself + in the pleasures of Italian luxury: age had not extinguished his amorous + inclinations; and he is accused of insulting, with indiscreet and + ungenerous raillery, the husbands whose wives he had seduced or violated. + <a href="#linknote-36.25" name="linknoteref-36.25" id="linknoteref-36.25">25</a> + But the Romans were not inclined either to excuse his faults or to + acknowledge his virtues. The several parts of the empire became every day + more alienated from each other; and the stranger of Gaul was the object of + popular hatred and contempt. The senate asserted their legitimate claim in + the election of an emperor; and their authority, which had been originally + derived from the old constitution, was again fortified by the actual + weakness of a declining monarchy. Yet even such a monarchy might have + resisted the votes of an unarmed senate, if their discontent had not been + supported, or perhaps inflamed, by the Count Ricimer, one of the principal + commanders of the Barbarian troops, who formed the military defence of + Italy. The daughter of Wallia, king of the Visigoths, was the mother of + Ricimer; but he was descended, on the father’s side, from the nation of + the Suevi; <a href="#linknote-36.26" name="linknoteref-36.26" + id="linknoteref-36.26">26</a> his pride or patriotism might be exasperated + by the misfortunes of his countrymen; and he obeyed, with reluctance, an + emperor in whose elevation he had not been consulted. His faithful and + important services against the common enemy rendered him still more + formidable; <a href="#linknote-36.27" name="linknoteref-36.27" + id="linknoteref-36.27">27</a> and, after destroying on the coast of Corsica + a fleet of Vandals, which consisted of sixty galleys, Ricimer returned in + triumph with the appellation of the Deliverer of Italy. He chose that + moment to signify to Avitus, that his reign was at an end; and the feeble + emperor, at a distance from his Gothic allies, was compelled, after a + short and unavailing struggle to abdicate the purple. By the clemency, + however, or the contempt, of Ricimer, <a href="#linknote-36.28" + name="linknoteref-36.28" id="linknoteref-36.28">28</a> he was permitted to + descend from the throne to the more desirable station of bishop of + Placentia: but the resentment of the senate was still unsatisfied; and + their inflexible severity pronounced the sentence of his death. He fled + towards the Alps, with the humble hope, not of arming the Visigoths in his + cause, but of securing his person and treasures in the sanctuary of + Julian, one of the tutelar saints of Auvergne. <a href="#linknote-36.29" + name="linknoteref-36.29" id="linknoteref-36.29">29</a> Disease, or the hand + of the executioner, arrested him on the road; yet his remains were + decently transported to Brivas, or Brioude, in his native province, and he + reposed at the feet of his holy patron. <a href="#linknote-36.30" + name="linknoteref-36.30" id="linknoteref-36.30">30</a> Avitus left only one + daughter, the wife of Sidonius Apollinaris, who inherited the patrimony of + his father-in-law; lamenting, at the same time, the disappointment of his + public and private expectations. His resentment prompted him to join, or + at least to countenance, the measures of a rebellious faction in Gaul; and + the poet had contracted some guilt, which it was incumbent on him to + expiate, by a new tribute of flattery to the succeeding emperor. <a + href="#linknote-36.31" name="linknoteref-36.31" id="linknoteref-36.31">31</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.24" id="linknote-36.24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.24">return</a>)<br /> [ In one of the porticos + or galleries belonging to Trajan’s library, among the statues of famous + writers and orators. Sidon. Apoll. l. ix. epist, 16, p. 284. Carm. viii. + p. 350.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.25" id="linknote-36.25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.25">return</a>)<br /> [ Luxuriose agere volens + a senatoribus projectus est, is the concise expression of Gregory of + Tours, (l. ii. c. xi. in tom. ii. p. 168.) An old Chronicle (in tom. ii. + p. 649) mentions an indecent jest of Avitus, which seems more applicable + to Rome than to Treves.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.26" id="linknote-36.26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.26">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius (Panegyr. + Anthem. 302, &c.) praises the royal birth of Ricimer, the lawful heir, + as he chooses to insinuate, both of the Gothic and Suevic kingdoms.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.27" id="linknote-36.27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.27">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Chronicle of + Idatius. Jornandes (c. xliv. p. 676) styles him, with some truth, virum + egregium, et pene tune in Italia ad ex ercitum singularem.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.28" id="linknote-36.28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.28">return</a>)<br /> [ Parcens innocentiae + Aviti, is the compassionate, but contemptuous, language of Victor + Tunnunensis, (in Chron. apud Scaliger Euseb.) In another place, he calls + him, vir totius simplicitatis. This commendation is more humble, but it is + more solid and sincere, than the praises of Sidonius] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.29" id="linknote-36.29"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 29 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.29">return</a>)<br /> [ He suffered, as it is + supposed, in the persecution of Diocletian, (Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. + v. p. 279, 696.) Gregory of Tours, his peculiar votary, has dedicated to + the glory of Julian the Martyr an entire book, (de Gloria Martyrum, l. ii. + in Max. Bibliot. Patrum, tom. xi. p. 861-871,) in which he relates about + fifty foolish miracles performed by his relics.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.30" id="linknote-36.30"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 30 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.30">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregory of Tours (l. + ii. c. xi. p. 168) is concise, but correct, in the reign of his + countryman. The words of Idatius, “cadet imperio, caret et vita,” seem to + imply, that the death of Avitus was violent; but it must have been secret, + since Evagrius (l. ii. c. 7) could suppose, that he died of the plaque.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.31" id="linknote-36.31"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 31 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.31">return</a>)<br /> [ After a modest appeal + to the examples of his brethren, Virgil and Horace, Sidonius honestly + confesses the debt, and promises payment. + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Sic mihi diverso nuper sub Marte cadenti + Jussisti placido Victor ut essem animo. + Serviat ergo tibi servati lingua poetae, + Atque meae vitae laus tua sit pretium. + —Sidon. Apoll. Carm. iv. p. 308 +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + See Dubos, Hist. Critique, tom. i. p. 448, &c.] + </p> + <p> + The successor of Avitus presents the welcome discovery of a great and + heroic character, such as sometimes arise, in a degenerate age, to + vindicate the honor of the human species. The emperor Majorian has + deserved the praises of his contemporaries, and of posterity; and these + praises may be strongly expressed in the words of a judicious and + disinterested historian: “That he was gentle to his subjects; that he was + terrible to his enemies; and that he excelled, in every virtue, all his + predecessors who had reigned over the Romans.” <a href="#linknote-36.32" + name="linknoteref-36.32" id="linknoteref-36.32">32</a> Such a testimony may + justify at least the panegyric of Sidonius; and we may acquiesce in the + assurance, that, although the obsequious orator would have flattered, with + equal zeal, the most worthless of princes, the extraordinary merit of his + object confined him, on this occasion, within the bounds of truth. <a + href="#linknote-36.33" name="linknoteref-36.33" id="linknoteref-36.33">33</a> + Majorian derived his name from his maternal grandfather, who, in the reign + of the great Theodosius, had commanded the troops of the Illyrian + frontier. He gave his daughter in marriage to the father of Majorian, a + respectable officer, who administered the revenues of Gaul with skill and + integrity; and generously preferred the friendship of Ætius to the + tempting offer of an insidious court. His son, the future emperor, who was + educated in the profession of arms, displayed, from his early youth, + intrepid courage, premature wisdom, and unbounded liberality in a scanty + fortune. He followed the standard of Ætius, contributed to his success, + shared, and sometimes eclipsed, his glory, and at last excited the + jealousy of the patrician, or rather of his wife, who forced him to retire + from the service. <a href="#linknote-36.34" name="linknoteref-36.34" + id="linknoteref-36.34">34</a> Majorian, after the death of Ætius, was + recalled and promoted; and his intimate connection with Count Ricimer was + the immediate step by which he ascended the throne of the Western empire. + During the vacancy that succeeded the abdication of Avitus, the ambitious + Barbarian, whose birth excluded him from the Imperial dignity, governed + Italy with the title of Patrician; resigned to his friend the conspicuous + station of master-general of the cavalry and infantry; and, after an + interval of some months, consented to the unanimous wish of the Romans, + whose favor Majorian had solicited by a recent victory over the Alemanni. + <a href="#linknote-36.35" name="linknoteref-36.35" id="linknoteref-36.35">35</a> + He was invested with the purple at Ravenna: and the epistle which he + addressed to the senate, will best describe his situation and his + sentiments. “Your election, Conscript Fathers! and the ordinance of the + most valiant army, have made me your emperor. <a href="#linknote-36.36" + name="linknoteref-36.36" id="linknoteref-36.36">36</a> May the propitious + Deity direct and prosper the counsels and events of my administration, to + your advantage and to the public welfare! For my own part, I did not + aspire, I have submitted to reign; nor should I have discharged the + obligations of a citizen if I had refused, with base and selfish + ingratitude, to support the weight of those labors, which were imposed by + the republic. Assist, therefore, the prince whom you have made; partake + the duties which you have enjoined; and may our common endeavors promote + the happiness of an empire, which I have accepted from your hands. Be + assured, that, in our times, justice shall resume her ancient vigor, and + that virtue shall become, not only innocent, but meritorious. Let none, + except the authors themselves, be apprehensive of delations, <a + href="#linknote-36.37" name="linknoteref-36.37" id="linknoteref-36.37">37</a> + which, as a subject, I have always condemned, and, as a prince, will + severely punish. Our own vigilance, and that of our father, the patrician + Ricimer, shall regulate all military affairs, and provide for the safety + of the Roman world, which we have saved from foreign and domestic enemies. + <a href="#linknote-36.38" name="linknoteref-36.38" id="linknoteref-36.38">38</a> + You now understand the maxims of my government; you may confide in the + faithful love and sincere assurances of a prince who has formerly been the + companion of your life and dangers; who still glories in the name of + senator, and who is anxious that you should never repent the judgment + which you have pronounced in his favor.” The emperor, who, amidst the + ruins of the Roman world, revived the ancient language of law and liberty, + which Trajan would not have disclaimed, must have derived those generous + sentiments from his own heart; since they were not suggested to his + imitation by the customs of his age, or the example of his predecessors. + <a href="#linknote-36.39" name="linknoteref-36.39" id="linknoteref-36.39">39</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.32" id="linknote-36.32"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 32 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.32">return</a>)<br /> [ The words of Procopius + deserve to be transcribed (de Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 7, p. 194;) a concise + but comprehensive definition of royal virtue.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.33" id="linknote-36.33"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 33 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.33">return</a>)<br /> [ The Panegyric was + pronounced at Lyons before the end of the year 458, while the emperor was + still consul. It has more art than genius, and more labor than art. The + ornaments are false and trivial; the expression is feeble and prolix; and + Sidonius wants the skill to exhibit the principal figure in a strong and + distinct light. The private life of Majorian occupies about two hundred + lines, 107-305.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.34" id="linknote-36.34"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 34 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.34">return</a>)<br /> [ She pressed his + immediate death, and was scarcely satisfied with his disgrace. It should + seem that Ætius, like Belisarius and Marlborough, was governed by his + wife; whose fervent piety, though it might work miracles, (Gregor. Turon. + l. ii. c. 7, p. 162,) was not incompatible with base and sanguinary + counsels.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.35" id="linknote-36.35"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 35 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.35">return</a>)<br /> [ The Alemanni had passed + the Rhaetian Alps, and were defeated in the Campi Canini, or Valley of + Bellinzone, through which the Tesin flows, in its descent from Mount Adula + to the Lago Maggiore, (Cluver Italia Antiq. tom. i. p. 100, 101.) This + boasted victory over nine hundred Barbarians (Panegyr. Majorian. 373, + &c.) betrays the extreme weakness of Italy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.36" id="linknote-36.36"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 36 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.36">return</a>)<br /> [ Imperatorem me factum, + P.C. electionis vestrae arbitrio, et fortissimi exercitus ordinatione + agnoscite, (Novell. Majorian. tit. iii. p. 34, ad Calcem. Cod. Theodos.) + Sidonius proclaims the unanimous voice of the empire:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Postquam ordine vobis + Ordo omnis regnum dederat; plebs, curia, nules, + —-Et collega simul. 386. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + This language is ancient and constitutional; and we may observe, that the + clergy were not yet considered as a distinct order of the state.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.37" id="linknote-36.37"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 37 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.37">return</a>)<br /> [ Either dilationes, or + delationes would afford a tolerable reading, but there is much more sense + and spirit in the latter, to which I have therefore given the preference.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.38" id="linknote-36.38"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 38 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.38">return</a>)<br /> [ Ab externo hoste et a + domestica clade liberavimus: by the latter, Majorian must understand the + tyranny of Avitus; whose death he consequently avowed as a meritorious + act. On this occasion, Sidonius is fearful and obscure; he describes the + twelve Caesars, the nations of Africa, &c., that he may escape the + dangerous name of Avitus (805-369.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.39" id="linknote-36.39"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 39 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.39">return</a>)<br /> [ See the whole edict or + epistle of Majorian to the senate, (Novell. tit. iv. p. 34.) Yet the + expression, regnum nostrum, bears some taint of the age, and does not mix + kindly with the word respublica, which he frequently repeats.] + </p> + <p> + The private and public actions of Majorian are very imperfectly known: but + his laws, remarkable for an original cast of thought and expression, + faithfully represent the character of a sovereign who loved his people, + who sympathized in their distress, who had studied the causes of the + decline of the empire, and who was capable of applying (as far as such + reformation was practicable) judicious and effectual remedies to the + public disorders. <a href="#linknote-36.40" name="linknoteref-36.40" + id="linknoteref-36.40">40</a> His regulations concerning the finances + manifestly tended to remove, or at least to mitigate, the most intolerable + grievances. I. From the first hour of his reign, he was solicitous (I + translate his own words) to relieve the weary fortunes of the provincials, + oppressed by the accumulated weight of indictions and superindictions. <a + href="#linknote-36.41" name="linknoteref-36.41" id="linknoteref-36.41">41</a> + With this view he granted a universal amnesty, a final and absolute + discharge of all arrears of tribute, of all debts, which, under any + pretence, the fiscal officers might demand from the people. This wise + dereliction of obsolete, vexatious, and unprofitable claims, improved and + purified the sources of the public revenue; and the subject who could now + look back without despair, might labor with hope and gratitude for himself + and for his country. II. In the assessment and collection of taxes, + Majorian restored the ordinary jurisdiction of the provincial magistrates; + and suppressed the extraordinary commissions which had been introduced, in + the name of the emperor himself, or of the Prætorian praefects. The + favorite servants, who obtained such irregular powers, were insolent in + their behavior, and arbitrary in their demands: they affected to despise + the subordinate tribunals, and they were discontented, if their fees and + profits did not twice exceed the sum which they condescended to pay into + the treasury. One instance of their extortion would appear incredible, + were it not authenticated by the legislator himself. They exacted the + whole payment in gold: but they refused the current coin of the empire, + and would accept only such ancient pieces as were stamped with the names + of Faustina or the Antonines. The subject, who was unprovided with these + curious medals, had recourse to the expedient of compounding with their + rapacious demands; or if he succeeded in the research, his imposition was + doubled, according to the weight and value of the money of former times. + <a href="#linknote-36.42" name="linknoteref-36.42" id="linknoteref-36.42">42</a> + III. “The municipal corporations, (says the emperor,) the lesser senates, + (so antiquity has justly styled them,) deserve to be considered as the + heart of the cities, and the sinews of the republic. And yet so low are + they now reduced, by the injustice of magistrates and the venality of + collectors, that many of their members, renouncing their dignity and their + country, have taken refuge in distant and obscure exile.” He urges, and + even compels, their return to their respective cities; but he removes the + grievance which had forced them to desert the exercise of their municipal + functions. They are directed, under the authority of the provincial + magistrates, to resume their office of levying the tribute; but, instead + of being made responsible for the whole sum assessed on their district, + they are only required to produce a regular account of the payments which + they have actually received, and of the defaulters who are still indebted + to the public. IV. But Majorian was not ignorant that these corporate + bodies were too much inclined to retaliate the injustice and oppression + which they had suffered; and he therefore revives the useful office of the + defenders of cities. He exhorts the people to elect, in a full and free + assembly, some man of discretion and integrity, who would dare to assert + their privileges, to represent their grievances, to protect the poor from + the tyranny of the rich, and to inform the emperor of the abuses that were + committed under the sanction of his name and authority. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.40" id="linknote-36.40"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 40 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.40">return</a>)<br /> [ See the laws of + Majorian (they are only nine in number, but very long, and various) at the + end of the Theodosian Code, Novell. l. iv. p. 32-37. Godefroy has not + given any commentary on these additional pieces.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.41" id="linknote-36.41"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 41 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.41">return</a>)<br /> [ Fessas provincialium + varia atque multiplici tributorum exactione fortunas, et extraordinariis + fiscalium solutionum oneribus attritas, &c. Novell. Majorian. tit. iv. + p. 34.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.42" id="linknote-36.42"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 42 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.42">return</a>)<br /> [ The learned Greaves + (vol. i. p. 329, 330, 331) has found, by a diligent inquiry, that aurei of + the Antonines weighed one hundred and eighteen, and those of the fifth + century only sixty-eight, English grains. Majorian gives currency to all + gold coin, excepting only the Gallic solidus, from its deficiency, not in + the weight, but in the standard.] + </p> + <p> + The spectator who casts a mournful view over the ruins of ancient Rome, is + tempted to accuse the memory of the Goths and Vandals, for the mischief + which they had neither leisure, nor power, nor perhaps inclination, to + perpetrate. The tempest of war might strike some lofty turrets to the + ground; but the destruction which undermined the foundations of those + massy fabrics was prosecuted, slowly and silently, during a period of ten + centuries; and the motives of interest, that afterwards operated without + shame or control, were severely checked by the taste and spirit of the + emperor Majorian. The decay of the city had gradually impaired the value + of the public works. The circus and theatres might still excite, but they + seldom gratified, the desires of the people: the temples, which had + escaped the zeal of the Christians, were no longer inhabited, either by + gods or men; the diminished crowds of the Romans were lost in the immense + space of their baths and porticos; and the stately libraries and halls of + justice became useless to an indolent generation, whose repose was seldom + disturbed, either by study or business. The monuments of consular, or + Imperial, greatness were no longer revered, as the immortal glory of the + capital: they were only esteemed as an inexhaustible mine of materials, + cheaper, and more convenient than the distant quarry. Specious petitions + were continually addressed to the easy magistrates of Rome, which stated + the want of stones or bricks, for some necessary service: the fairest + forms of architecture were rudely defaced, for the sake of some paltry, or + pretended, repairs; and the degenerate Romans, who converted the spoil to + their own emolument, demolished, with sacrilegious hands, the labors of + their ancestors. Majorian, who had often sighed over the desolation of the + city, applied a severe remedy to the growing evil. <a href="#linknote-36.43" + name="linknoteref-36.43" id="linknoteref-36.43">43</a> He reserved to the + prince and senate the sole cognizance of the extreme cases which might + justify the destruction of an ancient edifice; imposed a fine of fifty + pounds of gold (two thousand pounds sterling) on every magistrate who + should presume to grant such illegal and scandalous license, and + threatened to chastise the criminal obedience of their subordinate + officers, by a severe whipping, and the amputation of both their hands. In + the last instance, the legislator might seem to forget the proportion of + guilt and punishment; but his zeal arose from a generous principle, and + Majorian was anxious to protect the monuments of those ages, in which he + would have desired and deserved to live. The emperor conceived, that it + was his interest to increase the number of his subjects; and that it was + his duty to guard the purity of the marriage-bed: but the means which he + employed to accomplish these salutary purposes are of an ambiguous, and + perhaps exceptionable, kind. The pious maids, who consecrated their + virginity to Christ, were restrained from taking the veil till they had + reached their fortieth year. Widows under that age were compelled to form + a second alliance within the term of five years, by the forfeiture of half + their wealth to their nearest relations, or to the state. Unequal + marriages were condemned or annulled. The punishment of confiscation and + exile was deemed so inadequate to the guilt of adultery, that, if the + criminal returned to Italy, he might, by the express declaration of + Majorian, be slain with impunity. <a href="#linknote-36.44" + name="linknoteref-36.44" id="linknoteref-36.44">44</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.43" id="linknote-36.43"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 43 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.43">return</a>)<br /> [ The whole edict + (Novell. Majorian. tit. vi. p. 35) is curious. “Antiquarum aedium + dissipatur speciosa constructio; et ut aliquid reparetur, magna diruuntur. + Hinc jam occasio nascitur, ut etiam unusquisque privatum aedificium + construens, per gratiam judicum..... praesumere de publicis locis + necessaria, et transferre non dubitet” &c. With equal zeal, but with + less power, Petrarch, in the fourteenth century, repeated the same + complaints. (Vie de Petrarque, tom. i. p. 326, 327.) If I prosecute this + history, I shall not be unmindful of the decline and fall of the city of + Rome; an interesting object to which any plan was originally confined.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.44" id="linknote-36.44"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 44 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.44">return</a>)<br /> [ The emperor chides the + lenity of Rogatian, consular of Tuscany in a style of acrimonious reproof, + which sounds almost like personal resentment, (Novell. tit. ix. p. 47.) + The law of Majorian, which punished obstinate widows, was soon afterwards + repealed by his successor Severus, (Novell. Sever. tit. i. p. 37.)] + </p> + <p> + While the emperor Majorian assiduously labored to restore the happiness + and virtue of the Romans, he encountered the arms of Genseric, from his + character and situation their most formidable enemy. A fleet of Vandals + and Moors landed at the mouth of the Liris, or Garigliano; but the + Imperial troops surprised and attacked the disorderly Barbarians, who were + encumbered with the spoils of Campania; they were chased with slaughter to + their ships, and their leader, the king’s brother-in-law, was found in the + number of the slain. <a href="#linknote-36.45" name="linknoteref-36.45" + id="linknoteref-36.45">45</a> Such vigilance might announce the character + of the new reign; but the strictest vigilance, and the most numerous + forces, were insufficient to protect the long-extended coast of Italy from + the depredations of a naval war. The public opinion had imposed a nobler + and more arduous task on the genius of Majorian. Rome expected from him + alone the restitution of Africa; and the design, which he formed, of + attacking the Vandals in their new settlements, was the result of bold and + judicious policy. If the intrepid emperor could have infused his own + spirit into the youth of Italy; if he could have revived in the field of + Mars, the manly exercises in which he had always surpassed his equals; he + might have marched against Genseric at the head of a Roman army. Such a + reformation of national manners might be embraced by the rising + generation; but it is the misfortune of those princes who laboriously + sustain a declining monarchy, that, to obtain some immediate advantage, or + to avert some impending danger, they are forced to countenance, and even + to multiply, the most pernicious abuses. Majorian, like the weakest of his + predecessors, was reduced to the disgraceful expedient of substituting + Barbarian auxiliaries in the place of his unwarlike subjects: and his + superior abilities could only be displayed in the vigor and dexterity with + which he wielded a dangerous instrument, so apt to recoil on the hand that + used it. Besides the confederates, who were already engaged in the service + of the empire, the fame of his liberality and valor attracted the nations + of the Danube, the Borysthenes, and perhaps of the Tanais. Many thousands + of the bravest subjects of Attila, the Gepidae, the Ostrogoths, the + Rugians, the Burgundians, the Suevi, the Alani, assembled in the plains of + Liguria; and their formidable strength was balanced by their mutual + animosities. <a href="#linknote-36.46" name="linknoteref-36.46" + id="linknoteref-36.46">46</a> They passed the Alps in a severe winter. The + emperor led the way, on foot, and in complete armor; sounding, with his + long staff, the depth of the ice, or snow, and encouraging the Scythians, + who complained of the extreme cold, by the cheerful assurance, that they + should be satisfied with the heat of Africa. The citizens of Lyons had + presumed to shut their gates; they soon implored, and experienced, the + clemency of Majorian. He vanquished Theodoric in the field; and admitted + to his friendship and alliance a king whom he had found not unworthy of + his arms. The beneficial, though precarious, reunion of the greater part + of Gaul and Spain, was the effect of persuasion, as well as of force; <a + href="#linknote-36.47" name="linknoteref-36.47" id="linknoteref-36.47">47</a> + and the independent Bagaudae, who had escaped, or resisted, the + oppression, of former reigns, were disposed to confide in the virtues of + Majorian. His camp was filled with Barbarian allies; his throne was + supported by the zeal of an affectionate people; but the emperor had + foreseen, that it was impossible, without a maritime power, to achieve the + conquest of Africa. In the first Punic war, the republic had exerted such + incredible diligence, that, within sixty days after the first stroke of + the axe had been given in the forest, a fleet of one hundred and sixty + galleys proudly rode at anchor in the sea. <a href="#linknote-36.48" + name="linknoteref-36.48" id="linknoteref-36.48">48</a> Under circumstances + much less favorable, Majorian equalled the spirit and perseverance of the + ancient Romans. The woods of the Apennine were felled; the arsenals and + manufactures of Ravenna and Misenum were restored; Italy and Gaul vied + with each other in liberal contributions to the public service; and the + Imperial navy of three hundred large galleys, with an adequate proportion + of transports and smaller vessels, was collected in the secure and + capacious harbor of Carthagena in Spain. <a href="#linknote-36.49" + name="linknoteref-36.49" id="linknoteref-36.49">49</a> The intrepid + countenance of Majorian animated his troops with a confidence of victory; + and, if we might credit the historian Procopius, his courage sometimes + hurried him beyond the bounds of prudence. Anxious to explore, with his + own eyes, the state of the Vandals, he ventured, after disguising the + color of his hair, to visit Carthage, in the character of his own + ambassador: and Genseric was afterwards mortified by the discovery, that + he had entertained and dismissed the emperor of the Romans. Such an + anecdote may be rejected as an improbable fiction; but it is a fiction + which would not have been imagined, unless in the life of a hero. <a + href="#linknote-36.50" name="linknoteref-36.50" id="linknoteref-36.50">50</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.45" id="linknote-36.45"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 45 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.45">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidon. Panegyr. + Majorian, 385-440.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.46" id="linknote-36.46"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 46 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.46">return</a>)<br /> [ The review of the army, + and passage of the Alps, contain the most tolerable passages of the + Panegyric, (470-552.) M. de Buat (Hist. des Peuples, &c., tom. viii. + p. 49-55) is a more satisfactory commentator, than either Savaron or + Sirmond.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.47" id="linknote-36.47"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 47 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.47">return</a>)<br /> [ It is the just and + forcible distinction of Priscus, (Excerpt. Legat. p. 42,) in a short + fragment, which throws much light on the history of Majorian. Jornandes + has suppressed the defeat and alliance of the Visigoths, which were + solemnly proclaimed in Gallicia; and are marked in the Chronicle of + Idatius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.48" id="linknote-36.48"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 48 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.48">return</a>)<br /> [ Florus, l. ii. c. 2. He + amuses himself with the poetical fancy, that the trees had been + transformed into ships; and indeed the whole transaction, as it is related + in the first book of Polybius, deviates too much from the probable course + of human events.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.49" id="linknote-36.49"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 49 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.49">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Iterea duplici texis dum littore classem + Inferno superoque mari, cadit omnis in aequor + Sylva tibi, &c. + —-Sidon. Panegyr. Majorian, 441-461. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The number of ships, which Priscus fixed at 300, is magnified, by an + indefinite comparison with the fleets of Agamemnon, Xerxes, and Augustus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.50" id="linknote-36.50"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 50 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.50">return</a>)<br /> [ Procopius de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. c. 8, p. 194. When Genseric conducted his unknown guest into + the arsenal of Carthage, the arms clashed of their own accord. Majorian + had tinged his yellow locks with a black color.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap36.3"></a> +Chapter XXXVI: Total Extinction Of The Western Empire.—Part III. +</h2> + <p> + Without the help of a personal interview, Genseric was sufficiently + acquainted with the genius and designs of his adversary. He practiced his + customary arts of fraud and delay, but he practiced them without success. + His applications for peace became each hour more submissive, and perhaps + more sincere; but the inflexible Majorian had adopted the ancient maxim, + that Rome could not be safe, as long as Carthage existed in a hostile + state. The king of the Vandals distrusted the valor of his native + subjects, who were enervated by the luxury of the South; <a + href="#linknote-36.51" name="linknoteref-36.51" id="linknoteref-36.51">51</a> + he suspected the fidelity of the vanquished people, who abhorred him as an + Arian tyrant; and the desperate measure, which he executed, of reducing + Mauritania into a desert, <a href="#linknote-36.52" name="linknoteref-36.52" + id="linknoteref-36.52">52</a> could not defeat the operations of the Roman + emperor, who was at liberty to land his troops on any part of the African + coast. But Genseric was saved from impending and inevitable ruin by the + treachery of some powerful subjects, envious, or apprehensive, of their + master’s success. Guided by their secret intelligence, he surprised the + unguarded fleet in the Bay of Carthagena: many of the ships were sunk, or + taken, or burnt; and the preparations of three years were destroyed in a + single day. <a href="#linknote-36.53" name="linknoteref-36.53" + id="linknoteref-36.53">53</a> After this event, the behavior of the two + antagonists showed them superior to their fortune. The Vandal, instead of + being elated by this accidental victory, immediately renewed his + solicitations for peace. The emperor of the West, who was capable of + forming great designs, and of supporting heavy disappointments, consented + to a treaty, or rather to a suspension of arms; in the full assurance + that, before he could restore his navy, he should be supplied with + provocations to justify a second war. Majorian returned to Italy, to + prosecute his labors for the public happiness; and, as he was conscious of + his own integrity, he might long remain ignorant of the dark conspiracy + which threatened his throne and his life. The recent misfortune of + Carthagena sullied the glory which had dazzled the eyes of the multitude; + almost every description of civil and military officers were exasperated + against the Reformer, since they all derived some advantage from the + abuses which he endeavored to suppress; and the patrician Ricimer impelled + the inconstant passions of the Barbarians against a prince whom he + esteemed and hated. The virtues of Majorian could not protect him from the + impetuous sedition, which broke out in the camp near Tortona, at the foot + of the Alps. He was compelled to abdicate the Imperial purple: five days + after his abdication, it was reported that he died of a dysentery; <a + href="#linknote-36.54" name="linknoteref-36.54" id="linknoteref-36.54">54</a> + and the humble tomb, which covered his remains, was consecrated by the + respect and gratitude of succeeding generations. <a href="#linknote-36.55" + name="linknoteref-36.55" id="linknoteref-36.55">55</a> The private character + of Majorian inspired love and respect. Malicious calumny and satire + excited his indignation, or, if he himself were the object, his contempt; + but he protected the freedom of wit, and, in the hours which the emperor + gave to the familiar society of his friends, he could indulge his taste + for pleasantry, without degrading the majesty of his rank. <a + href="#linknote-36.56" name="linknoteref-36.56" id="linknoteref-36.56">56</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.51" id="linknote-36.51"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 51 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.51">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Spoliisque potitus + Immensis, robux luxu jam perdidit omne, + Quo valuit dum pauper erat. + —Panegyr. Majorian, 330. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + He afterwards applies to Genseric, unjustly, as it should seem, the vices + of his subjects.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.52" id="linknote-36.52"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 52 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.52">return</a>)<br /> [ He burnt the villages, + and poisoned the springs, (Priscus, p. 42.) Dubos (Hist. Critique, tom. i. + p. 475) observes, that the magazines which the Moors buried in the earth + might escape his destructive search. Two or three hundred pits are + sometimes dug in the same place; and each pit contains at least four + hundred bushels of corn Shaw’s Travels, p. 139.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.53" id="linknote-36.53"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 53 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.53">return</a>)<br /> [ Idatius, who was safe + in Gallicia from the power of Recimer boldly and honestly declares, + Vandali per proditeres admoniti, &c: i. e. dissembles, however, the + name of the traitor.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.54" id="linknote-36.54"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 54 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.54">return</a>)<br /> [ Procop. de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. i. c. 8, p. 194. The testimony of Idatius is fair and + impartial: “Majorianum de Galliis Romam redeuntem, et Romano imperio vel + nomini res necessarias ordinantem; Richimer livore percitus, et invidorum + consilio fultus, fraude interficit circumventum.” Some read Suevorum, and + I am unwilling to efface either of the words, as they express the + different accomplices who united in the conspiracy against Majorian.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.55" id="linknote-36.55"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 55 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.55">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Epigrams of + Ennodius, No. cxxxv. inter Sirmond. Opera, tom. i. p. 1903. It is flat and + obscure; but Ennodius was made bishop of Pavia fifty years after the death + of Majorian, and his praise deserves credit and regard.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.56" id="linknote-36.56"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 56 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.56">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius gives a + tedious account (l. i. epist. xi. p. 25-31) of a supper at Arles, to which + he was invited by Majorian, a short time before his death. He had no + intention of praising a deceased emperor: but a casual disinterested + remark, “Subrisit Augustus; ut erat, auctoritate servata, cum se + communioni dedisset, joci plenus,” outweighs the six hundred lines of his + venal panegyric.] + </p> + <p> + It was not, perhaps, without some regret, that Ricimer sacrificed his + friend to the interest of his ambition: but he resolved, in a second + choice, to avoid the imprudent preference of superior virtue and merit. At + his command, the obsequious senate of Rome bestowed the Imperial title on + Libius Severus, who ascended the throne of the West without emerging from + the obscurity of a private condition. History has scarcely deigned to + notice his birth, his elevation, his character, or his death. Severus + expired, as soon as his life became inconvenient to his patron; <a + href="#linknote-36.57" name="linknoteref-36.57" id="linknoteref-36.57">57</a> + and it would be useless to discriminate his nominal reign in the vacant + interval of six years, between the death of Majorian and the elevation of + Anthemius. During that period, the government was in the hands of Ricimer + alone; and, although the modest Barbarian disclaimed the name of king, he + accumulated treasures, formed a separate army, negotiated private + alliances, and ruled Italy with the same independent and despotic + authority, which was afterwards exercised by Odoacer and Theodoric. But + his dominions were bounded by the Alps; and two Roman generals, + Marcellinus and Aegidius, maintained their allegiance to the republic, by + rejecting, with disdain, the phantom which he styled an emperor. + Marcellinus still adhered to the old religion; and the devout Pagans, who + secretly disobeyed the laws of the church and state, applauded his + profound skill in the science of divination. But he possessed the more + valuable qualifications of learning, virtue, and courage; <a + href="#linknote-36.58" name="linknoteref-36.58" id="linknoteref-36.58">58</a> + the study of the Latin literature had improved his taste; and his military + talents had recommended him to the esteem and confidence of the great + Ætius, in whose ruin he was involved. By a timely flight, Marcellinus + escaped the rage of Valentinian, and boldly asserted his liberty amidst + the convulsions of the Western empire. His voluntary, or reluctant, + submission to the authority of Majorian, was rewarded by the government of + Sicily, and the command of an army, stationed in that island to oppose, or + to attack, the Vandals; but his Barbarian mercenaries, after the emperor’s + death, were tempted to revolt by the artful liberality of Ricimer. At the + head of a band of faithful followers, the intrepid Marcellinus occupied + the province of Dalmatia, assumed the title of patrician of the West, + secured the love of his subjects by a mild and equitable reign, built a + fleet which claimed the dominion of the Adriatic, and alternately alarmed + the coasts of Italy and of Africa. <a href="#linknote-36.59" + name="linknoteref-36.59" id="linknoteref-36.59">59</a> Aegidius, the + master-general of Gaul, who equalled, or at least who imitated, the heroes + of ancient Rome, <a href="#linknote-36.60" name="linknoteref-36.60" + id="linknoteref-36.60">60</a> proclaimed his immortal resentment against + the assassins of his beloved master. A brave and numerous army was + attached to his standard: and, though he was prevented by the arts of + Ricimer, and the arms of the Visigoths, from marching to the gates of + Rome, he maintained his independent sovereignty beyond the Alps, and + rendered the name of Aegidius, respectable both in peace and war. The + Franks, who had punished with exile the youthful follies of Childeric, + elected the Roman general for their king: his vanity, rather than his + ambition, was gratified by that singular honor; and when the nation, at + the end of four years, repented of the injury which they had offered to + the Merovingian family, he patiently acquiesced in the restoration of the + lawful prince. The authority of Aegidius ended only with his life, and the + suspicions of poison and secret violence, which derived some countenance + from the character of Ricimer, were eagerly entertained by the passionate + credulity of the Gauls. <a href="#linknote-36.61" name="linknoteref-36.61" + id="linknoteref-36.61">61</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.57" id="linknote-36.57"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 57 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.57">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius (Panegyr. + Anthem. 317) dismisses him to heaven:—Auxerat Augustus naturae lege + Severus—Divorum numerum. And an old list of the emperors, composed + about the time of Justinian, praises his piety, and fixes his residence at + Rome, (Sirmond. Not. ad Sidon. p. 111, 112.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.58" id="linknote-36.58"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 58 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.58">return</a>)<br /> [ Tillemont, who is + always scandalized by the virtues of infidels, attributes this + advantageous portrait of Marcellinus (which Suidas has preserved) to the + partial zeal of some Pagan historian, (Hist. des Empereurs. tom. vi. p. + 330.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.59" id="linknote-36.59"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 59 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.59">return</a>)<br /> [ Procopius de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. c. 6, p. 191. In various circumstances of the life of + Marcellinus, it is not easy to reconcile the Greek historian with the + Latin Chronicles of the times.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.60" id="linknote-36.60"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 60 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.60">return</a>)<br /> [ I must apply to + Aegidius the praises which Sidonius (Panegyr Majorian, 553) bestows on a + nameless master-general, who commanded the rear-guard of Majorian. + Idatius, from public report, commends his Christian piety; and Priscus + mentions (p. 42) his military virtues.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.61" id="linknote-36.61"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 61 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.61">return</a>)<br /> [ Greg. Turon. l. ii. c. + 12, in tom. ii. p. 168. The Pere Daniel, whose ideas were superficial and + modern, has started some objections against the story of Childeric, (Hist. + de France, tom. i. Preface Historique, p. lxxvii., &c.:) but they have + been fairly satisfied by Dubos, (Hist. Critique, tom. i. p. 460-510,) and + by two authors who disputed the prize of the Academy of Soissons, (p. + 131-177, 310-339.) With regard to the term of Childeric’s exile, it is + necessary either to prolong the life of Aegidius beyond the date assigned + by the Chronicle of Idatius or to correct the text of Gregory, by reading + quarto anno, instead of octavo.] + </p> + <p> + The kingdom of Italy, a name to which the Western empire was gradually + reduced, was afflicted, under the reign of Ricimer, by the incessant + depredations of the Vandal pirates. <a href="#linknote-36.62" + name="linknoteref-36.62" id="linknoteref-36.62">62</a> In the spring of each + year, they equipped a formidable navy in the port of Carthage; and + Genseric himself, though in a very advanced age, still commanded in person + the most important expeditions. His designs were concealed with + impenetrable secrecy, till the moment that he hoisted sail. When he was + asked, by his pilot, what course he should steer, “Leave the determination + to the winds, (replied the Barbarian, with pious arrogance;) they will + transport us to the guilty coast, whose inhabitants have provoked the + divine justice;” but if Genseric himself deigned to issue more precise + orders, he judged the most wealthy to be the most criminal. The Vandals + repeatedly visited the coasts of Spain, Liguria, Tuscany, Campania, + Lucania, Bruttium, Apulia, Calabria, Venetia, Dalmatia, Epirus, Greece, + and Sicily: they were tempted to subdue the Island of Sardinia, so + advantageously placed in the centre of the Mediterranean; and their arms + spread desolation, or terror, from the columns of Hercules to the mouth of + the Nile. As they were more ambitious of spoil than of glory, they seldom + attacked any fortified cities, or engaged any regular troops in the open + field. But the celerity of their motions enabled them, almost at the same + time, to threaten and to attack the most distant objects, which attracted + their desires; and as they always embarked a sufficient number of horses, + they had no sooner landed, than they swept the dismayed country with a + body of light cavalry. Yet, notwithstanding the example of their king, the + native Vandals and Alani insensibly declined this toilsome and perilous + warfare; the hardy generation of the first conquerors was almost + extinguished, and their sons, who were born in Africa, enjoyed the + delicious baths and gardens which had been acquired by the valor of their + fathers. Their place was readily supplied by a various multitude of Moors + and Romans, of captives and outlaws; and those desperate wretches, who had + already violated the laws of their country, were the most eager to promote + the atrocious acts which disgrace the victories of Genseric. In the + treatment of his unhappy prisoners, he sometimes consulted his avarice, + and sometimes indulged his cruelty; and the massacre of five hundred noble + citizens of Zant or Zacynthus, whose mangled bodies he cast into the + Ionian Sea, was imputed, by the public indignation, to his latest + posterity. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.62" id="linknote-36.62"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 62 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.62">return</a>)<br /> [ The naval war of + Genseric is described by Priscus, (Excerpta Legation. p. 42,) Procopius, + (de Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 5, p. 189, 190, and c. 22, p. 228,) Victor + Vitensis, (de Persecut. Vandal. l. i. c. 17, and Ruinart, p. 467-481,) and + in three panegyrics of Sidonius, whose chronological order is absurdly + transposed in the editions both of Savaron and Sirmond. (Avit. Carm. vii. + 441-451. Majorian. Carm. v. 327-350, 385-440. Anthem. Carm. ii. 348-386) + In one passage the poet seems inspired by his subject, and expresses a + strong idea by a lively image:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Hinc Vandalus hostis + Urget; et in nostrum numerosa classe quotannis + Militat excidium; conversoque ordine Fati + Torrida Caucaseos infert mihi Byrsa furores] +</pre> + <p> + Such crimes could not be excused by any provocations; but the war, which + the king of the Vandals prosecuted against the Roman empire was justified + by a specious and reasonable motive. The widow of Valentinian, Eudoxia, + whom he had led captive from Rome to Carthage, was the sole heiress of + the Theodosian house; her elder daughter, Eudocia, became the reluctant + wife of Hunneric, his eldest son; and the stern father, asserting a legal + claim, which could not easily be refuted or satisfied, demanded a just + proportion of the Imperial patrimony. An adequate, or at least a + valuable, compensation, was offered by the Eastern emperor, to purchase a + necessary peace. Eudoxia and her younger daughter, Placidia, were + honorably restored, and the fury of the Vandals was confined to the + limits of the Western empire. The Italians, destitute of a naval force, + which alone was capable of protecting their coasts, implored the aid of + the more fortunate nations of the East; who had formerly acknowledged, in + peace and war, the supremacy of Rome. But the perpetual divisions of the + two empires had alienated their interest and their inclinations; the + faith of a recent treaty was alleged; and the Western Romans, instead of + arms and ships, could only obtain the assistance of a cold and + ineffectual mediation. The haughty Ricimer, who had long struggled with + the difficulties of his situation, was at length reduced to address the + throne of Constantinople, in the humble language of a subject; and Italy + submitted, as the price and security of the alliance, to accept a master + from the choice of the emperor of the East. <a + href="#linknote-36.63" name="linknoteref-36.63" id="linknoteref-36.63">63</a> + It is not the purpose of the present chapter, or even of the present + volume, to continue the distinct series of the Byzantine history; but a + concise view of the reign and character of the emperor Leo, may explain + the last efforts that were attempted to save the falling empire of the + West. <a href="#linknote-36.64" name="linknoteref-36.64" + id="linknoteref-36.64">64</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.63" id="linknote-36.63"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 63 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.63">return</a>)<br /> [ The poet himself is + compelled to acknowledge the distress of Ricimer:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Præterea invictus Ricimer, quem publica fata + Respiciunt, proprio solas vix Marte repellit + Piratam per rura vagum. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + Italy addresses her complaint to the Tyber, and Rome, at the solicitation + of the river god, transports herself to Constantinople, renounces her + ancient claims, and implores the friendship of Aurora, the goddess of the + East. This fabulous machinery, which the genius of Claudian had used and + abused, is the constant and miserable resource of the muse of Sidonius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.64" id="linknote-36.64"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 64 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.64">return</a>)<br /> [ The original authors of + the reigns of Marcian, Leo, and Zeno, are reduced to some imperfect + fragments, whose deficiencies must be supplied from the more recent + compilations of Theophanes, Zonaras, and Cedrenus.] + </p> + <p> + Since the death of the younger Theodosius, the domestic repose of + Constantinople had never been interrupted by war or faction. Pulcheria had + bestowed her hand, and the sceptre of the East, on the modest virtue of + Marcian: he gratefully reverenced her august rank and virgin chastity; + and, after her death, he gave his people the example of the religious + worship that was due to the memory of the Imperial saint. <a + href="#linknote-36.65" name="linknoteref-36.65" id="linknoteref-36.65">65</a> + Attentive to the prosperity of his own dominions, Marcian seemed to + behold, with indifference, the misfortunes of Rome; and the obstinate + refusal of a brave and active prince, to draw his sword against the + Vandals, was ascribed to a secret promise, which had formerly been exacted + from him when he was a captive in the power of Genseric. <a + href="#linknote-36.66" name="linknoteref-36.66" id="linknoteref-36.66">66</a> + The death of Marcian, after a reign of seven years, would have exposed the + East to the danger of a popular election; if the superior weight of a + single family had not been able to incline the balance in favor of the + candidate whose interest they supported. The patrician Aspar might have + placed the diadem on his own head, if he would have subscribed the Nicene + creed. <a href="#linknote-36.67" name="linknoteref-36.67" + id="linknoteref-36.67">67</a> During three generations, the armies of the + East were successively commanded by his father, by himself, and by his son + Ardaburius; his Barbarian guards formed a military force that overawed the + palace and the capital; and the liberal distribution of his immense + treasures rendered Aspar as popular as he was powerful. He recommended the + obscure name of Leo of Thrace, a military tribune, and the principal + steward of his household. His nomination was unanimously ratified by the + senate; and the servant of Aspar received the Imperial crown from the + hands of the patriarch or bishop, who was permitted to express, by this + unusual ceremony, the suffrage of the Deity. <a href="#linknote-36.68" + name="linknoteref-36.68" id="linknoteref-36.68">68</a> This emperor, the + first of the name of Leo, has been distinguished by the title of the + Great; from a succession of princes, who gradually fixed in the opinion of + the Greeks a very humble standard of heroic, or at least of royal, + perfection. Yet the temperate firmness with which Leo resisted the + oppression of his benefactor, showed that he was conscious of his duty and + of his prerogative. Aspar was astonished to find that his influence could + no longer appoint a praefect of Constantinople: he presumed to reproach + his sovereign with a breach of promise, and insolently shaking his purple, + “It is not proper, (said he,) that the man who is invested with this + garment, should be guilty of lying.” “Nor is it proper, (replied Leo,) + that a prince should be compelled to resign his own judgment, and the + public interest, to the will of a subject.”<a href="#linknote-36.69" + name="linknoteref-36.69" id="linknoteref-36.69">69</a> After this + extraordinary scene, it was impossible that the reconciliation of the + emperor and the patrician could be sincere; or, at least, that it could be + solid and permanent. An army of Isaurians <a href="#linknote-36.70" + name="linknoteref-36.70" id="linknoteref-36.70">70</a> was secretly levied, + and introduced into Constantinople; and while Leo undermined the + authority, and prepared the disgrace, of the family of Aspar, his mild and + cautious behavior restrained them from any rash and desperate attempts, + which might have been fatal to themselves, or their enemies. The measures + of peace and war were affected by this internal revolution. As long as + Aspar degraded the majesty of the throne, the secret correspondence of + religion and interest engaged him to favor the cause of Genseric. When Leo + had delivered himself from that ignominious servitude, he listened to the + complaints of the Italians; resolved to extirpate the tyranny of the + Vandals; and declared his alliance with his colleague, Anthemius, whom he + solemnly invested with the diadem and purple of the West. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.65" id="linknote-36.65"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 65 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.65">return</a>)<br /> [ St. Pulcheria died A.D. + 453, four years before her nominal husband; and her festival is celebrated + on the 10th of September by the modern Greeks: she bequeathed an immense + patrimony to pious, or, at least, to ecclesiastical, uses. See Tillemont, + Mémoires Eccles. tom. xv p. 181-184.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.66" id="linknote-36.66"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 66 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.66">return</a>)<br /> [ See Procopius, de Bell. + Vandal. l. i. c. 4, p. 185.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.67" id="linknote-36.67"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 67 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.67">return</a>)<br /> [ From this disability of + Aspar to ascend the throne, it may be inferred that the stain of Heresy + was perpetual and indelible, while that of Barbarism disappeared in the + second generation.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.68" id="linknote-36.68"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 68 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.68">return</a>)<br /> [ Theophanes, p. 95. This + appears to be the first origin of a ceremony, which all the Christian + princes of the world have since adopted and from which the clergy have + deduced the most formidable consequences.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.69" id="linknote-36.69"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 69 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.69">return</a>)<br /> [ Cedrenus, (p. 345, + 346,) who was conversant with the writers of better days, has preserved + the remarkable words of Aspar.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.70" id="linknote-36.70"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 70 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.70">return</a>)<br /> [ The power of the + Isaurians agitated the Eastern empire in the two succeeding reigns of Zeno + and Anastasius; but it ended in the destruction of those Barbarians, who + maintained their fierce independences about two hundred and thirty years.] + </p> + <p> + The virtues of Anthemius have perhaps been magnified, since the Imperial + descent, which he could only deduce from the usurper Procopius, has been + swelled into a line of emperors. <a href="#linknote-36.71" + name="linknoteref-36.71" id="linknoteref-36.71">71</a> But the merit of his + immediate parents, their honors, and their riches, rendered Anthemius one + of the most illustrious subjects of the East. His father, Procopius, + obtained, after his Persian embassy, the rank of general and patrician; + and the name of Anthemius was derived from his maternal grandfather, the + celebrated praefect, who protected, with so much ability and success, the + infant reign of Theodosius. The grandson of the praefect was raised above + the condition of a private subject, by his marriage with Euphemia, the + daughter of the emperor Marcian. This splendid alliance, which might + supersede the necessity of merit, hastened the promotion of Anthemius to + the successive dignities of count, of master-general, of consul, and of + patrician; and his merit or fortune claimed the honors of a victory, which + was obtained on the banks of the Danube, over the Huns. Without indulging + an extravagant ambition, the son-in-law of Marcian might hope to be his + successor; but Anthemius supported the disappointment with courage and + patience; and his subsequent elevation was universally approved by the + public, who esteemed him worthy to reign, till he ascended the throne. <a + href="#linknote-36.72" name="linknoteref-36.72" id="linknoteref-36.72">72</a> + The emperor of the West marched from Constantinople, attended by several + counts of high distinction, and a body of guards almost equal to the + strength and numbers of a regular army: he entered Rome in triumph, and + the choice of Leo was confirmed by the senate, the people, and the + Barbarian confederates of Italy. <a href="#linknote-36.73" + name="linknoteref-36.73" id="linknoteref-36.73">73</a> The solemn + inauguration of Anthemius was followed by the nuptials of his daughter and + the patrician Ricimer; a fortunate event, which was considered as the + firmest security of the union and happiness of the state. The wealth of + two empires was ostentatiously displayed; and many senators completed + their ruin, by an expensive effort to disguise their poverty. All serious + business was suspended during this festival; the courts of justice were + shut; the streets of Rome, the theatres, the places of public and private + resort, resounded with hymeneal songs and dances: and the royal bride, + clothed in silken robes, with a crown on her head, was conducted to the + palace of Ricimer, who had changed his military dress for the habit of a + consul and a senator. On this memorable occasion, Sidonius, whose early + ambition had been so fatally blasted, appeared as the orator of Auvergne, + among the provincial deputies who addressed the throne with + congratulations or complaints. <a href="#linknote-36.74" + name="linknoteref-36.74" id="linknoteref-36.74">74</a> The calends of + January were now approaching, and the venal poet, who had loved Avitus, + and esteemed Majorian, was persuaded by his friends to celebrate, in + heroic verse, the merit, the felicity, the second consulship, and the + future triumphs, of the emperor Anthemius. Sidonius pronounced, with + assurance and success, a panegyric which is still extant; and whatever + might be the imperfections, either of the subject or of the composition, + the welcome flatterer was immediately rewarded with the praefecture of + Rome; a dignity which placed him among the illustrious personages of the + empire, till he wisely preferred the more respectable character of a + bishop and a saint. <a href="#linknote-36.75" name="linknoteref-36.75" + id="linknoteref-36.75">75</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.71" id="linknote-36.71"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 71 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.71">return</a>)<br /> [ + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Tali tu civis ab urbe + Procopio genitore micas; cui prisca propago + Augustis venit a proavis. +</pre> + <p class="foot"> + The poet (Sidon. Panegyr. Anthem. 67-306) then proceeds to relate the + private life and fortunes of the future emperor, with which he must have + been imperfectly acquainted.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.72" id="linknote-36.72"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 72 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.72">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius discovers, + with tolerable ingenuity, that this disappointment added new lustre to the + virtues of Anthemius, (210, &c.,) who declined one sceptre, and + reluctantly accepted another, (22, &c.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.73" id="linknote-36.73"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 73 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.73">return</a>)<br /> [ The poet again + celebrates the unanimity of all orders of the state, (15-22;) and the + Chronicle of Idatius mentions the forces which attended his march.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.74" id="linknote-36.74"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 74 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.74">return</a>)<br /> [ Interveni autem nuptiis + Patricii Ricimeris, cui filia perennis Augusti in spem publicae + securitatis copulabator. The journey of Sidonius from Lyons, and the + festival of Rome, are described with some spirit. L. i. epist. 5, p. 9-13, + epist. 9, p. 21.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.75" id="linknote-36.75"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 75 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.75">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius (l. i. epist. + 9, p. 23, 24) very fairly states his motive, his labor, and his reward. + “Hic ipse Panegyricus, si non judicium, certa eventum, boni operis, + accepit.” He was made bishop of Clermont, A.D. 471. Tillemont, Mem. + Eccles. tom. xvi. p. 750.] + </p> + <p> + The Greeks ambitiously commend the piety and catholic faith of the emperor + whom they gave to the West; nor do they forget to observe, that when he + left Constantinople, he converted his palace into the pious foundation of + a public bath, a church, and a hospital for old men. <a + href="#linknote-36.76" name="linknoteref-36.76" id="linknoteref-36.76">76</a> + Yet some suspicious appearances are found to sully the theological fame of + Anthemius. From the conversation of Philotheus, a Macedonian sectary, he + had imbibed the spirit of religious toleration; and the Heretics of Rome + would have assembled with impunity, if the bold and vehement censure which + Pope Hilary pronounced in the church of St. Peter, had not obliged him to + abjure the unpopular indulgence. <a href="#linknote-36.77" + name="linknoteref-36.77" id="linknoteref-36.77">77</a> Even the Pagans, a + feeble and obscure remnant, conceived some vain hopes, from the + indifference, or partiality, of Anthemius; and his singular friendship for + the philosopher Severus, whom he promoted to the consulship, was ascribed + to a secret project, of reviving the ancient worship of the gods. <a + href="#linknote-36.78" name="linknoteref-36.78" id="linknoteref-36.78">78</a> + These idols were crumbled into dust: and the mythology which had once been + the creed of nations, was so universally disbelieved, that it might be + employed without scandal, or at least without suspicion, by Christian + poets. <a href="#linknote-36.79" name="linknoteref-36.79" + id="linknoteref-36.79">79</a> Yet the vestiges of superstition were not + absolutely obliterated, and the festival of the Lupercalia, whose origin + had preceded the foundation of Rome, was still celebrated under the reign + of Anthemius. The savage and simple rites were expressive of an early + state of society before the invention of arts and agriculture. The rustic + deities who presided over the toils and pleasures of the pastoral life, + Pan, Faunus, and their train of satyrs, were such as the fancy of + shepherds might create, sportive, petulant, and lascivious; whose power + was limited, and whose malice was inoffensive. A goat was the offering the + best adapted to their character and attributes; the flesh of the victim + was roasted on willow spits; and the riotous youths, who crowded to the + feast, ran naked about the fields, with leather thongs in their hands, + communicating, as it was supposed, the blessing of fecundity to the women + whom they touched. <a href="#linknote-36.80" name="linknoteref-36.80" + id="linknoteref-36.80">80</a> The altar of Pan was erected, perhaps by + Evander the Arcadian, in a dark recess in the side of the Palantine hill, + watered by a perpetual fountain, and shaded by a hanging grove. A + tradition, that, in the same place, Romulus and Remus were suckled by the + wolf, rendered it still more sacred and venerable in the eyes of the + Romans; and this sylvan spot was gradually surrounded by the stately + edifices of the Forum. <a href="#linknote-36.81" name="linknoteref-36.81" + id="linknoteref-36.81">81</a> After the conversion of the Imperial city, + the Christians still continued, in the month of February, the annual + celebration of the Lupercalia; to which they ascribed a secret and + mysterious influence on the genial powers of the animal and vegetable + world. + </p> + <p> + The bishops of Rome were solicitous to abolish a profane custom, so + repugnant to the spirit of Christianity; but their zeal was not supported + by the authority of the civil magistrate: the inveterate abuse subsisted + till the end of the fifth century, and Pope Gelasius, who purified the + capital from the last stain of idolatry, appeased by a formal apology, the + murmurs of the senate and people. <a href="#linknote-36.82" + name="linknoteref-36.82" id="linknoteref-36.82">82</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.76" id="linknote-36.76"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 76 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.76">return</a>)<br /> [ The palace of Anthemius + stood on the banks of the Propontis. In the ninth century, Alexius, the + son-in-law of the emperor Theophilus, obtained permission to purchase the + ground; and ended his days in a monastery which he founded on that + delightful spot. Ducange Constantinopolis Christiana, p. 117, 152.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.77" id="linknote-36.77"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 77 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.77">return</a>)<br /> [ Papa Hilarius... apud + beatum Petrum Apostolum, palam ne id fieret, clara voce constrinxit, in + tantum ut non ea facienda cum interpositione juramenti idem promitteret + Imperator. Gelasius Epistol ad Andronicum, apud Baron. A.D. 467, No. 3. + The cardinal observes, with some complacency, that it was much easier to + plant heresies at Constantinople, than at Rome.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.78" id="linknote-36.78"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 78 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.78">return</a>)<br /> [ Damascius, in the life + of the philosopher Isidore, apud Photium, p. 1049. Damascius, who lived + under Justinian, composed another work, consisting of 570 praeternatural + stories of souls, daemons, apparitions, the dotage of Platonic Paganism.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.79" id="linknote-36.79"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 79 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.79">return</a>)<br /> [ In the poetical works + of Sidonius, which he afterwards condemned, (l. ix. epist. 16, p. 285,) + the fabulous deities are the principal actors. If Jerom was scourged by + the angels for only reading Virgil, the bishop of Clermont, for such a + vile imitation, deserved an additional whipping from the Muses.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.80" id="linknote-36.80"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 80 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.80">return</a>)<br /> [ Ovid (Fast. l. ii. + 267-452) has given an amusing description of the follies of antiquity, + which still inspired so much respect, that a grave magistrate, running + naked through the streets, was not an object of astonishment or laughter.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.81" id="linknote-36.81"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 81 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.81">return</a>)<br /> [ See Dionys. Halicarn. + l. i. p. 25, 65, edit. Hudson. The Roman antiquaries Donatus (l. ii. c. + 18, p. 173, 174) and Nardini (p. 386, 387) have labored to ascertain the + true situation of the Lupercal.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.82" id="linknote-36.82"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 82 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.82">return</a>)<br /> [ Baronius published, + from the MSS. of the Vatican, this epistle of Pope Gelasius, (A.D. 496, + No. 28-45,) which is entitled Adversus Andromachum Senatorem, caeterosque + Romanos, qui Lupercalia secundum morem pristinum colenda constituebant. + Gelasius always supposes that his adversaries are nominal Christians, and, + that he may not yield to them in absurd prejudice, he imputes to this + harmless festival all the calamities of the age.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap36.4"></a> +Chapter XXXVI: Total Extinction Of The Western Empire.—Part IV. +</h2> + <p> + In all his public declarations, the emperor Leo assumes the authority, and + professes the affection, of a father, for his son Anthemius, with whom he + had divided the administration of the universe. <a href="#linknote-36.83" + name="linknoteref-36.83" id="linknoteref-36.83">83</a> The situation, and + perhaps the character, of Leo, dissuaded him from exposing his person to + the toils and dangers of an African war. But the powers of the Eastern + empire were strenuously exerted to deliver Italy and the Mediterranean + from the Vandals; and Genseric, who had so long oppressed both the land + and sea, was threatened from every side with a formidable invasion. The + campaign was opened by a bold and successful enterprise of the praefect + Heraclius. <a href="#linknote-36.84" name="linknoteref-36.84" + id="linknoteref-36.84">84</a> The troops of Egypt, Thebais, and Libya, were + embarked, under his command; and the Arabs, with a train of horses and + camels, opened the roads of the desert. Heraclius landed on the coast of + Tripoli, surprised and subdued the cities of that province, and prepared, + by a laborious march, which Cato had formerly executed, <a + href="#linknote-36.85" name="linknoteref-36.85" id="linknoteref-36.85">85</a> + to join the Imperial army under the walls of Carthage. The intelligence of + this loss extorted from Genseric some insidious and ineffectual + propositions of peace; but he was still more seriously alarmed by the + reconciliation of Marcellinus with the two empires. The independent + patrician had been persuaded to acknowledge the legitimate title of + Anthemius, whom he accompanied in his journey to Rome; the Dalmatian fleet + was received into the harbors of Italy; the active valor of Marcellinus + expelled the Vandals from the Island of Sardinia; and the languid efforts + of the West added some weight to the immense preparations of the Eastern + Romans. The expense of the naval armament, which Leo sent against the + Vandals, has been distinctly ascertained; and the curious and instructive + account displays the wealth of the declining empire. The Royal demesnes, + or private patrimony of the prince, supplied seventeen thousand pounds of + gold; forty-seven thousand pounds of gold, and seven hundred thousand of + silver, were levied and paid into the treasury by the Prætorian + praefects. But the cities were reduced to extreme poverty; and the + diligent calculation of fines and forfeitures, as a valuable object of the + revenue, does not suggest the idea of a just or merciful administration. + The whole expense, by whatsoever means it was defrayed, of the African + campaign, amounted to the sum of one hundred and thirty thousand pounds of + gold, about five millions two hundred thousand pounds sterling, at a time + when the value of money appears, from the comparative price of corn, to + have been somewhat higher than in the present age. <a href="#linknote-36.86" + name="linknoteref-36.86" id="linknoteref-36.86">86</a> The fleet that sailed + from Constantinople to Carthage, consisted of eleven hundred and thirteen + ships, and the number of soldiers and mariners exceeded one hundred + thousand men. Basiliscus, the brother of the empress Vorina, was intrusted + with this important command. His sister, the wife of Leo, had exaggerated + the merit of his former exploits against the Scythians. But the discovery + of his guilt, or incapacity, was reserved for the African war; and his + friends could only save his military reputation by asserting, that he had + conspired with Aspar to spare Genseric, and to betray the last hope of the + Western empire. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.83" id="linknote-36.83"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 83 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.83">return</a>)<br /> [ Itaque nos quibus + totius mundi regimen commisit superna provisio.... Pius et triumphator + semper Augustus filius noster Anthemius, licet Divina Majestas et nostra + creatio pietati ejus plenam Imperii commiserit potestatem, &c..... + Such is the dignified style of Leo, whom Anthemius respectfully names, + Dominus et Pater meus Princeps sacratissimus Leo. See Novell. Anthem. tit. + ii. iii. p. 38, ad calcem Cod. Theod.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.84" id="linknote-36.84"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 84 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.84">return</a>)<br /> [ The expedition of + Heraclius is clouded with difficulties, (Tillemont, Hist. des Empereurs, + tom. vi. p. 640,) and it requires some dexterity to use the circumstances + afforded by Theophanes, without injury to the more respectable evidence of + Procopius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.85" id="linknote-36.85"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 85 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.85">return</a>)<br /> [ The march of Cato from + Berenice, in the province of Cyrene, was much longer than that of + Heraclius from Tripoli. He passed the deep sandy desert in thirty days, + and it was found necessary to provide, besides the ordinary supplies, a + great number of skins filled with water, and several Psylli, who were + supposed to possess the art of sucking the wounds which had been made by + the serpents of their native country. See Plutarch in Caton. Uticens. tom. + iv. p. 275. Straben Geograph. l. xxii. p. 1193.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.86" id="linknote-36.86"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 86 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.86">return</a>)<br /> [ The principal sum is + clearly expressed by Procopius, (de Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 6, p. 191;) the + smaller constituent parts, which Tillemont, (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. vi. + p. 396) has laboriously collected from the Byzantine writers, are less + certain, and less important. The historian Malchus laments the public + misery, (Excerpt. ex Suida in Corp. Hist. Byzant. p. 58;) but he is surely + unjust, when he charges Leo with hoarding the treasures which he extorted + from the people. * Note: Compare likewise the newly-discovered work of + Lydus, de Magistratibus, ed. Hase, Paris, 1812, (and in the new collection + of the Byzantines,) l. iii. c. 43. Lydus states the expenditure at 65,000 + lbs. of gold, 700,000 of silver. But Lydus exaggerates the fleet to the + incredible number of 10,000 long ships, (Liburnae,) and the troops to + 400,000 men. Lydus describes this fatal measure, of which he charges the + blame on Basiliscus, as the shipwreck of the state. From that time all the + revenues of the empire were anticipated; and the finances fell into + inextricable confusion.—M.] + </p> + <p> + Experience has shown, that the success of an invader most commonly depends + on the vigor and celerity of his operations. The strength and sharpness of + the first impression are blunted by delay; the health and spirit of the + troops insensibly languish in a distant climate; the naval and military + force, a mighty effort which perhaps can never be repeated, is silently + consumed; and every hour that is wasted in negotiation, accustoms the + enemy to contemplate and examine those hostile terrors, which, on their + first appearance, he deemed irresistible. The formidable navy of + Basiliscus pursued its prosperous navigation from the Thracian Bosphorus + to the coast of Africa. He landed his troops at Cape Bona, or the + promontory of Mercury, about forty miles from Carthage. <a + href="#linknote-36.87" name="linknoteref-36.87" id="linknoteref-36.87">87</a> + The army of Heraclius, and the fleet of Marcellinus, either joined or + seconded the Imperial lieutenant; and the Vandals who opposed his progress + by sea or land, were successively vanquished. <a href="#linknote-36.88" + name="linknoteref-36.88" id="linknoteref-36.88">88</a> If Basiliscus had + seized the moment of consternation, and boldly advanced to the capital, + Carthage must have surrendered, and the kingdom of the Vandals was + extinguished. Genseric beheld the danger with firmness, and eluded it with + his veteran dexterity. He protested, in the most respectful language, that + he was ready to submit his person, and his dominions, to the will of the + emperor; but he requested a truce of five days to regulate the terms of + his submission; and it was universally believed, that his secret + liberality contributed to the success of this public negotiation. Instead + of obstinately refusing whatever indulgence his enemy so earnestly + solicited, the guilty, or the credulous, Basiliscus consented to the fatal + truce; and his imprudent security seemed to proclaim, that he already + considered himself as the conqueror of Africa. During this short interval, + the wind became favorable to the designs of Genseric. He manned his + largest ships of war with the bravest of the Moors and Vandals; and they + towed after them many large barks, filled with combustible materials. In + the obscurity of the night, these destructive vessels were impelled + against the unguarded and unsuspecting fleet of the Romans, who were + awakened by the sense of their instant danger. Their close and crowded + order assisted the progress of the fire, which was communicated with rapid + and irresistible violence; and the noise of the wind, the crackling of the + flames, the dissonant cries of the soldiers and mariners, who could + neither command nor obey, increased the horror of the nocturnal tumult. + Whilst they labored to extricate themselves from the fire-ships, and to + save at least a part of the navy, the galleys of Genseric assaulted them + with temperate and disciplined valor; and many of the Romans, who escaped + the fury of the flames, were destroyed or taken by the victorious Vandals. + Among the events of that disastrous night, the heroic, or rather + desperate, courage of John, one of the principal officers of Basiliscus, + has rescued his name from oblivion. When the ship, which he had bravely + defended, was almost consumed, he threw himself in his armor into the sea, + disdainfully rejected the esteem and pity of Genso, the son of Genseric, + who pressed him to accept honorable quarter, and sunk under the waves; + exclaiming, with his last breath, that he would never fall alive into the + hands of those impious dogs. Actuated by a far different spirit, + Basiliscus, whose station was the most remote from danger, disgracefully + fled in the beginning of the engagement, returned to Constantinople with + the loss of more than half of his fleet and army, and sheltered his guilty + head in the sanctuary of St. Sophia, till his sister, by her tears and + entreaties, could obtain his pardon from the indignant emperor. Heraclius + effected his retreat through the desert; Marcellinus retired to Sicily, + where he was assassinated, perhaps at the instigation of Ricimer, by one + of his own captains; and the king of the Vandals expressed his surprise + and satisfaction, that the Romans themselves should remove from the world + his most formidable antagonists. <a href="#linknote-36.89" + name="linknoteref-36.89" id="linknoteref-36.89">89</a> After the failure of + this great expedition, <a href="#linknote-36.891" name="linknoteref-36.891" + id="linknoteref-36.891">891</a> Genseric again became the tyrant of the + sea: the coasts of Italy, Greece, and Asia, were again exposed to his + revenge and avarice; Tripoli and Sardinia returned to his obedience; he + added Sicily to the number of his provinces; and before he died, in the + fulness of years and of glory, he beheld the final extinction of the + empire of the West. <a href="#linknote-36.90" name="linknoteref-36.90" + id="linknoteref-36.90">90</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.87" id="linknote-36.87"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 87 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.87">return</a>)<br /> [ This promontory is + forty miles from Carthage, (Procop. l. i. c. 6, p. 192,) and twenty + leagues from Sicily, (Shaw’s Travels, p. 89.) Scipio landed farther in the + bay, at the fair promontory; see the animated description of Livy, xxix. + 26, 27.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.88" id="linknote-36.88"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 88 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.88">return</a>)<br /> [ Theophanes (p. 100) + affirms that many ships of the Vandals were sunk. The assertion of + Jornandes, (de Successione Regn.,) that Basiliscus attacked Carthage, must + be understood in a very qualified sense] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.89" id="linknote-36.89"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 89 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.89">return</a>)<br /> [ Damascius in Vit. + Isidor. apud Phot. p. 1048. It will appear, by comparing the three short + chronicles of the times, that Marcellinus had fought near Carthage, and + was killed in Sicily.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.891" id="linknote-36.891"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 891 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.891">return</a>)<br /> [ According to Lydus, + Leo, distracted by this and the other calamities of his reign, + particularly a dreadful fire at Constantinople, abandoned the palace, like + another Orestes, and was preparing to quit Constantinople forever l iii. + c. 44, p. 230.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.90" id="linknote-36.90"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 90 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.90">return</a>)<br /> [ For the African war, + see Procopius, de Bell. (Vandal. l. i. c. 6, p. 191, 192, 193,) + Theophanes, (p. 99, 100, 101,) Cedrenus, (p. 349, 350,) and Zonaras, (tom. + ii. l. xiv. p. 50, 51.) Montesquieu (Considerations sur la Grandeur, &c., + c. xx. tom. iii. p. 497) has made a judicious observation on the failure + of these great naval armaments.] + </p> + <p> + During his long and active reign, the African monarch had studiously + cultivated the friendship of the Barbarians of Europe, whose arms he might + employ in a seasonable and effectual diversion against the two empires. + After the death of Attila, he renewed his alliance with the Visigoths of + Gaul; and the sons of the elder Theodoric, who successively reigned over + that warlike nation, were easily persuaded, by the sense of interest, to + forget the cruel affront which Genseric had inflicted on their sister. <a + href="#linknote-36.91" name="linknoteref-36.91" id="linknoteref-36.91">91</a> + The death of the emperor Majorian delivered Theodoric the Second from the + restraint of fear, and perhaps of honor; he violated his recent treaty + with the Romans; and the ample territory of Narbonne, which he firmly + united to his dominions, became the immediate reward of his perfidy. The + selfish policy of Ricimer encouraged him to invade the provinces which + were in the possession of Aegidius, his rival; but the active count, by + the defence of Arles, and the victory of Orleans, saved Gaul, and checked, + during his lifetime, the progress of the Visigoths. Their ambition was + soon rekindled; and the design of extinguishing the Roman empire in Spain + and Gaul was conceived, and almost completed, in the reign of Euric, who + assassinated his brother Theodoric, and displayed, with a more savage + temper, superior abilities, both in peace and war. He passed the Pyrenees + at the head of a numerous army, subdued the cities of Saragossa and + Pampeluna, vanquished in battle the martial nobles of the Tarragonese + province, carried his victorious arms into the heart of Lusitania, and + permitted the Suevi to hold the kingdom of Gallicia under the Gothic + monarchy of Spain. <a href="#linknote-36.92" name="linknoteref-36.92" + id="linknoteref-36.92">92</a> The efforts of Euric were not less vigorous, + or less successful, in Gaul; and throughout the country that extends from + the Pyrenees to the Rhone and the Loire, Berry and Auvergne were the only + cities, or dioceses, which refused to acknowledge him as their master. <a + href="#linknote-36.93" name="linknoteref-36.93" id="linknoteref-36.93">93</a> + In the defence of Clermont, their principal town, the inhabitants of + Auvergne sustained, with inflexible resolution, the miseries of war, + pestilence, and famine; and the Visigoths, relinquishing the fruitless + siege, suspended the hopes of that important conquest. The youth of the + province were animated by the heroic, and almost incredible, valor of + Ecdicius, the son of the emperor Avitus, <a href="#linknote-36.94" + name="linknoteref-36.94" id="linknoteref-36.94">94</a> who made a desperate + sally with only eighteen horsemen, boldly attacked the Gothic army, and, + after maintaining a flying skirmish, retired safe and victorious within + the walls of Clermont. His charity was equal to his courage: in a time of + extreme scarcity, four thousand poor were fed at his expense; and his + private influence levied an army of Burgundians for the deliverance of + Auvergne. From his virtues alone the faithful citizens of Gaul derived any + hopes of safety or freedom; and even such virtues were insufficient to + avert the impending ruin of their country, since they were anxious to + learn, from his authority and example, whether they should prefer the + alternative of exile or servitude. <a href="#linknote-36.95" + name="linknoteref-36.95" id="linknoteref-36.95">95</a> The public confidence + was lost; the resources of the state were exhausted; and the Gauls had too + much reason to believe, that Anthemius, who reigned in Italy, was + incapable of protecting his distressed subjects beyond the Alps. The + feeble emperor could only procure for their defence the service of twelve + thousand British auxiliaries. Riothamus, one of the independent kings, or + chieftains, of the island, was persuaded to transport his troops to the + continent of Gaul: he sailed up the Loire, and established his quarters in + Berry, where the people complained of these oppressive allies, till they + were destroyed or dispersed by the arms of the Visigoths. <a + href="#linknote-36.96" name="linknoteref-36.96" id="linknoteref-36.96">96</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.91" id="linknote-36.91"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 91 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.91">return</a>)<br /> [ Jornandes is our best + guide through the reigns of Theodoric II. and Euric, (de Rebus Geticis, c. + 44, 45, 46, 47, p. 675-681.) Idatius ends too soon, and Isidore is too + sparing of the information which he might have given on the affairs of + Spain. The events that relate to Gaul are laboriously illustrated in the + third book of the Abbe Dubos, Hist. Critique, tom. i. p. 424-620.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.92" id="linknote-36.92"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 92 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.92">return</a>)<br /> [ See Mariana, Hist. + Hispan. tom. i. l. v. c. 5. p. 162.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.93" id="linknote-36.93"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 93 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.93">return</a>)<br /> [ An imperfect, but + original, picture of Gaul, more especially of Auvergne, is shown by + Sidonius; who, as a senator, and afterwards as a bishop, was deeply + interested in the fate of his country. See l. v. epist. 1, 5, 9, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.94" id="linknote-36.94"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 94 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.94">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius, l. iii. + epist. 3, p. 65-68. Greg. Turon. l. ii. c. 24, in tom. ii. p. 174. + Jornandes, c. 45, p. 675. Perhaps Ecdicius was only the son-in-law of + Avitus, his wife’s son by another husband.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.95" id="linknote-36.95"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 95 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.95">return</a>)<br /> [ Si nullae a republica + vires, nulla praesidia; si nullae, quantum rumor est, Anthemii principis + opes; statuit, te auctore, nobilitas, seu patriaca dimittere seu capillos, + (Sidon. l. ii. epist. 1, p. 33.) The last words Sirmond, (Not. p. 25) may + likewise denote the clerical tonsure, which was indeed the choice of + Sidonius himself.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.96" id="linknote-36.96"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 96 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.96">return</a>)<br /> [ The history of these + Britons may be traced in Jornandes, (c. 45, p. 678,) Sidonius, (l. iii. + epistol. 9, p. 73, 74,) and Gregory of Tours, (l. ii. c. 18, in tom. ii. + p. 170.) Sidonius (who styles these mercenary troops argutos, armatos, + tumultuosos, virtute numero, contul ernio, contumaces) addresses their + general in a tone of friendship and familiarity.] + </p> + <p> + One of the last acts of jurisdiction, which the Roman senate exercised + over their subjects of Gaul, was the trial and condemnation of Arvandus, + the Prætorian praefect. Sidonius, who rejoices that he lived under a + reign in which he might pity and assist a state criminal, has expressed, + with tenderness and freedom, the faults of his indiscreet and unfortunate + friend. <a href="#linknote-36.97" name="linknoteref-36.97" + id="linknoteref-36.97">97</a> From the perils which he had escaped, + Arvandus imbibed confidence rather than wisdom; and such was the various, + though uniform, imprudence of his behavior, that his prosperity must + appear much more surprising than his downfall. The second praefecture, + which he obtained within the term of five years, abolished the merit and + popularity of his preceding administration. His easy temper was corrupted + by flattery, and exasperated by opposition; he was forced to satisfy his + importunate creditors with the spoils of the province; his capricious + insolence offended the nobles of Gaul, and he sunk under the weight of the + public hatred. The mandate of his disgrace summoned him to justify his + conduct before the senate; and he passed the Sea of Tuscany with a + favorable wind, the presage, as he vainly imagined, of his future + fortunes. A decent respect was still observed for the Proefectorian rank; + and on his arrival at Rome, Arvandus was committed to the hospitality, + rather than to the custody, of Flavius Asellus, the count of the sacred + largesses, who resided in the Capitol. <a href="#linknote-36.98" + name="linknoteref-36.98" id="linknoteref-36.98">98</a> He was eagerly + pursued by his accusers, the four deputies of Gaul, who were all + distinguished by their birth, their dignities, or their eloquence. In the + name of a great province, and according to the forms of Roman + jurisprudence, they instituted a civil and criminal action, requiring such + restitution as might compensate the losses of individuals, and such + punishment as might satisfy the justice of the state. Their charges of + corrupt oppression were numerous and weighty; but they placed their secret + dependence on a letter which they had intercepted, and which they could + prove, by the evidence of his secretary, to have been dictated by Arvandus + himself. The author of this letter seemed to dissuade the king of the + Goths from a peace with the Greek emperor: he suggested the attack of the + Britons on the Loire; and he recommended a division of Gaul, according to + the law of nations, between the Visigoths and the Burgundians. <a + href="#linknote-36.99" name="linknoteref-36.99" id="linknoteref-36.99">99</a> + These pernicious schemes, which a friend could only palliate by the + reproaches of vanity and indiscretion, were susceptible of a treasonable + interpretation; and the deputies had artfully resolved not to produce + their most formidable weapons till the decisive moment of the contest. But + their intentions were discovered by the zeal of Sidonius. He immediately + apprised the unsuspecting criminal of his danger; and sincerely lamented, + without any mixture of anger, the haughty presumption of Arvandus, who + rejected, and even resented, the salutary advice of his friends. Ignorant + of his real situation, Arvandus showed himself in the Capitol in the white + robe of a candidate, accepted indiscriminate salutations and offers of + service, examined the shops of the merchants, the silks and gems, + sometimes with the indifference of a spectator, and sometimes with the + attention of a purchaser; and complained of the times, of the senate, of + the prince, and of the delays of justice. His complaints were soon + removed. An early day was fixed for his trial; and Arvandus appeared, with + his accusers, before a numerous assembly of the Roman senate. The mournful + garb which they affected, excited the compassion of the judges, who were + scandalized by the gay and splendid dress of their adversary: and when the + praefect Arvandus, with the first of the Gallic deputies, were directed to + take their places on the senatorial benches, the same contrast of pride + and modesty was observed in their behavior. In this memorable judgment, + which presented a lively image of the old republic, the Gauls exposed, + with force and freedom, the grievances of the province; and as soon as the + minds of the audience were sufficiently inflamed, they recited the fatal + epistle. The obstinacy of Arvandus was founded on the strange supposition, + that a subject could not be convicted of treason, unless he had actually + conspired to assume the purple. As the paper was read, he repeatedly, and + with a loud voice, acknowledged it for his genuine composition; and his + astonishment was equal to his dismay, when the unanimous voice of the + senate declared him guilty of a capital offence. By their decree, he was + degraded from the rank of a praefect to the obscure condition of a + plebeian, and ignominiously dragged by servile hands to the public prison. + After a fortnight’s adjournment, the senate was again convened to + pronounce the sentence of his death; but while he expected, in the Island + of Aesculapius, the expiration of the thirty days allowed by an ancient + law to the vilest malefactors, <a href="#linknote-36.100" + name="linknoteref-36.100" id="linknoteref-36.100">100</a> his friends + interposed, the emperor Anthemius relented, and the praefect of Gaul + obtained the milder punishment of exile and confiscation. The faults of + Arvandus might deserve compassion; but the impunity of Seronatus accused + the justice of the republic, till he was condemned and executed, on the + complaint of the people of Auvergne. That flagitious minister, the + Catiline of his age and country, held a secret correspondence with the + Visigoths, to betray the province which he oppressed: his industry was + continually exercised in the discovery of new taxes and obsolete offences; + and his extravagant vices would have inspired contempt, if they had not + excited fear and abhorrence. <a href="#linknote-36.101" + name="linknoteref-36.101" id="linknoteref-36.101">101</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.97" id="linknote-36.97"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 97 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.97">return</a>)<br /> [ See Sidonius, l. i. + epist. 7, p. 15-20, with Sirmond’s notes. This letter does honor to his + heart, as well as to his understanding. The prose of Sidonius, however + vitiated by a false and affected taste, is much superior to his insipid + verses.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.98" id="linknote-36.98"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 98 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.98">return</a>)<br /> [ When the Capitol ceased + to be a temple, it was appropriated to the use of the civil magistrate; + and it is still the residence of the Roman senator. The jewellers, &c., + might be allowed to expose then precious wares in the porticos.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.99" id="linknote-36.99"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 99 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.99">return</a>)<br /> [ Haec ad regem Gothorum, + charta videbatur emitti, pacem cum Graeco Imperatore dissuadens, Britannos + super Ligerim sitos impugnari oportere, demonstrans, cum Burgundionibus + jure gentium Gallias dividi debere confirmans.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.100" id="linknote-36.100"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 100 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.100">return</a>)<br /> [ Senatusconsultum + Tiberianum, (Sirmond Not. p. 17;) but that law allowed only ten days + between the sentence and execution; the remaining twenty were added in the + reign of Theodosius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.101" id="linknote-36.101"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 101 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.101">return</a>)<br /> [ Catilina seculi + nostri. Sidonius, l. ii. epist. 1, p. 33; l. v. epist 13, p. 143; l. vii. + epist. vii. p. 185. He execrates the crimes, and applauds the punishment, + of Seronatus, perhaps with the indignation of a virtuous citizen, perhaps + with the resentment of a personal enemy.] + </p> + <p> + Such criminals were not beyond the reach of justice; but whatever might be + the guilt of Ricimer, that powerful Barbarian was able to contend or to + negotiate with the prince, whose alliance he had condescended to accept. + The peaceful and prosperous reign which Anthemius had promised to the + West, was soon clouded by misfortune and discord. Ricimer, apprehensive, + or impatient, of a superior, retired from Rome, and fixed his residence at + Milan; an advantageous situation either to invite or to repel the warlike + tribes that were seated between the Alps and the Danube. <a + href="#linknote-36.102" name="linknoteref-36.102" id="linknoteref-36.102">102</a> + Italy was gradually divided into two independent and hostile kingdoms; and + the nobles of Liguria, who trembled at the near approach of a civil war, + fell prostrate at the feet of the patrician, and conjured him to spare + their unhappy country. “For my own part,” replied Ricimer, in a tone of + insolent moderation, “I am still inclined to embrace the friendship of the + Galatian; <a href="#linknote-36.103" name="linknoteref-36.103" + id="linknoteref-36.103">103</a> but who will undertake to appease his + anger, or to mitigate the pride, which always rises in proportion to our + submission?” They informed him, that Epiphanius, bishop of Pavia, <a + href="#linknote-36.104" name="linknoteref-36.104" id="linknoteref-36.104">104</a> + united the wisdom of the serpent with the innocence of the dove; and + appeared confident, that the eloquence of such an ambassador must prevail + against the strongest opposition, either of interest or passion. Their + recommendation was approved; and Epiphanius, assuming the benevolent + office of mediation, proceeded without delay to Rome, where he was + received with the honors due to his merit and reputation. The oration of a + bishop in favor of peace may be easily supposed; he argued, that, in all + possible circumstances, the forgiveness of injuries must be an act of + mercy, or magnanimity, or prudence; and he seriously admonished the + emperor to avoid a contest with a fierce Barbarian, which might be fatal + to himself, and must be ruinous to his dominions. Anthemius acknowledged + the truth of his maxims; but he deeply felt, with grief and indignation, + the behavior of Ricimer, and his passion gave eloquence and energy to his + discourse. “What favors,” he warmly exclaimed, “have we refused to this + ungrateful man? What provocations have we not endured! Regardless of the + majesty of the purple, I gave my daughter to a Goth; I sacrificed my own + blood to the safety of the republic. The liberality which ought to have + secured the eternal attachment of Ricimer has exasperated him against his + benefactor. What wars has he not excited against the empire! How often has + he instigated and assisted the fury of hostile nations! Shall I now accept + his perfidious friendship? Can I hope that he will respect the engagements + of a treaty, who has already violated the duties of a son?” But the anger + of Anthemius evaporated in these passionate exclamations: he insensibly + yielded to the proposals of Epiphanius; and the bishop returned to his + diocese with the satisfaction of restoring the peace of Italy, by a + reconciliation, <a href="#linknote-36.105" name="linknoteref-36.105" + id="linknoteref-36.105">105</a> of which the sincerity and continuance + might be reasonably suspected. The clemency of the emperor was extorted + from his weakness; and Ricimer suspended his ambitious designs till he had + secretly prepared the engines with which he resolved to subvert the throne + of Anthemius. The mask of peace and moderation was then thrown aside. The + army of Ricimer was fortified by a numerous reenforcement of Burgundians + and Oriental Suevi: he disclaimed all allegiance to the Greek emperor, + marched from Milan to the Gates of Rome, and fixing his camp on the banks + of the Anio, impatiently expected the arrival of Olybrius, his Imperial + candidate. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.102" id="linknote-36.102"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 102 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.102">return</a>)<br /> [ Ricimer, under the + reign of Anthemius, defeated and slew in battle Beorgor, king of the + Alani, (Jornandes, c. 45, p. 678.) His sister had married the king of the + Burgundians, and he maintained an intimate connection with the Suevic + colony established in Pannonia and Noricum.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.103" id="linknote-36.103"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 103 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.103">return</a>)<br /> [ Galatam concitatum. + Sirmond (in his notes to Ennodius) applies this appellation to Anthemius + himself. The emperor was probably born in the province of Galatia, whose + inhabitants, the Gallo-Grecians, were supposed to unite the vices of a + savage and a corrupted people.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.104" id="linknote-36.104"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 104 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.104">return</a>)<br /> [ Epiphanius was thirty + years bishop of Pavia, (A.D. 467-497;) see Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. + xvi. p. 788. His name and actions would have been unknown to posterity, if + Ennodius, one of his successors, had not written his life; (Sirmond, Opera + tom. i. p. 1647-1692;) in which he represents him as one of the greatest + characters of the age] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.105" id="linknote-36.105"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 105 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.105">return</a>)<br /> [ Ennodius (p. + 1659-1664) has related this embassy of Epiphanius; and his narrative, + verbose and turgid as it must appear, illustrates some curious passages in + the fall of the Western empire.] + </p> + <p> + The senator Olybrius, of the Anician family, might esteem himself the + lawful heir of the Western empire. He had married Placidia, the younger + daughter of Valentinian, after she was restored by Genseric; who still + detained her sister Eudoxia, as the wife, or rather as the captive, of his + son. The king of the Vandals supported, by threats and solicitations, the + fair pretensions of his Roman ally; and assigned, as one of the motives of + the war, the refusal of the senate and people to acknowledge their lawful + prince, and the unworthy preference which they had given to a stranger. <a + href="#linknote-36.106" name="linknoteref-36.106" id="linknoteref-36.106">106</a> + The friendship of the public enemy might render Olybrius still more + unpopular to the Italians; but when Ricimer meditated the ruin of the + emperor Anthemius, he tempted, with the offer of a diadem, the candidate + who could justify his rebellion by an illustrious name and a royal + alliance. The husband of Placidia, who, like most of his ancestors, had + been invested with the consular dignity, might have continued to enjoy a + secure and splendid fortune in the peaceful residence of Constantinople; + nor does he appear to have been tormented by such a genius as cannot be + amused or occupied, unless by the administration of an empire. Yet + Olybrius yielded to the importunities of his friends, perhaps of his wife; + rashly plunged into the dangers and calamities of a civil war; and, with + the secret connivance of the emperor Leo, accepted the Italian purple, + which was bestowed, and resumed, at the capricious will of a Barbarian. He + landed without obstacle (for Genseric was master of the sea) either at + Ravenna, or the port of Ostia, and immediately proceeded to the camp of + Ricimer, where he was received as the sovereign of the Western world. <a + href="#linknote-36.107" name="linknoteref-36.107" id="linknoteref-36.107">107</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.106" id="linknote-36.106"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 106 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.106">return</a>)<br /> [ Priscus, Excerpt. + Legation p. 74. Procopius de Bell. Vandel l. i. c. 6, p. 191. Eudoxia and + her daughter were restored after the death of Majorian. Perhaps the + consulship of Olybrius (A.D. 464) was bestowed as a nuptial present.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.107" id="linknote-36.107"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 107 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.107">return</a>)<br /> [ The hostile + appearance of Olybrius is fixed (notwithstanding the opinion of Pagi) by + the duration of his reign. The secret connivance of Leo is acknowledged by + Theophanes and the Paschal Chronicle. We are ignorant of his motives; but + in this obscure period, our ignorance extends to the most public and + important facts.] + </p> + <p> + The patrician, who had extended his posts from the Anio to the Melvian + bridge, already possessed two quarters of Rome, the Vatican and the + Janiculum, which are separated by the Tyber from the rest of the city; <a + href="#linknote-36.108" name="linknoteref-36.108" id="linknoteref-36.108">108</a> + and it may be conjectured, that an assembly of seceding senators imitated, + in the choice of Olybrius, the forms of a legal election. But the body of + the senate and people firmly adhered to the cause of Anthemius; and the + more effectual support of a Gothic army enabled him to prolong his reign, + and the public distress, by a resistance of three months, which produced + the concomitant evils of famine and pestilence. At length Ricimer made a + furious assault on the bridge of Hadrian, or St. Angelo; and the narrow + pass was defended with equal valor by the Goths, till the death of + Gilimer, their leader. The victorious troops, breaking down every barrier, + rushed with irresistible violence into the heart of the city, and Rome (if + we may use the language of a contemporary pope) was subverted by the civil + fury of Anthemius and Ricimer. <a href="#linknote-36.109" + name="linknoteref-36.109" id="linknoteref-36.109">109</a> The unfortunate + Anthemius was dragged from his concealment, and inhumanly massacred by the + command of his son-in-law; who thus added a third, or perhaps a fourth, + emperor to the number of his victims. The soldiers, who united the rage of + factious citizens with the savage manners of Barbarians, were indulged, + without control, in the license of rapine and murder: the crowd of slaves + and plebeians, who were unconcerned in the event, could only gain by the + indiscriminate pillage; and the face of the city exhibited the strange + contrast of stern cruelty and dissolute intemperance. <a + href="#linknote-36.110" name="linknoteref-36.110" id="linknoteref-36.110">110</a> + Forty days after this calamitous event, the subject, not of glory, but of + guilt, Italy was delivered, by a painful disease, from the tyrant Ricimer, + who bequeathed the command of his army to his nephew Gundobald, one of the + princes of the Burgundians. In the same year all the principal actors in + this great revolution were removed from the stage; and the whole reign of + Olybrius, whose death does not betray any symptoms of violence, is + included within the term of seven months. He left one daughter, the + offspring of his marriage with Placidia; and the family of the great + Theodosius, transplanted from Spain to Constantinople, was propagated in + the female line as far as the eighth generation. <a href="#linknote-36.111" + name="linknoteref-36.111" id="linknoteref-36.111">111</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.108" id="linknote-36.108"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 108 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.108">return</a>)<br /> [ Of the fourteen + regions, or quarters, into which Rome was divided by Augustus, only one, + the Janiculum, lay on the Tuscan side of the Tyber. But, in the fifth + century, the Vatican suburb formed a considerable city; and in the + ecclesiastical distribution, which had been recently made by Simplicius, + the reigning pope, two of the seven regions, or parishes of Rome, depended + on the church of St. Peter. See Nardini Roma Antica, p. 67. It would + require a tedious dissertation to mark the circumstances, in which I am + inclined to depart from the topography of that learned Roman.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.109" id="linknote-36.109"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 109 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.109">return</a>)<br /> [ Nuper Anthemii et + Ricimeris civili furore subversa est. Gelasius in Epist. ad Andromach. + apud Baron. A.D. 496, No. 42, Sigonius (tom. i. l. xiv. de Occidentali + Imperio, p. 542, 543,) and Muratori (Annali d’Italia, tom. iv. p. 308, + 309,) with the aid of a less imperfect Ms. of the Historia Miscella., have + illustrated this dark and bloody transaction.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.110" id="linknote-36.110"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 110 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.110">return</a>)<br /> [ Such had been the + saeva ac deformis urbe tota facies, when Rome was assaulted and stormed by + the troops of Vespasian, (see Tacit. Hist. iii. 82, 83;) and every cause + of mischief had since acquired much additional energy. The revolution of + ages may bring round the same calamities; but ages may revolve without + producing a Tacitus to describe them.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.111" id="linknote-36.111"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 111 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.111">return</a>)<br /> [ See Ducange, Familiae + Byzantin. p. 74, 75. Areobindus, who appears to have married the niece of + the emperor Justinian, was the eighth descendant of the elder Theodosius.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap36.5"></a> +Chapter XXXVI: Total Extinction Of The Western Empire.—Part V. +</h2> + <p> + Whilst the vacant throne of Italy was abandoned to lawless Barbarians, <a + href="#linknote-36.112" name="linknoteref-36.112" id="linknoteref-36.112">112</a> + the election of a new colleague was seriously agitated in the council of + Leo. The empress Verina, studious to promote the greatness of her own + family, had married one of her nieces to Julius Nepos, who succeeded his + uncle Marcellinus in the sovereignty of Dalmatia, a more solid possession + than the title which he was persuaded to accept, of Emperor of the West. + But the measures of the Byzantine court were so languid and irresolute, + that many months elapsed after the death of Anthemius, and even of + Olybrius, before their destined successor could show himself, with a + respectable force, to his Italian subjects. During that interval, + Glycerius, an obscure soldier, was invested with the purple by his patron + Gundobald; but the Burgundian prince was unable, or unwilling, to support + his nomination by a civil war: the pursuits of domestic ambition recalled + him beyond the Alps, <a href="#linknote-36.113" name="linknoteref-36.113" + id="linknoteref-36.113">113</a> and his client was permitted to exchange + the Roman sceptre for the bishopric of Salona. After extinguishing such a + competitor, the emperor Nepos was acknowledged by the senate, by the + Italians, and by the provincials of Gaul; his moral virtues, and military + talents, were loudly celebrated; and those who derived any private benefit + from his government, announced, in prophetic strains, the restoration of + the public felicity. <a href="#linknote-36.114" name="linknoteref-36.114" + id="linknoteref-36.114">114</a> Their hopes (if such hopes had been + entertained) were confounded within the term of a single year, and the + treaty of peace, which ceded Auvergue to the Visigoths, is the only event + of his short and inglorious reign. The most faithful subjects of Gaul were + sacrificed, by the Italian emperor, to the hope of domestic security; <a + href="#linknote-36.115" name="linknoteref-36.115" id="linknoteref-36.115">115</a> + but his repose was soon invaded by a furious sedition of the Barbarian + confederates, who, under the command of Orestes, their general, were in + full march from Rome to Ravenna. Nepos trembled at their approach; and, + instead of placing a just confidence in the strength of Ravenna, he + hastily escaped to his ships, and retired to his Dalmatian principality, + on the opposite coast of the Adriatic. By this shameful abdication, he + protracted his life about five years, in a very ambiguous state, between + an emperor and an exile, till he was assassinated at Salona by the + ungrateful Glycerius, who was translated, perhaps as the reward of his + crime, to the archbishopric of Milan. <a href="#linknote-36.116" + name="linknoteref-36.116" id="linknoteref-36.116">116</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.112" id="linknote-36.112"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 112 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.112">return</a>)<br /> [ The last revolutions + of the Western empire are faintly marked in Theophanes, (p. 102,) + Jornandes, (c. 45, p. 679,) the Chronicle of Marcellinus, and the + Fragments of an anonymous writer, published by Valesius at the end of + Ammianus, (p. 716, 717.) If Photius had not been so wretchedly concise, we + should derive much information from the contemporary histories of Malchus + and Candidus. See his Extracts, p. 172-179.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.113" id="linknote-36.113"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 113 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.113">return</a>)<br /> [ See Greg. Turon. l. + ii. c. 28, in tom. ii. p. 175. Dubos, Hist. Critique, tom. i. p. 613. By + the murder or death of his two brothers, Gundobald acquired the sole + possession of the kingdom of Burgundy, whose ruin was hastened by their + discord.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.114" id="linknote-36.114"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 114 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.114">return</a>)<br /> [ Julius Nepos armis + pariter summus Augustus ac moribus. Sidonius, l. v. ep. 16, p. 146. Nepos + had given to Ecdicius the title of Patrician, which Anthemius had + promised, decessoris Anthemii fidem absolvit. See l. viii. ep. 7, p. 224.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.115" id="linknote-36.115"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 115 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.115">return</a>)<br /> [ Epiphanius was sent + ambassador from Nepos to the Visigoths, for the purpose of ascertaining + the fines Imperii Italici, (Ennodius in Sirmond, tom. i. p. 1665-1669.) + His pathetic discourse concealed the disgraceful secret which soon excited + the just and bitter complaints of the bishop of Clermont.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.116" id="linknote-36.116"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 116 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.116">return</a>)<br /> [ Malchus, apud Phot. + p. 172. Ennod. Epigram. lxxxii. in Sirmond. Oper. tom. i. p. 1879. Some + doubt may, however, be raised on the identity of the emperor and the + archbishop.] + </p> + <p> + The nations who had asserted their independence after the death of Attila, + were established, by the right of possession or conquest, in the boundless + countries to the north of the Danube; or in the Roman provinces between + the river and the Alps. But the bravest of their youth enlisted in the + army of confederates, who formed the defence and the terror of Italy; <a + href="#linknote-36.117" name="linknoteref-36.117" id="linknoteref-36.117">117</a> + and in this promiscuous multitude, the names of the Heruli, the Scyrri, + the Alani, the Turcilingi, and the Rugians, appear to have predominated. + The example of these warriors was imitated by Orestes, <a + href="#linknote-36.118" name="linknoteref-36.118" id="linknoteref-36.118">118</a> + the son of Tatullus, and the father of the last Roman emperor of the West. + Orestes, who has been already mentioned in this History, had never + deserted his country. His birth and fortunes rendered him one of the most + illustrious subjects of Pannonia. When that province was ceded to the + Huns, he entered into the service of Attila, his lawful sovereign, + obtained the office of his secretary, and was repeatedly sent ambassador + to Constantinople, to represent the person, and signify the commands, of + the imperious monarch. The death of that conqueror restored him to his + freedom; and Orestes might honorably refuse either to follow the sons of + Attila into the Scythian desert, or to obey the Ostrogoths, who had + usurped the dominion of Pannonia. He preferred the service of the Italian + princes, the successors of Valentinian; and as he possessed the + qualifications of courage, industry, and experience, he advanced with + rapid steps in the military profession, till he was elevated, by the favor + of Nepos himself, to the dignities of patrician, and master-general of the + troops. These troops had been long accustomed to reverence the character + and authority of Orestes, who affected their manners, conversed with them + in their own language, and was intimately connected with their national + chieftains, by long habits of familiarity and friendship. At his + solicitation they rose in arms against the obscure Greek, who presumed to + claim their obedience; and when Orestes, from some secret motive, declined + the purple, they consented, with the same facility, to acknowledge his son + Augustulus as the emperor of the West. By the abdication of Nepos, Orestes + had now attained the summit of his ambitious hopes; but he soon + discovered, before the end of the first year, that the lessons of perjury + and ingratitude, which a rebel must inculcate, will be resorted to against + himself; and that the precarious sovereign of Italy was only permitted to + choose, whether he would be the slave, or the victim, of his Barbarian + mercenaries. The dangerous alliance of these strangers had oppressed and + insulted the last remains of Roman freedom and dignity. At each + revolution, their pay and privileges were augmented; but their insolence + increased in a still more extravagant degree; they envied the fortune of + their brethren in Gaul, Spain, and Africa, whose victorious arms had + acquired an independent and perpetual inheritance; and they insisted on + their peremptory demand, that a third part of the lands of Italy should be + immediately divided among them. Orestes, with a spirit, which, in another + situation, might be entitled to our esteem, chose rather to encounter the + rage of an armed multitude, than to subscribe the ruin of an innocent + people. He rejected the audacious demand; and his refusal was favorable to + the ambition of Odoacer; a bold Barbarian, who assured his + fellow-soldiers, that, if they dared to associate under his command, they + might soon extort the justice which had been denied to their dutiful + petitions. From all the camps and garrisons of Italy, the confederates, + actuated by the same resentment and the same hopes, impatiently flocked to + the standard of this popular leader; and the unfortunate patrician, + overwhelmed by the torrent, hastily retreated to the strong city of Pavia, + the episcopal seat of the holy Epiphanites. Pavia was immediately + besieged, the fortifications were stormed, the town was pillaged; and + although the bishop might labor, with much zeal and some success, to save + the property of the church, and the chastity of female captives, the + tumult could only be appeased by the execution of Orestes. <a + href="#linknote-36.119" name="linknoteref-36.119" id="linknoteref-36.119">119</a> + His brother Paul was slain in an action near Ravenna; and the helpless + Augustulus, who could no longer command the respect, was reduced to + implore the clemency, of Odoacer. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.117" id="linknote-36.117"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 117 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.117">return</a>)<br /> [ Our knowledge of + these mercenaries, who subverted the Western empire, is derived from + Procopius, (de Bell. Gothico, l. i. c. i. p. 308.) The popular opinion, + and the recent historians, represent Odoacer in the false light of a + stranger, and a king, who invaded Italy with an army of foreigners, his + native subjects.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.118" id="linknote-36.118"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 118 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.118">return</a>)<br /> [ Orestes, qui eo + tempore quando Attila ad Italiam venit, se illi unxit, ejus notarius + factus fuerat. Anonym. Vales. p. 716. He is mistaken in the date; but we + may credit his assertion, that the secretary of Attila was the father of + Augustulus] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.119" id="linknote-36.119"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 119 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.119">return</a>)<br /> [ See Ennodius, (in + Vit. Epiphan. Sirmond, tom. i. p. 1669, 1670.) He adds weight to the + narrative of Procopius, though we may doubt whether the devil actually + contrived the siege of Pavia, to distress the bishop and his flock.] + </p> + <p> + That successful Barbarian was the son of Edecon; who, in some remarkable + transactions, particularly described in a preceding chapter, had been the + colleague of Orestes himself. <a href="#linknote-36.1191" + name="linknoteref-36.1191" id="linknoteref-36.1191">1191</a> The honor of an + ambassador should be exempt from suspicion; and Edecon had listened to a + conspiracy against the life of his sovereign. But this apparent guilt was + expiated by his merit or repentance; his rank was eminent and conspicuous; + he enjoyed the favor of Attila; and the troops under his command, who + guarded, in their turn, the royal village, consisted of a tribe of Scyrri, + his immediate and hereditary subjects. In the revolt of the nations, they + still adhered to the Huns; and more than twelve years afterwards, the name + of Edecon is honorably mentioned, in their unequal contests with the + Ostrogoths; which was terminated, after two bloody battles, by the defeat + and dispersion of the Scyrri. <a href="#linknote-36.120" + name="linknoteref-36.120" id="linknoteref-36.120">120</a> Their gallant + leader, who did not survive this national calamity, left two sons, Onulf + and Odoacer, to struggle with adversity, and to maintain as they might, by + rapine or service, the faithful followers of their exile. Onulf directed + his steps towards Constantinople, where he sullied, by the assassination + of a generous benefactor, the fame which he had acquired in arms. His + brother Odoacer led a wandering life among the Barbarians of Noricum, with + a mind and a fortune suited to the most desperate adventures; and when he + had fixed his choice, he piously visited the cell of Severinus, the + popular saint of the country, to solicit his approbation and blessing. The + lowness of the door would not admit the lofty stature of Odoacer: he was + obliged to stoop; but in that humble attitude the saint could discern the + symptoms of his future greatness; and addressing him in a prophetic tone, + “Pursue” (said he) “your design; proceed to Italy; you will soon cast away + this coarse garment of skins; and your wealth will be adequate to the + liberality of your mind.” <a href="#linknote-36.121" + name="linknoteref-36.121" id="linknoteref-36.121">121</a> The Barbarian, + whose daring spirit accepted and ratified the prediction, was admitted + into the service of the Western empire, and soon obtained an honorable + rank in the guards. His manners were gradually polished, his military + skill was improved, and the confederates of Italy would not have elected + him for their general, unless the exploits of Odoacer had established a + high opinion of his courage and capacity. <a href="#linknote-36.122" + name="linknoteref-36.122" id="linknoteref-36.122">122</a> Their military + acclamations saluted him with the title of king; but he abstained, during + his whole reign, from the use of the purple and diadem, <a + href="#linknote-36.123" name="linknoteref-36.123" id="linknoteref-36.123">123</a> + lest he should offend those princes, whose subjects, by their accidental + mixture, had formed the victorious army, which time and policy might + insensibly unite into a great nation. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.1191" id="linknote-36.1191"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1191 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.1191">return</a>)<br /> [ Manso observes that + the evidence which identifies Edecon, the father of Odoacer, with the + colleague of Orestes, is not conclusive. Geschichte des Ost-Gothischen + Reiches, p. 32. But St. Martin inclines to agree with Gibbon, note, vi. + 75.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.120" id="linknote-36.120"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 120 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.120">return</a>)<br /> [ Jornandes, c. 53, 54, + p. 692-695. M. de Buat (Hist. des Peuples de l’Europe, tom. viii. p. + 221-228) has clearly explained the origin and adventures of Odoacer. I am + almost inclined to believe that he was the same who pillaged Angers, and + commanded a fleet of Saxon pirates on the ocean. Greg. Turon. l. ii. c. + 18, in tom. ii. p. 170. 8 Note: According to St. Martin there is no + foundation for this conjecture, vii 5—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.121" id="linknote-36.121"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 121 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.121">return</a>)<br /> [ Vade ad Italiam, vade + vilissimis nunc pellibus coopertis: sed multis cito plurima largiturus. + Anonym. Vales. p. 717. He quotes the life of St. Severinus, which is + extant, and contains much unknown and valuable history; it was composed by + his disciple Eugippius (A.D. 511) thirty years after his death. See + Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. xvi. p. 168-181.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.122" id="linknote-36.122"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 122 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.122">return</a>)<br /> [ Theophanes, who calls + him a Goth, affirms, that he was educated, aursed in Italy, (p. 102;) and + as this strong expression will not bear a literal interpretation, it must + be explained by long service in the Imperial guards.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.123" id="linknote-36.123"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 123 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.123">return</a>)<br /> [ Nomen regis Odoacer + assumpsit, cum tamen neque purpura nee regalibus uteretur insignibus. + Cassiodor. in Chron. A.D. 476. He seems to have assumed the abstract title + of a king, without applying it to any particular nation or country. 8 + Note: Manso observes that Odoacer never called himself king of Italy, + assume the purple, and no coins are extant with his name. Gescnichte Osi + Goth. Reiches, p. 36—M.] + </p> + <p> + Royalty was familiar to the Barbarians, and the submissive people of Italy + was prepared to obey, without a murmur, the authority which he should + condescend to exercise as the vicegerent of the emperor of the West. But + Odoacer had resolved to abolish that useless and expensive office; and + such is the weight of antique prejudice, that it required some boldness + and penetration to discover the extreme facility of the enterprise. The + unfortunate Augustulus was made the instrument of his own disgrace: he + signified his resignation to the senate; and that assembly, in their last + act of obedience to a Roman prince, still affected the spirit of freedom, + and the forms of the constitution. An epistle was addressed, by their + unanimous decree, to the emperor Zeno, the son-in-law and successor of + Leo; who had lately been restored, after a short rebellion, to the + Byzantine throne. They solemnly “disclaim the necessity, or even the wish, + of continuing any longer the Imperial succession in Italy; since, in their + opinion, the majesty of a sole monarch is sufficient to pervade and + protect, at the same time, both the East and the West. In their own name, + and in the name of the people, they consent that the seat of universal + empire shall be transferred from Rome to Constantinople; and they basely + renounce the right of choosing their master, the only vestige that yet + remained of the authority which had given laws to the world. The republic + (they repeat that name without a blush) might safely confide in the civil + and military virtues of Odoacer; and they humbly request, that the emperor + would invest him with the title of Patrician, and the administration of + the diocese of Italy.” The deputies of the senate were received at + Constantinople with some marks of displeasure and indignation: and when + they were admitted to the audience of Zeno, he sternly reproached them + with their treatment of the two emperors, Anthemius and Nepos, whom the + East had successively granted to the prayers of Italy. “The first” + (continued he) “you have murdered; the second you have expelled; but the + second is still alive, and whilst he lives he is your lawful sovereign.” + But the prudent Zeno soon deserted the hopeless cause of his abdicated + colleague. His vanity was gratified by the title of sole emperor, and by + the statues erected to his honor in the several quarters of Rome; he + entertained a friendly, though ambiguous, correspondence with the + patrician Odoacer; and he gratefully accepted the Imperial ensigns, the + sacred ornaments of the throne and palace, which the Barbarian was not + unwilling to remove from the sight of the people. <a href="#linknote-36.124" + name="linknoteref-36.124" id="linknoteref-36.124">124</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.124" id="linknote-36.124"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 124 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.124">return</a>)<br /> [ Malchus, whose loss + excites our regret, has preserved (in Excerpt. Legat. p. 93) this + extraordinary embassy from the senate to Zeno. The anonymous fragment, (p. + 717,) and the extract from Candidus, (apud Phot. p. 176,) are likewise of + some use.] + </p> + <p> + In the space of twenty years since the death of Valentinian, nine emperors + had successively disappeared; and the son of Orestes, a youth recommended + only by his beauty, would be the least entitled to the notice of + posterity, if his reign, which was marked by the extinction of the Roman + empire in the West, did not leave a memorable era in the history of + mankind. <a href="#linknote-36.125" name="linknoteref-36.125" + id="linknoteref-36.125">125</a> The patrician Orestes had married the + daughter of Count Romulus, of Petovio in Noricum: the name of Augustus, + notwithstanding the jealousy of power, was known at Aquileia as a familiar + surname; and the appellations of the two great founders, of the city and + of the monarchy, were thus strangely united in the last of their + successors. <a href="#linknote-36.126" name="linknoteref-36.126" + id="linknoteref-36.126">126</a> The son of Orestes assumed and disgraced + the names of Romulus Augustus; but the first was corrupted into Momyllus, + by the Greeks, and the second has been changed by the Latins into the + contemptible diminutive Augustulus. The life of this inoffensive youth was + spared by the generous clemency of Odoacer; who dismissed him, with his + whole family, from the Imperial palace, fixed his annual allowance at six + thousand pieces of gold, and assigned the castle of Lucullus, in Campania, + for the place of his exile or retirement. <a href="#linknote-36.127" + name="linknoteref-36.127" id="linknoteref-36.127">127</a> As soon as the + Romans breathed from the toils of the Punic war, they were attracted by + the beauties and the pleasures of Campania; and the country-house of the + elder Scipio at Liternum exhibited a lasting model of their rustic + simplicity. <a href="#linknote-36.128" name="linknoteref-36.128" + id="linknoteref-36.128">128</a> The delicious shores of the Bay of Naples + were crowded with villas; and Sylla applauded the masterly skill of his + rival, who had seated himself on the lofty promontory of Misenum, that + commands, on every side, the sea and land, as far as the boundaries of the + horizon. <a href="#linknote-36.129" name="linknoteref-36.129" + id="linknoteref-36.129">129</a> The villa of Marius was purchased, within a + few years, by Lucullus, and the price had increased from two thousand five + hundred, to more than fourscore thousand, pounds sterling. <a + href="#linknote-36.130" name="linknoteref-36.130" id="linknoteref-36.130">130</a> + It was adorned by the new proprietor with Grecian arts and Asiatic + treasures; and the houses and gardens of Lucullus obtained a distinguished + rank in the list of Imperial palaces. <a href="#linknote-36.131" + name="linknoteref-36.131" id="linknoteref-36.131">131</a> When the Vandals + became formidable to the sea-coast, the Lucullan villa, on the promontory + of Misenum, gradually assumed the strength and appellation of a strong + castle, the obscure retreat of the last emperor of the West. About twenty + years after that great revolution, it was converted into a church and + monastery, to receive the bones of St. Severinus. They securely reposed, + amidst the the broken trophies of Cimbric and Armenian victories,till the + beginning of the tenth century; when the fortifications, which might + afford a dangerous shelter to the Saracens, were demolished by the people + of Naples. <a href="#linknote-36.132" name="linknoteref-36.132" + id="linknoteref-36.132">132</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.125" id="linknote-36.125"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 125 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.125">return</a>)<br /> [ The precise year in + which the Western empire was extinguished, is not positively ascertained. + The vulgar era of A.D. 476 appears to have the sanction of authentic + chronicles. But the two dates assigned by Jornandes (c. 46, p. 680) would + delay that great event to the year 479; and though M. de Buat has + overlooked his evidence, he produces (tom. viii. p. 261-288) many + collateral circumstances in support of the same opinion.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.126" id="linknote-36.126"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 126 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.126">return</a>)<br /> [ See his medals in + Ducange, (Fam. Byzantin. p. 81,) Priscus, (Excerpt. Legat. p. 56,) Maffei, + (Osservazioni Letterarie, tom. ii p. 314.) We may allege a famous and + similar case. The meanest subjects of the Roman empire assumed the + illustrious name of Patricius, which, by the conversion of Ireland has + been communicated to a whole nation.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.127" id="linknote-36.127"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 127 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.127">return</a>)<br /> [ Ingrediens autem + Ravennam deposuit Augustulum de regno, cujus infantiam misertus concessit + ei sanguinem; et quia pulcher erat, tamen donavit ei reditum sex millia + solidos, et misit eum intra Campaniam cum parentibus suis libere vivere. + Anonym. Vales. p. 716. Jornandes says, (c 46, p. 680,) in Lucullano + Campaniae castello exilii poena damnavit.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.128" id="linknote-36.128"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 128 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.128">return</a>)<br /> [ See the eloquent + Declamation of Seneca, (Epist. lxxxvi.) The philosopher might have + recollected, that all luxury is relative; and that the elder Scipio, whose + manners were polished by study and conversation, was himself accused of + that vice by his ruder contemporaries, (Livy, xxix. 19.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.129" id="linknote-36.129"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 129 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.129">return</a>)<br /> [ Sylla, in the + language of a soldier, praised his peritia castrametandi, (Plin. Hist. + Natur. xviii. 7.) Phaedrus, who makes its shady walks (loeta viridia) the + scene of an insipid fable, (ii. 5,) has thus described the situation:— + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Caesar Tiberius quum petens Neapolim, + In Misenensem villam venissit suam; + Quae monte summo posita Luculli manu + Prospectat Siculum et prospicit Tuscum mare.] +</pre> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.130" id="linknote-36.130"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 130 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.130">return</a>)<br /> [ From seven myriads + and a half to two hundred and fifty myriads of drachmae. Yet even in the + possession of Marius, it was a luxurious retirement. The Romans derided + his indolence; they soon bewailed his activity. See Plutarch, in Mario, + tom. ii. p. 524.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.131" id="linknote-36.131"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 131 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.131">return</a>)<br /> [ Lucullus had other + villa of equal, though various, magnificence, at Baiae, Naples, Tusculum, + &c., He boasted that he changed his climate with the storks and + cranes. Plutarch, in Lucull. tom. iii. p. 193.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.132" id="linknote-36.132"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 132 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.132">return</a>)<br /> [ Severinus died in + Noricum, A.D. 482. Six years afterwards, his body, which scattered + miracles as it passed, was transported by his disciples into Italy. The + devotion of a Neapolitan lady invited the saint to the Lucullan villa, in + the place of Augustulus, who was probably no more. See Baronius (Annal. + Eccles. A.D. 496, No. 50, 51) and Tillemont, (Mem. Eccles. tom. xvi. p. + 178-181,) from the original life by Eugippius. The narrative of the last + migration of Severinus to Naples is likewise an authentic piece.] + </p> + <p> + Odoacer was the first Barbarian who reigned in Italy, over a people who + had once asserted their just superiority above the rest of mankind. The + disgrace of the Romans still excites our respectful compassion, and we + fondly sympathize with the imaginary grief and indignation of their + degenerate posterity. But the calamities of Italy had gradually subdued + the proud consciousness of freedom and glory. In the age of Roman virtue + the provinces were subject to the arms, and the citizens to the laws, of + the republic; till those laws were subverted by civil discord, and both + the city and the province became the servile property of a tyrant. The + forms of the constitution, which alleviated or disguised their abject + slavery, were abolished by time and violence; the Italians alternately + lamented the presence or the absence of the sovereign, whom they detested + or despised; and the succession of five centuries inflicted the various + evils of military license, capricious despotism, and elaborate oppression. + During the same period, the Barbarians had emerged from obscurity and + contempt, and the warriors of Germany and Scythia were introduced into the + provinces, as the servants, the allies, and at length the masters, of the + Romans, whom they insulted or protected. The hatred of the people was + suppressed by fear; they respected the spirit and splendor of the martial + chiefs who were invested with the honors of the empire; and the fate of + Rome had long depended on the sword of those formidable strangers. The + stern Ricimer, who trampled on the ruins of Italy, had exercised the + power, without assuming the title, of a king; and the patient Romans were + insensibly prepared to acknowledge the royalty of Odoacer and his Barbaric + successors. The king of Italy was not unworthy of the high station to + which his valor and fortune had exalted him: his savage manners were + polished by the habits of conversation; and he respected, though a + conqueror and a Barbarian, the institutions, and even the prejudices, of + his subjects. After an interval of seven years, Odoacer restored the + consulship of the West. For himself, he modestly, or proudly, declined an + honor which was still accepted by the emperors of the East; but the curule + chair was successively filled by eleven of the most illustrious senators; + <a href="#linknote-36.133" name="linknoteref-36.133" id="linknoteref-36.133">133</a> + and the list is adorned by the respectable name of Basilius, whose virtues + claimed the friendship and grateful applause of Sidonius, his client. <a + href="#linknote-36.134" name="linknoteref-36.134" id="linknoteref-36.134">134</a> + The laws of the emperors were strictly enforced, and the civil + administration of Italy was still exercised by the Prætorian praefect and + his subordinate officers. Odoacer devolved on the Roman magistrates the + odious and oppressive task of collecting the public revenue; but he + reserved for himself the merit of seasonable and popular indulgence. <a + href="#linknote-36.135" name="linknoteref-36.135" id="linknoteref-36.135">135</a> + Like the rest of the Barbarians, he had been instructed in the Arian + heresy; but he revered the monastic and episcopal characters; and the + silence of the Catholics attest the toleration which they enjoyed. The + peace of the city required the interposition of his praefect Basilius in + the choice of a Roman pontiff: the decree which restrained the clergy from + alienating their lands was ultimately designed for the benefit of the + people, whose devotions would have been taxed to repair the dilapidations + of the church. <a href="#linknote-36.136" name="linknoteref-36.136" + id="linknoteref-36.136">136</a> Italy was protected by the arms of its + conqueror; and its frontiers were respected by the Barbarians of Gaul and + Germany, who had so long insulted the feeble race of Theodosius. Odoacer + passed the Adriatic, to chastise the assassins of the emperor Nepos, and + to acquire the maritime province of Dalmatia. He passed the Alps, to + rescue the remains of Noricum from Fava, or Feletheus, king of the + Rugians, who held his residence beyond the Danube. The king was vanquished + in battle, and led away prisoner; a numerous colony of captives and + subjects was transplanted into Italy; and Rome, after a long period of + defeat and disgrace, might claim the triumph of her Barbarian master. <a + href="#linknote-36.137" name="linknoteref-36.137" id="linknoteref-36.137">137</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.133" id="linknote-36.133"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 133 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.133">return</a>)<br /> [ The consular Fasti + may be found in Pagi or Muratori. The consuls named by Odoacer, or perhaps + by the Roman senate, appear to have been acknowledged in the Eastern + empire.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.134" id="linknote-36.134"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 134 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.134">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius Apollinaris + (l. i. epist. 9, p. 22, edit. Sirmond) has compared the two leading + senators of his time, (A.D. 468,) Gennadius Avienus and Caecina Basilius. + To the former he assigns the specious, to the latter the solid, virtues of + public and private life. A Basilius junior, possibly his son, was consul + in the year 480.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.135" id="linknote-36.135"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 135 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.135">return</a>)<br /> [ Epiphanius interceded + for the people of Pavia; and the king first granted an indulgence of five + years, and afterwards relieved them from the oppression of Pelagius, the + Prætorian praefect, (Ennodius in Vit St. Epiphan., in Sirmond, Oper. tom. + i. p. 1670-1672.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.136" id="linknote-36.136"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 136 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.136">return</a>)<br /> [ See Baronius, Annal. + Eccles. A.D. 483, No. 10-15. Sixteen years afterwards the irregular + proceedings of Basilius were condemned by Pope Symmachus in a Roman + synod.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.137" id="linknote-36.137"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 137 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.137">return</a>)<br /> [ The wars of Odoacer + are concisely mentioned by Paul the Deacon, (de Gest. Langobard. l. i. c. + 19, p. 757, edit. Grot.,) and in the two Chronicles of Cassiodorus and + Cuspinian. The life of St. Severinus by Eugippius, which the count de Buat + (Hist. des Peuples, &c., tom. viii. c. 1, 4, 8, 9) has diligently + studied, illustrates the ruin of Noricum and the Bavarian antiquities] + </p> + <p> + Notwithstanding the prudence and success of Odoacer, his kingdom exhibited + the sad prospect of misery and desolation. Since the age of Tiberius, the + decay of agriculture had been felt in Italy; and it was a just subject of + complaint, that the life of the Roman people depended on the accidents of + the winds and waves. <a href="#linknote-36.138" name="linknoteref-36.138" + id="linknoteref-36.138">138</a> In the division and the decline of the + empire, the tributary harvests of Egypt and Africa were withdrawn; the + numbers of the inhabitants continually diminished with the means of + subsistence; and the country was exhausted by the irretrievable losses of + war, famine, <a href="#linknote-36.139" name="linknoteref-36.139" + id="linknoteref-36.139">139</a> and pestilence. St. Ambrose has deplored + the ruin of a populous district, which had been once adorned with the + flourishing cities of Bologna, Modena, Regium, and Placentia. <a + href="#linknote-36.140" name="linknoteref-36.140" id="linknoteref-36.140">140</a> + Pope Gelasius was a subject of Odoacer; and he affirms, with strong + exaggeration, that in Aemilia, Tuscany, and the adjacent provinces, the + human species was almost extirpated. <a href="#linknote-36.141" + name="linknoteref-36.141" id="linknoteref-36.141">141</a> The plebeians of + Rome, who were fed by the hand of their master, perished or disappeared, + as soon as his liberality was suppressed; the decline of the arts reduced + the industrious mechanic to idleness and want; and the senators, who might + support with patience the ruin of their country, bewailed their private + loss of wealth and luxury. <a href="#linknote-36.1411" + name="linknoteref-36.1411" id="linknoteref-36.1411">1411</a> One third of + those ample estates, to which the ruin of Italy is originally imputed, <a + href="#linknote-36.142" name="linknoteref-36.142" id="linknoteref-36.142">142</a> + was extorted for the use of the conquerors. Injuries were aggravated by + insults; the sense of actual sufferings was imbittered by the fear of more + dreadful evils; and as new lands were allotted to the new swarms of + Barbarians, each senator was apprehensive lest the arbitrary surveyors + should approach his favorite villa, or his most profitable farm. The least + unfortunate were those who submitted without a murmur to the power which + it was impossible to resist. Since they desired to live, they owed some + gratitude to the tyrant who had spared their lives; and since he was the + absolute master of their fortunes, the portion which he left must be + accepted as his pure and voluntary gift. <a href="#linknote-36.143" + name="linknoteref-36.143" id="linknoteref-36.143">143</a> The distress of + Italy <a href="#linknote-36.1431" name="linknoteref-36.1431" + id="linknoteref-36.1431">1431</a> was mitigated by the prudence and + humanity of Odoacer, who had bound himself, as the price of his elevation, + to satisfy the demands of a licentious and turbulent multitude. The kings + of the Barbarians were frequently resisted, deposed, or murdered, by their + native subjects, and the various bands of Italian mercenaries, who + associated under the standard of an elective general, claimed a larger + privilege of freedom and rapine. A monarchy destitute of national union, + and hereditary right, hastened to its dissolution. After a reign of + fourteen years, Odoacer was oppressed by the superior genius of Theodoric, + king of the Ostrogoths; a hero alike excellent in the arts of war and of + government, who restored an age of peace and prosperity, and whose name + still excites and deserves the attention of mankind. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.138" id="linknote-36.138"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 138 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.138">return</a>)<br /> [ Tacit. Annal. iii. + 53. The Recherches sur l’Administration des Terres chez les Romains (p. + 351-361) clearly state the progress of internal decay.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.139" id="linknote-36.139"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 139 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.139">return</a>)<br /> [ A famine, which + afflicted Italy at the time of the irruption of Odoacer, king of the + Heruli, is eloquently described, in prose and verse, by a French poet, + (Les Mois, tom. ii. p. 174, 205, edit. in 12 mo.) I am ignorant from + whence he derives his information; but I am well assured that he relates + some facts incompatible with the truth of history] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.140" id="linknote-36.140"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 140 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.140">return</a>)<br /> [ See the xxxixth + epistle of St. Ambrose, as it is quoted by Muratori, sopra le Antichita + Italiane, tom. i. Dissert. xxi. p. 354.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.141" id="linknote-36.141"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 141 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.141">return</a>)<br /> [ Aemilia, Tuscia, + ceteraeque provinciae in quibus hominum propenullus exsistit. Gelasius, + Epist. ad Andromachum, ap. Baronium, Annal. Eccles. A.D. 496, No. 36.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.1411" id="linknote-36.1411"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1411 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.1411">return</a>)<br /> [ Denina supposes + that the Barbarians were compelled by necessity to turn their attention to + agriculture. Italy, either imperfectly cultivated, or not at all, by the + indolent or ruined proprietors, not only could not furnish the imposts, on + which the pay of the soldiery depended, but not even a certain supply of + the necessaries of life. The neighboring countries were now occupied by + warlike nations; the supplies of corn from Africa were cut off; foreign + commerce nearly destroyed; they could not look for supplies beyond the + limits of Italy, throughout which the agriculture had been long in a state + of progressive but rapid depression. (Denina, Rev. d’Italia t. v. c. i.)—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.142" id="linknote-36.142"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 142 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.142">return</a>)<br /> [ Verumque + confitentibus, latifundia perdidere Italiam. Plin. Hist. Natur. xviii. 7.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.143" id="linknote-36.143"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 143 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.143">return</a>)<br /> [ Such are the topics + of consolation, or rather of patience, which Cicero (ad Familiares, lib. + ix. Epist. 17) suggests to his friend Papirius Paetus, under the military + despotism of Caesar. The argument, however, of “vivere pulcherrimum duxi,” + is more forcibly addressed to a Roman philosopher, who possessed the free + alternative of life or death] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-36.1431" id="linknote-36.1431"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1431 (<a href="#linknoteref-36.1431">return</a>)<br /> [ Compare, on the + desolation and change of property in Italy, Manno des Ost-Gothischen + Reiches, Part ii. p. 73, et seq.—M.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap37.1"></a> +Chapter XXXVII: Conversion Of The Barbarians To Christianity.—Part + I. +</h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Origin Progress, And Effects Of The Monastic Life.— + Conversion Of The Barbarians To Christianity And Arianism.— + Persecution Of The Vandals In Africa.—Extinction Of + Arianism Among The Barbarians. +</pre> + <p> + The indissoluble connection of civil and ecclesiastical affairs has + compelled, and encouraged, me to relate the progress, the persecutions, + the establishment, the divisions, the final triumph, and the gradual + corruption, of Christianity. I have purposely delayed the consideration of + two religious events, interesting in the study of human nature, and + important in the decline and fall of the Roman empire. I. The institution + of the monastic life; <a href="#linknote-37.1" name="linknoteref-37.1" + id="linknoteref-37.1">1</a> and, II. The conversion of the northern + Barbarians. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.1" id="linknote-37.1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.1">return</a>)<br /> [ The origin of the + monastic institution has been laboriously discussed by Thomassin + (Discipline de l’Eglise, tom. i. p. 1119-1426) and Helyot, (Hist. des + Ordres Monastiques, tom. i. p. 1-66.) These authors are very learned, and + tolerably honest, and their difference of opinion shows the subject in its + full extent. Yet the cautious Protestant, who distrusts any popish guides, + may consult the seventh book of Bingham’s Christian Antiquities.] + </p> + <p> + I. Prosperity and peace introduced the distinction of the vulgar and the + Ascetic Christians. <a href="#linknote-37.2" name="linknoteref-37.2" + id="linknoteref-37.2">2</a> The loose and imperfect practice of religion + satisfied the conscience of the multitude. The prince or magistrate, the + soldier or merchant, reconciled their fervent zeal, and implicit faith, + with the exercise of their profession, the pursuit of their interest, and + the indulgence of their passions: but the Ascetics, who obeyed and abused + the rigid precepts of the gospel, were inspired by the savage enthusiasm + which represents man as a criminal, and God as a tyrant. They seriously + renounced the business, and the pleasures, of the age; abjured the use of + wine, of flesh, and of marriage; chastised their body, mortified their + affections, and embraced a life of misery, as the price of eternal + happiness. In the reign of Constantine, the Ascetics fled from a profane + and degenerate world, to perpetual solitude, or religious society. Like + the first Christians of Jerusalem, <a href="#linknote-37.3" + name="linknoteref-37.3" id="linknoteref-37.3">3</a> <a href="#linknote-37.311" + name="linknoteref-37.311" id="linknoteref-37.311">311</a> they resigned the + use, or the property of their temporal possessions; established regular + communities of the same sex, and a similar disposition; and assumed the + names of Hermits, Monks, and Anachorets, expressive of their lonely + retreat in a natural or artificial desert. They soon acquired the respect + of the world, which they despised; and the loudest applause was bestowed + on this Divine Philosophy, <a href="#linknote-37.4" name="linknoteref-37.4" + id="linknoteref-37.4">4</a> which surpassed, without the aid of science or + reason, the laborious virtues of the Grecian schools. The monks might + indeed contend with the Stoics, in the contempt of fortune, of pain, and + of death: the Pythagorean silence and submission were revived in their + servile discipline; and they disdained, as firmly as the Cynics + themselves, all the forms and decencies of civil society. But the votaries + of this Divine Philosophy aspired to imitate a purer and more perfect + model. They trod in the footsteps of the prophets, who had retired to the + desert; <a href="#linknote-37.5" name="linknoteref-37.5" id="linknoteref-37.5">5</a> + and they restored the devout and contemplative life, which had been + instituted by the Essenians, in Palestine and Egypt. The philosophic eye + of Pliny had surveyed with astonishment a solitary people, who dwelt among + the palm-trees near the Dead Sea; who subsisted without money, who were + propagated without women; and who derived from the disgust and repentance + of mankind a perpetual supply of voluntary associates. <a + href="#linknote-37.6" name="linknoteref-37.6" id="linknoteref-37.6">6</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.2" id="linknote-37.2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.2">return</a>)<br /> [ See Euseb. Demonstrat. + Evangel., (l. i. p. 20, 21, edit. Graec. Rob. Stephani, Paris, 1545.) In + his Ecclesiastical History, published twelve years after the + Demonstration, Eusebius (l. ii. c. 17) asserts the Christianity of the + Therapeutae; but he appears ignorant that a similar institution was + actually revived in Egypt.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.3" id="linknote-37.3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.3">return</a>)<br /> [ Cassian (Collat. xviii. + 5.) claims this origin for the institution of the Coenobites, which + gradually decayed till it was restored by Antony and his disciples.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.311" id="linknote-37.311"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 311 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.311">return</a>)<br /> [ It has before been + shown that the first Christian community was not strictly coenobitic. See + vol. ii.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.4" id="linknote-37.4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.4">return</a>)<br /> [ These are the expressive + words of Sozomen, who copiously and agreeably describes (l. i. c. 12, 13, + 14) the origin and progress of this monkish philosophy, (see Suicer. + Thesau, Eccles., tom. ii. p. 1441.) Some modern writers, Lipsius (tom. iv. + p. 448. Manuduct. ad Philosoph. Stoic. iii. 13) and La Mothe le Vayer, + (tom. ix. de la Vertu des Payens, p. 228-262,) have compared the + Carmelites to the Pythagoreans, and the Cynics to the Capucins.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.5" id="linknote-37.5"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.5">return</a>)<br /> [ The Carmelites derive + their pedigree, in regular succession, from the prophet Elijah, (see the + Theses of Beziers, A.D. 1682, in Bayle’s Nouvelles de la Republique des + Lettres, Oeuvres, tom. i. p. 82, &c., and the prolix irony of the + Ordres Monastiques, an anonymous work, tom. i. p. 1-433, Berlin, 1751.) + Rome, and the inquisition of Spain, silenced the profane criticism of the + Jesuits of Flanders, (Helyot, Hist. des Ordres Monastiques, tom. i. p. + 282-300,) and the statue of Elijah, the Carmelite, has been erected in the + church of St. Peter, (Voyages du P. Labat tom. iii. p. 87.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.6" id="linknote-37.6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.6">return</a>)<br /> [ Plin. Hist. Natur. v. 15. + Gens sola, et in toto orbe praeter ceteras mira, sine ulla femina, omni + venere abdicata, sine pecunia, socia palmarum. Ita per seculorum millia + (incredibile dictu) gens aeterna est in qua nemo nascitur. Tam foecunda + illis aliorum vitae poenitentia est. He places them just beyond the + noxious influence of the lake, and names Engaddi and Massada as the + nearest towns. The Laura, and monastery of St. Sabas, could not be far + distant from this place. See Reland. Palestin., tom. i. p. 295; tom. ii. + p. 763, 874, 880, 890.] + </p> + <p> + Egypt, the fruitful parent of superstition, afforded the first example of + the monastic life. Antony, <a href="#linknote-37.7" name="linknoteref-37.7" + id="linknoteref-37.7">7</a> an illiterate <a href="#linknote-37.8" + name="linknoteref-37.8" id="linknoteref-37.8">8</a> youth of the lower parts + of Thebais, distributed his patrimony, <a href="#linknote-37.9" + name="linknoteref-37.9" id="linknoteref-37.9">9</a> deserted his family and + native home, and executed his monastic penance with original and intrepid + fanaticism. After a long and painful novitiate, among the tombs, and in a + ruined tower, he boldly advanced into the desert three days’ journey to + the eastward of the Nile; discovered a lonely spot, which possessed the + advantages of shade and water, and fixed his last residence on Mount + Colzim, near the Red Sea; where an ancient monastery still preserves the + name and memory of the saint. <a href="#linknote-37.10" + name="linknoteref-37.10" id="linknoteref-37.10">10</a> The curious devotion + of the Christians pursued him to the desert; and when he was obliged to + appear at Alexandria, in the face of mankind, he supported his fame with + discretion and dignity. He enjoyed the friendship of Athanasius, whose + doctrine he approved; and the Egyptian peasant respectfully declined a + respectful invitation from the emperor Constantine. The venerable + patriarch (for Antony attained the age of one hundred and five years) + beheld the numerous progeny which had been formed by his example and his + lessons. The prolific colonies of monks multiplied with rapid increase on + the sands of Libya, upon the rocks of Thebais, and in the cities of the + Nile. To the south of Alexandria, the mountain, and adjacent desert, of + Nitria, were peopled by five thousand anachorets; and the traveller may + still investigate the ruins of fifty monasteries, which were planted in + that barren soil by the disciples of Antony. <a href="#linknote-37.11" + name="linknoteref-37.11" id="linknoteref-37.11">11</a> In the Upper Thebais, + the vacant island of Tabenne, <a href="#linknote-37.12" + name="linknoteref-37.12" id="linknoteref-37.12">12</a> was occupied by + Pachomius and fourteen hundred of his brethren. That holy abbot + successively founded nine monasteries of men, and one of women; and the + festival of Easter sometimes collected fifty thousand religious persons, + who followed his angelic rule of discipline. <a href="#linknote-37.13" + name="linknoteref-37.13" id="linknoteref-37.13">13</a> The stately and + populous city of Oxyrinchus, the seat of Christian orthodoxy, had devoted + the temples, the public edifices, and even the ramparts, to pious and + charitable uses; and the bishop, who might preach in twelve churches, + computed ten thousand females and twenty thousand males, of the monastic + profession. <a href="#linknote-37.14" name="linknoteref-37.14" + id="linknoteref-37.14">14</a> The Egyptians, who gloried in this marvellous + revolution, were disposed to hope, and to believe, that the number of the + monks was equal to the remainder of the people; <a href="#linknote-37.15" + name="linknoteref-37.15" id="linknoteref-37.15">15</a> and posterity might + repeat the saying, which had formerly been applied to the sacred animals + of the same country, That in Egypt it was less difficult to find a god + than a man. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.7" id="linknote-37.7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.7">return</a>)<br /> [ See Athanas. Op. tom. ii. + p. 450-505, and the Vit. Patrum, p. 26-74, with Rosweyde’s Annotations. + The former is the Greek original the latter, a very ancient Latin version + by Evagrius, the friend of St. Jerom.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.8" id="linknote-37.8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.8">return</a>)<br /> [ Athanas. tom. ii. in Vit. + St. Anton. p. 452; and the assertion of his total ignorance has been + received by many of the ancients and moderns. But Tillemont (Mem. Eccles. + tom. vii. p. 666) shows, by some probable arguments, that Antony could + read and write in the Coptic, his native tongue; and that he was only a + stranger to the Greek letters. The philosopher Synesius (p. 51) + acknowledges that the natural genius of Antony did not require the aid of + learning.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.9" id="linknote-37.9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.9">return</a>)<br /> [ Aruroe autem erant ei + trecentae uberes, et valde optimae, (Vit. Patr. l. v. p. 36.) If the Arura + be a square measure, of a hundred Egyptian cubits, (Rosweyde, Onomasticon + ad Vit. Patrum, p. 1014, 1015,) and the Egyptian cubit of all ages be + equal to twenty-two English inches, (Greaves, vol. i. p. 233,) the arura + will consist of about three quarters of an English acre.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.10" id="linknote-37.10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.10">return</a>)<br /> [ The description of the + monastery is given by Jerom (tom. i. p. 248, 249, in Vit. Hilarion) and + the P. Sicard, (Missions du Levant tom. v. p. 122-200.) Their accounts + cannot always be reconciled the father painted from his fancy, and the + Jesuit from his experience.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.11" id="linknote-37.11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.11">return</a>)<br /> [ Jerom, tom. i. p. 146, + ad Eustochium. Hist. Lausiac. c. 7, in Vit. Patrum, p. 712. The P. Sicard + (Missions du Levant, tom. ii. p. 29-79) visited and has described this + desert, which now contains four monasteries, and twenty or thirty monks. + See D’Anville, Description de l’Egypte, p. 74.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.12" id="linknote-37.12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.12">return</a>)<br /> [ Tabenne is a small + island in the Nile, in the diocese of Tentyra or Dendera, between the + modern town of Girge and the ruins of ancient Thebes, (D’Anville, p. 194.) + M. de Tillemont doubts whether it was an isle; but I may conclude, from + his own facts, that the primitive name was afterwards transferred to the + great monastery of Bau or Pabau, (Mem. Eccles. tom. vii. p. 678, 688.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.13" id="linknote-37.13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.13">return</a>)<br /> [ See in the Codex + Regularum (published by Lucas Holstenius, Rome, 1661) a preface of St. + Jerom to his Latin version of the Rule of Pachomius, tom. i. p. 61.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.14" id="linknote-37.14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.14">return</a>)<br /> [ Rufin. c. 5, in Vit. + Patrum, p. 459. He calls it civitas ampla ralde et populosa, and reckons + twelve churches. Strabo (l. xvii. p. 1166) and Ammianus (xxii. 16) have + made honorable mention of Oxyrinchus, whose inhabitants adored a small + fish in a magnificent temple.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.15" id="linknote-37.15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.15">return</a>)<br /> [ Quanti populi habentur + in urbibus, tantae paene habentur in desertis multitudines monachorum. + Rufin. c. 7, in Vit. Patrum, p. 461. He congratulates the fortunate + change.] + </p> + <p> + Athanasius introduced into Rome the knowledge and practice of the monastic + life; and a school of this new philosophy was opened by the disciples of + Antony, who accompanied their primate to the holy threshold of the + Vatican. The strange and savage appearance of these Egyptians excited, at + first, horror and contempt, and, at length, applause and zealous + imitation. The senators, and more especially the matrons, transformed + their palaces and villas into religious houses; and the narrow institution + of six vestals was eclipsed by the frequent monasteries, which were seated + on the ruins of ancient temples, and in the midst of the Roman forum. <a + href="#linknote-37.16" name="linknoteref-37.16" id="linknoteref-37.16">16</a> + Inflamed by the example of Antony, a Syrian youth, whose name was + Hilarion, <a href="#linknote-37.17" name="linknoteref-37.17" + id="linknoteref-37.17">17</a> fixed his dreary abode on a sandy beach, + between the sea and a morass, about seven miles from Gaza. The austere + penance, in which he persisted forty-eight years, diffused a similar + enthusiasm; and the holy man was followed by a train of two or three + thousand anachorets, whenever he visited the innumerable monasteries of + Palestine. The fame of Basil <a href="#linknote-37.18" + name="linknoteref-37.18" id="linknoteref-37.18">18</a> is immortal in the + monastic history of the East. With a mind that had tasted the learning and + eloquence of Athens; with an ambition scarcely to be satisfied with the + archbishopric of Caesarea, Basil retired to a savage solitude in Pontus; + and deigned, for a while, to give laws to the spiritual colonies which he + profusely scattered along the coast of the Black Sea. In the West, Martin + of Tours, <a href="#linknote-37.19" name="linknoteref-37.19" + id="linknoteref-37.19">19</a> a soldier, a hermit, a bishop, and a saint, + established the monasteries of Gaul; two thousand of his disciples + followed him to the grave; and his eloquent historian challenges the + deserts of Thebais to produce, in a more favorable climate, a champion of + equal virtue. The progress of the monks was not less rapid, or universal, + than that of Christianity itself. Every province, and, at last, every + city, of the empire, was filled with their increasing multitudes; and the + bleak and barren isles, from Lerins to Lipari, that arose out of the + Tuscan Sea, were chosen by the anachorets for the place of their voluntary + exile. An easy and perpetual intercourse by sea and land connected the + provinces of the Roman world; and the life of Hilarion displays the + facility with which an indigent hermit of Palestine might traverse Egypt, + embark for Sicily, escape to Epirus, and finally settle in the Island of + Cyprus. <a href="#linknote-37.20" name="linknoteref-37.20" + id="linknoteref-37.20">20</a> The Latin Christians embraced the religious + institutions of Rome. The pilgrims, who visited Jerusalem, eagerly copied, + in the most distant climates of the earth, the faithful model of the + monastic life. The disciples of Antony spread themselves beyond the + tropic, over the Christian empire of Æthiopia. <a href="#linknote-37.21" + name="linknoteref-37.21" id="linknoteref-37.21">21</a> The monastery of + Banchor, <a href="#linknote-37.22" name="linknoteref-37.22" + id="linknoteref-37.22">22</a> in Flintshire, which contained above two + thousand brethren, dispersed a numerous colony among the Barbarians of + Ireland; <a href="#linknote-37.23" name="linknoteref-37.23" + id="linknoteref-37.23">23</a> and Iona, one of the Hebrides, which was + planted by the Irish monks, diffused over the northern regions a doubtful + ray of science and superstition. <a href="#linknote-37.24" + name="linknoteref-37.24" id="linknoteref-37.24">24</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.16" id="linknote-37.16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.16">return</a>)<br /> [ The introduction of the + monastic life into Rome and Italy is occasionally mentioned by Jerom, tom. + i. p. 119, 120, 199.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.17" id="linknote-37.17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.17">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Life of + Hilarion, by St. Jerom, (tom. i. p. 241, 252.) The stories of Paul, + Hilarion, and Malchus, by the same author, are admirably told: and the + only defect of these pleasing compositions is the want of truth and common + sense.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.18" id="linknote-37.18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.18">return</a>)<br /> [ His original retreat + was in a small village on the banks of the Iris, not far from + Neo-Caesarea. The ten or twelve years of his monastic life were disturbed + by long and frequent avocations. Some critics have disputed the + authenticity of his Ascetic rules; but the external evidence is weighty, + and they can only prove that it is the work of a real or affected + enthusiast. See Tillemont, Mem. Eccles tom. ix. p. 636-644. Helyot, Hist. + des Ordres Monastiques tom. i. p. 175-181] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.19" id="linknote-37.19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.19">return</a>)<br /> [ See his Life, and the + three Dialogues by Sulpicius Severus, who asserts (Dialog. i. 16) that the + booksellers of Rome were delighted with the quick and ready sale of his + popular work.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.20" id="linknote-37.20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.20">return</a>)<br /> [ When Hilarion sailed + from Paraetonium to Cape Pachynus, he offered to pay his passage with a + book of the Gospels. Posthumian, a Gallic monk, who had visited Egypt, + found a merchant ship bound from Alexandria to Marseilles, and performed + the voyage in thirty days, (Sulp. Sever. Dialog. i. 1.) Athanasius, who + addressed his Life of St. Antony to the foreign monks, was obliged to + hasten the composition, that it might be ready for the sailing of the + fleets, (tom. ii. p. 451.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.21" id="linknote-37.21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.21">return</a>)<br /> [ See Jerom, (tom. i. p. + 126,) Assemanni, Bibliot. Orient. tom. iv. p. 92, p. 857-919, and Geddes, + Church History of Æthiopia, p. 29-31. The Abyssinian monks adhere very + strictly to the primitive institution.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.22" id="linknote-37.22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.22">return</a>)<br /> [ Camden’s Britannia, + vol. i. p. 666, 667.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.23" id="linknote-37.23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.23">return</a>)<br /> [ All that learning can + extract from the rubbish of the dark ages is copiously stated by + Archbishop Usher in his Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates, cap. xvi. + p. 425-503.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.24" id="linknote-37.24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.24">return</a>)<br /> [ This small, though not + barren, spot, Iona, Hy, or Columbkill, only two miles in length, aud one + mile in breadth, has been distinguished, 1. By the monastery of St. + Columba, founded A.D. 566; whose abbot exercised an extraordinary + jurisdiction over the bishops of Caledonia; 2. By a classic library, which + afforded some hopes of an entire Livy; and, 3. By the tombs of sixty + kings, Scots, Irish, and Norwegians, who reposed in holy ground. See Usher + (p. 311, 360-370) and Buchanan, (Rer. Scot. l. ii. p. 15, edit. + Ruddiman.)] + </p> + <p> + These unhappy exiles from social life were impelled by the dark and + implacable genius of superstition. Their mutual resolution was supported + by the example of millions, of either sex, of every age, and of every + rank; and each proselyte who entered the gates of a monastery, was + persuaded that he trod the steep and thorny path of eternal happiness. <a + href="#linknote-37.25" name="linknoteref-37.25" id="linknoteref-37.25">25</a> + But the operation of these religious motives was variously determined by + the temper and situation of mankind. Reason might subdue, or passion might + suspend, their influence: but they acted most forcibly on the infirm minds + of children and females; they were strengthened by secret remorse, or + accidental misfortune; and they might derive some aid from the temporal + considerations of vanity or interest. It was naturally supposed, that the + pious and humble monks, who had renounced the world to accomplish the work + of their salvation, were the best qualified for the spiritual government + of the Christians. The reluctant hermit was torn from his cell, and + seated, amidst the acclamations of the people, on the episcopal throne: + the monasteries of Egypt, of Gaul, and of the East, supplied a regular + succession of saints and bishops; and ambition soon discovered the secret + road which led to the possession of wealth and honors. <a + href="#linknote-37.26" name="linknoteref-37.26" id="linknoteref-37.26">26</a> + The popular monks, whose reputation was connected with the fame and + success of the order, assiduously labored to multiply the number of their + fellow-captives. They insinuated themselves into noble and opulent + families; and the specious arts of flattery and seduction were employed to + secure those proselytes who might bestow wealth or dignity on the monastic + profession. The indignant father bewailed the loss, perhaps, of an only + son; <a href="#linknote-37.27" name="linknoteref-37.27" id="linknoteref-37.27">27</a> + the credulous maid was betrayed by vanity to violate the laws of nature; + and the matron aspired to imaginary perfection, by renouncing the virtues + of domestic life. Paula yielded to the persuasive eloquence of Jerom; <a + href="#linknote-37.28" name="linknoteref-37.28" id="linknoteref-37.28">28</a> + and the profane title of mother-in-law of God <a href="#linknote-37.29" + name="linknoteref-37.29" id="linknoteref-37.29">29</a> tempted that + illustrious widow to consecrate the virginity of her daughter Eustochium. + By the advice, and in the company, of her spiritual guide, Paula abandoned + Rome and her infant son; retired to the holy village of Bethlem; founded a + hospital and four monasteries; and acquired, by her alms and penance, an + eminent and conspicuous station in the Catholic church. Such rare and + illustrious penitents were celebrated as the glory and example of their + age; but the monasteries were filled by a crowd of obscure and abject + plebeians, <a href="#linknote-37.30" name="linknoteref-37.30" + id="linknoteref-37.30">30</a> who gained in the cloister much more than + they had sacrificed in the world. Peasants, slaves, and mechanics, might + escape from poverty and contempt to a safe and honorable profession; whose + apparent hardships are mitigated by custom, by popular applause, and by + the secret relaxation of discipline. <a href="#linknote-37.31" + name="linknoteref-37.31" id="linknoteref-37.31">31</a> The subjects of Rome, + whose persons and fortunes were made responsible for unequal and + exorbitant tributes, retired from the oppression of the Imperial + government; and the pusillanimous youth preferred the penance of a + monastic, to the dangers of a military, life. The affrighted provincials + of every rank, who fled before the Barbarians, found shelter and + subsistence: whole legions were buried in these religious sanctuaries; and + the same cause, which relieved the distress of individuals, impaired the + strength and fortitude of the empire. <a href="#linknote-37.32" + name="linknoteref-37.32" id="linknoteref-37.32">32</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.25" id="linknote-37.25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.25">return</a>)<br /> [ Chrysostom (in the + first tome of the Benedictine edition) has consecrated three books to the + praise and defence of the monastic life. He is encouraged, by the example + of the ark, to presume that none but the elect (the monks) can possibly be + saved (l. i. p. 55, 56.) Elsewhere, indeed, he becomes more merciful, (l. + iii. p. 83, 84,) and allows different degrees of glory, like the sun, + moon, and stars. In his lively comparison of a king and a monk, (l. iii. + p. 116-121,) he supposes (what is hardly fair) that the king will be more + sparingly rewarded, and more rigorously punished.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.26" id="linknote-37.26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.26">return</a>)<br /> [ Thomassin (Discipline + de l’Eglise tom. i. p. 1426-1469) and Mabillon, (Oeuvres Posthumes, tom. + ii. p. 115-158.) The monks were gradually adopted as a part of the + ecclesiastical hierarchy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.27" id="linknote-37.27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.27">return</a>)<br /> [ Dr. Middleton (vol. i. + p. 110) liberally censures the conduct and writings of Chrysostom, one of + the most eloquent and successful advocates for the monastic life.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.28" id="linknote-37.28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.28">return</a>)<br /> [ Jerom’s devout ladies + form a very considerable portion of his works: the particular treatise, + which he styles the Epitaph of Paula, (tom. i. p. 169-192,) is an + elaborate and extravagant panegyric. The exordium is ridiculously turgid: + “If all the members of my body were changed into tongues, and if all my + limbs resounded with a human voice, yet should I be incapable,” &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.29" id="linknote-37.29"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 29 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.29">return</a>)<br /> [ Socrus Dei esse + coepisti, (Jerom, tom. i. p. 140, ad Eustochium.) Rufinus, (in Hieronym. + Op. tom. iv. p. 223,) who was justly scandalized, asks his adversary, from + what Pagan poet he had stolen an expression so impious and absurd.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.30" id="linknote-37.30"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 30 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.30">return</a>)<br /> [ Nunc autem veniunt + plerumque ad hanc professionem servitutis Dei, et ex conditione servili, + vel etiam liberati, vel propter hoc a Dominis liberati sive liberandi; et + ex vita rusticana et ex opificum exercitatione, et plebeio labore. + Augustin, de Oper. Monach. c. 22, ap. Thomassin, Discipline de l’Eglise, + tom. iii. p. 1094. The Egyptian, who blamed Arsenius, owned that he led a + more comfortable life as a monk than as a shepherd. See Tillemont, Mem. + Eccles. tom. xiv. p. 679.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.31" id="linknote-37.31"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 31 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.31">return</a>)<br /> [ A Dominican friar, + (Voyages du P. Labat, tom. i. p. 10,) who lodged at Cadiz in a convent of + his brethren, soon understood that their repose was never interrupted by + nocturnal devotion; “quoiqu’on ne laisse pas de sonner pour l’edification + du peuple.”] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.32" id="linknote-37.32"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 32 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.32">return</a>)<br /> [ See a very sensible + preface of Lucas Holstenius to the Codex Regularum. The emperors attempted + to support the obligation of public and private duties; but the feeble + dikes were swept away by the torrent of superstition; and Justinian + surpassed the most sanguine wishes of the monks, (Thomassin, tom. i. p. + 1782-1799, and Bingham, l. vii. c. iii. p. 253.) Note: The emperor Valens, + in particular, promulgates a law contra ignavise quosdam sectatores, qui + desertis civitatum muneribus, captant solitudines secreta, et specie + religionis cum coetibus monachorum congregantur. Cad. Theod l. xii. tit. + i. leg. 63.—G.] + </p> + <p> + The monastic profession of the ancients <a href="#linknote-37.33" + name="linknoteref-37.33" id="linknoteref-37.33">33</a> was an act of + voluntary devotion. The inconstant fanatic was threatened with the eternal + vengeance of the God whom he deserted; but the doors of the monastery were + still open for repentance. Those monks, whose conscience was fortified by + reason or passion, were at liberty to resume the character of men and + citizens; and even the spouses of Christ might accept the legal embraces + of an earthly lover. <a href="#linknote-37.34" name="linknoteref-37.34" + id="linknoteref-37.34">34</a> The examples of scandal, and the progress of + superstition, suggested the propriety of more forcible restraints. After a + sufficient trial, the fidelity of the novice was secured by a solemn and + perpetual vow; and his irrevocable engagement was ratified by the laws of + the church and state. A guilty fugitive was pursued, arrested, and + restored to his perpetual prison; and the interposition of the magistrate + oppressed the freedom and the merit, which had alleviated, in some degree, + the abject slavery of the monastic discipline. <a href="#linknote-37.35" + name="linknoteref-37.35" id="linknoteref-37.35">35</a> The actions of a + monk, his words, and even his thoughts, were determined by an inflexible + rule, <a href="#linknote-37.36" name="linknoteref-37.36" + id="linknoteref-37.36">36</a> or a capricious superior: the slightest + offences were corrected by disgrace or confinement, extraordinary fasts, + or bloody flagellation; and disobedience, murmur, or delay, were ranked in + the catalogue of the most heinous sins. <a href="#linknote-37.37" + name="linknoteref-37.37" id="linknoteref-37.37">37</a> A blind submission to + the commands of the abbot, however absurd, or even criminal, they might + seem, was the ruling principle, the first virtue of the Egyptian monks; + and their patience was frequently exercised by the most extravagant + trials. They were directed to remove an enormous rock; assiduously to + water a barren staff, that was planted in the ground, till, at the end of + three years, it should vegetate and blossom like a tree; to walk into a + fiery furnace; or to cast their infant into a deep pond: and several + saints, or madmen, have been immortalized in monastic story, by their + thoughtless and fearless obedience. <a href="#linknote-37.38" + name="linknoteref-37.38" id="linknoteref-37.38">38</a> The freedom of the + mind, the source of every generous and rational sentiment, was destroyed + by the habits of credulity and submission; and the monk, contracting the + vices of a slave, devoutly followed the faith and passions of his + ecclesiastical tyrant. The peace of the Eastern church was invaded by a + swarm of fanatics, incapable of fear, or reason, or humanity; and the + Imperial troops acknowledged, without shame, that they were much less + apprehensive of an encounter with the fiercest Barbarians. <a + href="#linknote-37.39" name="linknoteref-37.39" id="linknoteref-37.39">39</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.33" id="linknote-37.33"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 33 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.33">return</a>)<br /> [ The monastic + institutions, particularly those of Egypt, about the year 400, are + described by four curious and devout travellers; Rufinus, (Vit. Patrum, l. + ii. iii. p. 424-536,) Posthumian, (Sulp. Sever. Dialog. i.) Palladius, + (Hist. Lausiac. in Vit. Patrum, p. 709-863,) and Cassian, (see in tom. + vii. Bibliothec. Max. Patrum, his four first books of Institutes, and the + twenty-four Collations or Conferences.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.34" id="linknote-37.34"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 34 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.34">return</a>)<br /> [ The example of Malchus, + (Jerom, tom. i. p. 256,) and the design of Cassian and his friend, + (Collation. xxiv. 1,) are incontestable proofs of their freedom; which is + elegantly described by Erasmus in his Life of St. Jerom. See Chardon, + Hist. des Sacremens, tom. vi. p. 279-300.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.35" id="linknote-37.35"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 35 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.35">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Laws of + Justinian, (Novel. cxxiii. No. 42,) and of Lewis the Pious, (in the + Historians of France, tom vi. p. 427,) and the actual jurisprudence of + France, in Denissart, (Decisions, &c., tom. iv. p. 855,) &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.36" id="linknote-37.36"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 36 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.36">return</a>)<br /> [ The ancient Codex + Regularum, collected by Benedict Anianinus, the reformer of the monks in + the beginning of the ninth century, and published in the seventeenth, by + Lucas Holstenius, contains thirty different rules for men and women. Of + these, seven were composed in Egypt, one in the East, one in Cappadocia, + one in Italy, one in Africa, four in Spain, eight in Gaul, or France, and + one in England.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.37" id="linknote-37.37"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 37 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.37">return</a>)<br /> [ The rule of Columbanus, + so prevalent in the West, inflicts one hundred lashes for very slight + offences, (Cod. Reg. part ii. p. 174.) Before the time of Charlemagne, the + abbots indulged themselves in mutilating their monks, or putting out their + eyes; a punishment much less cruel than the tremendous vade in pace (the + subterraneous dungeon or sepulchre) which was afterwards invented. See an + admirable discourse of the learned Mabillon, (Oeuvres Posthumes, tom. ii. + p. 321-336,) who, on this occasion, seems to be inspired by the genius of + humanity. For such an effort, I can forgive his defence of the holy tear + of Vendeme (p. 361-399.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.38" id="linknote-37.38"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 38 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.38">return</a>)<br /> [ Sulp. Sever. Dialog. i. + 12, 13, p. 532, &c. Cassian. Institut. l. iv. c. 26, 27. “Praecipua + ibi virtus et prima est obedientia.” Among the Verba seniorum, (in Vit. + Patrum, l. v. p. 617,) the fourteenth libel or discourse is on the subject + of obedience; and the Jesuit Rosweyde, who published that huge volume for + the use of convents, has collected all the scattered passages in his two + copious indexes.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.39" id="linknote-37.39"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 39 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.39">return</a>)<br /> [ Dr. Jortin (Remarks on + Ecclesiastical History, vol. iv. p. 161) has observed the scandalous valor + of the Cappadocian monks, which was exemplified in the banishment of + Chrysostom.] + </p> + <p> + Superstition has often framed and consecrated the fantastic garments of + the monks: <a href="#linknote-37.40" name="linknoteref-37.40" + id="linknoteref-37.40">40</a> but their apparent singularity sometimes + proceeds from their uniform attachment to a simple and primitive model, + which the revolutions of fashion have made ridiculous in the eyes of + mankind. The father of the Benedictines expressly disclaims all idea of + choice of merit; and soberly exhorts his disciples to adopt the coarse and + convenient dress of the countries which they may inhabit. <a + href="#linknote-37.41" name="linknoteref-37.41" id="linknoteref-37.41">41</a> + The monastic habits of the ancients varied with the climate, and their + mode of life; and they assumed, with the same indifference, the sheep-skin + of the Egyptian peasants, or the cloak of the Grecian philosophers. They + allowed themselves the use of linen in Egypt, where it was a cheap and + domestic manufacture; but in the West they rejected such an expensive + article of foreign luxury. <a href="#linknote-37.42" name="linknoteref-37.42" + id="linknoteref-37.42">42</a> It was the practice of the monks either to + cut or shave their hair; they wrapped their heads in a cowl to escape the + sight of profane objects; their legs and feet were naked, except in the + extreme cold of winter; and their slow and feeble steps were supported by + a long staff. The aspect of a genuine anachoret was horrid and disgusting: + every sensation that is offensive to man was thought acceptable to God; + and the angelic rule of Tabenne condemned the salutary custom of bathing + the limbs in water, and of anointing them with oil. <a + href="#linknote-37.43" name="linknoteref-37.43" id="linknoteref-37.43">43</a> + <a href="#linknote-37.431" name="linknoteref-37.431" id="linknoteref-37.431">431</a> + The austere monks slept on the ground, on a hard mat, or a rough blanket; + and the same bundle of palm-leaves served them as a seat in the day, and a + pillow in the night. Their original cells were low, narrow huts, built of + the slightest materials; which formed, by the regular distribution of the + streets, a large and populous village, enclosing, within the common wall, + a church, a hospital, perhaps a library, some necessary offices, a garden, + and a fountain or reservoir of fresh water. Thirty or forty brethren + composed a family of separate discipline and diet; and the great + monasteries of Egypt consisted of thirty or forty families. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.40" id="linknote-37.40"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 40 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.40">return</a>)<br /> [ Cassian has simply, + though copiously, described the monastic habit of Egypt, (Institut. l. + i.,) to which Sozomen (l. iii. c. 14) attributes such allegorical meaning + and virtue.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.41" id="linknote-37.41"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 41 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.41">return</a>)<br /> [ Regul. Benedict. No. + 55, in Cod. Regul. part ii. p. 51.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.42" id="linknote-37.42"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 42 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.42">return</a>)<br /> [ See the rule of + Ferreolus, bishop of Usez, (No. 31, in Cod. Regul part ii. p. 136,) and of + Isidore, bishop of Seville, (No. 13, in Cod. Regul part ii. p. 214.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.43" id="linknote-37.43"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 43 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.43">return</a>)<br /> [ Some partial + indulgences were granted for the hands and feet “Totum autem corpus nemo + unguet nisi causa infirmitatis, nec lavabitur aqua nudo corpore, nisi + languor perspicuus sit,” (Regul. Pachom xcii. part i. p. 78.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.431" id="linknote-37.431"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 431 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.431">return</a>)<br /> [ Athanasius (Vit. Ant. + c. 47) boasts of Antony’s holy horror of clear water, by which his feet + were uncontaminated except under dire necessity—M.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap37.2"></a> +Chapter XXXVII: Conversion Of The Barbarians To Christianity.—Part + II. +</h2> + <p> + Pleasure and guilt are synonymous terms in the language of the monks, and + they discovered, by experience, that rigid fasts, and abstemious diet, are + the most effectual preservatives against the impure desires of the flesh. + <a href="#linknote-37.44" name="linknoteref-37.44" id="linknoteref-37.44">44</a> + The rules of abstinence which they imposed, or practised, were not uniform + or perpetual: the cheerful festival of the Pentecost was balanced by the + extraordinary mortification of Lent; the fervor of new monasteries was + insensibly relaxed; and the voracious appetite of the Gauls could not + imitate the patient and temperate virtue of the Egyptians. <a + href="#linknote-37.45" name="linknoteref-37.45" id="linknoteref-37.45">45</a> + The disciples of Antony and Pachomius were satisfied with their daily + pittance, <a href="#linknote-37.46" name="linknoteref-37.46" + id="linknoteref-37.46">46</a> of twelve ounces of bread, or rather biscuit, + <a href="#linknote-37.47" name="linknoteref-37.47" id="linknoteref-37.47">47</a> + which they divided into two frugal repasts, of the afternoon and of the + evening. It was esteemed a merit, and almost a duty, to abstain from the + boiled vegetables which were provided for the refectory; but the + extraordinary bounty of the abbot sometimes indulged them with the luxury + of cheese, fruit, salad, and the small dried fish of the Nile. <a + href="#linknote-37.48" name="linknoteref-37.48" id="linknoteref-37.48">48</a> + A more ample latitude of sea and river fish was gradually allowed or + assumed; but the use of flesh was long confined to the sick or travellers; + and when it gradually prevailed in the less rigid monasteries of Europe, a + singular distinction was introduced; as if birds, whether wild or + domestic, had been less profane than the grosser animals of the field. + Water was the pure and innocent beverage of the primitive monks; and the + founder of the Benedictines regrets the daily portion of half a pint of + wine, which had been extorted from him by the intemperance of the age. <a + href="#linknote-37.49" name="linknoteref-37.49" id="linknoteref-37.49">49</a> + Such an allowance might be easily supplied by the vineyards of Italy; and + his victorious disciples, who passed the Alps, the Rhine, and the Baltic, + required, in the place of wine, an adequate compensation of strong beer or + cider. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.44" id="linknote-37.44"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 44 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.44">return</a>)<br /> [ St. Jerom, in strong, + but indiscreet, language, expresses the most important use of fasting and + abstinence: “Non quod Deus universitatis Creator et Dominus, intestinorum + nostrorum rugitu, et inanitate ventris, pulmonisque ardore delectetur, sed + quod aliter pudicitia tuta esse non possit.” (Op. tom. i. p. 32, ad + Eustochium.) See the twelfth and twenty-second Collations of Cassian, de + Castitate and de Illusionibus Nocturnis.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.45" id="linknote-37.45"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 45 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.45">return</a>)<br /> [ Edacitas in Graecis + gula est, in Gallis natura, (Dialog. i. c. 4 p. 521.) Cassian fairly owns, + that the perfect model of abstinence cannot be imitated in Gaul, on + account of the aerum temperies, and the qualitas nostrae fragilitatis, + (Institut. iv. 11.) Among the Western rules, that of Columbanus is the + most austere; he had been educated amidst the poverty of Ireland, as + rigid, perhaps, and inflexible as the abstemious virtue of Egypt. The rule + of Isidore of Seville is the mildest; on holidays he allows the use of + flesh.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.46" id="linknote-37.46"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 46 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.46">return</a>)<br /> [ “Those who drink only + water, and have no nutritious liquor, ought, at least, to have a pound and + a half (twenty-four ounces) of bread every day.” State of Prisons, p. 40, + by Mr. Howard.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.47" id="linknote-37.47"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 47 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.47">return</a>)<br /> [ See Cassian. Collat. l. + ii. 19-21. The small loaves, or biscuit, of six ounces each, had obtained + the name of Paximacia, (Rosweyde, Onomasticon, p. 1045.) Pachomius, + however, allowed his monks some latitude in the quantity of their food; + but he made them work in proportion as they ate, (Pallad. in Hist. + Lausiac. c. 38, 39, in Vit. Patrum, l. viii. p. 736, 737.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.48" id="linknote-37.48"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 48 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.48">return</a>)<br /> [ See the banquet to + which Cassian (Collation viii. 1) was invited by Serenus, an Egyptian + abbot.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.49" id="linknote-37.49"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 49 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.49">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Rule of St. + Benedict, No. 39, 40, (in Cod. Reg. part ii. p. 41, 42.) Licet legamus + vinum omnino monachorum non esse, sed quia nostris temporibus id monachis + persuaderi non potest; he allows them a Roman hemina, a measure which may + be ascertained from Arbuthnot’s Tables.] + </p> + <p> + The candidate who aspired to the virtue of evangelical poverty, abjured, + at his first entrance into a regular community, the idea, and even the + name, of all separate or exclusive possessions. <a href="#linknote-37.50" + name="linknoteref-37.50" id="linknoteref-37.50">50</a> The brethren were + supported by their manual labor; and the duty of labor was strenuously + recommended as a penance, as an exercise, and as the most laudable means + of securing their daily subsistence. <a href="#linknote-37.51" + name="linknoteref-37.51" id="linknoteref-37.51">51</a> The garden and + fields, which the industry of the monks had often rescued from the forest + or the morass, were diligently cultivated by their hands. They performed, + without reluctance, the menial offices of slaves and domestics; and the + several trades that were necessary to provide their habits, their + utensils, and their lodging, were exercised within the precincts of the + great monasteries. The monastic studies have tended, for the most part, to + darken, rather than to dispel, the cloud of superstition. Yet the + curiosity or zeal of some learned solitaries has cultivated the + ecclesiastical, and even the profane, sciences; and posterity must + gratefully acknowledge, that the monuments of Greek and Roman literature + have been preserved and multiplied by their indefatigable pens. <a + href="#linknote-37.52" name="linknoteref-37.52" id="linknoteref-37.52">52</a> + But the more humble industry of the monks, especially in Egypt, was + contented with the silent, sedentary occupation of making wooden sandals, + or of twisting the leaves of the palm-tree into mats and baskets. The + superfluous stock, which was not consumed in domestic use, supplied, by + trade, the wants of the community: the boats of Tabenne, and the other + monasteries of Thebais, descended the Nile as far as Alexandria; and, in a + Christian market, the sanctity of the workmen might enhance the intrinsic + value of the work. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.50" id="linknote-37.50"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 50 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.50">return</a>)<br /> [ Such expressions as my + book, my cloak, my shoes, (Cassian Institut. l. iv. c. 13,) were not less + severely prohibited among the Western monks, (Cod. Regul. part ii. p. 174, + 235, 288;) and the rule of Columbanus punished them with six lashes. The + ironical author of the Ordres Monastiques, who laughs at the foolish + nicety of modern convents, seems ignorant that the ancients were equally + absurd.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.51" id="linknote-37.51"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 51 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.51">return</a>)<br /> [ Two great masters of + ecclesiastical science, the P. Thomassin, (Discipline de l’Eglise, tom. + iii. p. 1090-1139,) and the P. Mabillon, (Etudes Monastiques, tom. i. p. + 116-155,) have seriously examined the manual labor of the monks, which the + former considers as a merit and the latter as a duty.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.52" id="linknote-37.52"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 52 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.52">return</a>)<br /> [ Mabillon (Etudes + Monastiques, tom. i. p. 47-55) has collected many curious facts to justify + the literary labors of his predecessors, both in the East and West. Books + were copied in the ancient monasteries of Egypt, (Cassian. Institut. l. + iv. c. 12,) and by the disciples of St. Martin, (Sulp. Sever. in Vit. + Martin. c. 7, p. 473.) Cassiodorus has allowed an ample scope for the + studies of the monks; and we shall not be scandalized, if their pens + sometimes wandered from Chrysostom and Augustin to Homer and Virgil. But + the necessity of manual labor was insensibly superseded.] + </p> + <p> + The novice was tempted to bestow his fortune on the saints, in whose + society he was resolved to spend the remainder of his life; and the + pernicious indulgence of the laws permitted him to receive, for their use, + any future accessions of legacy or inheritance. <a href="#linknote-37.53" + name="linknoteref-37.53" id="linknoteref-37.53">53</a> Melania contributed + her plate, three hundred pounds weight of silver; and Paula contracted an + immense debt, for the relief of their favorite monks; who kindly imparted + the merits of their prayers and penance to a rich and liberal sinner. <a + href="#linknote-37.54" name="linknoteref-37.54" id="linknoteref-37.54">54</a> + Time continually increased, and accidents could seldom diminish, the + estates of the popular monasteries, which spread over the adjacent country + and cities: and, in the first century of their institution, the infidel + Zosimus has maliciously observed, that, for the benefit of the poor, the + Christian monks had reduced a great part of mankind to a state of beggary. + <a href="#linknote-37.55" name="linknoteref-37.55" id="linknoteref-37.55">55</a> + As long as they maintained their original fervor, they approved + themselves, however, the faithful and benevolent stewards of the charity, + which was entrusted to their care. But their discipline was corrupted by + prosperity: they gradually assumed the pride of wealth, and at last + indulged the luxury of expense. Their public luxury might be excused by + the magnificence of religious worship, and the decent motive of erecting + durable habitations for an immortal society. But every age of the church + has accused the licentiousness of the degenerate monks; who no longer + remembered the object of their institution, embraced the vain and sensual + pleasures of the world, which they had renounced, <a href="#linknote-37.56" + name="linknoteref-37.56" id="linknoteref-37.56">56</a> and scandalously + abused the riches which had been acquired by the austere virtues of their + founders. <a href="#linknote-37.57" name="linknoteref-37.57" + id="linknoteref-37.57">57</a> Their natural descent, from such painful and + dangerous virtue, to the common vices of humanity, will not, perhaps, + excite much grief or indignation in the mind of a philosopher. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.53" id="linknote-37.53"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 53 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.53">return</a>)<br /> [ Thomassin (Discipline + de l’Eglise, tom. iii. p. 118, 145, 146, 171-179) has examined the + revolution of the civil, canon, and common law. Modern France confirms the + death which monks have inflicted on themselves, and justly deprives them + of all right of inheritance.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.54" id="linknote-37.54"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 54 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.54">return</a>)<br /> [ See Jerom, (tom. i. p. + 176, 183.) The monk Pambo made a sublime answer to Melania, who wished to + specify the value of her gift: “Do you offer it to me, or to God? If to + God, He who suspends the mountain in a balance, need not be informed of + the weight of your plate.” (Pallad. Hist. Lausiac. c. 10, in the Vit. + Patrum, l. viii. p. 715.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.55" id="linknote-37.55"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 55 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.55">return</a>)<br /> [ Zosim. l. v. p. 325. + Yet the wealth of the Eastern monks was far surpassed by the princely + greatness of the Benedictines.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.56" id="linknote-37.56"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 56 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.56">return</a>)<br /> [ The sixth general + council (the Quinisext in Trullo, Canon xlvii in Beveridge, tom. i. p. + 213) restrains women from passing the night in a male, or men in a female, + monastery. The seventh general council (the second Nicene, Canon xx. in + Beveridge, tom. i. p. 325) prohibits the erection of double or promiscuous + monasteries of both sexes; but it appears from Balsamon, that the + prohibition was not effectual. On the irregular pleasures and expenses of + the clergy and monks, see Thomassin, tom. iii. p. 1334-1368.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.57" id="linknote-37.57"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 57 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.57">return</a>)<br /> [ I have somewhere heard + or read the frank confession of a Benedictine abbot: “My vow of poverty + has given me a hundred thousand crowns a year; my vow of obedience has + raised me to the rank of a sovereign prince.”—I forget the + consequences of his vow of chastity.] + </p> + <p> + The lives of the primitive monks were consumed in penance and solitude; + undisturbed by the various occupations which fill the time, and exercise + the faculties, of reasonable, active, and social beings. Whenever they + were permitted to step beyond the precincts of the monastery, two jealous + companions were the mutual guards and spies of each other’s actions; and, + after their return, they were condemned to forget, or, at least, to + suppress, whatever they had seen or heard in the world. Strangers, who + professed the orthodox faith, were hospitably entertained in a separate + apartment; but their dangerous conversation was restricted to some chosen + elders of approved discretion and fidelity. Except in their presence, the + monastic slave might not receive the visits of his friends or kindred; and + it was deemed highly meritorious, if he afflicted a tender sister, or an + aged parent, by the obstinate refusal of a word or look. <a + href="#linknote-37.58" name="linknoteref-37.58" id="linknoteref-37.58">58</a> + The monks themselves passed their lives, without personal attachments, + among a crowd which had been formed by accident, and was detained, in the + same prison, by force or prejudice. Recluse fanatics have few ideas or + sentiments to communicate: a special license of the abbot regulated the + time and duration of their familiar visits; and, at their silent meals, + they were enveloped in their cowls, inaccessible, and almost invisible, to + each other. <a href="#linknote-37.59" name="linknoteref-37.59" + id="linknoteref-37.59">59</a> Study is the resource of solitude: but + education had not prepared and qualified for any liberal studies the + mechanics and peasants who filled the monastic communities. They might + work: but the vanity of spiritual perfection was tempted to disdain the + exercise of manual labor; and the industry must be faint and languid, + which is not excited by the sense of personal interest. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.58" id="linknote-37.58"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 58 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.58">return</a>)<br /> [ Pior, an Egyptian monk, + allowed his sister to see him; but he shut his eyes during the whole + visit. See Vit. Patrum, l. iii. p. 504. Many such examples might be + added.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.59" id="linknote-37.59"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 59 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.59">return</a>)<br /> [ The 7th, 8th, 29th, + 30th, 31st, 34th, 57th, 60th, 86th, and 95th articles of the Rule of + Pachomius, impose most intolerable laws of silence and mortification.] + </p> + <p> + According to their faith and zeal, they might employ the day, which they + passed in their cells, either in vocal or mental prayer: they assembled in + the evening, and they were awakened in the night, for the public worship + of the monastery. The precise moment was determined by the stars, which + are seldom clouded in the serene sky of Egypt; and a rustic horn, or + trumpet, the signal of devotion, twice interrupted the vast silence of the + desert. <a href="#linknote-37.60" name="linknoteref-37.60" + id="linknoteref-37.60">60</a> Even sleep, the last refuge of the unhappy, + was rigorously measured: the vacant hours of the monk heavily rolled + along, without business or pleasure; and, before the close of each day, he + had repeatedly accused the tedious progress of the sun. <a + href="#linknote-37.61" name="linknoteref-37.61" id="linknoteref-37.61">61</a> + In this comfortless state, superstition still pursued and tormented her + wretched votaries. <a href="#linknote-37.62" name="linknoteref-37.62" + id="linknoteref-37.62">62</a> The repose which they had sought in the + cloister was disturbed by a tardy repentance, profane doubts, and guilty + desires; and, while they considered each natural impulse as an + unpardonable sin, they perpetually trembled on the edge of a flaming and + bottomless abyss. From the painful struggles of disease and despair, these + unhappy victims were sometimes relieved by madness or death; and, in the + sixth century, a hospital was founded at Jerusalem for a small portion of + the austere penitents, who were deprived of their senses. <a + href="#linknote-37.63" name="linknoteref-37.63" id="linknoteref-37.63">63</a> + Their visions, before they attained this extreme and acknowledged term of + frenzy, have afforded ample materials of supernatural history. It was + their firm persuasion, that the air, which they breathed, was peopled with + invisible enemies; with innumerable demons, who watched every occasion, + and assumed every form, to terrify, and above all to tempt, their + unguarded virtue. The imagination, and even the senses, were deceived by + the illusions of distempered fanaticism; and the hermit, whose midnight + prayer was oppressed by involuntary slumber, might easily confound the + phantoms of horror or delight, which had occupied his sleeping and his + waking dreams. <a href="#linknote-37.64" name="linknoteref-37.64" + id="linknoteref-37.64">64</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.60" id="linknote-37.60"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 60 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.60">return</a>)<br /> [ The diurnal and + nocturnal prayers of the monks are copiously discussed by Cassian, in the + third and fourth books of his Institutions; and he constantly prefers the + liturgy, which an angel had dictated to the monasteries of Tebennoe.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.61" id="linknote-37.61"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 61 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.61">return</a>)<br /> [ Cassian, from his own + experience, describes the acedia, or listlessness of mind and body, to + which a monk was exposed, when he sighed to find himself alone. Saepiusque + egreditur et ingreditur cellam, et Solem velut ad occasum tardius + properantem crebrius intuetur, (Institut. x. l.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.62" id="linknote-37.62"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 62 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.62">return</a>)<br /> [ The temptations and + sufferings of Stagirius were communicated by that unfortunate youth to his + friend St. Chrysostom. See Middleton’s Works, vol. i. p. 107-110. + Something similar introduces the life of every saint; and the famous + Inigo, or Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, (vide d’Inigo de + Guiposcoa, tom. i. p. 29-38,) may serve as a memorable example.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.63" id="linknote-37.63"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 63 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.63">return</a>)<br /> [ Fleury, Hist. + Ecclesiastique, tom. vii. p. 46. I have read somewhere, in the Vitae + Patrum, but I cannot recover the place that several, I believe many, of + the monks, who did not reveal their temptations to the abbot, became + guilty of suicide.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.64" id="linknote-37.64"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 64 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.64">return</a>)<br /> [ See the seventh and + eighth Collations of Cassian, who gravely examines, why the demons were + grown less active and numerous since the time of St. Antony. Rosweyde’s + copious index to the Vitae Patrum will point out a variety of infernal + scenes. The devils were most formidable in a female shape.] + </p> + <p> + The monks were divided into two classes: the Coenobites, who lived under a + common and regular discipline; and the Anachorets, who indulged their + unsocial, independent fanaticism. <a href="#linknote-37.65" + name="linknoteref-37.65" id="linknoteref-37.65">65</a> The most devout, or + the most ambitious, of the spiritual brethren, renounced the convent, as + they had renounced the world. The fervent monasteries of Egypt, Palestine, + and Syria, were surrounded by a Laura, <a href="#linknote-37.66" + name="linknoteref-37.66" id="linknoteref-37.66">66</a> a distant circle of + solitary cells; and the extravagant penance of Hermits was stimulated by + applause and emulation. <a href="#linknote-37.67" name="linknoteref-37.67" + id="linknoteref-37.67">67</a> They sunk under the painful weight of crosses + and chains; and their emaciated limbs were confined by collars, bracelets, + gauntlets, and greaves of massy and rigid iron. All superfluous + encumbrance of dress they contemptuously cast away; and some savage saints + of both sexes have been admired, whose naked bodies were only covered by + their long hair. They aspired to reduce themselves to the rude and + miserable state in which the human brute is scarcely distinguishable above + his kindred animals; and the numerous sect of Anachorets derived their + name from their humble practice of grazing in the fields of Mesopotamia + with the common herd. <a href="#linknote-37.68" name="linknoteref-37.68" + id="linknoteref-37.68">68</a> They often usurped the den of some wild beast + whom they affected to resemble; they buried themselves in some gloomy + cavern, which art or nature had scooped out of the rock; and the marble + quarries of Thebais are still inscribed with the monuments of their + penance. <a href="#linknote-37.69" name="linknoteref-37.69" + id="linknoteref-37.69">69</a> The most perfect Hermits are supposed to have + passed many days without food, many nights without sleep, and many years + without speaking; and glorious was the man ( I abuse that name) who + contrived any cell, or seat, of a peculiar construction, which might + expose him, in the most inconvenient posture, to the inclemency of the + seasons. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.65" id="linknote-37.65"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 65 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.65">return</a>)<br /> [ For the distinction of + the Coenobites and the Hermits, especially in Egypt, see Jerom, (tom. i. + p. 45, ad Rusticum,) the first Dialogue of Sulpicius Severus, Rufinus, (c. + 22, in Vit. Patrum, l. ii. p. 478,) Palladius, (c. 7, 69, in Vit. Patrum, + l. viii. p. 712, 758,) and, above all, the eighteenth and nineteenth + Collations of Cassian. These writers, who compare the common and solitary + life, reveal the abuse and danger of the latter.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.66" id="linknote-37.66"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 66 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.66">return</a>)<br /> [ Suicer. Thesaur. + Ecclesiast. tom. ii. p. 205, 218. Thomassin (Discipline de l’Eglise, tom. + i. p. 1501, 1502) gives a good account of these cells. When Gerasimus + founded his monastery in the wilderness of Jordan, it was accompanied by a + Laura of seventy cells.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.67" id="linknote-37.67"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 67 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.67">return</a>)<br /> [ Theodoret, in a large + volume, (the Philotheus in Vit. Patrum, l. ix. p. 793-863,) has collected + the lives and miracles of thirty Anachorets. Evagrius (l. i. c. 12) more + briefly celebrates the monks and hermits of Palestine.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.68" id="linknote-37.68"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 68 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.68">return</a>)<br /> [ Sozomen, l. vi. c. 33. + The great St. Ephrem composed a panegyric on these or grazing monks, + (Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. viii. p. 292.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.69" id="linknote-37.69"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 69 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.69">return</a>)<br /> [ The P. Sicard (Missions + du Levant, tom. ii. p. 217-233) examined the caverns of the Lower Thebais + with wonder and devotion. The inscriptions are in the old Syriac + character, which was used by the Christians of Abyssinia.] + </p> + <p> + Among these heroes of the monastic life, the name and genius of Simeon + Stylites <a href="#linknote-37.70" name="linknoteref-37.70" + id="linknoteref-37.70">70</a> have been immortalized by the singular + invention of an aerial penance. At the age of thirteen, the young Syrian + deserted the profession of a shepherd, and threw himself into an austere + monastery. After a long and painful novitiate, in which Simeon was + repeatedly saved from pious suicide, he established his residence on a + mountain, about thirty or forty miles to the east of Antioch. Within the + space of a mandra, or circle of stones, to which he had attached himself + by a ponderous chain, he ascended a column, which was successively raised + from the height of nine, to that of sixty, feet from the ground. <a + href="#linknote-37.71" name="linknoteref-37.71" id="linknoteref-37.71">71</a> + In this last and lofty station, the Syrian Anachoret resisted the heat of + thirty summers, and the cold of as many winters. Habit and exercise + instructed him to maintain his dangerous situation without fear or + giddiness, and successively to assume the different postures of devotion. + He sometimes prayed in an erect attitude, with his outstretched arms in + the figure of a cross, but his most familiar practice was that of bending + his meagre skeleton from the forehead to the feet; and a curious + spectator, after numbering twelve hundred and forty-four repetitions, at + length desisted from the endless account. The progress of an ulcer in his + thigh <a href="#linknote-37.72" name="linknoteref-37.72" + id="linknoteref-37.72">72</a> might shorten, but it could not disturb, this + celestial life; and the patient Hermit expired, without descending from + his column. A prince, who should capriciously inflict such tortures, would + be deemed a tyrant; but it would surpass the power of a tyrant to impose a + long and miserable existence on the reluctant victims of his cruelty. This + voluntary martyrdom must have gradually destroyed the sensibility both of + the mind and body; nor can it be presumed that the fanatics, who torment + themselves, are susceptible of any lively affection for the rest of + mankind. A cruel, unfeeling temper has distinguished the monks of every + age and country: their stern indifference, which is seldom mollified by + personal friendship, is inflamed by religious hatred; and their merciless + zeal has strenuously administered the holy office of the Inquisition. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.70" id="linknote-37.70"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 70 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.70">return</a>)<br /> [ See Theodoret (in Vit. + Patrum, l. ix. p. 848-854,) Antony, (in Vit. Patrum, l. i. p. 170-177,) + Cosmas, (in Asseman. Bibliot. Oriental tom. i. p. 239-253,) Evagrius, (l. + i. c. 13, 14,) and Tillemont, (Mem. Eccles. tom. xv. p. 347-392.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.71" id="linknote-37.71"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 71 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.71">return</a>)<br /> [ The narrow + circumference of two cubits, or three feet, which Evagrius assigns for the + summit of the column is inconsistent with reason, with facts, and with the + rules of architecture. The people who saw it from below might be easily + deceived.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.72" id="linknote-37.72"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 72 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.72">return</a>)<br /> [ I must not conceal a + piece of ancient scandal concerning the origin of this ulcer. It has been + reported that the Devil, assuming an angelic form, invited him to ascend, + like Elijah, into a fiery chariot. The saint too hastily raised his foot, + and Satan seized the moment of inflicting this chastisement on his + vanity.] + </p> + <p> + The monastic saints, who excite only the contempt and pity of a + philosopher, were respected, and almost adored, by the prince and people. + Successive crowds of pilgrims from Gaul and India saluted the divine + pillar of Simeon: the tribes of Saracens disputed in arms the honor of his + benediction; the queens of Arabia and Persia gratefully confessed his + supernatural virtue; and the angelic Hermit was consulted by the younger + Theodosius, in the most important concerns of the church and state. His + remains were transported from the mountain of Telenissa, by a solemn + procession of the patriarch, the master-general of the East, six bishops, + twenty-one counts or tribunes, and six thousand soldiers; and Antioch + revered his bones, as her glorious ornament and impregnable defence. The + fame of the apostles and martyrs was gradually eclipsed by these recent + and popular Anachorets; the Christian world fell prostrate before their + shrines; and the miracles ascribed to their relics exceeded, at least in + number and duration, the spiritual exploits of their lives. But the golden + legend of their lives <a href="#linknote-37.73" name="linknoteref-37.73" + id="linknoteref-37.73">73</a> was embellished by the artful credulity of + their interested brethren; and a believing age was easily persuaded, that + the slightest caprice of an Egyptian or a Syrian monk had been sufficient + to interrupt the eternal laws of the universe. The favorites of Heaven + were accustomed to cure inveterate diseases with a touch, a word, or a + distant message; and to expel the most obstinate demons from the souls or + bodies which they possessed. They familiarly accosted, or imperiously + commanded, the lions and serpents of the desert; infused vegetation into a + sapless trunk; suspended iron on the surface of the water; passed the Nile + on the back of a crocodile, and refreshed themselves in a fiery furnace. + These extravagant tales, which display the fiction without the genius, of + poetry, have seriously affected the reason, the faith, and the morals, of + the Christians. Their credulity debased and vitiated the faculties of the + mind: they corrupted the evidence of history; and superstition gradually + extinguished the hostile light of philosophy and science. Every mode of + religious worship which had been practised by the saints, every mysterious + doctrine which they believed, was fortified by the sanction of divine + revelation, and all the manly virtues were oppressed by the servile and + pusillanimous reign of the monks. If it be possible to measure the + interval between the philosophic writings of Cicero and the sacred legend + of Theodoret, between the character of Cato and that of Simeon, we may + appreciate the memorable revolution which was accomplished in the Roman + empire within a period of five hundred years. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.73" id="linknote-37.73"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 73 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.73">return</a>)<br /> [ I know not how to + select or specify the miracles contained in the Vitae Patrum of Rosweyde, + as the number very much exceeds the thousand pages of that voluminous + work. An elegant specimen may be found in the dialogues of Sulpicius + Severus, and his Life of St. Martin. He reveres the monks of Egypt; yet he + insults them with the remark, that they never raised the dead; whereas the + bishop of Tours had restored three dead men to life.] + </p> + <p> + II. The progress of Christianity has been marked by two glorious and + decisive victories: over the learned and luxurious citizens of the Roman + empire; and over the warlike Barbarians of Scythia and Germany, who + subverted the empire, and embraced the religion, of the Romans. The Goths + were the foremost of these savage proselytes; and the nation was indebted + for its conversion to a countryman, or, at least, to a subject, worthy to + be ranked among the inventors of useful arts, who have deserved the + remembrance and gratitude of posterity. A great number of Roman + provincials had been led away into captivity by the Gothic bands, who + ravaged Asia in the time of Gallienus; and of these captives, many were + Christians, and several belonged to the ecclesiastical order. Those + involuntary missionaries, dispersed as slaves in the villages of Dacia, + successively labored for the salvation of their masters. The seeds which + they planted, of the evangelic doctrine, were gradually propagated; and + before the end of a century, the pious work was achieved by the labors of + Ulphilas, whose ancestors had been transported beyond the Danube from a + small town of Cappadocia. + </p> + <p> + Ulphilas, the bishop and apostle of the Goths, <a href="#linknote-37.74" + name="linknoteref-37.74" id="linknoteref-37.74">74</a> acquired their love + and reverence by his blameless life and indefatigable zeal; and they + received, with implicit confidence, the doctrines of truth and virtue + which he preached and practised. He executed the arduous task of + translating the Scriptures into their native tongue, a dialect of the + German or Teutonic language; but he prudently suppressed the four books of + Kings, as they might tend to irritate the fierce and sanguinary spirit of + the Barbarians. The rude, imperfect idiom of soldiers and shepherds, so + ill qualified to communicate any spiritual ideas, was improved and + modulated by his genius: and Ulphilas, before he could frame his version, + was obliged to compose a new alphabet of twenty-four letters; <a + href="#linknote-37.741" name="linknoteref-37.741" id="linknoteref-37.741">741</a> + four of which he invented, to express the peculiar sounds that were + unknown to the Greek and Latin pronunciation. <a href="#linknote-37.75" + name="linknoteref-37.75" id="linknoteref-37.75">75</a> But the prosperous + state of the Gothic church was soon afflicted by war and intestine + discord, and the chieftains were divided by religion as well as by + interest. Fritigern, the friend of the Romans, became the proselyte of + Ulphilas; while the haughty soul of Athanaric disdained the yoke of the + empire and of the gospel. The faith of the new converts was tried by the + persecution which he excited. A wagon, bearing aloft the shapeless image + of Thor, perhaps, or of Woden, was conducted in solemn procession through + the streets of the camp; and the rebels, who refused to worship the god of + their fathers, were immediately burnt, with their tents and families. The + character of Ulphilas recommended him to the esteem of the Eastern court, + where he twice appeared as the minister of peace; he pleaded the cause of + the distressed Goths, who implored the protection of Valens; and the name + of Moses was applied to this spiritual guide, who conducted his people + through the deep waters of the Danube to the Land of Promise. <a + href="#linknote-37.76" name="linknoteref-37.76" id="linknoteref-37.76">76</a> + The devout shepherds, who were attached to his person, and tractable to + his voice, acquiesced in their settlement, at the foot of the Maesian + mountains, in a country of woodlands and pastures, which supported their + flocks and herds, and enabled them to purchase the corn and wine of the + more plentiful provinces. These harmless Barbarians multiplied in obscure + peace and the profession of Christianity. <a href="#linknote-37.77" + name="linknoteref-37.77" id="linknoteref-37.77">77</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.74" id="linknote-37.74"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 74 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.74">return</a>)<br /> [ On the subject of + Ulphilas, and the conversion of the Goths, see Sozomen, l. vi. c. 37. + Socrates, l. iv. c. 33. Theodoret, l. iv. c. 37. Philostorg. l. ii. c. 5. + The heresy of Philostorgius appears to have given him superior means of + information.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.741" id="linknote-37.741"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 741 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.741">return</a>)<br /> [ This is the + Moeso-Gothic alphabet of which many of the letters are evidently formed + from the Greek and Roman. M. St. Martin, however contends, that it is + impossible but that some written alphabet must have been known long before + among the Goths. He supposes that their former letters were those + inscribed on the runes, which, being inseparably connected with the old + idolatrous superstitions, were proscribed by the Christian missionaries. + Everywhere the runes, so common among all the German tribes, disappear + after the propagation of Christianity. S. Martin iv. p. 97, 98.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.75" id="linknote-37.75"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 75 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.75">return</a>)<br /> [ A mutilated copy of the + four Gospels, in the Gothic version, was published A.D. 1665, and is + esteemed the most ancient monument of the Teutonic language, though + Wetstein attempts, by some frivolous conjectures, to deprive Ulphilas of + the honor of the work. Two of the four additional letters express the W, + and our own Th. See Simon, Hist. Critique du Nouveau Testament, tom ii. p. + 219-223. Mill. Prolegom p. 151, edit. Kuster. Wetstein, Prolegom. tom. i. + p. 114. * Note: The Codex Argenteus, found in the sixteenth century at + Wenden, near Cologne, and now preserved at Upsal, contains almost the + entire four Gospels. The best edition is that of J. Christ. Zahn, + Weissenfels, 1805. In 1762 Knettel discovered and published from a + Palimpsest MS. four chapters of the Epistle to the Romans: they were + reprinted at Upsal, 1763. M. Mai has since that time discovered further + fragments, and other remains of Moeso-Gothic literature, from a Palimpsest + at Milan. See Ulphilae partium inedi arum in Ambrosianis Palimpsestis ab + Ang. Maio repertarum specimen Milan. Ito. 1819.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.76" id="linknote-37.76"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 76 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.76">return</a>)<br /> [ Philostorgius + erroneously places this passage under the reign of Constantine; but I am + much inclined to believe that it preceded the great emigration.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.77" id="linknote-37.77"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 77 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.77">return</a>)<br /> [ We are obliged to + Jornandes (de Reb. Get. c. 51, p. 688) for a short and lively picture of + these lesser Goths. Gothi minores, populus immensus, cum suo Pontifice + ipsoque primate Wulfila. The last words, if they are not mere tautology, + imply some temporal jurisdiction.] + </p> + <p> + Their fiercer brethren, the formidable Visigoths, universally adopted the + religion of the Romans, with whom they maintained a perpetual intercourse, + of war, of friendship, or of conquest. In their long and victorious march + from the Danube to the Atlantic Ocean, they converted their allies; they + educated the rising generation; and the devotion which reigned in the camp + of Alaric, or the court of Thoulouse, might edify or disgrace the palaces + of Rome and Constantinople. <a href="#linknote-37.78" + name="linknoteref-37.78" id="linknoteref-37.78">78</a> During the same + period, Christianity was embraced by almost all the Barbarians, who + established their kingdoms on the ruins of the Western empire; the + Burgundians in Gaul, the Suevi in Spain, the Vandals in Africa, the + Ostrogoths in Pannonia, and the various bands of mercenaries, that raised + Odoacer to the throne of Italy. The Franks and the Saxons still persevered + in the errors of Paganism; but the Franks obtained the monarchy of Gaul by + their submission to the example of Clovis; and the Saxon conquerors of + Britain were reclaimed from their savage superstition by the missionaries + of Rome. These Barbarian proselytes displayed an ardent and successful + zeal in the propagation of the faith. The Merovingian kings, and their + successors, Charlemagne and the Othos, extended, by their laws and + victories, the dominion of the cross. England produced the apostle of + Germany; and the evangelic light was gradually diffused from the + neighborhood of the Rhine, to the nations of the Elbe, the Vistula, and + the Baltic. <a href="#linknote-37.79" name="linknoteref-37.79" + id="linknoteref-37.79">79</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.78" id="linknote-37.78"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 78 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.78">return</a>)<br /> [ At non ita Gothi non + ita Vandali; malis licet doctoribus instituti meliores tamen etiam in hac + parte quam nostri. Salvian, de Gubern, Dei, l. vii. p. 243.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.79" id="linknote-37.79"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 79 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.79">return</a>)<br /> [ Mosheim has slightly + sketched the progress of Christianity in the North, from the fourth to the + fourteenth century. The subject would afford materials for an + ecclesiastical and even philosophical, history] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap37.3"></a> +Chapter XXXVII: Conversion Of The Barbarians To Christianity.—Part + III. +</h2> + <p> + The different motives which influenced the reason, or the passions, of the + Barbarian converts, cannot easily be ascertained. They were often + capricious and accidental; a dream, an omen, the report of a miracle, the + example of some priest, or hero, the charms of a believing wife, and, + above all, the fortunate event of a prayer, or vow, which, in a moment of + danger, they had addressed to the God of the Christians. <a + href="#linknote-37.80" name="linknoteref-37.80" id="linknoteref-37.80">80</a> + The early prejudices of education were insensibly erased by the habits of + frequent and familiar society, the moral precepts of the gospel were + protected by the extravagant virtues of the monks; and a spiritual + theology was supported by the visible power of relics, and the pomp of + religious worship. But the rational and ingenious mode of persuasion, + which a Saxon bishop <a href="#linknote-37.81" name="linknoteref-37.81" + id="linknoteref-37.81">81</a> suggested to a popular saint, might sometimes + be employed by the missionaries, who labored for the conversion of + infidels. “Admit,” says the sagacious disputant, “whatever they are + pleased to assert of the fabulous, and carnal, genealogy of their gods and + goddesses, who are propagated from each other. From this principle deduce + their imperfect nature, and human infirmities, the assurance they were + born, and the probability that they will die. At what time, by what means, + from what cause, were the eldest of the gods or goddesses produced? Do + they still continue, or have they ceased, to propagate? If they have + ceased, summon your antagonists to declare the reason of this strange + alteration. If they still continue, the number of the gods must become + infinite; and shall we not risk, by the indiscreet worship of some + impotent deity, to excite the resentment of his jealous superior? The + visible heavens and earth, the whole system of the universe, which may be + conceived by the mind, is it created or eternal? If created, how, or + where, could the gods themselves exist before creation? If eternal, how + could they assume the empire of an independent and preexisting world? Urge + these arguments with temper and moderation; insinuate, at seasonable + intervals, the truth and beauty of the Christian revelation; and endeavor + to make the unbelievers ashamed, without making them angry.” This + metaphysical reasoning, too refined, perhaps, for the Barbarians of + Germany, was fortified by the grosser weight of authority and popular + consent. The advantage of temporal prosperity had deserted the Pagan + cause, and passed over to the service of Christianity. The Romans + themselves, the most powerful and enlightened nation of the globe, had + renounced their ancient superstition; and, if the ruin of their empire + seemed to accuse the efficacy of the new faith, the disgrace was already + retrieved by the conversion of the victorious Goths. The valiant and + fortunate Barbarians, who subdued the provinces of the West, successively + received, and reflected, the same edifying example. Before the age of + Charlemagne, the Christian nations of Europe might exult in the exclusive + possession of the temperate climates, of the fertile lands, which produced + corn, wine, and oil; while the savage idolaters, and their helpless idols, + were confined to the extremities of the earth, the dark and frozen regions + of the North. <a href="#linknote-37.82" name="linknoteref-37.82" + id="linknoteref-37.82">82</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.80" id="linknote-37.80"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 80 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.80">return</a>)<br /> [ To such a cause has + Socrates (l. vii. c. 30) ascribed the conversion of the Burgundians, whose + Christian piety is celebrated by Orosius, (l. vii. c. 19.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.81" id="linknote-37.81"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 81 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.81">return</a>)<br /> [ See an original and + curious epistle from Daniel, the first bishop of Winchester, (Beda, Hist. + Eccles. Anglorum, l. v. c. 18, p. 203, edit Smith,) to St. Boniface, who + preached the gospel among the savages of Hesse and Thuringia. Epistol. + Bonifacii, lxvii., in the Maxima Bibliotheca Patrum, tom. xiii. p. 93] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.82" id="linknote-37.82"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 82 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.82">return</a>)<br /> [ The sword of + Charlemagne added weight to the argument; but when Daniel wrote this + epistle, (A.D. 723,) the Mahometans, who reigned from India to Spain, + might have retorted it against the Christians.] + </p> + <p> + Christianity, which opened the gates of Heaven to the Barbarians, + introduced an important change in their moral and political condition. + They received, at the same time, the use of letters, so essential to a + religion whose doctrines are contained in a sacred book; and while they + studied the divine truth, their minds were insensibly enlarged by the + distant view of history, of nature, of the arts, and of society. The + version of the Scriptures into their native tongue, which had facilitated + their conversion, must excite among their clergy some curiosity to read + the original text, to understand the sacred liturgy of the church, and to + examine, in the writings of the fathers, the chain of ecclesiastical + tradition. These spiritual gifts were preserved in the Greek and Latin + languages, which concealed the inestimable monuments of ancient learning. + The immortal productions of Virgil, Cicero, and Livy, which were + accessible to the Christian Barbarians, maintained a silent intercourse + between the reign of Augustus and the times of Clovis and Charlemagne. The + emulation of mankind was encouraged by the remembrance of a more perfect + state; and the flame of science was secretly kept alive, to warm and + enlighten the mature age of the Western world. + </p> + <p> + In the most corrupt state of Christianity, the Barbarians might learn + justice from the law, and mercy from the gospel; and if the knowledge of + their duty was insufficient to guide their actions, or to regulate their + passions, they were sometimes restrained by conscience, and frequently + punished by remorse. But the direct authority of religion was less + effectual than the holy communion, which united them with their Christian + brethren in spiritual friendship. The influence of these sentiments + contributed to secure their fidelity in the service, or the alliance, of + the Romans, to alleviate the horrors of war, to moderate the insolence of + conquest, and to preserve, in the downfall of the empire, a permanent + respect for the name and institutions of Rome. In the days of Paganism, + the priests of Gaul and Germany reigned over the people, and controlled + the jurisdiction of the magistrates; and the zealous proselytes + transferred an equal, or more ample, measure of devout obedience, to the + pontiffs of the Christian faith. The sacred character of the bishops was + supported by their temporal possessions; they obtained an honorable seat + in the legislative assemblies of soldiers and freemen; and it was their + interest, as well as their duty, to mollify, by peaceful counsels, the + fierce spirit of the Barbarians. The perpetual correspondence of the Latin + clergy, the frequent pilgrimages to Rome and Jerusalem, and the growing + authority of the popes, cemented the union of the Christian republic, and + gradually produced the similar manners, and common jurisprudence, which + have distinguished, from the rest of mankind, the independent, and even + hostile, nations of modern Europe. + </p> + <p> + But the operation of these causes was checked and retarded by the + unfortunate accident, which infused a deadly poison into the cup of + Salvation. Whatever might be the early sentiments of Ulphilas, his + connections with the empire and the church were formed during the reign of + Arianism. The apostle of the Goths subscribed the creed of Rimini; + professed with freedom, and perhaps with sincerity, that the Son was not + equal, or consubstantial to the Father; <a href="#linknote-37.83" + name="linknoteref-37.83" id="linknoteref-37.83">83</a> communicated these + errors to the clergy and people; and infected the Barbaric world with a + heresy, <a href="#linknote-37.84" name="linknoteref-37.84" + id="linknoteref-37.84">84</a> which the great Theodosius proscribed and + extinguished among the Romans. The temper and understanding of the new + proselytes were not adapted to metaphysical subtilties; but they + strenuously maintained, what they had piously received, as the pure and + genuine doctrines of Christianity. The advantage of preaching and + expounding the Scriptures in the Teutonic language promoted the apostolic + labors of Ulphilas and his successors; and they ordained a competent + number of bishops and presbyters for the instruction of the kindred + tribes. The Ostrogoths, the Burgundians, the Suevi, and the Vandals, who + had listened to the eloquence of the Latin clergy, <a href="#linknote-37.85" + name="linknoteref-37.85" id="linknoteref-37.85">85</a> preferred the more + intelligible lessons of their domestic teachers; and Arianism was adopted + as the national faith of the warlike converts, who were seated on the + ruins of the Western empire. This irreconcilable difference of religion + was a perpetual source of jealousy and hatred; and the reproach of + Barbarian was imbittered by the more odious epithet of Heretic. The heroes + of the North, who had submitted, with some reluctance, to believe that all + their ancestors were in hell, <a href="#linknote-37.86" + name="linknoteref-37.86" id="linknoteref-37.86">86</a> were astonished and + exasperated to learn, that they themselves had only changed the mode of + their eternal condemnation. Instead of the smooth applause, which + Christian kings are accustomed to expect from their royal prelates, the + orthodox bishops and their clergy were in a state of opposition to the + Arian courts; and their indiscreet opposition frequently became criminal, + and might sometimes be dangerous. <a href="#linknote-37.87" + name="linknoteref-37.87" id="linknoteref-37.87">87</a> The pulpit, that safe + and sacred organ of sedition, resounded with the names of Pharaoh and + Holofernes; <a href="#linknote-37.88" name="linknoteref-37.88" + id="linknoteref-37.88">88</a> the public discontent was inflamed by the + hope or promise of a glorious deliverance; and the seditious saints were + tempted to promote the accomplishment of their own predictions. + Notwithstanding these provocations, the Catholics of Gaul, Spain, and + Italy, enjoyed, under the reign of the Arians, the free and peaceful + exercise of their religion. Their haughty masters respected the zeal of a + numerous people, resolved to die at the foot of their altars; and the + example of their devout constancy was admired and imitated by the + Barbarians themselves. The conquerors evaded, however, the disgraceful + reproach, or confession, of fear, by attributing their toleration to the + liberal motives of reason and humanity; and while they affected the + language, they imperceptiby imbibed the spirit, of genuine Christianity. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.83" id="linknote-37.83"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 83 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.83">return</a>)<br /> [ The opinions of + Ulphilas and the Goths inclined to semi-Arianism, since they would not say + that the Son was a creature, though they held communion with those who + maintained that heresy. Their apostle represented the whole controversy as + a question of trifling moment, which had been raised by the passions of + the clergy. Theodoret l. iv. c. 37.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.84" id="linknote-37.84"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 84 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.84">return</a>)<br /> [ The Arianism of the + Goths has been imputed to the emperor Valens: “Itaque justo Dei judicio + ipsi eum vivum incenderunt, qui propter eum etiam mortui, vitio erroris + arsuri sunt.” Orosius, l. vii. c. 33, p. 554. This cruel sentence is + confirmed by Tillemont, (Mem. Eccles. tom. vi. p. 604-610,) who coolly + observes, “un seul homme entraina dans l’enfer un nombre infini de + Septentrionaux, &c.” Salvian (de Gubern. Dei, l. v p. 150, 151) pities + and excuses their involuntary error.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.85" id="linknote-37.85"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 85 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.85">return</a>)<br /> [ Orosius affirms, in the + year 416, (l. vii. c. 41, p. 580,) that the Churches of Christ (of the + Catholics) were filled with Huns, Suevi, Vandals, Burgundians.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.86" id="linknote-37.86"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 86 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.86">return</a>)<br /> [ Radbod, king of the + Frisons, was so much scandalized by this rash declaration of a missionary, + that he drew back his foot after he had entered the baptismal font. See + Fleury, Hist. Eccles. tom. ix p. 167.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.87" id="linknote-37.87"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 87 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.87">return</a>)<br /> [ The epistles of + Sidonius, bishop of Clermont, under the Visigotha, and of Avitus, bishop + of Vienna, under the Burgundians, explain sometimes in dark hints, the + general dispositions of the Catholics. The history of Clovis and Theodoric + will suggest some particular facts] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.88" id="linknote-37.88"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 88 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.88">return</a>)<br /> [ Genseric confessed the + resemblance, by the severity with which he punished such indiscreet + allusions. Victor Vitensis, l. 7, p. 10.] + </p> + <p> + The peace of the church was sometimes interrupted. The Catholics were + indiscreet, the Barbarians were impatient; and the partial acts of + severity or injustice, which had been recommended by the Arian clergy, + were exaggerated by the orthodox writers. The guilt of persecution may be + imputed to Euric, king of the Visigoths; who suspended the exercise of + ecclesiastical, or, at least, of episcopal functions; and punished the + popular bishops of Aquitain with imprisonment, exile, and confiscation. <a + href="#linknote-37.89" name="linknoteref-37.89" id="linknoteref-37.89">89</a> + But the cruel and absurd enterprise of subduing the minds of a whole + people was undertaken by the Vandals alone. Genseric himself, in his early + youth, had renounced the orthodox communion; and the apostate could + neither grant, nor expect, a sincere forgiveness. He was exasperated to + find that the Africans, who had fled before him in the field, still + presumed to dispute his will in synods and churches; and his ferocious + mind was incapable of fear or of compassion. His Catholic subjects were + oppressed by intolerant laws and arbitrary punishments. The language of + Genseric was furious and formidable; the knowledge of his intentions might + justify the most unfavorable interpretation of his actions; and the Arians + were reproached with the frequent executions which stained the palace and + the dominions of the tyrant. Arms and ambition were, however, the ruling + passions of the monarch of the sea. But Hunneric, his inglorious son, who + seemed to inherit only his vices, tormented the Catholics with the same + unrelenting fury which had been fatal to his brother, his nephews, and the + friends and favorites of his father; and even to the Arian patriarch, who + was inhumanly burnt alive in the midst of Carthage. The religious war was + preceded and prepared by an insidious truce; persecution was made the + serious and important business of the Vandal court; and the loathsome + disease which hastened the death of Hunneric, revenged the injuries, + without contributing to the deliverance, of the church. The throne of + Africa was successively filled by the two nephews of Hunneric; by + Gundamund, who reigned about twelve, and by Thrasimund, who governed the + nation about twenty-seven, years. Their administration was hostile and + oppressive to the orthodox party. Gundamund appeared to emulate, or even + to surpass, the cruelty of his uncle; and, if at length he relented, if he + recalled the bishops, and restored the freedom of Athanasian worship, a + premature death intercepted the benefits of his tardy clemency. His + brother, Thrasimund, was the greatest and most accomplished of the Vandal + kings, whom he excelled in beauty, prudence, and magnanimity of soul. But + this magnanimous character was degraded by his intolerant zeal and + deceitful clemency. Instead of threats and tortures, he employed the + gentle, but efficacious, powers of seduction. Wealth, dignity, and the + royal favor, were the liberal rewards of apostasy; the Catholics, who had + violated the laws, might purchase their pardon by the renunciation of + their faith; and whenever Thrasimund meditated any rigorous measure, he + patiently waited till the indiscretion of his adversaries furnished him + with a specious opportunity. Bigotry was his last sentiment in the hour of + death; and he exacted from his successor a solemn oath, that he would + never tolerate the sectaries of Athanasius. But his successor, Hilderic, + the gentle son of the savage Hunneric, preferred the duties of humanity + and justice to the vain obligation of an impious oath; and his accession + was gloriously marked by the restoration of peace and universal freedom. + The throne of that virtuous, though feeble monarch, was usurped by his + cousin Gelimer, a zealous Arian: but the Vandal kingdom, before he could + enjoy or abuse his power, was subverted by the arms of Belisarius; and the + orthodox party retaliated the injuries which they had endured. <a + href="#linknote-37.90" name="linknoteref-37.90" id="linknoteref-37.90">90</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.89" id="linknote-37.89"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 89 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.89">return</a>)<br /> [ Such are the + contemporary complaints of Sidonius, bishop of Clermont (l. vii. c. 6, p. + 182, &c., edit. Sirmond.) Gregory of Tours who quotes this Epistle, + (l. ii. c. 25, in tom. ii. p. 174,) extorts an unwarrantable assertion, + that of the nine vacancies in Aquitain, some had been produced by + episcopal martyrdoms] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.90" id="linknote-37.90"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 90 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.90">return</a>)<br /> [ The original monuments + of the Vandal persecution are preserved in the five books of the history + of Victor Vitensis, (de Persecutione Vandalica,) a bishop who was exiled + by Hunneric; in the life of St. Fulgentius, who was distinguished in the + persecution of Thrasimund (in Biblioth. Max. Patrum, tom. ix. p. 4-16;) + and in the first book of the Vandalic War, by the impartial Procopius, (c. + 7, 8, p. 196, 197, 198, 199.) Dom Ruinart, the last editor of Victor, has + illustrated the whole subject with a copious and learned apparatus of + notes and supplement (Paris, 1694.)] + </p> + <p> + The passionate declamations of the Catholics, the sole historians of this + persecution, cannot afford any distinct series of causes and events; any + impartial view of the characters, or counsels; but the most remarkable + circumstances that deserve either credit or notice, may be referred to the + following heads; I. In the original law, which is still extant, <a + href="#linknote-37.91" name="linknoteref-37.91" id="linknoteref-37.91">91</a> + Hunneric expressly declares, (and the declaration appears to be correct,) + that he had faithfully transcribed the regulations and penalties of the + Imperial edicts, against the heretical congregations, the clergy, and the + people, who dissented from the established religion. If the rights of + conscience had been understood, the Catholics must have condemned their + past conduct or acquiesced in their actual suffering. But they still + persisted to refuse the indulgence which they claimed. While they trembled + under the lash of persecution, they praised the laudable severity of + Hunneric himself, who burnt or banished great numbers of Manichæans; <a + href="#linknote-37.92" name="linknoteref-37.92" id="linknoteref-37.92">92</a> + and they rejected, with horror, the ignominious compromise, that the + disciples of Arius and of Athanasius should enjoy a reciprocal and similar + toleration in the territories of the Romans, and in those of the Vandals. + <a href="#linknote-37.93" name="linknoteref-37.93" id="linknoteref-37.93">93</a> + II. The practice of a conference, which the Catholics had so frequently + used to insult and punish their obstinate antagonists, was retorted + against themselves. <a href="#linknote-37.94" name="linknoteref-37.94" + id="linknoteref-37.94">94</a> At the command of Hunneric, four hundred and + sixty-six orthodox bishops assembled at Carthage; but when they were + admitted into the hall of audience, they had the mortification of + beholding the Arian Cyrila exalted on the patriarchal throne. The + disputants were separated, after the mutual and ordinary reproaches of + noise and silence, of delay and precipitation, of military force and of + popular clamor. One martyr and one confessor were selected among the + Catholic bishops; twenty-eight escaped by flight, and eighty-eight by + conformity; forty-six were sent into Corsica to cut timber for the royal + navy; and three hundred and two were banished to the different parts of + Africa, exposed to the insults of their enemies, and carefully deprived of + all the temporal and spiritual comforts of life. <a href="#linknote-37.95" + name="linknoteref-37.95" id="linknoteref-37.95">95</a> The hardships of ten + years’ exile must have reduced their numbers; and if they had complied + with the law of Thrasimund, which prohibited any episcopal consecrations, + the orthodox church of Africa must have expired with the lives of its + actual members. They disobeyed, and their disobedience was punished by a + second exile of two hundred and twenty bishops into Sardinia; where they + languished fifteen years, till the accession of the gracious Hilderic. <a + href="#linknote-37.96" name="linknoteref-37.96" id="linknoteref-37.96">96</a> + The two islands were judiciously chosen by the malice of their Arian + tyrants. Seneca, from his own experience, has deplored and exaggerated the + miserable state of Corsica, <a href="#linknote-37.97" + name="linknoteref-37.97" id="linknoteref-37.97">97</a> and the plenty of + Sardinia was overbalanced by the unwholesome quality of the air. <a + href="#linknote-37.98" name="linknoteref-37.98" id="linknoteref-37.98">98</a> + III. The zeal of Genseric and his successors, for the conversion of the + Catholics, must have rendered them still more jealous to guard the purity + of the Vandal faith. Before the churches were finally shut, it was a crime + to appear in a Barbarian dress; and those who presumed to neglect the + royal mandate were rudely dragged backwards by their long hair. <a + href="#linknote-37.99" name="linknoteref-37.99" id="linknoteref-37.99">99</a> + The palatine officers, who refused to profess the religion of their + prince, were ignominiously stripped of their honors and employments; + banished to Sardinia and Sicily; or condemned to the servile labors of + slaves and peasants in the fields of Utica. In the districts which had + been peculiarly allotted to the Vandals, the exercise of the Catholic + worship was more strictly prohibited; and severe penalties were denounced + against the guilt both of the missionary and the proselyte. By these arts, + the faith of the Barbarians was preserved, and their zeal was inflamed: + they discharged, with devout fury, the office of spies, informers, or + executioners; and whenever their cavalry took the field, it was the + favorite amusement of the march to defile the churches, and to insult the + clergy of the adverse faction. <a href="#linknote-37.100" + name="linknoteref-37.100" id="linknoteref-37.100">100</a> IV. The citizens + who had been educated in the luxury of the Roman province, were delivered, + with exquisite cruelty, to the Moors of the desert. A venerable train of + bishops, presbyters, and deacons, with a faithful crowd of four thousand + and ninety-six persons, whose guilt is not precisely ascertained, were + torn from their native homes, by the command of Hunneric. During the night + they were confined, like a herd of cattle, amidst their own ordure: during + the day they pursued their march over the burning sands; and if they + fainted under the heat and fatigue, they were goaded, or dragged along, + till they expired in the hands of their tormentors. <a + href="#linknote-37.101" name="linknoteref-37.101" id="linknoteref-37.101">101</a> + These unhappy exiles, when they reached the Moorish huts, might excite the + compassion of a people, whose native humanity was neither improved by + reason, nor corrupted by fanaticism: but if they escaped the dangers, they + were condemned to share the distress of a savage life. V. It is incumbent + on the authors of persecution previously to reflect, whether they are + determined to support it in the last extreme. They excite the flame which + they strive to extinguish; and it soon becomes necessary to chastise the + contumacy, as well as the crime, of the offender. The fine, which he is + unable or unwilling to discharge, exposes his person to the severity of + the law; and his contempt of lighter penalties suggests the use and + propriety of capital punishment. Through the veil of fiction and + declamation we may clearly perceive, that the Catholics more especially + under the reign of Hunneric, endured the most cruel and ignominious + treatment. <a href="#linknote-37.102" name="linknoteref-37.102" + id="linknoteref-37.102">102</a> Respectable citizens, noble matrons, and + consecrated virgins, were stripped naked, and raised in the air by + pulleys, with a weight suspended at their feet. In this painful attitude + their naked bodies were torn with scourges, or burnt in the most tender + parts with red-hot plates of iron. The amputation of the ears the nose, + the tongue, and the right hand, was inflicted by the Arians; and although + the precise number cannot be defined, it is evident that many persons, + among whom a bishop <a href="#linknote-37.103" name="linknoteref-37.103" + id="linknoteref-37.103">103</a> and a proconsul <a href="#linknote-37.104" + name="linknoteref-37.104" id="linknoteref-37.104">104</a> may be named, were + entitled to the crown of martyrdom. The same honor has been ascribed to + the memory of Count Sebastian, who professed the Nicene creed with + unshaken constancy; and Genseric might detest, as a heretic, the brave and + ambitious fugitive whom he dreaded as a rival. <a href="#linknote-37.105" + name="linknoteref-37.105" id="linknoteref-37.105">105</a> VI. A new mode of + conversion, which might subdue the feeble, and alarm the timorous, was + employed by the Arian ministers. They imposed, by fraud or violence, the + rites of baptism; and punished the apostasy of the Catholics, if they + disclaimed this odious and profane ceremony, which scandalously violated + the freedom of the will, and the unity of the sacrament. <a + href="#linknote-37.106" name="linknoteref-37.106" id="linknoteref-37.106">106</a> + The hostile sects had formerly allowed the validity of each other’s + baptism; and the innovation, so fiercely maintained by the Vandals, can be + imputed only to the example and advice of the Donatists. VII. The Arian + clergy surpassed in religious cruelty the king and his Vandals; but they + were incapable of cultivating the spiritual vineyard, which they were so + desirous to possess. A patriarch <a href="#linknote-37.107" + name="linknoteref-37.107" id="linknoteref-37.107">107</a> might seat himself + on the throne of Carthage; some bishops, in the principal cities, might + usurp the place of their rivals; but the smallness of their numbers, and + their ignorance of the Latin language, <a href="#linknote-37.108" + name="linknoteref-37.108" id="linknoteref-37.108">108</a> disqualified the + Barbarians for the ecclesiastical ministry of a great church; and the + Africans, after the loss of their orthodox pastors, were deprived of the + public exercise of Christianity. VIII. The emperors were the natural + protectors of the Homoousian doctrine; and the faithful people of Africa, + both as Romans and as Catholics, preferred their lawful sovereignty to the + usurpation of the Barbarous heretics. During an interval of peace and + friendship, Hunneric restored the cathedral of Carthage; at the + intercession of Zeno, who reigned in the East, and of Placidia, the + daughter and relict of emperors, and the sister of the queen of the + Vandals. <a href="#linknote-37.109" name="linknoteref-37.109" + id="linknoteref-37.109">109</a> But this decent regard was of short + duration; and the haughty tyrant displayed his contempt for the religion + of the empire, by studiously arranging the bloody images of persecution, + in all the principal streets through which the Roman ambassador must pass + in his way to the palace. <a href="#linknote-37.110" + name="linknoteref-37.110" id="linknoteref-37.110">110</a> An oath was + required from the bishops, who were assembled at Carthage, that they would + support the succession of his son Hilderic, and that they would renounce + all foreign or transmarine correspondence. This engagement, consistent, as + it should seem, with their moral and religious duties, was refused by the + more sagacious members <a href="#linknote-37.111" name="linknoteref-37.111" + id="linknoteref-37.111">111</a> of the assembly. Their refusal, faintly + colored by the pretence that it is unlawful for a Christian to swear, must + provoke the suspicions of a jealous tyrant. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.91" id="linknote-37.91"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 91 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.91">return</a>)<br /> [ Victor, iv. 2, p. 65. + Hunneric refuses the name of Catholics to the Homoousians. He describes, + as the veri Divinae Majestatis cultores, his own party, who professed the + faith, confirmed by more than a thousand bishops, in the synods of Rimini + and Seleucia.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.92" id="linknote-37.92"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 92 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.92">return</a>)<br /> [ Victor, ii, 1, p. 21, + 22: Laudabilior... videbatur. In the Mss which omit this word, the passage + is unintelligible. See Ruinart Not. p. 164.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.93" id="linknote-37.93"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 93 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.93">return</a>)<br /> [ Victor, ii. p. 22, 23. + The clergy of Carthage called these conditions periculosoe; and they seem, + indeed, to have been proposed as a snare to entrap the Catholic bishops.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.94" id="linknote-37.94"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 94 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.94">return</a>)<br /> [ See the narrative of + this conference, and the treatment of the bishops, in Victor, ii. 13-18, + p. 35-42 and the whole fourth book p. 63-171. The third book, p. 42-62, is + entirely filled by their apology or confession of faith.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.95" id="linknote-37.95"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 95 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.95">return</a>)<br /> [ See the list of the + African bishops, in Victor, p. 117-140, and Ruinart’s notes, p. 215-397. + The schismatic name of Donatus frequently occurs, and they appear to have + adopted (like our fanatics of the last age) the pious appellations of + Deodatus, Deogratias, Quidvultdeus, Habetdeum, &c. Note: These names + appear to have been introduced by the Donatists.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.96" id="linknote-37.96"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 96 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.96">return</a>)<br /> [ Fulgent. Vit. c. 16-29. + Thrasimund affected the praise of moderation and learning; and Fulgentius + addressed three books of controversy to the Arian tyrant, whom he styles + piissime Rex. Biblioth. Maxim. Patrum, tom. ix. p. 41. Only sixty bishops + are mentioned as exiles in the life of Fulgentius; they are increased to + one hundred and twenty by Victor Tunnunensis and Isidore; but the number + of two hundred and twenty is specified in the Historia Miscella, and a + short authentic chronicle of the times. See Ruinart, p. 570, 571.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.97" id="linknote-37.97"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 97 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.97">return</a>)<br /> [ See the base and + insipid epigrams of the Stoic, who could not support exile with more + fortitude than Ovid. Corsica might not produce corn, wine, or oil; but it + could not be destitute of grass, water, and even fire.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.98" id="linknote-37.98"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 98 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.98">return</a>)<br /> [ Si ob gravitatem coeli + interissent vile damnum. Tacit. Annal. ii. 85. In this application, + Thrasimund would have adopted the reading of some critics, utile damnum.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.99" id="linknote-37.99"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 99 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.99">return</a>)<br /> [ See these preludes of a + general persecution, in Victor, ii. 3, 4, 7 and the two edicts of + Hunneric, l. ii. p. 35, l. iv. p. 64.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.100" id="linknote-37.100"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 100 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.100">return</a>)<br /> [ See Procopius de + Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 7, p. 197, 198. A Moorish prince endeavored to + propitiate the God of the Christians, by his diligence to erase the marks + of the Vandal sacrilege.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.101" id="linknote-37.101"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 101 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.101">return</a>)<br /> [ See this story in + Victor. ii. 8-12, p. 30-34. Victor describes the distress of these + confessors as an eye-witness.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.102" id="linknote-37.102"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 102 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.102">return</a>)<br /> [ See the fifth book of + Victor. His passionate complaints are confirmed by the sober testimony of + Procopius, and the public declaration of the emperor Justinian. Cod. l. i. + tit. xxvii.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.103" id="linknote-37.103"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 103 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.103">return</a>)<br /> [ Victor, ii. 18, p. + 41.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.104" id="linknote-37.104"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 104 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.104">return</a>)<br /> [ Victor, v. 4, p. 74, + 75. His name was Victorianus, and he was a wealthy citizen of Adrumetum, + who enjoyed the confidence of the king; by whose favor he had obtained the + office, or at least the title, of proconsul of Africa.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.105" id="linknote-37.105"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 105 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.105">return</a>)<br /> [ Victor, i. 6, p. 8, + 9. After relating the firm resistance and dexterous reply of Count + Sebastian, he adds, quare alio generis argumento postea bellicosum virum + eccidit.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.106" id="linknote-37.106"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 106 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.106">return</a>)<br /> [ Victor, v. 12, 13. + Tillemont, Mem. Eccles. tom. vi. p. 609.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.107" id="linknote-37.107"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 107 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.107">return</a>)<br /> [ Primate was more + properly the title of the bishop of Carthage; but the name of patriarch + was given by the sects and nations to their principal ecclesiastic. See + Thomassin, Discipline de l’Eglise, tom. i. p. 155, 158.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.108" id="linknote-37.108"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 108 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.108">return</a>)<br /> [ The patriarch Cyrila + himself publicly declared, that he did not understand Latin (Victor, ii. + 18, p. 42:) Nescio Latine; and he might converse with tolerable ease, + without being capable of disputing or preaching in that language. His + Vandal clergy were still more ignorant; and small confidence could be + placed in the Africans who had conformed.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.109" id="linknote-37.109"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 109 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.109">return</a>)<br /> [ Victor, ii. 1, 2, p. + 22.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.110" id="linknote-37.110"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 110 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.110">return</a>)<br /> [ Victor, v. 7, p. 77. + He appeals to the ambassador himself, whose name was Uranius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.111" id="linknote-37.111"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 111 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.111">return</a>)<br /> [ Astutiores, Victor, + iv. 4, p. 70. He plainly intimates that their quotation of the gospel “Non + jurabitis in toto,” was only meant to elude the obligation of an + inconvenient oath. The forty-six bishops who refused were banished to + Corsica; the three hundred and two who swore were distributed through the + provinces of Africa.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap37.4"></a> +Chapter XXXVII: Conversion Of The Barbarians To Christianity.—Part + IV. +</h2> + <p> + The Catholics, oppressed by royal and military force, were far superior to + their adversaries in numbers and learning. With the same weapons which the + Greek <a href="#linknote-37.112" name="linknoteref-37.112" + id="linknoteref-37.112">112</a> and Latin fathers had already provided for + the Arian controversy, they repeatedly silenced, or vanquished, the fierce + and illiterate successors of Ulphilas. The consciousness of their own + superiority might have raised them above the arts and passions of + religious warfare. Yet, instead of assuming such honorable pride, the + orthodox theologians were tempted, by the assurance of impunity, to + compose fictions, which must be stigmatized with the epithets of fraud and + forgery. They ascribed their own polemical works to the most venerable + names of Christian antiquity; the characters of Athanasius and Augustin + were awkwardly personated by Vigilius and his disciples; <a + href="#linknote-37.113" name="linknoteref-37.113" id="linknoteref-37.113">113</a> + and the famous creed, which so clearly expounds the mysteries of the + Trinity and the Incarnation, is deduced, with strong probability, from + this African school. <a href="#linknote-37.114" name="linknoteref-37.114" + id="linknoteref-37.114">114</a> Even the Scriptures themselves were + profaned by their rash and sacrilegious hands. The memorable text, which + asserts the unity of the three who bear witness in heaven, <a + href="#linknote-37.115" name="linknoteref-37.115" id="linknoteref-37.115">115</a> + is condemned by the universal silence of the orthodox fathers, ancient + versions, and authentic manuscripts. <a href="#linknote-37.116" + name="linknoteref-37.116" id="linknoteref-37.116">116</a> It was first + alleged by the Catholic bishops whom Hunneric summoned to the conference + of Carthage. <a href="#linknote-37.117" name="linknoteref-37.117" + id="linknoteref-37.117">117</a> An allegorical interpretation, in the form, + perhaps, of a marginal note, invaded the text of the Latin Bibles, which + were renewed and corrected in a dark period of ten centuries. <a + href="#linknote-37.118" name="linknoteref-37.118" id="linknoteref-37.118">118</a> + After the invention of printing, <a href="#linknote-37.119" + name="linknoteref-37.119" id="linknoteref-37.119">119</a> the editors of the + Greek Testament yielded to their own prejudices, or those of the times; <a + href="#linknote-37.120" name="linknoteref-37.120" id="linknoteref-37.120">120</a> + and the pious fraud, which was embraced with equal zeal at Rome and at + Geneva, has been infinitely multiplied in every country and every language + of modern Europe. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.112" id="linknote-37.112"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 112 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.112">return</a>)<br /> [ Fulgentius, bishop of + Ruspae, in the Byzacene province, was of a senatorial family, and had + received a liberal education. He could repeat all Homer and Menander + before he was allowed to study Latin his native tongue, (Vit. Fulgent. c. + l.) Many African bishops might understand Greek, and many Greek + theologians were translated into Latin.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.113" id="linknote-37.113"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 113 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.113">return</a>)<br /> [ Compare the two + prefaces to the Dialogue of Vigilius of Thapsus, (p. 118, 119, edit. + Chiflet.) He might amuse his learned reader with an innocent fiction; but + the subject was too grave, and the Africans were too ignorant.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.114" id="linknote-37.114"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 114 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.114">return</a>)<br /> [ The P. Quesnel + started this opinion, which has been favorably received. But the three + following truths, however surprising they may seem, are now universally + acknowledged, (Gerard Vossius, tom. vi. p. 516-522. Tillemont, Mem. + Eccles. tom. viii. p. 667-671.) 1. St. Athanasius is not the author of the + creed which is so frequently read in our churches. 2. It does not appear + to have existed within a century after his death. 3. It was originally + composed in the Latin tongue, and, consequently in the Western provinces. + Gennadius patriarch of Constantinople, was so much amazed by this + extraordinary composition, that he frankly pronounced it to be the work of + a drunken man. Petav. Dogmat. Theologica, tom. ii. l. vii. c. 8, p. 687.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.115" id="linknote-37.115"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 115 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.115">return</a>)<br /> [ 1 John, v. 7. See + Simon, Hist. Critique du Nouveau Testament, part i. c. xviii. p. 203-218; + and part ii. c. ix. p. 99-121; and the elaborate Prolegomena and + Annotations of Dr. Mill and Wetstein to their editions of the Greek + Testament. In 1689, the papist Simon strove to be free; in 1707, the + Protestant Mill wished to be a slave; in 1751, the Armenian Wetstein used + the liberty of his times, and of his sect. * Note: This controversy has + continued to be agitated, but with declining interest even in the more + religious part of the community; and may now be considered to have + terminated in an almost general acquiescence of the learned to the + conclusions of Porson in his Letters to Travis. See the pamphlets of the + late Bishop of Salisbury and of Crito Cantabrigiensis, Dr. Turton of + Cambridge.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.116" id="linknote-37.116"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 116 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.116">return</a>)<br /> [ Of all the Mss. now + extant, above fourscore in number, some of which are more than 1200 years + old, (Wetstein ad loc.) The orthodox copies of the Vatican, of the + Complutensian editors, of Robert Stephens, are become invisible; and the + two Mss. of Dublin and Berlin are unworthy to form an exception. See + Emlyn’s Works, vol. ii. p 227-255, 269-299; and M. de Missy’s four + ingenious letters, in tom. viii. and ix. of the Journal Britannique.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.117" id="linknote-37.117"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 117 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.117">return</a>)<br /> [ Or, more properly, by + the four bishops who composed and published the profession of faith in the + name of their brethren. They styled this text, luce clarius, (Victor + Vitensis de Persecut. Vandal. l. iii. c. 11, p. 54.) It is quoted soon + afterwards by the African polemics, Vigilius and Fulgentius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.118" id="linknote-37.118"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 118 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.118">return</a>)<br /> [ In the eleventh and + twelfth centuries, the Bibles were corrected by Lanfranc, archbishop of + Canterbury, and by Nicholas, cardinal and librarian of the Roman church, + secundum orthodoxam fidem, (Wetstein, Prolegom. p. 84, 85.) + Notwithstanding these corrections, the passage is still wanting in + twenty-five Latin Mss., (Wetstein ad loc.,) the oldest and the fairest; + two qualities seldom united, except in manuscripts.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.119" id="linknote-37.119"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 119 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.119">return</a>)<br /> [ The art which the + Germans had invented was applied in Italy to the profane writers of Rome + and Greece. The original Greek of the New Testament was published about + the same time (A.D. 1514, 1516, 1520,) by the industry of Erasmus, and the + munificence of Cardinal Ximenes. The Complutensian Polyglot cost the + cardinal 50,000 ducats. See Mattaire, Annal. Typograph. tom. ii. p. 2-8, + 125-133; and Wetstein, Prolegomena, p. 116-127.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.120" id="linknote-37.120"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 120 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.120">return</a>)<br /> [ The three witnesses + have been established in our Greek Testaments by the prudence of Erasmus; + the honest bigotry of the Complutensian editors; the typographical fraud, + or error, of Robert Stephens, in the placing a crotchet; and the + deliberate falsehood, or strange misapprehension, of Theodore Beza.] + </p> + <p> + The example of fraud must excite suspicion: and the specious miracles by + which the African Catholics have defended the truth and justice of their + cause, may be ascribed, with more reason, to their own industry, than to + the visible protection of Heaven. Yet the historian, who views this + religious conflict with an impartial eye, may condescend to mention one + preternatural event, which will edify the devout, and surprise the + incredulous. Tipasa, <a href="#linknote-37.121" name="linknoteref-37.121" + id="linknoteref-37.121">121</a> a maritime colony of Mauritania, sixteen + miles to the east of Caesarea, had been distinguished, in every age, by + the orthodox zeal of its inhabitants. They had braved the fury of the + Donatists; <a href="#linknote-37.122" name="linknoteref-37.122" + id="linknoteref-37.122">122</a> they resisted, or eluded, the tyranny of + the Arians. The town was deserted on the approach of an heretical bishop: + most of the inhabitants who could procure ships passed over to the coast + of Spain; and the unhappy remnant, refusing all communion with the + usurper, still presumed to hold their pious, but illegal, assemblies. + Their disobedience exasperated the cruelty of Hunneric. A military count + was despatched from Carthage to Tipasa: he collected the Catholics in the + Forum, and, in the presence of the whole province, deprived the guilty of + their right hands and their tongues. But the holy confessors continued to + speak without tongues; and this miracle is attested by Victor, an African + bishop, who published a history of the persecution within two years after + the event. <a href="#linknote-37.123" name="linknoteref-37.123" + id="linknoteref-37.123">123</a> “If any one,” says Victor, “should doubt of + the truth, let him repair to Constantinople, and listen to the clear and + perfect language of Restitutus, the sub-deacon, one of these glorious + sufferers, who is now lodged in the palace of the emperor Zeno, and is + respected by the devout empress.” At Constantinople we are astonished to + find a cool, a learned, and unexceptionable witness, without interest, and + without passion. Aeneas of Gaza, a Platonic philosopher, has accurately + described his own observations on these African sufferers. “I saw them + myself: I heard them speak: I diligently inquired by what means such an + articulate voice could be formed without any organ of speech: I used my + eyes to examine the report of my ears; I opened their mouth, and saw that + the whole tongue had been completely torn away by the roots; an operation + which the physicians generally suppose to be mortal.” <a + href="#linknote-37.124" name="linknoteref-37.124" id="linknoteref-37.124">124</a> + The testimony of Aeneas of Gaza might be confirmed by the superfluous + evidence of the emperor Justinian, in a perpetual edict; of Count + Marcellinus, in his Chronicle of the times; and of Pope Gregory the First, + who had resided at Constantinople, as the minister of the Roman pontiff. + <a href="#linknote-37.125" name="linknoteref-37.125" id="linknoteref-37.125">125</a> + They all lived within the compass of a century; and they all appeal to + their personal knowledge, or the public notoriety, for the truth of a + miracle, which was repeated in several instances, displayed on the + greatest theatre of the world, and submitted, during a series of years, to + the calm examination of the senses. This supernatural gift of the African + confessors, who spoke without tongues, will command the assent of those, + and of those only, who already believe, that their language was pure and + orthodox. But the stubborn mind of an infidel, is guarded by secret, + incurable suspicion; and the Arian, or Socinian, who has seriously + rejected the doctrine of a Trinity, will not be shaken by the most + plausible evidence of an Athanasian miracle. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.121" id="linknote-37.121"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 121 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.121">return</a>)<br /> [ Plin. Hist. Natural. + v. 1. Itinerar. Wesseling, p. 15. Cellanius, Geograph. Antiq. tom. ii. + part ii. p. 127. This Tipasa (which must not be confounded with another in + Numidia) was a town of some note since Vespasian endowed it with the right + of Latium.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.122" id="linknote-37.122"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 122 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.122">return</a>)<br /> [ Optatus Milevitanus + de Schism. Donatist. l. ii. p. 38.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.123" id="linknote-37.123"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 123 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.123">return</a>)<br /> [ Victor Vitensis, v. + 6, p. 76. Ruinart, p. 483-487.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.124" id="linknote-37.124"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 124 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.124">return</a>)<br /> [ Aeneas Gazaeus in + Theophrasto, in Biblioth. Patrum, tom. viii. p. 664, 665. He was a + Christian, and composed this Dialogue (the Theophrastus) on the + immortality of the soul, and the resurrection of the body; besides + twenty-five Epistles, still extant. See Cave, (Hist. Litteraria, p. 297,) + and Fabricius, (Biblioth. Graec. tom. i. p. 422.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.125" id="linknote-37.125"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 125 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.125">return</a>)<br /> [ Justinian. Codex. l. + i. tit. xxvii. Marcellin. in Chron. p. 45, in Thesaur. Temporum Scaliger. + Procopius, de Bell. Vandal. l. i. c. 7. p. 196. Gregor. Magnus, Dialog. + iii. 32. None of these witnesses have specified the number of the + confessors, which is fixed at sixty in an old menology, (apud Ruinart. p. + 486.) Two of them lost their speech by fornication; but the miracle is + enhanced by the singular instance of a boy who had never spoken before his + tongue was cut out. ] + </p> + <p> + The Vandals and the Ostrogoths persevered in the profession of Arianism + till the final ruin of the kingdoms which they had founded in Africa and + Italy. The Barbarians of Gaul submitted to the orthodox dominion of the + Franks; and Spain was restored to the Catholic church by the voluntary + conversion of the Visigoths. + </p> + <p> + This salutary revolution <a href="#linknote-37.126" name="linknoteref-37.126" + id="linknoteref-37.126">126</a> was hastened by the example of a royal + martyr, whom our calmer reason may style an ungrateful rebel. Leovigild, + the Gothic monarch of Spain, deserved the respect of his enemies, and the + love of his subjects; the Catholics enjoyed a free toleration, and his + Arian synods attempted, without much success, to reconcile their scruples + by abolishing the unpopular rite of a second baptism. His eldest son + Hermenegild, who was invested by his father with the royal diadem, and the + fair principality of Boetica, contracted an honorable and orthodox + alliance with a Merovingian princess, the daughter of Sigebert, king of + Austrasia, and of the famous Brunechild. The beauteous Ingundis, who was + no more than thirteen years of age, was received, beloved, and persecuted, + in the Arian court of Toledo; and her religious constancy was alternately + assaulted with blandishments and violence by Goisvintha, the Gothic queen, + who abused the double claim of maternal authority. <a + href="#linknote-37.127" name="linknoteref-37.127" id="linknoteref-37.127">127</a> + Incensed by her resistance, Goisvintha seized the Catholic princess by her + long hair, inhumanly dashed her against the ground, kicked her till she + was covered with blood, and at last gave orders that she should be + stripped, and thrown into a basin, or fish-pond. <a href="#linknote-37.128" + name="linknoteref-37.128" id="linknoteref-37.128">128</a> Love and honor + might excite Hermenegild to resent this injurious treatment of his bride; + and he was gradually persuaded that Ingundis suffered for the cause of + divine truth. Her tender complaints, and the weighty arguments of Leander, + archbishop of Seville, accomplished his conversion and the heir of + the Gothic monarchy was initiated in the Nicene faith by the solemn rites + of confirmation. <a href="#linknote-37.129" name="linknoteref-37.129" + id="linknoteref-37.129">129</a> The rash youth, inflamed by zeal, and + perhaps by ambition, was tempted to violate the duties of a son and a + subject; and the Catholics of Spain, although they could not complain of + persecution, applauded his pious rebellion against an heretical father. + The civil war was protracted by the long and obstinate sieges of Merida, + Cordova, and Seville, which had strenuously espoused the party of + Hermenegild. He invited the orthodox Barbarians, the Seuvi, and the Franks, + to the destruction of his native land; he solicited the dangerous aid of + the Romans, who possessed Africa, and a part of the Spanish coast; and his + holy ambassador, the archbishop Leander, effectually negotiated in person + with the Byzantine court. But the hopes of the Catholics were crushed by + the active diligence of the monarch who commanded the troops and treasures + of Spain; and the guilty Hermenegild, after his vain attempts to resist or + to escape, was compelled to surrender himself into the hands of an + incensed father. Leovigild was still mindful of that sacred character; and + the rebel, despoiled of the regal ornaments, was still permitted, in a + decent exile, to profess the Catholic religion. His repeated and + unsuccessful treasons at length provoked the indignation of the Gothic + king; and the sentence of death, which he pronounced with apparent + reluctance, was privately executed in the tower of Seville. The inflexible + constancy with which he refused to accept the Arian communion, as the + price of his safety, may excuse the honors that have been paid to the + memory of St. Hermenegild. His wife and infant son were detained by the + Romans in ignominious captivity; and this domestic misfortune tarnished + the glories of Leovigild, and imbittered the last moments of his life. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.126" id="linknote-37.126"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 126 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.126">return</a>)<br /> [ See the two general + historians of Spain, Mariana (Hist. de Rebus Hispaniae, tom. i. l. v. c. + 12-15, p. 182-194) and Ferreras, (French translation, tom. ii. p. + 206-247.) Mariana almost forgets that he is a Jesuit, to assume the style + and spirit of a Roman classic. Ferreras, an industrious compiler, reviews + his facts, and rectifies his chronology.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.127" id="linknote-37.127"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 127 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.127">return</a>)<br /> [ Goisvintha + successively married two kings of the Visigoths: Athanigild, to whom she + bore Brunechild, the mother of Ingundis; and Leovigild, whose two sons, + Hermenegild and Recared, were the issue of a former marriage.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.128" id="linknote-37.128"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 128 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.128">return</a>)<br /> [ Iracundiae furore + succensa, adprehensam per comam capitis puellam in terram conlidit, et diu + calcibus verberatam, ac sanguins cruentatam, jussit exspoliari, et + piscinae immergi. Greg. Turon. l. v. c. 39. in tom. ii. p. 255. Gregory is + one of our best originals for this portion of history.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.129" id="linknote-37.129"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 129 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.129">return</a>)<br /> [ The Catholics who + admitted the baptism of heretics repeated the rite, or, as it was + afterwards styled, the sacrament, of confirmation, to which they ascribed + many mystic and marvellous prerogatives both visible and invisible. See + Chardon. Hist. des Sacremens, tom. 1. p. 405-552.] + </p> + <p> + His son and successor, Recared, the first Catholic king of Spain, had + imbibed the faith of his unfortunate brother, which he supported with more + prudence and success. Instead of revolting against his father, Recared + patiently expected the hour of his death. Instead of condemning his + memory, he piously supposed, that the dying monarch had abjured the errors + of Arianism, and recommended to his son the conversion of the Gothic + nation. To accomplish that salutary end, Recared convened an assembly of + the Arian clergy and nobles, declared himself a Catholic, and exhorted + them to imitate the example of their prince. The laborious interpretation + of doubtful texts, or the curious pursuit of metaphysical arguments, would + have excited an endless controversy; and the monarch discreetly proposed + to his illiterate audience two substantial and visible arguments,—the + testimony of Earth, and of Heaven. The Earth had submitted to the Nicene + synod: the Romans, the Barbarians, and the inhabitants of Spain, + unanimously professed the same orthodox creed; and the Visigoths resisted, + almost alone, the consent of the Christian world. A superstitious age was + prepared to reverence, as the testimony of Heaven, the preternatural + cures, which were performed by the skill or virtue of the Catholic clergy; + the baptismal fonts of Osset in Boetica, <a href="#linknote-37.130" + name="linknoteref-37.130" id="linknoteref-37.130">130</a> which were + spontaneously replenished every year, on the vigil of Easter; <a + href="#linknote-37.131" name="linknoteref-37.131" id="linknoteref-37.131">131</a> + and the miraculous shrine of St. Martin of Tours, which had already + converted the Suevic prince and people of Gallicia. <a + href="#linknote-37.132" name="linknoteref-37.132" id="linknoteref-37.132">132</a> + The Catholic king encountered some difficulties on this important change + of the national religion. A conspiracy, secretly fomented by the + queen-dowager, was formed against his life; and two counts excited a + dangerous revolt in the Narbonnese Gaul. But Recared disarmed the + conspirators, defeated the rebels, and executed severe justice; which the + Arians, in their turn, might brand with the reproach of persecution. Eight + bishops, whose names betray their Barbaric origin, abjured their errors; + and all the books of Arian theology were reduced to ashes, with the house + in which they had been purposely collected. The whole body of the + Visigoths and Suevi were allured or driven into the pale of the Catholic + communion; the faith, at least of the rising generation, was fervent and + sincere: and the devout liberality of the Barbarians enriched the churches + and monasteries of Spain. Seventy bishops, assembled in the council of + Toledo, received the submission of their conquerors; and the zeal of the + Spaniards improved the Nicene creed, by declaring the procession of the + Holy Ghost from the Son, as well as from the Father; a weighty point of + doctrine, which produced, long afterwards, the schism of the Greek and + Latin churches. <a href="#linknote-37.133" name="linknoteref-37.133" + id="linknoteref-37.133">133</a> The royal proselyte immediately saluted and + consulted Pope Gregory, surnamed the Great, a learned and holy prelate, + whose reign was distinguished by the conversion of heretics and infidels. + The ambassadors of Recared respectfully offered on the threshold of the + Vatican his rich presents of gold and gems; they accepted, as a lucrative + exchange, the hairs of St. John the Baptist; a cross, which enclosed a + small piece of the true wood; and a key, that contained some particles of + iron which had been scraped from the chains of St. Peter. <a + href="#linknote-37.134" name="linknoteref-37.134" id="linknoteref-37.134">134</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.130" id="linknote-37.130"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 130 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.130">return</a>)<br /> [ Osset, or Julia + Constantia, was opposite to Seville, on the northern side of the Boetis, + (Plin. Hist. Natur. iii. 3:) and the authentic reference of Gregory of + Tours (Hist. Francor. l. vi. c. 43, p. 288) deserves more credit than the + name of Lusitania, (de Gloria Martyr. c. 24,) which has been eagerly + embraced by the vain and superstitious Portuguese, (Ferreras, Hist. + d’Espagne, tom. ii. p. 166.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.131" id="linknote-37.131"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 131 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.131">return</a>)<br /> [ This miracle was + skilfully performed. An Arian king sealed the doors, and dug a deep trench + round the church, without being able to intercept the Easter supply of + baptismal water.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.132" id="linknote-37.132"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 132 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.132">return</a>)<br /> [ Ferreras (tom. ii. p. + 168-175, A.D. 550) has illustrated the difficulties which regard the time + and circumstances of the conversion of the Suevi. They had been recently + united by Leovigild to the Gothic monarchy of Spain.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.133" id="linknote-37.133"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 133 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.133">return</a>)<br /> [ This addition to the + Nicene, or rather the Constantinopolitan creed, was first made in the + eighth council of Toledo, A.D. 653; but it was expressive of the popular + doctrine, (Gerard Vossius, tom. vi. p. 527, de tribus Symbolis.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.134" id="linknote-37.134"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 134 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.134">return</a>)<br /> [ See Gregor. Magn. l. + vii. epist. 126, apud Baronium, Annal. Eccles. A.D. 559, No. 25, 26.] + </p> + <p> + The same Gregory, the spiritual conqueror of Britain, encouraged the pious + Theodelinda, queen of the Lombards, to propagate the Nicene faith among + the victorious savages, whose recent Christianity was polluted by the + Arian heresy. Her devout labors still left room for the industry and + success of future missionaries; and many cities of Italy were still + disputed by hostile bishops. But the cause of Arianism was gradually + suppressed by the weight of truth, of interest, and of example; and the + controversy, which Egypt had derived from the Platonic school, was + terminated, after a war of three hundred years, by the final conversion of + the Lombards of Italy. <a href="#linknote-37.135" name="linknoteref-37.135" + id="linknoteref-37.135">135</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.135" id="linknote-37.135"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 135 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.135">return</a>)<br /> [ Paul Warnefrid (de + Gestis Langobard. l. iv. c. 44, p. 153, edit Grot.) allows that Arianism + still prevailed under the reign of Rotharis, (A.D. 636-652.) The pious + deacon does not attempt to mark the precise era of the national + conversion, which was accomplished, however, before the end of the seventh + century.] + </p> + <p> + The first missionaries who preached the gospel to the Barbarians, appealed + to the evidence of reason, and claimed the benefit of toleration. <a + href="#linknote-37.136" name="linknoteref-37.136" id="linknoteref-37.136">136</a> + But no sooner had they established their spiritual dominion, than they + exhorted the Christian kings to extirpate, without mercy, the remains of + Roman or Barbaric superstition. The successors of Clovis inflicted one + hundred lashes on the peasants who refused to destroy their idols; the + crime of sacrificing to the demons was punished by the Anglo-Saxon laws + with the heavier penalties of imprisonment and confiscation; and even the + wise Alfred adopted, as an indispensable duty, the extreme rigor of the + Mosaic institutions. <a href="#linknote-37.137" name="linknoteref-37.137" + id="linknoteref-37.137">137</a> But the punishment and the crime were + gradually abolished among a Christian people; the theological disputes of + the schools were suspended by propitious ignorance; and the intolerant + spirit which could find neither idolaters nor heretics, was reduced to the + persecution of the Jews. That exiled nation had founded some synagogues in + the cities of Gaul; but Spain, since the time of Hadrian, was filled with + their numerous colonies. <a href="#linknote-37.138" name="linknoteref-37.138" + id="linknoteref-37.138">138</a> The wealth which they accumulated by trade, + and the management of the finances, invited the pious avarice of their + masters; and they might be oppressed without danger, as they had lost the + use, and even the remembrance, of arms. Sisebut, a Gothic king, who + reigned in the beginning of the seventh century, proceeded at once to the + last extremes of persecution. <a href="#linknote-37.139" + name="linknoteref-37.139" id="linknoteref-37.139">139</a> Ninety thousand + Jews were compelled to receive the sacrament of baptism; the fortunes of + the obstinate infidels were confiscated, their bodies were tortured; and + it seems doubtful whether they were permitted to abandon their native + country. The excessive zeal of the Catholic king was moderated, even by + the clergy of Spain, who solemnly pronounced an inconsistent sentence: + that the sacraments should not be forcibly imposed; but that the Jews who + had been baptized should be constrained, for the honor of the church, to + persevere in the external practice of a religion which they disbelieved + and detested. Their frequent relapses provoked one of the successors of + Sisebut to banish the whole nation from his dominions; and a council of + Toledo published a decree, that every Gothic king should swear to maintain + this salutary edict. But the tyrants were unwilling to dismiss the + victims, whom they delighted to torture, or to deprive themselves of the + industrious slaves, over whom they might exercise a lucrative oppression. + The Jews still continued in Spain, under the weight of the civil and + ecclesiastical laws, which in the same country have been faithfully + transcribed in the Code of the Inquisition. The Gothic kings and bishops + at length discovered, that injuries will produce hatred, and that hatred + will find the opportunity of revenge. A nation, the secret or professed + enemies of Christianity, still multiplied in servitude and distress; and + the intrigues of the Jews promoted the rapid success of the Arabian + conquerors. <a href="#linknote-37.140" name="linknoteref-37.140" + id="linknoteref-37.140">140</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.136" id="linknote-37.136"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 136 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.136">return</a>)<br /> [ Quorum fidei et + conversioni ita congratulatus esse rex perhibetur, ut nullum tamen cogeret + ad Christianismum.... Didiceret enim a doctoribus auctoribusque suae + salutis, servitium Christi voluntarium non coactitium esse debere. Bedae + Hist. Ecclesiastic. l. i. c. 26, p. 62, edit. Smith.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.137" id="linknote-37.137"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 137 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.137">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Historians of + France, tom. iv. p. 114; and Wilkins, Leges Anglo-Saxonicae, p. 11, 31. + Siquis sacrificium immolaverit praeter Deo soli morte moriatur.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.138" id="linknote-37.138"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 138 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.138">return</a>)<br /> [ The Jews pretend that + they were introduced into Spain by the fleets of Solomon, and the arms of + Nebuchadnezzar; that Hadrian transported forty thousand families of the + tribe of Judah, and ten thousand of the tribe of Benjamin, &c. + Basnage, Hist. des Juifs, tom. vii. c. 9, p. 240-256.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.139" id="linknote-37.139"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 139 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.139">return</a>)<br /> [ Isidore, at that time + archbishop of Seville, mentions, disapproves and congratulates, the zeal + of Sisebut (Chron. Goth. p. 728.) Barosins (A.D. 614, No. 41) assigns the + number of the evidence of Almoin, (l. iv. c. 22;) but the evidence is + weak, and I have not been able to verify the quotation, (Historians of + France, tom. iii. p. 127.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-37.140" id="linknote-37.140"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 140 (<a href="#linknoteref-37.140">return</a>)<br /> [ Basnage (tom. viii. + c. 13, p. 388-400) faithfully represents the state of the Jews; but he + might have added from the canons of the Spanish councils, and the laws of + the Visigoths, many curious circumstances, essential to his subject, + though they are foreign to mine. * Note: Compare Milman, Hist. of Jews + iii. 256—M] + </p> + <p> + As soon as the Barbarians withdrew their powerful support, the unpopular + heresy of Arius sunk into contempt and oblivion. But the Greeks still + retained their subtle and loquacious disposition: the establishment of an + obscure doctrine suggested new questions, and new disputes; and it was + always in the power of an ambitious prelate, or a fanatic monk, to violate + the peace of the church, and, perhaps, of the empire. The historian of the + empire may overlook those disputes which were confined to the obscurity of + schools and synods. The Manichæans, who labored to reconcile the + religions of Christ and of Zoroaster, had secretly introduced themselves + into the provinces: but these foreign sectaries were involved in the + common disgrace of the Gnostics, and the Imperial laws were executed by + the public hatred. The rational opinions of the Pelagians were propagated + from Britain to Rome, Africa, and Palestine, and silently expired in a + superstitious age. But the East was distracted by the Nestorian and + Eutychian controversies; which attempted to explain the mystery of the + incarnation, and hastened the ruin of Christianity in her native land. + These controversies were first agitated under the reign of the younger + Theodosius: but their important consequences extend far beyond the limits + of the present volume. The metaphysical chain of argument, the contests of + ecclesiastical ambition, and their political influence on the decline of + the Byzantine empire, may afford an interesting and instructive series of + history, from the general councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon, to the + conquest of the East by the successors of Mahomet. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap38.1"></a> +Chapter XXXVIII: Reign Of Clovis.—Part I. +</h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + Reign And Conversion Of Clovis.—His Victories Over The + Alemanni, Burgundians, And Visigoths.—Establishment Of The + French Monarchy In Gaul.—Laws Of The Barbarians.—State Of + The Romans.—The Visigoths Of Spain.—Conquest Of Britain By + The Saxons. +</pre> + <p> + The Gauls, <a href="#linknote-38.1" name="linknoteref-38.1" + id="linknoteref-38.1">1</a> who impatiently supported the Roman yoke, + received a memorable lesson from one of the lieutenants of Vespasian, + whose weighty sense has been refined and expressed by the genius of + Tacitus. <a href="#linknote-38.2" name="linknoteref-38.2" + id="linknoteref-38.2">2</a> “The protection of the republic has delivered + Gaul from internal discord and foreign invasions. By the loss of national + independence, you have acquired the name and privileges of Roman citizens. + You enjoy, in common with yourselves, the permanent benefits of civil + government; and your remote situation is less exposed to the accidental + mischiefs of tyranny. Instead of exercising the rights of conquest, we + have been contented to impose such tributes as are requisite for your own + preservation. Peace cannot be secured without armies; and armies must be + supported at the expense of the people. It is for your sake, not for our + own, that we guard the barrier of the Rhine against the ferocious Germans, + who have so often attempted, and who will always desire, to exchange the + solitude of their woods and morasses for the wealth and fertility of Gaul. + The fall of Rome would be fatal to the provinces; and you would be buried + in the ruins of that mighty fabric, which has been raised by the valor and + wisdom of eight hundred years. Your imaginary freedom would be insulted + and oppressed by a savage master; and the expulsion of the Romans would be + succeeded by the eternal hostilities of the Barbarian conquerors.” <a + href="#linknote-38.3" name="linknoteref-38.3" id="linknoteref-38.3">3</a> + This salutary advice was accepted, and this strange prediction was + accomplished. In the space of four hundred years, the hardy Gauls, who had + encountered the arms of Caesar, were imperceptibly melted into the general + mass of citizens and subjects: the Western empire was dissolved; and the + Germans, who had passed the Rhine, fiercely contended for the possession + of Gaul, and excited the contempt, or abhorrence, of its peaceful and + polished inhabitants. With that conscious pride which the preeminence of + knowledge and luxury seldom fails to inspire, they derided the hairy and + gigantic savages of the North; their rustic manners, dissonant joy, + voracious appetite, and their horrid appearance, equally disgusting to the + sight and to the smell. The liberal studies were still cultivated in the + schools of Autun and Bordeaux; and the language of Cicero and Virgil was + familiar to the Gallic youth. Their ears were astonished by the harsh and + unknown sounds of the Germanic dialect, and they ingeniously lamented that + the trembling muses fled from the harmony of a Burgundian lyre. The Gauls + were endowed with all the advantages of art and nature; but as they wanted + courage to defend them, they were justly condemned to obey, and even to + flatter, the victorious Barbarians, by whose clemency they held their + precarious fortunes and their lives. <a href="#linknote-38.4" + name="linknoteref-38.4" id="linknoteref-38.4">4</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.1" id="linknote-38.1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.1">return</a>)<br /> [ In this chapter I shall + draw my quotations from the Recueil des Historiens des Gaules et de la + France, Paris, 1738-1767, in eleven volumes in folio. By the labor of Dom + Bouquet, and the other Benedictines, all the original testimonies, as far + as A.D. 1060, are disposed in chronological order, and illustrated with + learned notes. Such a national work, which will be continued to the year + 1500, might provoke our emulation.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.2" id="linknote-38.2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.2">return</a>)<br /> [ Tacit. Hist. iv. 73, 74, + in tom. i. p. 445. To abridge Tacitus would indeed be presumptuous; but I + may select the general ideas which he applies to the present state and + future revelations of Gaul.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.3" id="linknote-38.3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.3">return</a>)<br /> [ Eadem semper causa + Germanis transcendendi in Gallias libido atque avaritiae et mutandae sedis + amor; ut relictis paludibus et solitudinibus, suis, fecundissimum hoc + solum vosque ipsos possiderent.... Nam pulsis Romanis quid aliud quam + bella omnium inter se gentium exsistent?] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.4" id="linknote-38.4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.4">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius Apollinaris + ridicules, with affected wit and pleasantry, the hardships of his + situation, (Carm. xii. in tom. i. p. 811.)] + </p> + <p> + As soon as Odoacer had extinguished the Western empire, he sought the + friendship of the most powerful of the Barbarians. The new sovereign of + Italy resigned to Euric, king of the Visigoths, all the Roman conquests + beyond the Alps, as far as the Rhine and the Ocean: <a href="#linknote-38.5" + name="linknoteref-38.5" id="linknoteref-38.5">5</a> and the senate might + confirm this liberal gift with some ostentation of power, and without any + real loss of revenue and dominion. The lawful pretensions of Euric were + justified by ambition and success; and the Gothic nation might aspire, + under his command, to the monarchy of Spain and Gaul. Arles and Marseilles + surrendered to his arms: he oppressed the freedom of Auvergne; and the + bishop condescended to purchase his recall from exile by a tribute of + just, but reluctant praise. Sidonius waited before the gates of the palace + among a crowd of ambassadors and suppliants; and their various business at + the court of Bordeaux attested the power, and the renown, of the king of + the Visigoths. The Heruli of the distant ocean, who painted their naked + bodies with its coerulean color, implored his protection; and the Saxons + respected the maritime provinces of a prince, who was destitute of any + naval force. The tall Burgundians submitted to his authority; nor did he + restore the captive Franks, till he had imposed on that fierce nation the + terms of an unequal peace. The Vandals of Africa cultivated his useful + friendship; and the Ostrogoths of Pannonia were supported by his powerful + aid against the oppression of the neighboring Huns. The North (such are + the lofty strains of the poet) was agitated or appeased by the nod of + Euric; the great king of Persia consulted the oracle of the West; and the + aged god of the Tyber was protected by the swelling genius of the Garonne. + <a href="#linknote-38.6" name="linknoteref-38.6" id="linknoteref-38.6">6</a> + The fortune of nations has often depended on accidents; and France may + ascribe her greatness to the premature death of the Gothic king, at a time + when his son Alaric was a helpless infant, and his adversary Clovis <a + href="#linknote-38.7" name="linknoteref-38.7" id="linknoteref-38.7">7</a> an + ambitious and valiant youth. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.5" id="linknote-38.5"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.5">return</a>)<br /> [ See Procopius de Bell. + Gothico, l. i. c. 12, in tom. ii. p. 81. The character of Grotius inclines + me to believe, that he has not substituted the Rhine for the Rhone (Hist. + Gothorum, p. 175) without the authority of some Ms.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.6" id="linknote-38.6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.6">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius, l. viii. epist. + 3, 9, in tom. i. p. 800. Jornandes (de Rebus Geticis, c. 47 p. 680) + justifies, in some measure, this portrait of the Gothic hero.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.7" id="linknote-38.7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.7">return</a>)<br /> [ I use the familiar + appellation of Clovis, from the Latin Chlodovechus, or Chlodovoeus. But + the Ch expresses only the German aspiration, and the true name is not + different from Lewis, (Mem. de ‘Academie des Inscriptions, tom. xx. p. + 68.)] + </p> + <p> + While Childeric, the father of Clovis, lived an exile in Germany, he was + hospitably entertained by the queen, as well as by the king, of the + Thuringians. After his restoration, Basina escaped from her husband’s bed + to the arms of her lover; freely declaring, that if she had known a man + wiser, stronger, or more beautiful, than Childeric, that man should have + been the object of her preference. <a href="#linknote-38.8" + name="linknoteref-38.8" id="linknoteref-38.8">8</a> <a href="#linknote-38.9" + name="linknoteref-38.9" id="linknoteref-38.9">9</a> Clovis was the offspring + of this voluntary union; and, when he was no more than fifteen years of + age, he succeeded, by his father’s death, to the command of the Salian + tribe. The narrow limits of his kingdom were confined to the island of the + Batavians, with the ancient dioceses of Tournay and Arras; <a + href="#linknote-38.10" name="linknoteref-38.10" id="linknoteref-38.10">10</a> + and at the baptism of Clovis the number of his warriors could not exceed + five thousand. The kindred tribes of the Franks, who had seated themselves + along the Belgic rivers, the Scheld, the Meuse, the Moselle, and the + Rhine, were governed by their independent kings, of the Merovingian race; + the equals, the allies, and sometimes the enemies of the Salic prince. But + the Germans, who obeyed, in peace, the hereditary jurisdiction of their + chiefs, were free to follow the standard of a popular and victorious + general; and the superior merit of Clovis attracted the respect and + allegiance of the national confederacy. When he first took the field, he + had neither gold and silver in his coffers, nor wine and corn in his + magazine; <a href="#linknote-38.11" name="linknoteref-38.11" + id="linknoteref-38.11">11</a> but he imitated the example of Caesar, who, + in the same country, had acquired wealth by the sword, and purchased + soldiers with the fruits of conquest. After each successful battle or + expedition, the spoils were accumulated in one common mass; every warrior + received his proportionable share; and the royal prerogative submitted to + the equal regulations of military law. The untamed spirit of the + Barbarians was taught to acknowledge the advantages of regular discipline. + <a href="#linknote-38.12" name="linknoteref-38.12" id="linknoteref-38.12">12</a> + At the annual review of the month of March, their arms were diligently + inspected; and when they traversed a peaceful territory, they were + prohibited from touching a blade of grass. The justice of Clovis was + inexorable; and his careless or disobedient soldiers were punished with + instant death. It would be superfluous to praise the valor of a Frank; but + the valor of Clovis was directed by cool and consummate prudence. <a + href="#linknote-38.13" name="linknoteref-38.13" id="linknoteref-38.13">13</a> + In all his transactions with mankind, he calculated the weight of + interest, of passion, and of opinion; and his measures were sometimes + adapted to the sanguinary manners of the Germans, and sometimes moderated + by the milder genius of Rome, and Christianity. He was intercepted in the + career of victory, since he died in the forty-fifth year of his age: but + he had already accomplished, in a reign of thirty years, the establishment + of the French monarchy in Gaul. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.8" id="linknote-38.8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.8">return</a>)<br /> [ Greg. l. ii. c. 12, in + tom. i. p. 168. Basina speaks the language of nature; the Franks, who had + seen her in their youth, might converse with Gregory in their old age; and + the bishop of Tours could not wish to defame the mother of the first + Christian king.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.9" id="linknote-38.9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.9">return</a>)<br /> [ The Abbe Dubos (Hist. + Critique de l’Etablissement de la Monarchie Francoise dans les Gaules, + tom. i. p. 630-650) has the merit of defining the primitive kingdom of + Clovis, and of ascertaining the genuine number of his subjects.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.10" id="linknote-38.10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.10">return</a>)<br /> [ Ecclesiam incultam ac + negligentia civium Paganorum praetermis sam, veprium densitate oppletam, + &c. Vit. St. Vedasti, in tom. iii. p. 372. This description supposes + that Arras was possessed by the Pagans many years before the baptism of + Clovis.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.11" id="linknote-38.11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.11">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregory of Tours (l v. + c. i. tom. ii. p. 232) contrasts the poverty of Clovis with the wealth of + his grandsons. Yet Remigius (in tom. iv. p. 52) mentions his paternas + opes, as sufficient for the redemption of captives.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.12" id="linknote-38.12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.12">return</a>)<br /> [ See Gregory, (l. ii. c. + 27, 37, in tom. ii. p. 175, 181, 182.) The famous story of the vase of + Soissons explains both the power and the character of Clovis. As a point + of controversy, it has been strangely tortured by Boulainvilliers Dubos, + and the other political antiquarians.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.13" id="linknote-38.13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.13">return</a>)<br /> [ The duke of Nivernois, + a noble statesman, who has managed weighty and delicate negotiations, + ingeniously illustrates (Mem. de l’Acad. des Inscriptions, tom. xx. p. + 147-184) the political system of Clovis.] + </p> + <p> + The first exploit of Clovis was the defeat of Syagrius, the son of + Aegidius; and the public quarrel might, on this occasion, be inflamed by + private resentment. The glory of the father still insulted the Merovingian + race; the power of the son might excite the jealous ambition of the king + of the Franks. Syagrius inherited, as a patrimonial estate, the city and + diocese of Soissons: the desolate remnant of the second Belgic, Rheims and + Troyes, Beauvais and Amiens, would naturally submit to the count or + patrician: <a href="#linknote-38.14" name="linknoteref-38.14" + id="linknoteref-38.14">14</a> and after the dissolution of the Western + empire, he might reign with the title, or at least with the authority, of + king of the Romans. <a href="#linknote-38.15" name="linknoteref-38.15" + id="linknoteref-38.15">15</a> As a Roman, he had been educated in the + liberal studies of rhetoric and jurisprudence; but he was engaged by + accident and policy in the familiar use of the Germanic idiom. The + independent Barbarians resorted to the tribunal of a stranger, who + possessed the singular talent of explaining, in their native tongue, the + dictates of reason and equity. The diligence and affability of their judge + rendered him popular, the impartial wisdom of his decrees obtained their + voluntary obedience, and the reign of Syagrius over the Franks and + Burgundians seemed to revive the original institution of civil society. <a + href="#linknote-38.16" name="linknoteref-38.16" id="linknoteref-38.16">16</a> + In the midst of these peaceful occupations, Syagrius received, and boldly + accepted, the hostile defiance of Clovis; who challenged his rival in the + spirit, and almost in the language, of chivalry, to appoint the day and + the field <a href="#linknote-38.17" name="linknoteref-38.17" + id="linknoteref-38.17">17</a> of battle. In the time of Caesar Soissons + would have poured forth a body of fifty thousand horse and such an army + might have been plentifully supplied with shields, cuirasses, and military + engines, from the three arsenals or manufactures of the city. <a + href="#linknote-38.18" name="linknoteref-38.18" id="linknoteref-38.18">18</a> + But the courage and numbers of the Gallic youth were long since exhausted; + and the loose bands of volunteers, or mercenaries, who marched under the + standard of Syagrius, were incapable of contending with the national valor + of the Franks. It would be ungenerous without some more accurate knowledge + of his strength and resources, to condemn the rapid flight of Syagrius, + who escaped, after the loss of a battle, to the distant court of + Thoulouse. The feeble minority of Alaric could not assist or protect an + unfortunate fugitive; the pusillanimous <a href="#linknote-38.19" + name="linknoteref-38.19" id="linknoteref-38.19">19</a> Goths were + intimidated by the menaces of Clovis; and the Roman king, after a short + confinement, was delivered into the hands of the executioner. The Belgic + cities surrendered to the king of the Franks; and his dominions were + enlarged towards the East by the ample diocese of Tongres <a + href="#linknote-38.20" name="linknoteref-38.20" id="linknoteref-38.20">20</a> + which Clovis subdued in the tenth year of his reign. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.14" id="linknote-38.14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.14">return</a>)<br /> [ M. Biet (in a + Dissertation which deserved the prize of the Academy of Soissons, p. + 178-226,) has accurately defined the nature and extent of the kingdom of + Syagrius and his father; but he too readily allows the slight evidence of + Dubos (tom. ii. p. 54-57) to deprive him of Beauvais and Amiens.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.15" id="linknote-38.15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.15">return</a>)<br /> [ I may observe that + Fredegarius, in his epitome of Gregory of Tours, (tom. ii. p. 398,) has + prudently substituted the name of Patricius for the incredible title of + Rex Romanorum.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.16" id="linknote-38.16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.16">return</a>)<br /> [ Sidonius, (l. v. Epist. + 5, in tom. i. p. 794,) who styles him the Solon, the Amphion, of the + Barbarians, addresses this imaginary king in the tone of friendship and + equality. From such offices of arbitration, the crafty Dejoces had raised + himself to the throne of the Medes, (Herodot. l. i. c. 96-100.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.17" id="linknote-38.17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.17">return</a>)<br /> [ Campum sibi praeparari + jussit. M. Biet (p. 226-251) has diligently ascertained this field of + battle, at Nogent, a Benedictine abbey, about ten miles to the north of + Soissons. The ground was marked by a circle of Pagan sepulchres; and + Clovis bestowed the adjacent lands of Leully and Coucy on the church of + Rheims.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.18" id="linknote-38.18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.18">return</a>)<br /> [ See Caesar. Comment. de + Bell. Gallic. ii. 4, in tom. i. p. 220, and the Notitiae, tom. i. p. 126. + The three Fabricae of Soissons were, Seutaria, Balistaria, and Clinabaria. + The last supplied the complete armor of the heavy cuirassiers.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.19" id="linknote-38.19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.19">return</a>)<br /> [ The epithet must be + confined to the circumstances; and history cannot justify the French + prejudice of Gregory, (l. ii. c. 27, in tom. ii. p. 175,) ut Gothorum + pavere mos est.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.20" id="linknote-38.20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.20">return</a>)<br /> [ Dubos has satisfied me + (tom. i. p. 277-286) that Gregory of Tours, his transcribers, or his + readers, have repeatedly confounded the German kingdom of Thuringia, + beyond the Rhine, and the Gallic city of Tongria, on the Meuse, which was + more anciently the country of the Eburones, and more recently the diocese + of Liege.] + </p> + <p> + The name of the Alemanni has been absurdly derived from their imaginary + settlement on the banks of the Leman Lake. <a href="#linknote-38.21" + name="linknoteref-38.21" id="linknoteref-38.21">21</a> That fortunate + district, from the lake to the Avenche, and Mount Jura, was occupied by + the Burgundians. <a href="#linknote-38.22" name="linknoteref-38.22" + id="linknoteref-38.22">22</a> The northern parts of Helvetia had indeed + been subdued by the ferocious Alemanni, who destroyed with their own hands + the fruits of their conquest. A province, improved and adorned by the arts + of Rome, was again reduced to a savage wilderness; and some vestige of the + stately Vindonissa may still be discovered in the fertile and populous + valley of the Aar. <a href="#linknote-38.23" name="linknoteref-38.23" + id="linknoteref-38.23">23</a> From the source of the Rhine to its conflux + with the Mein and the Moselle, the formidable swarms of the Alemanni + commanded either side of the river, by the right of ancient possession, or + recent victory. They had spread themselves into Gaul, over the modern + provinces of Alsace and Lorraine; and their bold invasion of the kingdom + of Cologne summoned the Salic prince to the defence of his Ripuarian + allies. + </p> + <p> + Clovis encountered the invaders of Gaul in the plain of Tolbiac, about + twenty-four miles from Cologne; and the two fiercest nations of Germany + were mutually animated by the memory of past exploits, and the prospect of + future greatness. The Franks, after an obstinate struggle, gave way; and + the Alemanni, raising a shout of victory, impetuously pressed their + retreat. But the battle was restored by the valor, and the conduct, and + perhaps by the piety, of Clovis; and the event of the bloody day decided + forever the alternative of empire or servitude. The last king of the + Alemanni was slain in the field, and his people were slaughtered or + pursued, till they threw down their arms, and yielded to the mercy of the + conqueror. Without discipline it was impossible for them to rally: they + had contemptuously demolished the walls and fortifications which might + have protected their distress; and they were followed into the heart of + their forests by an enemy not less active, or intrepid, than themselves. + The great Theodoric congratulated the victory of Clovis, whose sister + Albofleda the king of Italy had lately married; but he mildly interceded + with his brother in favor of the suppliants and fugitives, who had + implored his protection. The Gallic territories, which were possessed by + the Alemanni, became the prize of their conqueror; and the haughty nation, + invincible, or rebellious, to the arms of Rome, acknowledged the + sovereignty of the Merovingian kings, who graciously permitted them to + enjoy their peculiar manners and institutions, under the government of + official, and, at length, of hereditary, dukes. After the conquest of the + Western provinces, the Franks alone maintained their ancient habitations + beyond the Rhine. They gradually subdued, and civilized, the exhausted + countries, as far as the Elbe, and the mountains of Bohemia; and the peace + of Europe was secured by the obedience of Germany. <a href="#linknote-38.24" + name="linknoteref-38.24" id="linknoteref-38.24">24</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.21" id="linknote-38.21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.21">return</a>)<br /> [ Populi habitantes juxta + Lemannum lacum, Alemanni dicuntur. Servius, ad Virgil. Georgic. iv. 278. + Don Bouquet (tom. i. p. 817) has only alleged the more recent and corrupt + text of Isidore of Seville.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.22" id="linknote-38.22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.22">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregory of Tours sends + St. Lupicinus inter illa Jurensis deserti secreta, quae, inter Burgundiam + Alamanniamque sita, Aventicae adja cent civitati, in tom. i. p. 648. M. de + Watteville (Hist. de la Confederation Helvetique, tom. i. p. 9, 10) has + accurately defined the Helvetian limits of the Duchy of Alemannia, and the + Transjurane Burgundy. They were commensurate with the dioceses of + Constance and Avenche, or Lausanne, and are still discriminated, in modern + Switzerland, by the use of the German, or French, language.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.23" id="linknote-38.23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.23">return</a>)<br /> [ See Guilliman de Rebus + Helveticis, l i. c. 3, p. 11, 12. Within the ancient walls of Vindonissa, + the castle of Hapsburgh, the abbey of Konigsfield, and the town of Bruck, + have successively risen. The philosophic traveller may compare the + monuments of Roman conquest of feudal or Austrian tyranny, of monkish + superstition, and of industrious freedom. If he be truly a philosopher, he + will applaud the merit and happiness of his own times.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.24" id="linknote-38.24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.24">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregory of Tours, (l. + ii. 30, 37, in tom. ii. p. 176, 177, 182,) the Gesta Francorum, (in tom. + ii. p. 551,) and the epistle of Theodoric, (Cassiodor. Variar. l. ii. c. + 41, in tom. iv. p. 4,) represent the defeat of the Alemanni. Some of their + tribes settled in Rhaetia, under the protection of Theodoric; whose + successors ceded the colony and their country to the grandson of Clovis. + The state of the Alemanni under the Merovingian kings may be seen in + Mascou (Hist. of the Ancient Germans, xi. 8, &c. Annotation xxxvi.) + and Guilliman, (de Reb. Helvet. l. ii. c. 10-12, p. 72-80.)] + </p> + <p> + Till the thirtieth year of his age, Clovis continued to worship the gods + of his ancestors. <a href="#linknote-38.25" name="linknoteref-38.25" + id="linknoteref-38.25">25</a> His disbelief, or rather disregard, of + Christianity, might encourage him to pillage with less remorse the + churches of a hostile territory: but his subjects of Gaul enjoyed the free + exercise of religious worship; and the bishops entertained a more + favorable hope of the idolater, than of the heretics. The Merovingian + prince had contracted a fortunate alliance with the fair Clotilda, the + niece of the king of Burgundy, who, in the midst of an Arian court, was + educated in the profession of the Catholic faith. It was her interest, as + well as her duty, to achieve the conversion <a href="#linknote-38.26" + name="linknoteref-38.26" id="linknoteref-38.26">26</a> of a Pagan husband; + and Clovis insensibly listened to the voice of love and religion. He + consented (perhaps such terms had been previously stipulated) to the + baptism of his eldest son; and though the sudden death of the infant + excited some superstitious fears, he was persuaded, a second time, to + repeat the dangerous experiment. In the distress of the battle of Tolbiac, + Clovis loudly invoked the God of Clotilda and the Christians; and victory + disposed him to hear, with respectful gratitude, the eloquent <a + href="#linknote-38.27" name="linknoteref-38.27" id="linknoteref-38.27">27</a> + Remigius, <a href="#linknote-38.28" name="linknoteref-38.28" + id="linknoteref-38.28">28</a> bishop of Rheims, who forcibly displayed the + temporal and spiritual advantages of his conversion. The king declared + himself satisfied of the truth of the Catholic faith; and the political + reasons which might have suspended his public profession, were removed by + the devout or loyal acclamations of the Franks, who showed themselves + alike prepared to follow their heroic leader to the field of battle, or to + the baptismal font. The important ceremony was performed in the cathedral + of Rheims, with every circumstance of magnificence and solemnity that + could impress an awful sense of religion on the minds of its rude + proselytes. <a href="#linknote-38.29" name="linknoteref-38.29" + id="linknoteref-38.29">29</a> The new Constantine was immediately baptized, + with three thousand of his warlike subjects; and their example was + imitated by the remainder of the gentle Barbarians, who, in obedience to + the victorious prelate, adored the cross which they had burnt, and burnt + the idols which they had formerly adored. <a href="#linknote-38.30" + name="linknoteref-38.30" id="linknoteref-38.30">30</a> The mind of Clovis + was susceptible of transient fervor: he was exasperated by the pathetic + tale of the passion and death of Christ; and, instead of weighing the + salutary consequences of that mysterious sacrifice, he exclaimed, with + indiscreet fury, “Had I been present at the head of my valiant Franks, I + would have revenged his injuries.” <a href="#linknote-38.31" + name="linknoteref-38.31" id="linknoteref-38.31">31</a> But the savage + conqueror of Gaul was incapable of examining the proofs of a religion, + which depends on the laborious investigation of historic evidence and + speculative theology. He was still more incapable of feeling the mild + influence of the gospel, which persuades and purifies the heart of a + genuine convert. His ambitious reign was a perpetual violation of moral + and Christian duties: his hands were stained with blood in peace as well + as in war; and, as soon as Clovis had dismissed a synod of the Gallican + church, he calmly assassinated all the princes of the Merovingian race. <a + href="#linknote-38.32" name="linknoteref-38.32" id="linknoteref-38.32">32</a> + Yet the king of the Franks might sincerely worship the Christian God, as a + Being more excellent and powerful than his national deities; and the + signal deliverance and victory of Tolbiac encouraged Clovis to confide in + the future protection of the Lord of Hosts. Martin, the most popular of + the saints, had filled the Western world with the fame of those miracles + which were incessantly performed at his holy sepulchre of Tours. His + visible or invisible aid promoted the cause of a liberal and orthodox + prince; and the profane remark of Clovis himself, that St.Martin was an + expensive friend, <a href="#linknote-38.33" name="linknoteref-38.33" + id="linknoteref-38.33">33</a> need not be interpreted as the symptom of any + permanent or rational scepticism. But earth, as well as heaven, rejoiced + in the conversion of the Franks. On the memorable day when Clovis ascended + from the baptismal font, he alone, in the Christian world, deserved the + name and prerogatives of a Catholic king. The emperor Anastasius + entertained some dangerous errors concerning the nature of the divine + incarnation; and the Barbarians of Italy, Africa, Spain, and Gaul, were + involved in the Arian heresy. The eldest, or rather the only, son of the + church, was acknowledged by the clergy as their lawful sovereign, or + glorious deliverer; and the armies of Clovis were strenuously supported by + the zeal and fervor of the Catholic faction. <a href="#linknote-38.34" + name="linknoteref-38.34" id="linknoteref-38.34">34</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.25" id="linknote-38.25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.25">return</a>)<br /> [ Clotilda, or rather + Gregory, supposes that Clovis worshipped the gods of Greece and Rome. The + fact is incredible, and the mistake only shows how completely, in less + than a century, the national religion of the Franks had been abolished and + even forgotten] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.26" id="linknote-38.26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.26">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregory of Tours + relates the marriage and conversion of Clovis, (l. ii. c. 28-31, in tom. + ii. p. 175-178.) Even Fredegarius, or the nameless Epitomizer, (in tom. + ii. p. 398-400,) the author of the Gesta Francorum, (in tom. ii. p. + 548-552,) and Aimoin himself, (l. i. c. 13, in tom. iii. p. 37-40,) may be + heard without disdain. Tradition might long preserve some curious + circumstances of these important transactions.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.27" id="linknote-38.27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.27">return</a>)<br /> [ A traveller, who + returned from Rheims to Auvergne, had stolen a copy of his declamations + from the secretary or bookseller of the modest archbishop, (Sidonius + Apollinar. l. ix. epist. 7.) Four epistles of Remigius, which are still + extant, (in tom. iv. p. 51, 52, 53,) do not correspond with the splendid + praise of Sidonius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.28" id="linknote-38.28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.28">return</a>)<br /> [ Hincmar, one of the + successors of Remigius, (A.D. 845-882,) had composed his life, (in tom. + iii. p. 373-380.) The authority of ancient MSS. of the church of Rheims + might inspire some confidence, which is destroyed, however, by the selfish + and audacious fictions of Hincmar. It is remarkable enough, that Remigius, + who was consecrated at the age of twenty-two, (A.D. 457,) filled the + episcopal chair seventy-four years, (Pagi Critica, in Baron tom. ii. p. + 384, 572.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.29" id="linknote-38.29"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 29 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.29">return</a>)<br /> [ A phial (the Sainte + Ampoulle of holy, or rather celestial, oil,) was brought down by a white + dove, for the baptism of Clovis; and it is still used and renewed, in the + coronation of the kings of France. Hincmar (he aspired to the primacy of + Gaul) is the first author of this fable, (in tom. iii. p. 377,) whose + slight foundations the Abbe de Vertot (Mémoires de l’Academie des + Inscriptions, tom. ii. p. 619-633) has undermined, with profound respect + and consummate dexterity.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.30" id="linknote-38.30"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 30 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.30">return</a>)<br /> [ Mitis depone colla, + Sicamber: adora quod incendisti, incende quod adorasti. Greg. Turon. l. + ii. c. 31, in tom. ii. p. 177.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.31" id="linknote-38.31"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 31 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.31">return</a>)<br /> [ Si ego ibidem cum + Francis meis fuissem, injurias ejus vindicassem. This rash expression, + which Gregory has prudently concealed, is celebrated by Fredegarius, + (Epitom. c. 21, in tom. ii. p. 400,) Ai moin, (l. i. c. 16, in tom. iii. + p. 40,) and the Chroniques de St. Denys, (l. i. c. 20, in tom. iii. p. + 171,) as an admirable effusion of Christian zeal.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.32" id="linknote-38.32"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 32 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.32">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregory, (l. ii. c. + 40-43, in tom. ii. p. 183-185,) after coolly relating the repeated crimes, + and affected remorse, of Clovis, concludes, perhaps undesignedly, with a + lesson, which ambition will never hear. “His ita transactis obiit.”] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.33" id="linknote-38.33"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 33 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.33">return</a>)<br /> [ After the Gothic + victory, Clovis made rich offerings to St. Martin of Tours. He wished to + redeem his war-horse by the gift of one hundred pieces of gold, but the + enchanted steed could not remove from the stable till the price of his + redemption had been doubled. This miracle provoked the king to exclaim, + Vere B. Martinus est bonus in auxilio, sed carus in negotio. (Gesta + Francorum, in tom. ii. p. 554, 555.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.34" id="linknote-38.34"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 34 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.34">return</a>)<br /> [ See the epistle from + Pope Anastasius to the royal convert, (in Com. iv. p. 50, 51.) Avitus, + bishop of Vienna, addressed Clovis on the same subject, (p. 49;) and many + of the Latin bishops would assure him of their joy and attachment.] + </p> + <p> + Under the Roman empire, the wealth and jurisdiction of the bishops, their + sacred character, and perpetual office, their numerous dependants, popular + eloquence, and provincial assemblies, had rendered them always + respectable, and sometimes dangerous. Their influence was augmented with + the progress of superstition; and the establishment of the French monarchy + may, in some degree, be ascribed to the firm alliance of a hundred + prelates, who reigned in the discontented, or independent, cities of Gaul. + The slight foundations of the Armorican republic had been repeatedly + shaken, or overthrown; but the same people still guarded their domestic + freedom; asserted the dignity of the Roman name; and bravely resisted the + predatory inroads, and regular attacks, of Clovis, who labored to extend + his conquests from the Seine to the Loire. Their successful opposition + introduced an equal and honorable union. The Franks esteemed the valor of + the Armoricans <a href="#linknote-38.35" name="linknoteref-38.35" + id="linknoteref-38.35">35</a> and the Armoricans were reconciled by the + religion of the Franks. The military force which had been stationed for + the defence of Gaul, consisted of one hundred different bands of cavalry + or infantry; and these troops, while they assumed the title and privileges + of Roman soldiers, were renewed by an incessant supply of the Barbarian + youth. The extreme fortifications, and scattered fragments of the empire, + were still defended by their hopeless courage. But their retreat was + intercepted, and their communication was impracticable: they were + abandoned by the Greek princes of Constantinople, and they piously + disclaimed all connection with the Arian usurpers of Gaul. They accepted, + without shame or reluctance, the generous capitulation, which was proposed + by a Catholic hero; and this spurious, or legitimate, progeny of the Roman + legions, was distinguished in the succeeding age by their arms, their + ensigns, and their peculiar dress and institutions. But the national + strength was increased by these powerful and voluntary accessions; and the + neighboring kingdoms dreaded the numbers, as well as the spirit, of the + Franks. The reduction of the Northern provinces of Gaul, instead of being + decided by the chance of a single battle, appears to have been slowly + effected by the gradual operation of war and treaty and Clovis acquired + each object of his ambition, by such efforts, or such concessions, as were + adequate to its real value. His savage character, and the virtues of Henry + IV., suggest the most opposite ideas of human nature; yet some resemblance + may be found in the situation of two princes, who conquered France by + their valor, their policy, and the merits of a seasonable conversion. <a + href="#linknote-38.36" name="linknoteref-38.36" id="linknoteref-38.36">36</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.35" id="linknote-38.35"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 35 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.35">return</a>)<br /> [ Instead of an unknown + people, who now appear on the text of Procopious, Hadrian de Valois has + restored the proper name of the easy correction has been almost + universally approved. Yet an unprejudiced reader would naturally suppose, + that Procopius means to describe a tribe of Germans in the alliance of + Rome; and not a confederacy of Gallic cities, which had revolted from the + empire. * Note: Compare Hallam’s Europe during the Middle Ages, vol i. p. + 2, Daru, Hist. de Bretagne vol. i. p. 129—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.36" id="linknote-38.36"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 36 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.36">return</a>)<br /> [ This important + digression of Procopius (de Bell. Gothic. l. i. c. 12, in tom. ii. p. + 29-36) illustrates the origin of the French monarchy. Yet I must observe, + 1. That the Greek historian betrays an inexcusable ignorance of the + geography of the West. 2. That these treaties and privileges, which should + leave some lasting traces, are totally invisible in Gregory of Tours, the + Salic laws, &c.] + </p> + <p> + The kingdom of the Burgundians, which was defined by the course of two + Gallic rivers, the Saone and the Rhone, extended from the forest of Vosges + to the Alps and the sea of Marscilles. <a href="#linknote-38.37" + name="linknoteref-38.37" id="linknoteref-38.37">37</a> The sceptre was in + the hands of Gundobald. That valiant and ambitious prince had reduced the + number of royal candidates by the death of two brothers, one of whom was + the father of Clotilda; <a href="#linknote-38.38" name="linknoteref-38.38" + id="linknoteref-38.38">38</a> but his imperfect prudence still permitted + Godegisel, the youngest of his brothers, to possess the dependent + principality of Geneva. The Arian monarch was justly alarmed by the + satisfaction, and the hopes, which seemed to animate his clergy and people + after the conversion of Clovis; and Gundobald convened at Lyons an + assembly of his bishops, to reconcile, if it were possible, their + religious and political discontents. A vain conference was agitated + between the two factions. The Arians upbraided the Catholics with the + worship of three Gods: the Catholics defended their cause by theological + distinctions; and the usual arguments, objections, and replies were + reverberated with obstinate clamor; till the king revealed his secret + apprehensions, by an abrupt but decisive question, which he addressed to + the orthodox bishops. “If you truly profess the Christian religion, why do + you not restrain the king of the Franks? He has declared war against me, + and forms alliances with my enemies for my destruction. A sanguinary and + covetous mind is not the symptom of a sincere conversion: let him show his + faith by his works.” The answer of Avitus, bishop of Vienna, who spoke in + the name of his brethren, was delivered with the voice and countenance of + an angel. “We are ignorant of the motives and intentions of the king of + the Franks: but we are taught by Scripture, that the kingdoms which + abandon the divine law are frequently subverted; and that enemies will + arise on every side against those who have made God their enemy. Return, + with thy people, to the law of God, and he will give peace and security to + thy dominions.” The king of Burgundy, who was not prepared to accept the + condition which the Catholics considered as essential to the treaty, + delayed and dismissed the ecclesiastical conference; after reproaching his + bishops, that Clovis, their friend and proselyte, had privately tempted + the allegiance of his brother. <a href="#linknote-38.39" + name="linknoteref-38.39" id="linknoteref-38.39">39</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.37" id="linknote-38.37"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 37 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.37">return</a>)<br /> [ Regnum circa Rhodanum + aut Ararim cum provincia Massiliensi retinebant. Greg. Turon. l. ii. c. + 32, in tom. ii. p. 178. The province of Marseilles, as far as the Durance, + was afterwards ceded to the Ostrogoths; and the signatures of twenty-five + bishops are supposed to represent the kingdom of Burgundy, A.D. 519. + (Concil. Epaon, in tom. iv. p. 104, 105.) Yet I would except Vindonissa. + The bishop, who lived under the Pagan Alemanni, would naturally resort to + the synods of the next Christian kingdom. Mascou (in his four first + annotations) has explained many circumstances relative to the Burgundian + monarchy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.38" id="linknote-38.38"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 38 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.38">return</a>)<br /> [ Mascou, (Hist. of the + Germans, xi. 10,) who very reasonably distracts the testimony of Gregory + of Tours, has produced a passage from Avitus (epist. v.) to prove that + Gundobald affected to deplore the tragic event, which his subjects + affected to applaud.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.39" id="linknote-38.39"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 39 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.39">return</a>)<br /> [ See the original + conference, (in tom. iv. p. 99-102.) Avitus, the principal actor, and + probably the secretary of the meeting, was bishop of Vienna. A short + account of his person and works may be fouud in Dupin, (Bibliothèque + Ecclesiastique, tom. v. p. 5-10.)] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap38.2"></a> +Chapter XXXVIII: Reign Of Clovis.—Part II. +</h2> + <p> + The allegiance of his brother was already seduced; and the obedience of + Godegisel, who joined the royal standard with the troops of Geneva, more + effectually promoted the success of the conspiracy. While the Franks and + Burgundians contended with equal valor, his seasonable desertion decided + the event of the battle; and as Gundobald was faintly supported by the + disaffected Gauls, he yielded to the arms of Clovis, and hastily retreated + from the field, which appears to have been situate between Langres and + Dijon. He distrusted the strength of Dijon, a quadrangular fortress, + encompassed by two rivers, and by a wall thirty feet high, and fifteen + thick, with four gates, and thirty-three towers: <a href="#linknote-38.40" + name="linknoteref-38.40" id="linknoteref-38.40">40</a> he abandoned to the + pursuit of Clovis the important cities of Lyons and Vienna; and Gundobald + still fled with precipitation, till he had reached Avignon, at the + distance of two hundred and fifty miles from the field of battle. + </p> + <p> + A long siege and an artful negotiation, admonished the king of the Franks + of the danger and difficulty of his enterprise. He imposed a tribute on + the Burgundian prince, compelled him to pardon and reward his brother’s + treachery, and proudly returned to his own dominions, with the spoils and + captives of the southern provinces. This splendid triumph was soon clouded + by the intelligence, that Gundobald had violated his recent obligations, + and that the unfortunate Godegisel, who was left at Vienna with a garrison + of five thousand Franks, <a href="#linknote-38.41" name="linknoteref-38.41" + id="linknoteref-38.41">41</a> had been besieged, surprised, and massacred + by his inhuman brother. Such an outrage might have exasperated the + patience of the most peaceful sovereign; yet the conqueror of Gaul + dissembled the injury, released the tribute, and accepted the alliance, + and military service, of the king of Burgundy. Clovis no longer possessed + those advantages which had assured the success of the preceding war; and + his rival, instructed by adversity, had found new resources in the + affections of his people. The Gauls or Romans applauded the mild and + impartial laws of Gundobald, which almost raised them to the same level + with their conquerors. The bishops were reconciled, and flattered, by the + hopes, which he artfully suggested, of his approaching conversion; and + though he eluded their accomplishment to the last moment of his life, his + moderation secured the peace, and suspended the ruin, of the kingdom of + Burgundy. <a href="#linknote-38.42" name="linknoteref-38.42" + id="linknoteref-38.42">42</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.40" id="linknote-38.40"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 40 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.40">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregory of Tours (l. + iii. c. 19, in tom. ii. p. 197) indulges his genius, or rather describes + some more eloquent writer, in the description of Dijon; a castle, which + already deserved the title of a city. It depended on the bishops of + Langres till the twelfth century, and afterwards became the capital of the + dukes of Burgundy Longuerue Description de la France, part i. p. 280.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.41" id="linknote-38.41"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 41 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.41">return</a>)<br /> [ The Epitomizer of + Gregory of Tours (in tom. ii. p. 401) has supplied this number of Franks; + but he rashly supposes that they were cut in pieces by Gundobald. The + prudent Burgundian spared the soldiers of Clovis, and sent these captives + to the king of the Visigoths, who settled them in the territory of + Thoulouse.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.42" id="linknote-38.42"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 42 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.42">return</a>)<br /> [ In this Burgundian war + I have followed Gregory of Tours, (l. ii. c. 32, 33, in tom. ii. p. 178, + 179,) whose narrative appears so incompatible with that of Procopius, (de + Bell. Goth. l. i. c. 12, in tom. ii. p. 31, 32,) that some critics have + supposed two different wars. The Abbe Dubos (Hist. Critique, &c., tom. + ii. p. 126-162) has distinctly represented the causes and the events.] + </p> + <p> + I am impatient to pursue the final ruin of that kingdom, which was + accomplished under the reign of Sigismond, the son of Gundobald. The + Catholic Sigismond has acquired the honors of a saint and martyr; <a + href="#linknote-38.43" name="linknoteref-38.43" id="linknoteref-38.43">43</a> + but the hands of the royal saint were stained with the blood of his + innocent son, whom he inhumanly sacrificed to the pride and resentment of + a step-mother. He soon discovered his error, and bewailed the irreparable + loss. While Sigismond embraced the corpse of the unfortunate youth, he + received a severe admonition from one of his attendants: “It is not his + situation, O king! it is thine which deserves pity and lamentation.” The + reproaches of a guilty conscience were alleviated, however, by his liberal + donations to the monastery of Agaunum, or St. Maurice, in Vallais; which + he himself had founded in honor of the imaginary martyrs of the Thebaean + legion. <a href="#linknote-38.44" name="linknoteref-38.44" + id="linknoteref-38.44">44</a> A full chorus of perpetual psalmody was + instituted by the pious king; he assiduously practised the austere + devotion of the monks; and it was his humble prayer, that Heaven would + inflict in this world the punishment of his sins. His prayer was heard: + the avengers were at hand: and the provinces of Burgundy were overwhelmed + by an army of victorious Franks. After the event of an unsuccessful + battle, Sigismond, who wished to protract his life that he might prolong + his penance, concealed himself in the desert in a religious habit, till he + was discovered and betrayed by his subjects, who solicited the favor of + their new masters. The captive monarch, with his wife and two children, + was transported to Orleans, and buried alive in a deep well, by the stern + command of the sons of Clovis; whose cruelty might derive some excuse from + the maxims and examples of their barbarous age. Their ambition, which + urged them to achieve the conquest of Burgundy, was inflamed, or + disguised, by filial piety: and Clotilda, whose sanctity did not consist + in the forgiveness of injuries, pressed them to revenge her father’s death + on the family of his assassin. The rebellious Burgundians (for they + attempted to break their chains) were still permitted to enjoy their + national laws under the obligation of tribute and military service; and + the Merovingian princes peaceably reigned over a kingdom, whose glory and + greatness had been first overthrown by the arms of Clovis. <a + href="#linknote-38.45" name="linknoteref-38.45" id="linknoteref-38.45">45</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.43" id="linknote-38.43"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 43 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.43">return</a>)<br /> [ See his life or legend, + (in tom. iii. p. 402.) A martyr! how strangely has that word been + distorted from its original sense of a common witness. St. Sigismond was + remarkable for the cure of fevers] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.44" id="linknote-38.44"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 44 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.44">return</a>)<br /> [ Before the end of the + fifth century, the church of St. Maurice, and his Thebaean legion, had + rendered Agaunum a place of devout pilgrimage. A promiscuous community of + both sexes had introduced some deeds of darkness, which were abolished + (A.D. 515) by the regular monastery of Sigismond. Within fifty years, his + angels of light made a nocturnal sally to murder their bishop, and his + clergy. See in the Bibliothèque Raisonnée (tom. xxxvi. p. 435-438) the + curious remarks of a learned librarian of Geneva.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.45" id="linknote-38.45"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 45 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.45">return</a>)<br /> [ Marius, bishop of + Avenche, (Chron. in tom. ii. p. 15,) has marked the authentic dates, and + Gregory of Tours (l. iii. c. 5, 6, in tom. ii. p. 188, 189) has expressed + the principal facts, of the life of Sigismond, and the conquest of + Burgundy. Procopius (in tom. ii. p. 34) and Agathias (in tom. ii. p. 49) + show their remote and imperfect knowledge.] + </p> + <p> + The first victory of Clovis had insulted the honor of the Goths. They + viewed his rapid progress with jealousy and terror; and the youthful fame + of Alaric was oppressed by the more potent genius of his rival. Some + disputes inevitably arose on the edge of their contiguous dominions; and + after the delays of fruitless negotiation, a personal interview of the two + kings was proposed and accepted. The conference of Clovis and Alaric was + held in a small island of the Loire, near Amboise. They embraced, + familiarly conversed, and feasted together; and separated with the warmest + professions of peace and brotherly love. But their apparent confidence + concealed a dark suspicion of hostile and treacherous designs; and their + mutual complaints solicited, eluded, and disclaimed, a final arbitration. + At Paris, which he already considered as his royal seat, Clovis declared + to an assembly of the princes and warriors, the pretence, and the motive, + of a Gothic war. “It grieves me to see that the Arians still possess the + fairest portion of Gaul. Let us march against them with the aid of God; + and, having vanquished the heretics, we will possess and divide their + fertile provinces.” <a href="#linknote-38.46" name="linknoteref-38.46" + id="linknoteref-38.46">46</a> The Franks, who were inspired by hereditary + valor and recent zeal, applauded the generous design of their monarch; + expressed their resolution to conquer or die, since death and conquest + would be equally profitable; and solemnly protested that they would never + shave their beards till victory should absolve them from that inconvenient + vow. The enterprise was promoted by the public or private exhortations of + Clotilda. She reminded her husband how effectually some pious foundation + would propitiate the Deity, and his servants: and the Christian hero, + darting his battle-axe with a skilful and nervous band, “There, (said he,) + on that spot where my Francisca, <a href="#linknote-38.47" + name="linknoteref-38.47" id="linknoteref-38.47">47</a> shall fall, will I + erect a church in honor of the holy apostles.” This ostentatious piety + confirmed and justified the attachment of the Catholics, with whom he + secretly corresponded; and their devout wishes were gradually ripened into + a formidable conspiracy. The people of Aquitain were alarmed by the + indiscreet reproaches of their Gothic tyrants, who justly accused them of + preferring the dominion of the Franks: and their zealous adherent + Quintianus, bishop of Rodez, <a href="#linknote-38.48" + name="linknoteref-38.48" id="linknoteref-38.48">48</a> preached more + forcibly in his exile than in his diocese. To resist these foreign and + domestic enemies, who were fortified by the alliance of the Burgundians, + Alaric collected his troops, far more numerous than the military powers of + Clovis. The Visigoths resumed the exercise of arms, which they had + neglected in a long and luxurious peace; <a href="#linknote-38.49" + name="linknoteref-38.49" id="linknoteref-38.49">49</a> a select band of + valiant and robust slaves attended their masters to the field; <a + href="#linknote-38.50" name="linknoteref-38.50" id="linknoteref-38.50">50</a> + and the cities of Gaul were compelled to furnish their doubtful and + reluctant aid. Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths, who reigned in Italy, + had labored to maintain the tranquillity of Gaul; and he assumed, or + affected, for that purpose, the impartial character of a mediator. But the + sagacious monarch dreaded the rising empire of Clovis, and he was firmly + engaged to support the national and religious cause of the Goths. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.46" id="linknote-38.46"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 46 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.46">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregory of Tours (l. + ii. c. 37, in tom. ii. p. 181) inserts the short but persuasive speech of + Clovis. Valde moleste fero, quod hi Ariani partem teneant Galliarum, (the + author of the Gesta Francorum, in tom. ii. p. 553, adds the precious + epithet of optimam,) camus cum Dei adjutorio, et, superatis eis, redigamus + terram in ditionem nostram.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.47" id="linknote-38.47"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 47 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.47">return</a>)<br /> [ Tunc rex projecit a se + in directum Bipennem suam quod est Francisca, &c. (Gesta Franc. in + tom. ii. p. 554.) The form and use of this weapon are clearly described by + Procopius, (in tom. ii. p. 37.) Examples of its national appellation in + Latin and French may be found in the Glossary of Ducange, and the large + Dictionnaire de Trevoux.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.48" id="linknote-38.48"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 48 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.48">return</a>)<br /> [ It is singular enough + that some important and authentic facts should be found in a Life of + Quintianus, composed in rhyme in the old Patois of Rouergue, (Dubos, Hist. + Critique, &c., tom. ii. p. 179.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.49" id="linknote-38.49"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 49 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.49">return</a>)<br /> [ Quamvis fortitudini + vestrae confidentiam tribuat parentum ves trorum innumerabilis multitudo; + quamvis Attilam potentem reminiscamini Visigotharum viribus inclinatum; + tamen quia populorum ferocia corda longa pace mollescunt, cavete subito in + alean aleam mittere, quos constat tantis temporibus exercitia non habere. + Such was the salutary, but fruitless, advice of peace of reason, and of + Theodoric, (Cassiodor. l. iii. ep. 2.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.50" id="linknote-38.50"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 50 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.50">return</a>)<br /> [ Montesquieu (Esprit des + Loix, l. xv. c. 14) mentions and approves the law of the Visigoths, (l. + ix. tit. 2, in tom. iv. p. 425,) which obliged all masters to arm, and + send, or lead, into the field a tenth of their slaves.] + </p> + <p> + The accidental, or artificial, prodigies which adorned the expedition of + Clovis, were accepted by a superstitious age, as the manifest declaration + of the divine favor. He marched from Paris; and as he proceeded with + decent reverence through the holy diocese of Tours, his anxiety tempted + him to consult the shrine of St. Martin, the sanctuary and the oracle of + Gaul. His messengers were instructed to remark the words of the Psalm + which should happen to be chanted at the precise moment when they entered + the church. Those words most fortunately expressed the valor and victory + of the champions of Heaven, and the application was easily transferred to + the new Joshua, the new Gideon, who went forth to battle against the + enemies of the Lord. <a href="#linknote-38.51" name="linknoteref-38.51" + id="linknoteref-38.51">51</a> Orleans secured to the Franks a bridge on the + Loire; but, at the distance of forty miles from Poitiers, their progress + was intercepted by an extraordinary swell of the River Vigenna or Vienne; + and the opposite banks were covered by the encampment of the Visigoths. + Delay must be always dangerous to Barbarians, who consume the country + through which they march; and had Clovis possessed leisure and materials, + it might have been impracticable to construct a bridge, or to force a + passage, in the face of a superior enemy. But the affectionate peasants + who were impatient to welcome their deliverer, could easily betray some + unknown or unguarded ford: the merit of the discovery was enhanced by the + useful interposition of fraud or fiction; and a white hart, of singular + size and beauty, appeared to guide and animate the march of the Catholic + army. The counsels of the Visigoths were irresolute and distracted. A + crowd of impatient warriors, presumptuous in their strength, and + disdaining to fly before the robbers of Germany, excited Alaric to assert + in arms the name and blood of the conquerors of Rome. The advice of the + graver chieftains pressed him to elude the first ardor of the Franks; and + to expect, in the southern provinces of Gaul, the veteran and victorious + Ostrogoths, whom the king of Italy had already sent to his assistance. The + decisive moments were wasted in idle deliberation the Goths too hastily + abandoned, perhaps, an advantageous post; and the opportunity of a secure + retreat was lost by their slow and disorderly motions. After Clovis had + passed the ford, as it is still named, of the Hart, he advanced with bold + and hasty steps to prevent the escape of the enemy. His nocturnal march + was directed by a flaming meteor, suspended in the air above the cathedral + of Poitiers; and this signal, which might be previously concerted with the + orthodox successor of St. Hilary, was compared to the column of fire that + guided the Israelites in the desert. At the third hour of the day, about + ten miles beyond Poitiers, Clovis overtook, and instantly attacked, the + Gothic army; whose defeat was already prepared by terror and confusion. + Yet they rallied in their extreme distress, and the martial youths, who + had clamorously demanded the battle, refused to survive the ignominy of + flight. The two kings encountered each other in single combat. Alaric fell + by the hand of his rival; and the victorious Frank was saved by the + goodness of his cuirass, and the vigor of his horse, from the spears of + two desperate Goths, who furiously rode against him to revenge the death + of their sovereign. The vague expression of a mountain of the slain, + serves to indicate a cruel though indefinite slaughter; but Gregory has + carefully observed, that his valiant countryman Apollinaris, the son of + Sidonius, lost his life at the head of the nobles of Auvergne. Perhaps + these suspected Catholics had been maliciously exposed to the blind + assault of the enemy; and perhaps the influence of religion was superseded + by personal attachment or military honor. <a href="#linknote-38.52" + name="linknoteref-38.52" id="linknoteref-38.52">52</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.51" id="linknote-38.51"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 51 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.51">return</a>)<br /> [ This mode of + divination, by accepting as an omen the first sacred words, which in + particular circumstances should be presented to the eye or ear, was + derived from the Pagans; and the Psalter, or Bible, was substituted to the + poems of Homer and Virgil. From the fourth to the fourteenth century, + these sortes sanctorum, as they are styled, were repeatedly condemned by + the decrees of councils, and repeatedly practised by kings, bishops, and + saints. See a curious dissertation of the Abbe du Resnel, in the Mémoires + de l’Academie, tom. xix. p. 287-310] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.52" id="linknote-38.52"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 52 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.52">return</a>)<br /> [ After correcting the + text, or excusing the mistake, of Procopius, who places the defeat of + Alaric near Carcassone, we may conclude, from the evidence of Gregory, + Fortunatus, and the author of the Gesta Francorum, that the battle was + fought in campo Vocladensi, on the banks of the Clain, about ten miles to + the south of Poitiers. Clovis overtook and attacked the Visigoths near + Vivonne, and the victory was decided near a village still named Champagne + St. Hilaire. See the Dissertations of the Abbe le Boeuf, tom. i. p. + 304-331.] + </p> + <p> + Such is the empire of Fortune, (if we may still disguise our ignorance + under that popular name,) that it is almost equally difficult to foresee + the events of war, or to explain their various consequences. A bloody and + complete victory has sometimes yielded no more than the possession of the + field; and the loss of ten thousand men has sometimes been sufficient to + destroy, in a single day, the work of ages. The decisive battle of + Poitiers was followed by the conquest of Aquitain. Alaric had left behind + him an infant son, a bastard competitor, factious nobles, and a disloyal + people; and the remaining forces of the Goths were oppressed by the + general consternation, or opposed to each other in civil discord. The + victorious king of the Franks proceeded without delay to the siege of + Angoulême. At the sound of his trumpets the walls of the city imitated the + example of Jericho, and instantly fell to the ground; a splendid miracle, + which may be reduced to the supposition, that some clerical engineers had + secretly undermined the foundations of the rampart. <a + href="#linknote-38.53" name="linknoteref-38.53" id="linknoteref-38.53">53</a> + At Bordeaux, which had submitted without resistance, Clovis established + his winter quarters; and his prudent economy transported from Thoulouse + the royal treasures, which were deposited in the capital of the monarchy. + The conqueror penetrated as far as the confines of Spain; <a + href="#linknote-38.54" name="linknoteref-38.54" id="linknoteref-38.54">54</a> + restored the honors of the Catholic church; fixed in Aquitain a colony of + Franks; <a href="#linknote-38.55" name="linknoteref-38.55" + id="linknoteref-38.55">55</a> and delegated to his lieutenants the easy + task of subduing, or extirpating, the nation of the Visigoths. But the + Visigoths were protected by the wise and powerful monarch of Italy. While + the balance was still equal, Theodoric had perhaps delayed the march of + the Ostrogoths; but their strenuous efforts successfully resisted the + ambition of Clovis; and the army of the Franks, and their Burgundian + allies, was compelled to raise the siege of Arles, with the loss, as it is + said, of thirty thousand men. These vicissitudes inclined the fierce + spirit of Clovis to acquiesce in an advantageous treaty of peace. The + Visigoths were suffered to retain the possession of Septimania, a narrow + tract of sea-coast, from the Rhone to the Pyrenees; but the ample province + of Aquitain, from those mountains to the Loire, was indissolubly united to + the kingdom of France. <a href="#linknote-38.56" name="linknoteref-38.56" + id="linknoteref-38.56">56</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.53" id="linknote-38.53"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 53 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.53">return</a>)<br /> [ Angoulême is in the + road from Poitiers to Bordeaux; and although Gregory delays the siege, I + can more readily believe that he confounded the order of history, than + that Clovis neglected the rules of war.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.54" id="linknote-38.54"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 54 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.54">return</a>)<br /> [ Pyrenaeos montes usque + Perpinianum subjecit, is the expression of Rorico, which betrays his + recent date; since Perpignan did not exist before the tenth century, + (Marca Hispanica, p. 458.) This florid and fabulous writer (perhaps a monk + of Amiens—see the Abbe le Boeuf, Mem. de l’Academie, tom. xvii. p. + 228-245) relates, in the allegorical character of a shepherd, the general + history of his countrymen the Franks; but his narrative ends with the + death of Clovis.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.55" id="linknote-38.55"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 55 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.55">return</a>)<br /> [ The author of the Gesta + Francorum positively affirms, that Clovis fixed a body of Franks in the + Saintonge and Bourdelois: and he is not injudiciously followed by Rorico, + electos milites, atque fortissimos, cum parvulis, atque mulieribus. Yet it + should seem that they soon mingled with the Romans of Aquitain, till + Charlemagne introduced a more numerous and powerful colony, (Dubos, Hist. + Critique, tom. ii. p. 215.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.56" id="linknote-38.56"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 56 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.56">return</a>)<br /> [ In the composition of + the Gothic war, I have used the following materials, with due regard to + their unequal value. Four epistles from Theodoric, king of Italy, + (Cassiodor l. iii. epist. 1-4. in tom. iv p. 3-5;) Procopius, (de Bell. + Goth. l. i. c 12, in tom. ii. p. 32, 33;) Gregory of Tours, (l. ii. c. 35, + 36, 37, in tom. ii. p. 181-183;) Jornandes, (de Reb. Geticis, c. 58, in + tom. ii. p. 28;) Fortunatas, (in Vit. St. Hilarii, in tom. iii. p. 380;) + Isidore, (in Chron. Goth. in tom. ii. p. 702;) the Epitome of Gregory of + Tours, (in tom. ii. p. 401;) the author of the Gesta Francorum, (in tom. + ii. p. 553-555;) the Fragments of Fredegarius, (in tom. ii. p. 463;) + Aimoin, (l. i. c. 20, in tom. iii. p. 41, 42,) and Rorico, (l. iv. in tom. + iii. p. 14-19.)] + </p> + <p> + After the success of the Gothic war, Clovis accepted the honors of the + Roman consulship. The emperor Anastasius ambitiously bestowed on the most + powerful rival of Theodoric the title and ensigns of that eminent dignity; + yet, from some unknown cause, the name of Clovis has not been inscribed in + the Fasti either of the East or West. <a href="#linknote-38.57" + name="linknoteref-38.57" id="linknoteref-38.57">57</a> On the solemn day, + the monarch of Gaul, placing a diadem on his head, was invested, in the + church of St. Martin, with a purple tunic and mantle. From thence he + proceeded on horseback to the cathedral of Tours; and, as he passed + through the streets, profusely scattered, with his own hand, a donative of + gold and silver to the joyful multitude, who incessantly repeated their + acclamations of Consul and Augustus. The actual or legal authority of + Clovis could not receive any new accessions from the consular dignity. It + was a name, a shadow, an empty pageant; and if the conqueror had been + instructed to claim the ancient prerogatives of that high office, they + must have expired with the period of its annual duration. But the Romans + were disposed to revere, in the person of their master, that antique title + which the emperors condescended to assume: the Barbarian himself seemed to + contract a sacred obligation to respect the majesty of the republic; and + the successors of Theodosius, by soliciting his friendship, tacitly + forgave, and almost ratified, the usurpation of Gaul. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.57" id="linknote-38.57"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 57 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.57">return</a>)<br /> [ The Fasti of Italy + would naturally reject a consul, the enemy of their sovereign; but any + ingenious hypothesis that might explain the silence of Constantinople and + Egypt, (the Chronicle of Marcellinus, and the Paschal,) is overturned by + the similar silence of Marius, bishop of Avenche, who composed his Fasti + in the kingdom of Burgundy. If the evidence of Gregory of Tours were less + weighty and positive, (l. ii. c. 38, in tom. ii. p. 183,) I could believe + that Clovis, like Odoacer, received the lasting title and honors of + Patrician, (Pagi Critica, tom. ii. p. 474, 492.)] + </p> + <p> + Twenty-five years after the death of Clovis this important concession was + more formally declared, in a treaty between his sons and the emperor + Justinian. The Ostrogoths of Italy, unable to defend their distant + acquisitions, had resigned to the Franks the cities of Arles and + Marseilles; of Arles, still adorned with the seat of a Prætorian + praefect, and of Marseilles, enriched by the advantages of trade and + navigation. <a href="#linknote-38.58" name="linknoteref-38.58" + id="linknoteref-38.58">58</a> This transaction was confirmed by the + Imperial authority; and Justinian, generously yielding to the Franks the + sovereignty of the countries beyond the Alps, which they already + possessed, absolved the provincials from their allegiance; and established + on a more lawful, though not more solid, foundation, the throne of the + Merovingians. <a href="#linknote-38.59" name="linknoteref-38.59" + id="linknoteref-38.59">59</a> From that era they enjoyed the right of + celebrating at Arles the games of the circus; and by a singular privilege, + which was denied even to the Persian monarch, the gold coin, impressed + with their name and image, obtained a legal currency in the empire. <a + href="#linknote-38.60" name="linknoteref-38.60" id="linknoteref-38.60">60</a> + A Greek historian of that age has praised the private and public virtues + of the Franks, with a partial enthusiasm, which cannot be sufficiently + justified by their domestic annals. <a href="#linknote-38.61" + name="linknoteref-38.61" id="linknoteref-38.61">61</a> He celebrates their + politeness and urbanity, their regular government, and orthodox religion; + and boldly asserts, that these Barbarians could be distinguished only by + their dress and language from the subjects of Rome. Perhaps the Franks + already displayed the social disposition, and lively graces, which, in + every age, have disguised their vices, and sometimes concealed their + intrinsic merit. Perhaps Agathias, and the Greeks, were dazzled by the + rapid progress of their arms, and the splendor of their empire. Since the + conquest of Burgundy, Gaul, except the Gothic province of Septimania, was + subject, in its whole extent, to the sons of Clovis. They had extinguished + the German kingdom of Thuringia, and their vague dominion penetrated + beyond the Rhine, into the heart of their native forests. The Alemanni, + and Bavarians, who had occupied the Roman provinces of Rhaetia and + Noricum, to the south of the Danube, confessed themselves the humble + vassals of the Franks; and the feeble barrier of the Alps was incapable of + resisting their ambition. When the last survivor of the sons of Clovis + united the inheritance and conquests of the Merovingians, his kingdom + extended far beyond the limits of modern France. Yet modern France, such + has been the progress of arts and policy, far surpasses, in wealth, + populousness, and power, the spacious but savage realms of Clotaire or + Dagobert. <a href="#linknote-38.62" name="linknoteref-38.62" + id="linknoteref-38.62">62</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.58" id="linknote-38.58"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 58 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.58">return</a>)<br /> [ Under the Merovingian + kings, Marseilles still imported from the East paper, wine, oil, linen, + silk, precious stones, spices, &c. The Gauls, or Franks, traded to + Syria, and the Syrians were established in Gaul. See M. de Guignes, Mem. + de l’Academie, tom. xxxvii. p. 471-475.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.59" id="linknote-38.59"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 59 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.59">return</a>)<br /> [ This strong declaration + of Procopius (de Bell. Gothic. l. iii. cap. 33, in tom. ii. p. 41) would + almost suffice to justify the Abbe Dubos.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.60" id="linknote-38.60"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 60 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.60">return</a>)<br /> [ The Franks, who + probably used the mints of Treves, Lyons, and Arles, imitated the coinage + of the Roman emperors of seventy-two solidi, or pieces, to the pound of + gold. But as the Franks established only a decuple proportion of gold and + silver, ten shillings will be a sufficient valuation of their solidus of + gold. It was the common standard of the Barbaric fines, and contained + forty denarii, or silver three pences. Twelve of these denarii made a + solidus, or shilling, the twentieth part of the ponderal and numeral + livre, or pound of silver, which has been so strangely reduced in modern + France. See La Blanc, Traite Historique des Monnoyes de France, p. 36-43, + &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.61" id="linknote-38.61"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 61 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.61">return</a>)<br /> [ Agathias, in tom. ii. + p. 47. Gregory of Tours exhibits a very different picture. Perhaps it + would not be easy, within the same historical space, to find more vice and + less virtue. We are continually shocked by the union of savage and corrupt + manners.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.62" id="linknote-38.62"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 62 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.62">return</a>)<br /> [ M. de Foncemagne has + traced, in a correct and elegant dissertation, (Mem. de l’Academie, tom. + viii. p. 505-528,) the extent and limits of the French monarchy.] + </p> + <p> + The Franks, or French, are the only people of Europe who can deduce a + perpetual succession from the conquerors of the Western empire. But their + conquest of Gaul was followed by ten centuries of anarchy and ignorance. + On the revival of learning, the students, who had been formed in the + schools of Athens and Rome, disdained their Barbarian ancestors; and a + long period elapsed before patient labor could provide the requisite + materials to satisfy, or rather to excite, the curiosity of more + enlightened times. <a href="#linknote-38.63" name="linknoteref-38.63" + id="linknoteref-38.63">63</a> At length the eye of criticism and philosophy + was directed to the antiquities of France; but even philosophers have been + tainted by the contagion of prejudice and passion. The most extreme and + exclusive systems, of the personal servitude of the Gauls, or of their + voluntary and equal alliance with the Franks, have been rashly conceived, + and obstinately defended; and the intemperate disputants have accused each + other of conspiring against the prerogative of the crown, the dignity of + the nobles, or the freedom of the people. Yet the sharp conflict has + usefully exercised the adverse powers of learning and genius; and each + antagonist, alternately vanquished and victorious has extirpated some + ancient errors, and established some interesting truths. An impartial + stranger, instructed by their discoveries, their disputes, and even their + faults, may describe, from the same original materials, the state of the + Roman provincials, after Gaul had submitted to the arms and laws of the + Merovingian kings. <a href="#linknote-38.64" name="linknoteref-38.64" + id="linknoteref-38.64">64</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.63" id="linknote-38.63"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 63 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.63">return</a>)<br /> [ The Abbe Dubos + (Histoire Critique, tom. i. p. 29-36) has truly and agreeably represented + the slow progress of these studies; and he observes, that Gregory of Tours + was only once printed before the year 1560. According to the complaint of + Heineccius, (Opera, tom. iii. Sylloge, iii. p. 248, &c.,) Germany + received with indifference and contempt the codes of Barbaric laws, which + were published by Heroldus, Lindenbrogius, &c. At present those laws, + (as far as they relate to Gaul,) the history of Gregory of Tours, and all + the monuments of the Merovingian race, appear in a pure and perfect state, + in the first four volumes of the Historians of France.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.64" id="linknote-38.64"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 64 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.64">return</a>)<br /> [ In the space of [about] + thirty years (1728-1765) this interesting subject has been agitated by the + free spirit of the count de Boulainvilliers, (Mémoires Historiques sur + l’Etat de la France, particularly tom. i. p. 15-49;) the learned ingenuity + of the Abbe Dubos, (Histoire Critique de l’Etablissement de la Monarchie + Francoise dans les Gaules, 2 vols. in 4to;) the comprehensive genius of + the president de Montesquieu, (Esprit des Loix, particularly l. xxviii. + xxx. xxxi.;) and the good sense and diligence of the Abbe de Mably, + (Observations sur l’Histoire de France, 2 vols. 12mo.)] + </p> + <p> + The rudest, or the most servile, condition of human society, is regulated, + however, by some fixed and general rules. When Tacitus surveyed the + primitive simplicity of the Germans, he discovered some permanent maxims, + or customs, of public and private life, which were preserved by faithful + tradition till the introduction of the art of writing, and of the Latin + tongue. <a href="#linknote-38.65" name="linknoteref-38.65" + id="linknoteref-38.65">65</a> Before the election of the Merovingian kings, + the most powerful tribe, or nation, of the Franks, appointed four + venerable chieftains to compose the Salic laws; <a href="#linknote-38.66" + name="linknoteref-38.66" id="linknoteref-38.66">66</a> and their labors were + examined and approved in three successive assemblies of the people. After + the baptism of Clovis, he reformed several articles that appeared + incompatible with Christianity: the Salic law was again amended by his + sons; and at length, under the reign of Dagobert, the code was revised and + promulgated in its actual form, one hundred years after the establishment + of the French monarchy. Within the same period, the customs of the + Ripuarians were transcribed and published; and Charlemagne himself, the + legislator of his age and country, had accurately studied the two national + laws, which still prevailed among the Franks. <a href="#linknote-38.67" + name="linknoteref-38.67" id="linknoteref-38.67">67</a> The same care was + extended to their vassals; and the rude institutions of the Alemanni and + Bavarians were diligently compiled and ratified by the supreme authority + of the Merovingian kings. The Visigoths and Burgundians, whose conquests + in Gaul preceded those of the Franks, showed less impatience to attain one + of the principal benefits of civilized society. Euric was the first of the + Gothic princes who expressed, in writing, the manners and customs of his + people; and the composition of the Burgundian laws was a measure of policy + rather than of justice; to alleviate the yoke, and regain the affections, + of their Gallic subjects. <a href="#linknote-38.68" name="linknoteref-38.68" + id="linknoteref-38.68">68</a> Thus, by a singular coincidence, the Germans + framed their artless institutions, at a time when the elaborate system of + Roman jurisprudence was finally consummated. In the Salic laws, and the + Pandects of Justinian, we may compare the first rudiments, and the full + maturity, of civil wisdom; and whatever prejudices may be suggested in + favor of Barbarism, our calmer reflections will ascribe to the Romans the + superior advantages, not only of science and reason, but of humanity and + justice. Yet the laws <a href="#linknote-38.681" name="linknoteref-38.681" + id="linknoteref-38.681">681</a> of the Barbarians were adapted to their + wants and desires, their occupations and their capacity; and they all + contributed to preserve the peace, and promote the improvement, of the + society for whose use they were originally established. The Merovingians, + instead of imposing a uniform rule of conduct on their various subjects, + permitted each people, and each family, of their empire, freely to enjoy + their domestic institutions; <a href="#linknote-38.69" + name="linknoteref-38.69" id="linknoteref-38.69">69</a> nor were the Romans + excluded from the common benefits of this legal toleration. <a + href="#linknote-38.70" name="linknoteref-38.70" id="linknoteref-38.70">70</a> + The children embraced the law of their parents, the wife that of her + husband, the freedman that of his patron; and in all causes where the + parties were of different nations, the plaintiff or accuser was obliged to + follow the tribunal of the defendant, who may always plead a judicial + presumption of right, or innocence. A more ample latitude was allowed, if + every citizen, in the presence of the judge, might declare the law under + which he desired to live, and the national society to which he chose to + belong. Such an indulgence would abolish the partial distinctions of + victory: and the Roman provincials might patiently acquiesce in the + hardships of their condition; since it depended on themselves to assume + the privilege, if they dared to assert the character, of free and warlike + Barbarians. <a href="#linknote-38.71" name="linknoteref-38.71" + id="linknoteref-38.71">71</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.65" id="linknote-38.65"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 65 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.65">return</a>)<br /> [ I have derived much + instruction from two learned works of Heineccius, the History, and the + Elements, of the Germanic law. In a judicious preface to the Elements, he + considers, and tries to excuse the defects of that barbarous + jurisprudence.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.66" id="linknote-38.66"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 66 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.66">return</a>)<br /> [ Latin appears to have + been the original language of the Salic law. It was probably composed in + the beginning of the fifth century, before the era (A.D. 421) of the real + or fabulous Pharamond. The preface mentions the four cantons which + produced the four legislators; and many provinces, Franconia, Saxony, + Hanover, Brabant, &c., have claimed them as their own. See an + excellent Dissertation of Heinecties de Lege Salica, tom. iii. Sylloge + iii. p. 247-267. * Note: The relative antiquity of the two copies of the + Salic law has been contested with great learning and ingenuity. The work + of M. Wiarda, History and Explanation of the Salic Law, Bremen, 1808, + asserts that what is called the Lex Antiqua, or Vetustior in which many + German words are mingled with the Latin, has no claim to superior + antiquity, and may be suspected to be more modern. M. Wiarda has been + opposed by M. Fuer bach, who maintains the higher age of the “ancient” + Code, which has been greatly corrupted by the transcribers. See Guizot, + Cours de l’Histoire Moderne, vol. i. sect. 9: and the preface to the + useful republication of five of the different texts of the Salic law, with + that of the Ripuarian in parallel columns. By E. A. I. Laspeyres, Halle, + 1833.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.67" id="linknote-38.67"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 67 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.67">return</a>)<br /> [ Eginhard, in Vit. + Caroli Magni, c. 29, in tom. v. p. 100. By these two laws, most critics + understand the Salic and the Ripuarian. The former extended from the + Carbonarian forest to the Loire, (tom. iv. p. 151,) and the latter might + be obeyed from the same forest to the Rhine, (tom. iv. p. 222.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.68" id="linknote-38.68"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 68 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.68">return</a>)<br /> [ Consult the ancient and + modern prefaces of the several codes, in the fourth volume of the + Historians of France. The original prologue to the Salic law expresses + (though in a foreign dialect) the genuine spirit of the Franks more + forcibly than the ten books of Gregory of Tours.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.69" id="linknote-38.69"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 69 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.69">return</a>)<br /> [ The Ripuarian law + declares, and defines, this indulgence in favor of the plaintiff, (tit. + xxxi. in tom. iv. p. 240;) and the same toleration is understood, or + expressed, in all the codes, except that of the Visigoths of Spain. Tanta + diversitas legum (says Agobard in the ninth century) quanta non solum in + regionibus, aut civitatibus, sed etiam in multis domibus habetur. Nam + plerumque contingit ut simul eant aut sedeant quinque homines, et nullus + eorum communem legem cum altero habeat, (in tom. vi. p. 356.) He foolishly + proposes to introduce a uniformity of law, as well as of faith. * Note: It + is the object of the important work of M. Savigny, Geschichte des + Romisches Rechts in Mittelalter, to show the perpetuity of the Roman law + from the 5th to the 12th century.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.681" id="linknote-38.681"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 681 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.681">return</a>)<br /> [ The most complete + collection of these codes is in the “Barbarorum leges antiquae,” by P. + Canciani, 5 vols. folio, Venice, 1781-9.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.70" id="linknote-38.70"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 70 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.70">return</a>)<br /> [ Inter Romanos negotia + causarum Romanis legibus praecipimus terminari. Such are the words of a + general constitution promulgated by Clotaire, the son of Clovis, the sole + monarch of the Franks (in tom. iv. p. 116) about the year 560.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.71" id="linknote-38.71"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 71 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.71">return</a>)<br /> [ This liberty of choice + has been aptly deduced (Esprit des Loix, l. xxviii. 2) from the + constitution of Lothaire I. (Leg. Langobard. l. ii. tit. lvii. in Codex + Lindenbrog. p. 664;) though the example is too recent and partial. From a + various reading in the Salic law, (tit. xliv. not. xlv.) the Abbe de Mably + (tom. i. p. 290-293) has conjectured, that, at first, a Barbarian only, + and afterwards any man, (consequently a Roman,) might live according to + the law of the Franks. I am sorry to offend this ingenious conjecture by + observing, that the stricter sense (Barbarum) is expressed in the reformed + copy of Charlemagne; which is confirmed by the Royal and Wolfenbuttle MSS. + The looser interpretation (hominem) is authorized only by the MS. of + Fulda, from from whence Heroldus published his edition. See the four + original texts of the Salic law in tom. iv. p. 147, 173, 196, 220. * Note: + Gibbon appears to have doubted the evidence on which this “liberty of + choice” rested. His doubts have been confirmed by the researches of M. + Savigny, who has not only confuted but traced with convincing sagacity the + origin and progress of this error. As a general principle, though liable + to some exceptions, each lived according to his native law. Romische + Recht. vol. i. p. 123-138—M. * Note: This constitution of Lothaire + at first related only to the duchy of Rome; it afterwards found its way + into the Lombard code. Savigny. p. 138.—M.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap38.3"></a> +Chapter XXXVIII: Reign Of Clovis.—Part III. +</h2> + <p> + When justice inexorably requires the death of a murderer, each private + citizen is fortified by the assurance, that the laws, the magistrate, and + the whole community, are the guardians of his personal safety. But in the + loose society of the Germans, revenge was always honorable, and often + meritorious: the independent warrior chastised, or vindicated, with his + own hand, the injuries which he had offered or received; and he had only + to dread the resentment of the sons and kinsmen of the enemy, whom he had + sacrificed to his selfish or angry passions. The magistrate, conscious of + his weakness, interposed, not to punish, but to reconcile; and he was + satisfied if he could persuade or compel the contending parties to pay and + to accept the moderate fine which had been ascertained as the price of + blood. <a href="#linknote-38.72" name="linknoteref-38.72" + id="linknoteref-38.72">72</a> The fierce spirit of the Franks would have + opposed a more rigorous sentence; the same fierceness despised these + ineffectual restraints; and, when their simple manners had been corrupted + by the wealth of Gaul, the public peace was continually violated by acts + of hasty or deliberate guilt. In every just government the same penalty is + inflicted, or at least is imposed, for the murder of a peasant or a + prince. But the national inequality established by the Franks, in their + criminal proceedings, was the last insult and abuse of conquest. <a + href="#linknote-38.73" name="linknoteref-38.73" id="linknoteref-38.73">73</a> + In the calm moments of legislation, they solemnly pronounced, that the + life of a Roman was of smaller value than that of a Barbarian. The + Antrustion, <a href="#linknote-38.74" name="linknoteref-38.74" + id="linknoteref-38.74">74</a> a name expressive of the most illustrious + birth or dignity among the Franks, was appreciated at the sum of six + hundred pieces of gold; while the noble provincial, who was admitted to + the king’s table, might be legally murdered at the expense of three + hundred pieces. + </p> + <p> + Two hundred were deemed sufficient for a Frank of ordinary condition; but + the meaner Romans were exposed to disgrace and danger by a trifling + compensation of one hundred, or even fifty, pieces of gold. Had these laws + been regulated by any principle of equity or reason, the public protection + should have supplied, in just proportion, the want of personal strength. + But the legislator had weighed in the scale, not of justice, but of + policy, the loss of a soldier against that of a slave: the head of an + insolent and rapacious Barbarian was guarded by a heavy fine; and the + slightest aid was afforded to the most defenceless subjects. Time + insensibly abated the pride of the conquerors and the patience of the + vanquished; and the boldest citizen was taught, by experience, that he + might suffer more injuries than he could inflict. As the manners of the + Franks became less ferocious, their laws were rendered more severe; and + the Merovingian kings attempted to imitate the impartial rigor of the + Visigoths and Burgundians. <a href="#linknote-38.75" name="linknoteref-38.75" + id="linknoteref-38.75">75</a> Under the empire of Charlemagne, murder was + universally punished with death; and the use of capital punishments has + been liberally multiplied in the jurisprudence of modern Europe. <a + href="#linknote-38.76" name="linknoteref-38.76" id="linknoteref-38.76">76</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.72" id="linknote-38.72"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 72 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.72">return</a>)<br /> [ In the heroic times of + Greece, the guilt of murder was expiated by a pecuniary satisfaction to + the family of the deceased, (Feithius Antiquitat. Homeric. l. ii. c. 8.) + Heineccius, in his preface to the Elements of Germanic Law, favorably + suggests, that at Rome and Athens homicide was only punished with exile. + It is true: but exile was a capital punishment for a citizen of Rome or + Athens.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.73" id="linknote-38.73"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 73 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.73">return</a>)<br /> [ This proportion is + fixed by the Salic (tit. xliv. in tom. iv. p. 147) and the Ripuarian (tit. + vii. xi. xxxvi. in tom. iv. p. 237, 241) laws: but the latter does not + distinguish any difference of Romans. Yet the orders of the clergy are + placed above the Franks themselves, and the Burgundians and Alemanni + between the Franks and the Romans.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.74" id="linknote-38.74"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 74 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.74">return</a>)<br /> [ The Antrustiones, qui + in truste Dominica sunt, leudi, fideles, undoubtedly represent the first + order of Franks; but it is a question whether their rank was personal or + hereditary. The Abbe de Mably (tom. i. p. 334-347) is not displeased to + mortify the pride of birth (Esprit, l. xxx. c. 25) by dating the origin of + the French nobility from the reign Clotaire II. (A.D. 615.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.75" id="linknote-38.75"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 75 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.75">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Burgundian + laws, (tit. ii. in tom. iv. p. 257,) the code of the Visigoths, (l. vi. + tit. v. in tom. p. 384,) and the constitution of Childebert, not of Paris, + but most evidently of Austrasia, (in tom. iv. p. 112.) Their premature + severity was sometimes rash, and excessive. Childebert condemned not only + murderers but robbers; quomodo sine lege involavit, sine lege moriatur; + and even the negligent judge was involved in the same sentence. The + Visigoths abandoned an unsuccessful surgeon to the family of his deceased + patient, ut quod de eo facere voluerint habeant potestatem, (l. xi. tit. + i. in tom. iv. p. 435.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.76" id="linknote-38.76"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 76 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.76">return</a>)<br /> [ See, in the sixth + volume of the works of Heineccius, the Elementa Juris Germanici, l. ii. p. + 2, No. 261, 262, 280-283. Yet some vestiges of these pecuniary + compositions for murder have been traced in Germany as late as the + sixteenth century.] + </p> + <p> + The civil and military professions, which had been separated by + Constantine, were again united by the Barbarians. The harsh sound of the + Teutonic appellations was mollified into the Latin titles of Duke, of + Count, or of Praefect; and the same officer assumed, within his district, + the command of the troops, and the administration of justice. <a + href="#linknote-38.77" name="linknoteref-38.77" id="linknoteref-38.77">77</a> + But the fierce and illiterate chieftain was seldom qualified to discharge + the duties of a judge, which required all the faculties of a philosophic + mind, laboriously cultivated by experience and study; and his rude + ignorance was compelled to embrace some simple, and visible, methods of + ascertaining the cause of justice. In every religion, the Deity has been + invoked to confirm the truth, or to punish the falsehood of human + testimony; but this powerful instrument was misapplied and abused by the + simplicity of the German legislators. The party accused might justify his + innocence, by producing before their tribunal a number of friendly + witnesses, who solemnly declared their belief, or assurance, that he was + not guilty. According to the weight of the charge, this legal number of + compurgators was multiplied; seventy-two voices were required to absolve + an incendiary or assassin: and when the chastity of a queen of France was + suspected, three hundred gallant nobles swore, without hesitation, that + the infant prince had been actually begotten by her deceased husband. <a + href="#linknote-38.78" name="linknoteref-38.78" id="linknoteref-38.78">78</a> + The sin and scandal of manifest and frequent perjuries engaged the + magistrates to remove these dangerous temptations; and to supply the + defects of human testimony by the famous experiments of fire and water. + These extraordinary trials were so capriciously contrived, that, in some + cases, guilt, and innocence in others, could not be proved without the + interposition of a miracle. Such miracles were really provided by fraud + and credulity; the most intricate causes were determined by this easy and + infallible method, and the turbulent Barbarians, who might have disdained + the sentence of the magistrate, submissively acquiesced in the judgment of + God. <a href="#linknote-38.79" name="linknoteref-38.79" id="linknoteref-38.79">79</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.77" id="linknote-38.77"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 77 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.77">return</a>)<br /> [ The whole subject of + the Germanic judges, and their jurisdiction, is copiously treated by + Heineccius, (Element. Jur. Germ. l. iii. No. 1-72.) I cannot find any + proof that, under the Merovingian race, the scabini, or assessors, were + chosen by the people. * Note: The question of the scabini is treated at + considerable length by Savigny. He questions the existence of the scabini + anterior to Charlemagne. Before this time the decision was by an open + court of the freemen, the boni Romische Recht, vol. i. p. 195. et seq.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.78" id="linknote-38.78"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 78 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.78">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregor. Turon. l. viii. + c. 9, in tom. ii. p. 316. Montesquieu observes, (Esprit des Loix. l. + xxviii. c. 13,) that the Salic law did not admit these negative proofs so + universally established in the Barbaric codes. Yet this obscure concubine + (Fredegundis,) who became the wife of the grandson of Clovis, must have + followed the Salic law.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.79" id="linknote-38.79"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 79 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.79">return</a>)<br /> [ Muratori, in the + Antiquities of Italy, has given two Dissertations (xxxvii. xxxix.) on the + judgments of God. It was expected that fire would not burn the innocent; + and that the pure element of water would not allow the guilty to sink into + its bosom.] + </p> + <p> + But the trials by single combat gradually obtained superior credit and + authority, among a warlike people, who could not believe that a brave man + deserved to suffer, or that a coward deserved to live. <a + href="#linknote-38.80" name="linknoteref-38.80" id="linknoteref-38.80">80</a> + Both in civil and criminal proceedings, the plaintiff, or accuser, the + defendant, or even the witness, were exposed to mortal challenge from the + antagonist who was destitute of legal proofs; and it was incumbent on them + either to desert their cause, or publicly to maintain their honor, in the + lists of battle. They fought either on foot, or on horseback, according to + the custom of their nation; <a href="#linknote-38.81" + name="linknoteref-38.81" id="linknoteref-38.81">81</a> and the decision of + the sword, or lance, was ratified by the sanction of Heaven, of the judge, + and of the people. This sanguinary law was introduced into Gaul by the + Burgundians; and their legislator Gundobald <a href="#linknote-38.82" + name="linknoteref-38.82" id="linknoteref-38.82">82</a> condescended to + answer the complaints and objections of his subject Avitus. “Is it not + true,” said the king of Burgundy to the bishop, “that the event of + national wars, and private combats, is directed by the judgment of God; + and that his providence awards the victory to the juster cause?” By such + prevailing arguments, the absurd and cruel practice of judicial duels, + which had been peculiar to some tribes of Germany, was propagated and + established in all the monarchies of Europe, from Sicily to the Baltic. At + the end of ten centuries, the reign of legal violence was not totally + extinguished; and the ineffectual censures of saints, of popes, and of + synods, may seem to prove, that the influence of superstition is weakened + by its unnatural alliance with reason and humanity. The tribunals were + stained with the blood, perhaps, of innocent and respectable citizens; the + law, which now favors the rich, then yielded to the strong; and the old, + the feeble, and the infirm, were condemned, either to renounce their + fairest claims and possessions, to sustain the dangers of an unequal + conflict, <a href="#linknote-38.83" name="linknoteref-38.83" + id="linknoteref-38.83">83</a> or to trust the doubtful aid of a mercenary + champion. This oppressive jurisprudence was imposed on the provincials of + Gaul, who complained of any injuries in their persons and property. + Whatever might be the strength, or courage, of individuals, the victorious + Barbarians excelled in the love and exercise of arms; and the vanquished + Roman was unjustly summoned to repeat, in his own person, the bloody + contest which had been already decided against his country. <a + href="#linknote-38.84" name="linknoteref-38.84" id="linknoteref-38.84">84</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.80" id="linknote-38.80"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 80 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.80">return</a>)<br /> [ Montesquieu (Esprit des + Loix, l. xxviii. c. 17) has condescended to explain and excuse “la maniere + de penser de nos peres,” on the subject of judicial combats. He follows + this strange institution from the age of Gundobald to that of St. Lewis; + and the philosopher is some times lost in the legal antiquarian.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.81" id="linknote-38.81"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 81 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.81">return</a>)<br /> [ In a memorable duel at + Aix-la-Chapelle, (A.D. 820,) before the emperor Lewis the Pious, his + biographer observes, secundum legem propriam, utpote quia uterque Gothus + erat, equestri pugna est, (Vit. Lud. Pii, c. 33, in tom. vi. p. 103.) + Ermoldus Nigellus, (l. iii. 543-628, in tom. vi. p. 48-50,) who describes + the duel, admires the ars nova of fighting on horseback, which was unknown + to the Franks.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.82" id="linknote-38.82"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 82 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.82">return</a>)<br /> [ In his original edict, + published at Lyons, (A.D. 501,) establishes and justifies the use of + judicial combat, (Les Burgund. tit. xlv. in tom. ii. p. 267, 268.) Three + hundred years afterwards, Agobard, bishop of Lyons, solicited Lewis the + Pious to abolish the law of an Arian tyrant, (in tom. vi. p. 356-358.) He + relates the conversation of Gundobald and Avitus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.83" id="linknote-38.83"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 83 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.83">return</a>)<br /> [ “Accidit, (says + Agobard,) ut non solum valentes viribus, sed etiam infirmi et senes + lacessantur ad pugnam, etiam pro vilissimis rebus. Quibus foralibus + certaminibus contingunt homicidia injusta; et crudeles ac perversi eventus + judiciorum.” Like a prudent rhetorician, he suppresses the legal privilege + of hiring champions.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.84" id="linknote-38.84"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 84 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.84">return</a>)<br /> [ Montesquieu, (Esprit + des Loix, xxviii. c. 14,) who understands why the judicial combat was + admitted by the Burgundians, Ripuarians, Alemanni, Bavarians, Lombards, + Thuringians, Frisons, and Saxons, is satisfied (and Agobard seems to + countenance the assertion) that it was not allowed by the Salic law. Yet + the same custom, at least in case of treason, is mentioned by Ermoldus, + Nigellus (l. iii. 543, in tom. vi. p. 48,) and the anonymous biographer of + Lewis the Pious, (c. 46, in tom. vi. p. 112,) as the “mos antiquus + Francorum, more Francis solito,” &c., expressions too general to + exclude the noblest of their tribes.] + </p> + <p> + A devouring host of one hundred and twenty thousand Germans had formerly + passed the Rhine under the command of Ariovistus. One third part of the + fertile lands of the Sequani was appropriated to their use; and the + conqueror soon repeated his oppressive demand of another third, for the + accommodation of a new colony of twenty-four thousand Barbarians, whom he + had invited to share the rich harvest of Gaul. <a href="#linknote-38.85" + name="linknoteref-38.85" id="linknoteref-38.85">85</a> At the distance of + five hundred years, the Visigoths and Burgundians, who revenged the defeat + of Ariovistus, usurped the same unequal proportion of two thirds of the + subject lands. But this distribution, instead of spreading over the + province, may be reasonably confined to the peculiar districts where the + victorious people had been planted by their own choice, or by the policy + of their leader. In these districts, each Barbarian was connected by the + ties of hospitality with some Roman provincial. To this unwelcome guest, + the proprietor was compelled to abandon two thirds of his patrimony, but + the German, a shepherd and a hunter, might sometimes content himself with + a spacious range of wood and pasture, and resign the smallest, though most + valuable, portion, to the toil of the industrious husbandman. <a + href="#linknote-38.86" name="linknoteref-38.86" id="linknoteref-38.86">86</a> + The silence of ancient and authentic testimony has encouraged an opinion, + that the rapine of the Franks was not moderated, or disguised, by the + forms of a legal division; that they dispersed themselves over the + provinces of Gaul, without order or control; and that each victorious + robber, according to his wants, his avarice, and his strength, measured + with his sword the extent of his new inheritance. At a distance from their + sovereign, the Barbarians might indeed be tempted to exercise such + arbitrary depredation; but the firm and artful policy of Clovis must curb + a licentious spirit, which would aggravate the misery of the vanquished, + whilst it corrupted the union and discipline of the conquerors. <a + href="#linknote-38.861" name="linknoteref-38.861" id="linknoteref-38.861">861</a> + The memorable vase of Soissons is a monument and a pledge of the regular + distribution of the Gallic spoils. It was the duty and the interest of + Clovis to provide rewards for a successful army, settlements for a + numerous people; without inflicting any wanton or superfluous injuries on + the loyal Catholics of Gaul. The ample fund, which he might lawfully + acquire, of the Imperial patrimony, vacant lands, and Gothic usurpations, + would diminish the cruel necessity of seizure and confiscation, and the + humble provincials would more patiently acquiesce in the equal and regular + distribution of their loss. <a href="#linknote-38.87" + name="linknoteref-38.87" id="linknoteref-38.87">87</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.85" id="linknote-38.85"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 85 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.85">return</a>)<br /> [ Caesar de Bell. Gall. + l. i. c. 31, in tom. i. p. 213.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.86" id="linknote-38.86"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 86 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.86">return</a>)<br /> [ The obscure hints of a + division of lands occasionally scattered in the laws of the Burgundians, + (tit. liv. No. 1, 2, in tom. iv. p. 271, 272,) and Visigoths, (l. x. tit. + i. No. 8, 9, 16, in tom. iv. p. 428, 429, 430,) are skillfully explained + by the president Montesquieu, (Esprit des Loix, l. xxx. c. 7, 8, 9.) I + shall only add, that among the Goths, the division seems to have been + ascertained by the judgment of the neighborhood, that the Barbarians + frequently usurped the remaining third; and that the Romans might recover + their right, unless they were barred by a prescription of fifty years.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.861" id="linknote-38.861"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 861 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.861">return</a>)<br /> [ Sismondi (Hist des + Francais, vol. i. p. 197) observes, they were not a conquering people, who + had emigrated with their families, like the Goths or Burgundians. The + women, the children, the old, had not followed Clovis: they remained in + their ancient possessions on the Waal and the Rhine. The adventurers alone + had formed the invading force, and they always considered themselves as an + army, not as a colony. Hence their laws retained no traces of the + partition of the Roman properties. It is curious to observe the recoil + from the national vanity of the French historians of the last century. M. + Sismondi compares the position of the Franks with regard to the conquered + people with that of the Dey of Algiers and his corsair troops to the + peaceful inhabitants of that province: M. Thierry (Lettres sur l’Histoire + de France, p. 117) with that of the Turks towards the Raias or + Phanariotes, the mass of the Greeks.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.87" id="linknote-38.87"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 87 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.87">return</a>)<br /> [ It is singular enough + that the president de Montesquieu (Esprit des Loix, l. xxx. c. 7) and the + Abbe de Mably (Observations, tom i. p. 21, 22) agree in this strange + supposition of arbitrary and private rapine. The Count de Boulainvilliers + (Etat de la France, tom. i. p. 22, 23) shows a strong understanding + through a cloud of ignorance and prejudice. Note: Sismondi supposes that + the Barbarians, if a farm were conveniently situated, would show no great + respect for the laws of property; but in general there would have been + vacant land enough for the lots assigned to old or worn-out warriors, + (Hist. des Francais, vol. i. p. 196.)—M.] + </p> + <p> + The wealth of the Merovingian princes consisted in their extensive domain. + After the conquest of Gaul, they still delighted in the rustic simplicity + of their ancestors; the cities were abandoned to solitude and decay; and + their coins, their charters, and their synods, are still inscribed with + the names of the villas, or rural palaces, in which they successively + resided. + </p> + <p> + One hundred and sixty of these palaces, a title which need not excite any + unseasonable ideas of art or luxury, were scattered through the provinces + of their kingdom; and if some might claim the honors of a fortress, the + far greater part could be esteemed only in the light of profitable farms. + The mansion of the long-haired kings was surrounded with convenient yards + and stables, for the cattle and the poultry; the garden was planted with + useful vegetables; the various trades, the labors of agriculture, and even + the arts of hunting and fishing, were exercised by servile hands for the + emolument of the sovereign; his magazines were filled with corn and wine, + either for sale or consumption; and the whole administration was conducted + by the strictest maxims of private economy. <a href="#linknote-38.88" + name="linknoteref-38.88" id="linknoteref-38.88">88</a> This ample patrimony + was appropriated to supply the hospitable plenty of Clovis and his + successors; and to reward the fidelity of their brave companions who, both + in peace and war, were devoted to their personal service. Instead of a + horse, or a suit of armor, each companion, according to his rank, or + merit, or favor, was invested with a benefice, the primitive name, and + most simple form, of the feudal possessions. These gifts might be resumed + at the pleasure of the sovereign; and his feeble prerogative derived some + support from the influence of his liberality. <a href="#linknote-38.881" + name="linknoteref-38.881" id="linknoteref-38.881">881</a> But this dependent + tenure was gradually abolished <a href="#linknote-38.89" + name="linknoteref-38.89" id="linknoteref-38.89">89</a> by the independent + and rapacious nobles of France, who established the perpetual property, + and hereditary succession, of their benefices; a revolution salutary to + the earth, which had been injured, or neglected, by its precarious + masters. <a href="#linknote-38.90" name="linknoteref-38.90" + id="linknoteref-38.90">90</a> Besides these royal and beneficiary estates, + a large proportion had been assigned, in the division of Gaul, of allodial + and Salic lands: they were exempt from tribute, and the Salic lands were + equally shared among the male descendants of the Franks. <a + href="#linknote-38.91" name="linknoteref-38.91" id="linknoteref-38.91">91</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.88" id="linknote-38.88"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 88 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.88">return</a>)<br /> [ See the rustic edict, + or rather code, of Charlemagne, which contains seventy distinct and minute + regulations of that great monarch (in tom. v. p. 652-657.) He requires an + account of the horns and skins of the goats, allows his fish to be sold, + and carefully directs, that the larger villas (Capitaneoe) shall maintain + one hundred hens and thirty geese; and the smaller (Mansionales) fifty + hens and twelve geese. Mabillon (de Re Diplomatica) has investigated the + names, the number, and the situation of the Merovingian villas.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.881" id="linknote-38.881"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 881 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.881">return</a>)<br /> [ The resumption of + benefices at the pleasure of the sovereign, (the general theory down to + his time,) is ably contested by Mr. Hallam; “for this resumption some + delinquency must be imputed to the vassal.” Middle Ages, vol. i. p. 162. + The reader will be interested by the singular analogies with the + beneficial and feudal system of Europe in a remote part of the world, + indicated by Col. Tod in his splendid work on Raja’sthan, vol. ii p. 129, + &c.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.89" id="linknote-38.89"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 89 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.89">return</a>)<br /> [ From a passage of the + Burgundian law (tit. i. No. 4, in tom. iv. p. 257) it is evident, that a + deserving son might expect to hold the lands which his father had received + from the royal bounty of Gundobald. The Burgundians would firmly maintain + their privilege, and their example might encourage the Beneficiaries of + France.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.90" id="linknote-38.90"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 90 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.90">return</a>)<br /> [ The revolutions of the + benefices and fiefs are clearly fixed by the Abbe de Mably. His accurate + distinction of times gives him a merit to which even Montesquieu is a + stranger.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.91" id="linknote-38.91"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 91 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.91">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Salic law, + (tit. lxii. in tom. iv. p. 156.) The origin and nature of these Salic + lands, which, in times of ignorance, were perfectly understood, now + perplex our most learned and sagacious critics. * Note: No solution seems + more probable, than that the ancient lawgivers of the Salic Franks + prohibited females from inheriting the lands assigned to the nation, upon + its conquest of Gaul, both in compliance with their ancient usages, and in + order to secure the military service of every proprietor. But lands + subsequently acquired by purchase or other means, though equally bound to + the public defence, were relieved from the severity of this rule, and + presumed not to belong to the class of Sallic. Hallam’s Middle Ages, vol. + i. p. 145. Compare Sismondi, vol. i. p. 196.—M.] + </p> + <p> + In the bloody discord and silent decay of the Merovingian line, a new + order of tyrants arose in the provinces, who, under the appellation of + Seniors, or Lords, usurped a right to govern, and a license to oppress, + the subjects of their peculiar territory. Their ambition might be checked + by the hostile resistance of an equal: but the laws were extinguished; and + the sacrilegious Barbarians, who dared to provoke the vengeance of a saint + or bishop, <a href="#linknote-38.92" name="linknoteref-38.92" + id="linknoteref-38.92">92</a> would seldom respect the landmarks of a + profane and defenceless neighbor. The common or public rights of nature, + such as they had always been deemed by the Roman jurisprudence, <a + href="#linknote-38.93" name="linknoteref-38.93" id="linknoteref-38.93">93</a> + were severely restrained by the German conquerors, whose amusement, or + rather passion, was the exercise of hunting. The vague dominion which Man + has assumed over the wild inhabitants of the earth, the air, and the + waters, was confined to some fortunate individuals of the human species. + Gaul was again overspread with woods; and the animals, who were reserved + for the use or pleasure of the lord, might ravage with impunity the fields + of his industrious vassals. The chase was the sacred privilege of the + nobles and their domestic servants. Plebeian transgressors were legally + chastised with stripes and imprisonment; <a href="#linknote-38.94" + name="linknoteref-38.94" id="linknoteref-38.94">94</a> but in an age which + admitted a slight composition for the life of a citizen, it was a capital + crime to destroy a stag or a wild bull within the precincts of the royal + forests. <a href="#linknote-38.95" name="linknoteref-38.95" + id="linknoteref-38.95">95</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.92" id="linknote-38.92"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 92 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.92">return</a>)<br /> [ Many of the two hundred + and six miracles of St. Martin (Greg Turon. in Maxima Bibliotheca Patrum, + tom. xi. p. 896-932) were repeatedly performed to punish sacrilege. Audite + haec omnes (exclaims the bishop of Tours) protestatem habentes, after + relating, how some horses ran mad, that had been turned into a sacred + meadow.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.93" id="linknote-38.93"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 93 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.93">return</a>)<br /> [ Heinec. Element. Jur. + German. l. ii. p. 1, No. 8.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.94" id="linknote-38.94"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 94 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.94">return</a>)<br /> [ Jonas, bishop of + Orleans, (A.D. 821-826. Cave, Hist. Litteraria, p. 443,) censures the + legal tyranny of the nobles. Pro feris, quas cura hominum non aluit, sed + Deus in commune mortalibus ad utendum concessit, pauperes a potentioribus + spoliantur, flagellantur, ergastulis detruduntur, et multa alia patiuntur. + Hoc enim qui faciunt, lege mundi se facere juste posse contendant. De + Institutione Laicorum, l. ii. c. 23, apud Thomassin, Discipline de + l’Eglise, tom. iii. p. 1348.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.95" id="linknote-38.95"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 95 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.95">return</a>)<br /> [ On a mere suspicion, + Chundo, a chamberlain of Gontram, king of Burgundy, was stoned to death, + (Greg. Turon. l. x. c. 10, in tom. ii. p. 369.) John of Salisbury + (Policrat. l. i. c. 4) asserts the rights of nature, and exposes the cruel + practice of the twelfth century. See Heineccius, Elem. Jur. Germ. l. ii. + p. 1, No. 51-57.] + </p> + <p> + According to the maxims of ancient war, the conqueror became the lawful + master of the enemy whom he had subdued and spared: <a + href="#linknote-38.96" name="linknoteref-38.96" id="linknoteref-38.96">96</a> + and the fruitful cause of personal slavery, which had been almost + suppressed by the peaceful sovereignty of Rome, was again revived and + multiplied by the perpetual hostilities of the independent Barbarians. The + Goth, the Burgundian, or the Frank, who returned from a successful + expedition, dragged after him a long train of sheep, of oxen, and of human + captives, whom he treated with the same brutal contempt. The youths of an + elegant form and an ingenuous aspect were set apart for the domestic + service; a doubtful situation, which alternately exposed them to the + favorable or cruel impulse of passion. The useful mechanics and servants + (smiths, carpenters, tailors, shoemakers, cooks, gardeners, dyers, and + workmen in gold and silver, &c.) employed their skill for the use, or + profit, of their master. But the Roman captives, who were destitute of + art, but capable of labor, were condemned, without regard to their former + rank, to tend the cattle and cultivate the lands of the Barbarians. The + number of the hereditary bondsmen, who were attached to the Gallic + estates, was continually increased by new supplies; and the servile + people, according to the situation and temper of their lords, was + sometimes raised by precarious indulgence, and more frequently depressed + by capricious despotism. <a href="#linknote-38.97" name="linknoteref-38.97" + id="linknoteref-38.97">97</a> An absolute power of life and death was + exercised by these lords; and when they married their daughters, a train + of useful servants, chained on the wagons to prevent their escape, was + sent as a nuptial present into a distant country. <a href="#linknote-38.98" + name="linknoteref-38.98" id="linknoteref-38.98">98</a> The majesty of the + Roman laws protected the liberty of each citizen, against the rash effects + of his own distress or despair. But the subjects of the Merovingian kings + might alienate their personal freedom; and this act of legal suicide, + which was familiarly practised, is expressed in terms most disgraceful and + afflicting to the dignity of human nature. <a href="#linknote-38.99" + name="linknoteref-38.99" id="linknoteref-38.99">99</a> The example of the + poor, who purchased life by the sacrifice of all that can render life + desirable, was gradually imitated by the feeble and the devout, who, in + times of public disorder, pusillanimously crowded to shelter themselves + under the battlements of a powerful chief, and around the shrine of a + popular saint. Their submission was accepted by these temporal or + spiritual patrons; and the hasty transaction irrecoverably fixed their own + condition, and that of their latest posterity. From the reign of Clovis, + during five successive centuries, the laws and manners of Gaul uniformly + tended to promote the increase, and to confirm the duration, of personal + servitude. Time and violence almost obliterated the intermediate ranks of + society; and left an obscure and narrow interval between the noble and the + slave. This arbitrary and recent division has been transformed by pride + and prejudice into a national distinction, universally established by the + arms and the laws of the Merovingians. The nobles, who claimed their + genuine or fabulous descent from the independent and victorious Franks, + have asserted and abused the indefeasible right of conquest over a + prostrate crowd of slaves and plebeians, to whom they imputed the + imaginary disgrace of Gallic or Roman extraction. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.96" id="linknote-38.96"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 96 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.96">return</a>)<br /> [ The custom of enslaving + prisoners of war was totally extinguished in the thirteenth century, by + the prevailing influence of Christianity; but it might be proved, from + frequent passages of Gregory of Tours, &c., that it was practised, + without censure, under the Merovingian race; and even Grotius himself, (de + Jure Belli et Pacis l. iii. c. 7,) as well as his commentator Barbeyrac, + have labored to reconcile it with the laws of nature and reason.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.97" id="linknote-38.97"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 97 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.97">return</a>)<br /> [ The state, professions, + &c., of the German, Italian, and Gallic slaves, during the middle + ages, are explained by Heineccius, (Element Jur. Germ. l. i. No. 28-47,) + Muratori, (Dissertat. xiv. xv.,) Ducange, (Gloss. sub voce Servi,) and the + Abbe de Mably, (Observations, tom. ii. p. 3, &c., p. 237, &c.) + Note: Compare Hallam, vol. i. p. 216.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.98" id="linknote-38.98"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 98 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.98">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregory of Tours (l. + vi. c. 45, in tom. ii. p. 289) relates a memorable example, in which + Chilperic only abused the private rights of a master. Many families which + belonged to his domus fiscales in the neighborhood of Paris, were forcibly + sent away into Spain.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.99" id="linknote-38.99"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 99 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.99">return</a>)<br /> [ Licentiam habeatis mihi + qualemcunque volueritis disciplinam ponere; vel venumdare, aut quod vobis + placuerit de me facere Marculf. Formul. l. ii. 28, in tom. iv. p. 497. The + Formula of Lindenbrogius, (p. 559,) and that of Anjou, (p. 565,) are to + the same effect Gregory of Tours (l. vii. c. 45, in tom. ii. p. 311) speak + of many person who sold themselves for bread, in a great famine.] + </p> + <p> + The general state and revolutions of France, a name which was imposed by + the conquerors, may be illustrated by the particular example of a + province, a diocese, or a senatorial family. Auvergne had formerly + maintained a just preeminence among the independent states and cities of + Gaul. The brave and numerous inhabitants displayed a singular trophy; the + sword of Caesar himself, which he had lost when he was repulsed before the + walls of Gergovia. <a href="#linknote-38.100" name="linknoteref-38.100" + id="linknoteref-38.100">100</a> As the common offspring of Troy, they + claimed a fraternal alliance with the Romans; <a href="#linknote-38.101" + name="linknoteref-38.101" id="linknoteref-38.101">101</a> and if each + province had imitated the courage and loyalty of Auvergne, the fall of the + Western empire might have been prevented or delayed. They firmly + maintained the fidelity which they had reluctantly sworn to the Visigoths, + out when their bravest nobles had fallen in the battle of Poitiers, they + accepted, without resistance, a victorious and Catholic sovereign. This + easy and valuable conquest was achieved and possessed by Theodoric, the + eldest son of Clovis: but the remote province was separated from his + Austrasian dominions, by the intermediate kingdoms of Soissons, Paris, and + Orleans, which formed, after their father’s death, the inheritance of his + three brothers. The king of Paris, Childebert, was tempted by the + neighborhood and beauty of Auvergne. <a href="#linknote-38.102" + name="linknoteref-38.102" id="linknoteref-38.102">102</a> The Upper country, + which rises towards the south into the mountains of the Cevennes, + presented a rich and various prospect of woods and pastures; the sides of + the hills were clothed with vines; and each eminence was crowned with a + villa or castle. In the Lower Auvergne, the River Allier flows through the + fair and spacious plain of Limagne; and the inexhaustible fertility of the + soil supplied, and still supplies, without any interval of repose, the + constant repetition of the same harvests. <a href="#linknote-38.103" + name="linknoteref-38.103" id="linknoteref-38.103">103</a> On the false + report, that their lawful sovereign had been slain in Germany, the city + and diocese of Auvergne were betrayed by the grandson of Sidonius + Apollinaris. Childebert enjoyed this clandestine victory; and the free + subjects of Theodoric threatened to desert his standard, if he indulged + his private resentment, while the nation was engaged in the Burgundian + war. But the Franks of Austrasia soon yielded to the persuasive eloquence + of their king. “Follow me,” said Theodoric, “into Auvergne; I will lead + you into a province, where you may acquire gold, silver, slaves, cattle, + and precious apparel, to the full extent of your wishes. I repeat my + promise; I give you the people and their wealth as your prey; and you may + transport them at pleasure into your own country.” By the execution of + this promise, Theodoric justly forfeited the allegiance of a people whom + he devoted to destruction. His troops, reenforced by the fiercest + Barbarians of Germany, <a href="#linknote-38.104" name="linknoteref-38.104" + id="linknoteref-38.104">104</a> spread desolation over the fruitful face of + Auvergne; and two places only, a strong castle and a holy shrine, were + saved or redeemed from their licentious fury. The castle of Meroliac <a + href="#linknote-38.105" name="linknoteref-38.105" id="linknoteref-38.105">105</a> + was seated on a lofty rock, which rose a hundred feet above the surface of + the plain; and a large reservoir of fresh water was enclosed, with some + arable lands, within the circle of its fortifications. The Franks beheld + with envy and despair this impregnable fortress; but they surprised a + party of fifty stragglers; and, as they were oppressed by the number of + their captives, they fixed, at a trifling ransom, the alternative of life + or death for these wretched victims, whom the cruel Barbarians were + prepared to massacre on the refusal of the garrison. Another detachment + penetrated as far as Brivas, or Brioude, where the inhabitants, with their + valuable effects, had taken refuge in the sanctuary of St. Julian. The + doors of the church resisted the assault; but a daring soldier entered + through a window of the choir, and opened a passage to his companions. The + clergy and people, the sacred and the profane spoils, were rudely torn + from the altar; and the sacrilegious division was made at a small distance + from the town of Brioude. But this act of impiety was severely chastised + by the devout son of Clovis. He punished with death the most atrocious + offenders; left their secret accomplices to the vengeance of St. Julian; + released the captives; restored the plunder; and extended the rights of + sanctuary five miles round the sepulchre of the holy martyr. <a + href="#linknote-38.106" name="linknoteref-38.106" id="linknoteref-38.106">106</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.100" id="linknote-38.100"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 100 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.100">return</a>)<br /> [ When Caesar saw it, + he laughed, (Plutarch. in Caesar. in tom. i. p. 409:) yet he relates his + unsuccessful siege of Gergovia with less frankness than we might expect + from a great man to whom victory was familiar. He acknowledges, however, + that in one attack he lost forty-six centurions and seven hundred men, (de + Bell. Gallico, l. vi. c. 44-53, in tom. i. p. 270-272.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.101" id="linknote-38.101"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 101 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.101">return</a>)<br /> [ Audebant se quondam + fatres Latio dicere, et sanguine ab Iliaco populos computare, (Sidon. + Apollinar. l. vii. epist. 7, in tom i. p. 799.) I am not informed of the + degrees and circumstances of this fabulous pedigree.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.102" id="linknote-38.102"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 102 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.102">return</a>)<br /> [ Either the first, or + second, partition among the sons of Clovis, had given Berry to Childebert, + (Greg. Turon. l. iii. c. 12, in tom. ii. p. 192.) Velim (said he) Arvernam + Lemanem, quae tanta jocunditatis gratia refulgere dicitur, oculis cernere, + (l. iii. c. p. 191.) The face of the country was concealed by a thick fog, + when the king of Paris made his entry into Clermen.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.103" id="linknote-38.103"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 103 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.103">return</a>)<br /> [ For the description + of Auvergne, see Sidonius, (l. iv. epist. 21, in tom. i. p. 703,) with the + notes of Savaron and Sirmond, (p. 279, and 51, of their respective + editions.) Boulainvilliers, (Etat de la France, tom. ii. p. 242-268,) and + the Abbe de la Longuerue, (Description de la France, part i. p. 132-139.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.104" id="linknote-38.104"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 104 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.104">return</a>)<br /> [Furorem gentium, quae + de ulteriore Rheni amnis parte venerant, superare non poterat, (Greg. + Turon. l. iv. c. 50, in tom. ii. 229.) was the excuse of another king of + Austrasia (A.D. 574) for the ravages which his troops committed in the + neighborhood of Paris.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.105" id="linknote-38.105"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 105 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.105">return</a>)<br /> [ From the name and + situation, the Benedictine editors of Gregory of Tours (in tom. ii. p. + 192) have fixed this fortress at a place named Castel Merliac, two miles + from Mauriac, in the Upper Auvergne. In this description, I translate + infra as if I read intra; the two are perpetually confounded by Gregory, + or his transcribed and the sense must always decide.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.106" id="linknote-38.106"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 106 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.106">return</a>)<br /> [ See these + revolutions, and wars, of Auvergne, in Gregory of Tours, (l. ii. c. 37, in + tom. ii. p. 183, and l. iii. c. 9, 12, 13, p. 191, 192, de Miraculis St. + Julian. c. 13, in tom. ii. p. 466.) He frequently betrays his + extraordinary attention to his native country.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap38.4"></a> +Chapter XXXVIII: Reign Of Clovis.—Part IV. +</h2> + <p> + Before the Austrasian army retreated from Auvergne, Theodoric exacted some + pledges of the future loyalty of a people, whose just hatred could be + restrained only by their fear. A select band of noble youths, the sons of + the principal senators, was delivered to the conqueror, as the hostages of + the faith of Childebert, and of their countrymen. On the first rumor of + war, or conspiracy, these guiltless youths were reduced to a state of + servitude; and one of them, Attalus, <a href="#linknote-38.107" + name="linknoteref-38.107" id="linknoteref-38.107">107</a> whose adventures + are more particularly related, kept his master’s horses in the diocese of + Treves. After a painful search, he was discovered, in this unworthy + occupation, by the emissaries of his grandfather, Gregory bishop of + Langres; but his offers of ransom were sternly rejected by the avarice of + the Barbarian, who required an exorbitant sum of ten pounds of gold for + the freedom of his noble captive. His deliverance was effected by the + hardy stratagem of Leo, a slave belonging to the kitchens of the bishop of + Langres. <a href="#linknote-38.108" name="linknoteref-38.108" + id="linknoteref-38.108">108</a> An unknown agent easily introduced him into + the same family. The Barbarian purchased Leo for the price of twelve + pieces of gold; and was pleased to learn that he was deeply skilled in the + luxury of an episcopal table: “Next Sunday,” said the Frank, “I shall + invite my neighbors and kinsmen. Exert thy art, and force them to confess, + that they have never seen, or tasted, such an entertainment, even in the + king’s house.” Leo assured him, that if he would provide a sufficient + quantity of poultry, his wishes should be satisfied. The master who + already aspired to the merit of elegant hospitality, assumed, as his own, + the praise which the voracious guests unanimously bestowed on his cook; + and the dexterous Leo insensibly acquired the trust and management of his + household. After the patient expectation of a whole year, he cautiously + whispered his design to Attalus, and exhorted him to prepare for flight in + the ensuing night. At the hour of midnight, the intemperate guests retired + from the table; and the Frank’s son-in-law, whom Leo attended to his + apartment with a nocturnal potation, condescended to jest on the facility + with which he might betray his trust. The intrepid slave, after sustaining + this dangerous raillery, entered his master’s bedchamber; removed his + spear and shield; silently drew the fleetest horses from the stable; + unbarred the ponderous gates; and excited Attalus to save his life and + liberty by incessant diligence. Their apprehensions urged them to leave + their horses on the banks of the Meuse; <a href="#linknote-38.109" + name="linknoteref-38.109" id="linknoteref-38.109">109</a> they swam the + river, wandered three days in the adjacent forest, and subsisted only by + the accidental discovery of a wild plum-tree. As they lay concealed in a + dark thicket, they heard the noise of horses; they were terrified by the + angry countenance of their master, and they anxiously listened to his + declaration, that, if he could seize the guilty fugitives, one of them he + would cut in pieces with his sword, and would expose the other on a + gibbet. A length, Attalus and his faithful Leo reached the friendly + habitation of a presbyter of Rheims, who recruited their fainting strength + with bread and wine, concealed them from the search of their enemy, and + safely conducted them beyond the limits of the Austrasian kingdom, to the + episcopal palace of Langres. Gregory embraced his grandson with tears of + joy, gratefully delivered Leo, with his whole family, from the yoke of + servitude, and bestowed on him the property of a farm, where he might end + his days in happiness and freedom. Perhaps this singular adventure, which + is marked with so many circumstances of truth and nature, was related by + Attalus himself, to his cousin or nephew, the first historian of the + Franks. Gregory of Tours <a href="#linknote-38.110" name="linknoteref-38.110" + id="linknoteref-38.110">110</a> was born about sixty years after the death + of Sidonius Apollinaris; and their situation was almost similar, since + each of them was a native of Auvergne, a senator, and a bishop. The + difference of their style and sentiments may, therefore, express the decay + of Gaul; and clearly ascertain how much, in so short a space, the human + mind had lost of its energy and refinement. <a href="#linknote-38.111" + name="linknoteref-38.111" id="linknoteref-38.111">111</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.107" id="linknote-38.107"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 107 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.107">return</a>)<br /> [ The story of Attalus + is related by Gregory of Tours, (l. iii. c. 16, tom. ii. p. 193-195.) His + editor, the P. Ruinart, confounds this Attalus, who was a youth (puer) in + the year 532, with a friend of Silonius of the same name, who was count of + Autun, fifty or sixty years before. Such an error, which cannot be imputed + to ignorance, is excused, in some degree, by its own magnitude.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.108" id="linknote-38.108"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 108 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.108">return</a>)<br /> [ This Gregory, the + great grandfather of Gregory of Tours, (in tom. ii. p. 197, 490,) lived + ninety-two years; of which he passed forty as count of Autun, and + thirty-two as bishop of Langres. According to the poet Fortunatus, he + displayed equal merit in these different stations. Nobilis antiqua + decurrens prole parentum, Nobilior gestis, nunc super astra manet. Arbiter + ante ferox, dein pius ipse sacerdos, Quos domuit judex, fovit amore + patris.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.109" id="linknote-38.109"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 109 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.109">return</a>)<br /> [ As M. de Valois, and + the P. Ruinart, are determined to change the Mosella of the text into + Mosa, it becomes me to acquiesce in the alteration. Yet, after some + examination of the topography. I could defend the common reading.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.110" id="linknote-38.110"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 110 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.110">return</a>)<br /> [ The parents of + Gregory (Gregorius Florentius Georgius) were of noble extraction, + (natalibus... illustres,) and they possessed large estates (latifundia) + both in Auvergne and Burgundy. He was born in the year 539, was + consecrated bishop of Tours in 573, and died in 593 or 595, soon after he + had terminated his history. See his life by Odo, abbot of Clugny, (in tom. + ii. p. 129-135,) and a new Life in the Mémoires de l’Academie, &c., + tom. xxvi. p. 598-637.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.111" id="linknote-38.111"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 111 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.111">return</a>)<br /> [ Decedente atque immo + potius pereunte ab urbibus Gallicanis liberalium cultura literarum, &c., + (in praefat. in tom. ii. p. 137,) is the complaint of Gregory himself, + which he fully verifies by his own work. His style is equally devoid of + elegance and simplicity. In a conspicuous station, he still remained a + stranger to his own age and country; and in a prolific work (the five last + books contain ten years) he has omitted almost every thing that posterity + desires to learn. I have tediously acquired, by a painful perusal, the + right of pronouncing this unfavorable sentence] + </p> + <p> + We are now qualified to despise the opposite, and, perhaps, artful, + misrepresentations, which have softened, or exaggerated, the oppression of + the Romans of Gaul under the reign of the Merovingians. The conquerors + never promulgated any universal edict of servitude, or confiscation; but a + degenerate people, who excused their weakness by the specious names of + politeness and peace, was exposed to the arms and laws of the ferocious + Barbarians, who contemptuously insulted their possessions, their freedom, + and their safety. Their personal injuries were partial and irregular; but + the great body of the Romans survived the revolution, and still preserved + the property, and privileges, of citizens. A large portion of their lands + was exacted for the use of the Franks: but they enjoyed the remainder, + exempt from tribute; <a href="#linknote-38.112" name="linknoteref-38.112" + id="linknoteref-38.112">112</a> and the same irresistible violence which + swept away the arts and manufactures of Gaul, destroyed the elaborate and + expensive system of Imperial despotism. The Provincials must frequently + deplore the savage jurisprudence of the Salic or Ripuarian laws; but their + private life, in the important concerns of marriage, testaments, or + inheritance, was still regulated by the Theodosian Code; and a + discontented Roman might freely aspire, or descend, to the title and + character of a Barbarian. The honors of the state were accessible to his + ambition: the education and temper of the Romans more peculiarly qualified + them for the offices of civil government; and, as soon as emulation had + rekindled their military ardor, they were permitted to march in the ranks, + or even at the head, of the victorious Germans. I shall not attempt to + enumerate the generals and magistrates, whose names <a + href="#linknote-38.113" name="linknoteref-38.113" id="linknoteref-38.113">113</a> + attest the liberal policy of the Merovingians. The supreme command of + Burgundy, with the title of Patrician, was successively intrusted to three + Romans; and the last, and most powerful, Mummolus, <a + href="#linknote-38.114" name="linknoteref-38.114" id="linknoteref-38.114">114</a> + who alternately saved and disturbed the monarchy, had supplanted his + father in the station of count of Autun, and left a treasury of thirty + talents of gold, and two hundred and fifty talents of silver. The fierce + and illiterate Barbarians were excluded, during several generations, from + the dignities, and even from the orders, of the church. <a + href="#linknote-38.115" name="linknoteref-38.115" id="linknoteref-38.115">115</a> + The clergy of Gaul consisted almost entirely of native provincials; the + haughty Franks fell at the feet of their subjects, who were dignified with + the episcopal character: and the power and riches which had been lost in + war, were insensibly recovered by superstition. <a href="#linknote-38.116" + name="linknoteref-38.116" id="linknoteref-38.116">116</a> In all temporal + affairs, the Theodosian Code was the universal law of the clergy; but the + Barbaric jurisprudence had liberally provided for their personal safety; a + sub-deacon was equivalent to two Franks; the antrustion, and priest, were + held in similar estimation: and the life of a bishop was appreciated far + above the common standard, at the price of nine hundred pieces of gold. <a + href="#linknote-38.117" name="linknoteref-38.117" id="linknoteref-38.117">117</a> + The Romans communicated to their conquerors the use of the Christian + religion and Latin language; <a href="#linknote-38.118" + name="linknoteref-38.118" id="linknoteref-38.118">118</a> but their language + and their religion had alike degenerated from the simple purity of the + Augustan, and Apostolic age. The progress of superstition and Barbarism + was rapid and universal: the worship of the saints concealed from vulgar + eyes the God of the Christians; and the rustic dialect of peasants and + soldiers was corrupted by a Teutonic idiom and pronunciation. Yet such + intercourse of sacred and social communion eradicated the distinctions of + birth and victory; and the nations of Gaul were gradually confounded under + the name and government of the Franks. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.112" id="linknote-38.112"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 112 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.112">return</a>)<br /> [ The Abbe de Mably + (tom. p. i. 247-267) has diligently confirmed this opinion of the + President de Montesquieu, (Esprit des Loix, l. xxx. c. 13.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.113" id="linknote-38.113"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 113 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.113">return</a>)<br /> [ See Dubos, Hist. + Critique de la Monarchie Francoise, tom. ii. l. vi. c. 9, 10. The French + antiquarians establish as a principle, that the Romans and Barbarians may + be distinguished by their names. Their names undoubtedly form a reasonable + presumption; yet in reading Gregory of Tours, I have observed Gondulphus, + of Senatorian, or Roman, extraction, (l. vi. c. 11, in tom. ii. p. 273,) + and Claudius, a Barbarian, (l. vii. c. 29, p. 303.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.114" id="linknote-38.114"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 114 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.114">return</a>)<br /> [ Eunius Mummolus is + repeatedly mentioned by Gregory of Tours, from the fourth (c. 42, p. 224) + to the seventh (c. 40, p. 310) book. The computation by talents is + singular enough; but if Gregory attached any meaning to that obsolete + word, the treasures of Mummolus must have exceeded 100,000 L. sterling.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.115" id="linknote-38.115"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 115 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.115">return</a>)<br /> [ See Fleury, Discours + iii. sur l’Histoire Ecclesiastique.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.116" id="linknote-38.116"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 116 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.116">return</a>)<br /> [ The bishop of Tours + himself has recorded the complaint of Chilperic, the grandson of Clovis. + Ecce pauper remansit Fiscus noster; ecce divitiae nostrae ad ecclesias + sunt translatae; nulli penitus nisi soli Episcopi regnant, (l. vi. c. 46, + in tom. ii. p. 291.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.117" id="linknote-38.117"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 117 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.117">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Ripuarian + Code, (tit. xxxvi in tom. iv. p. 241.) The Salic law does not provide for + the safety of the clergy; and we might suppose, on the behalf of the more + civilized tribe, that they had not foreseen such an impious act as the + murder of a priest. Yet Praetextatus, archbishop of Rouen, was + assassinated by the order of Queen Fredegundis before the altar, (Greg. + Turon. l. viii. c. 31, in tom. ii. p. 326.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.118" id="linknote-38.118"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 118 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.118">return</a>)<br /> [ M. Bonamy (Mem. de + l’Academie des Inscriptions, tom. xxiv. p. 582-670) has ascertained the + Lingua Romana Rustica, which, through the medium of the Romance, has + gradually been polished into the actual form of the French language. Under + the Carlovingian race, the kings and nobles of France still understood the + dialect of their German ancestors.] + </p> + <p> + The Franks, after they mingled with their Gallic subjects, might have + imparted the most valuable of human gifts, a spirit and system of + constitutional liberty. Under a king, hereditary, but limited, the chiefs + and counsellors might have debated at Paris, in the palace of the Caesars: + the adjacent field, where the emperors reviewed their mercenary legions, + would have admitted the legislative assembly of freemen and warriors; and + the rude model, which had been sketched in the woods of Germany, <a + href="#linknote-38.119" name="linknoteref-38.119" id="linknoteref-38.119">119</a> + might have been polished and improved by the civil wisdom of the Romans. + But the careless Barbarians, secure of their personal independence, + disdained the labor of government: the annual assemblies of the month of + March were silently abolished; and the nation was separated, and almost + dissolved, by the conquest of Gaul. <a href="#linknote-38.120" + name="linknoteref-38.120" id="linknoteref-38.120">120</a> The monarchy was + left without any regular establishment of justice, of arms, or of revenue. + The successors of Clovis wanted resolution to assume, or strength to + exercise, the legislative and executive powers, which the people had + abdicated: the royal prerogative was distinguished only by a more ample + privilege of rapine and murder; and the love of freedom, so often + invigorated and disgraced by private ambition, was reduced, among the + licentious Franks, to the contempt of order, and the desire of impunity. + Seventy-five years after the death of Clovis, his grandson, Gontran, king + of Burgundy, sent an army to invade the Gothic possessions of Septimania, + or Languedoc. The troops of Burgundy, Berry, Auvergne, and the adjacent + territories, were excited by the hopes of spoil. They marched, without + discipline, under the banners of German, or Gallic, counts: their attack + was feeble and unsuccessful; but the friendly and hostile provinces were + desolated with indiscriminate rage. The cornfields, the villages, the + churches themselves, were consumed by fire: the inhabitants were + massacred, or dragged into captivity; and, in the disorderly retreat, five + thousand of these inhuman savages were destroyed by hunger or intestine + discord. When the pious Gontran reproached the guilt or neglect of their + leaders, and threatened to inflict, not a legal sentence, but instant and + arbitrary execution, they accused the universal and incurable corruption + of the people. “No one,” they said, “any longer fears or respects his + king, his duke, or his count. Each man loves to do evil, and freely + indulges his criminal inclinations. The most gentle correction provokes an + immediate tumult, and the rash magistrate, who presumes to censure or + restrain his seditious subjects, seldom escapes alive from their revenge.” + <a href="#linknote-38.121" name="linknoteref-38.121" id="linknoteref-38.121">121</a> + It has been reserved for the same nation to expose, by their intemperate + vices, the most odious abuse of freedom; and to supply its loss by the + spirit of honor and humanity, which now alleviates and dignifies their + obedience to an absolute sovereign. <a href="#linknote-38.1211" + name="linknoteref-38.1211" id="linknoteref-38.1211">1211</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.119" id="linknote-38.119"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 119 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.119">return</a>)<br /> [ Ce beau systeme a ete + trouve dans les bois. Montesquieu, Esprit des Loix, l. xi. c. 6.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.120" id="linknote-38.120"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 120 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.120">return</a>)<br /> [ See the Abbe de + Mably. Observations, &c., tom. i. p. 34-56. It should seem that the + institution of national assemblies, which are with the French nation, has + never been congenial to its temper.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.121" id="linknote-38.121"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 121 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.121">return</a>)<br /> [ Gregory of Tours (l. + viii. c. 30, in tom. ii. p. 325, 326) relates, with much indifference, the + crimes, the reproof, and the apology. Nullus Regem metuit, nullus Ducem, + nullus Comitem reveretur; et si fortassis alicui ista displicent, et ea, + pro longaevitate vitae vestrae, emendare conatur, statim seditio in + populo, statim tumultus exoritur, et in tantum unusquisque contra seniorem + saeva intentione grassatur, ut vix se credat evadere, si tandem silere + nequiverit.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.1211" id="linknote-38.1211"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1211 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.1211">return</a>)<br /> [ This remarkable + passage was published in 1779—M.] + </p> + <p> + The Visigoths had resigned to Clovis the greatest part of their Gallic + possessions; but their loss was amply compensated by the easy conquest, + and secure enjoyment, of the provinces of Spain. From the monarchy of the + Goths, which soon involved the Suevic kingdom of Gallicia, the modern + Spaniards still derive some national vanity; but the historian of the + Roman empire is neither invited, nor compelled, to pursue the obscure and + barren series of their annals. <a href="#linknote-38.122" + name="linknoteref-38.122" id="linknoteref-38.122">122</a> The Goths of Spain + were separated from the rest of mankind by the lofty ridge of the + Pyrenaean mountains: their manners and institutions, as far as they were + common to the Germanic tribes, have been already explained. I have + anticipated, in the preceding chapter, the most important of their + ecclesiastical events, the fall of Arianism, and the persecution of the + Jews; and it only remains to observe some interesting circumstances which + relate to the civil and ecclesiastical constitution of the Spanish + kingdom. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.122" id="linknote-38.122"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 122 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.122">return</a>)<br /> [ Spain, in these dark + ages, has been peculiarly unfortunate. The Franks had a Gregory of Tours; + the Saxons, or Angles, a Bede; the Lombards, a Paul Warnefrid, &c. But + the history of the Visigoths is contained in the short and imperfect + Chronicles of Isidore of Seville and John of Biclar] + </p> + <p> + After their conversion from idolatry or heresy, the Frank and the + Visigoths were disposed to embrace, with equal submission, the inherent + evils and the accidental benefits, of superstition. But the prelates of + France, long before the extinction of the Merovingian race, had + degenerated into fighting and hunting Barbarians. They disdained the use + of synods; forgot the laws of temperance and chastity; and preferred the + indulgence of private ambition and luxury to the general interest of the + sacerdotal profession. <a href="#linknote-38.123" name="linknoteref-38.123" + id="linknoteref-38.123">123</a> The bishops of Spain respected themselves, + and were respected by the public: their indissoluble union disguised their + vices, and confirmed their authority; and the regular discipline of the + church introduced peace, order, and stability, into the government of the + state. From the reign of Recared, the first Catholic king, to that of + Witiza, the immediate predecessor of the unfortunate Roderic, sixteen + national councils were successively convened. The six metropolitans, + Toledo, Seville, Merida, Braga, Tarragona, and Narbonne, presided + according to their respective seniority; the assembly was composed of + their suffragan bishops, who appeared in person, or by their proxies; and + a place was assigned to the most holy, or opulent, of the Spanish abbots. + During the first three days of the convocation, as long as they agitated + the ecclesiastical question of doctrine and discipline, the profane laity + was excluded from their debates; which were conducted, however, with + decent solemnity. But, on the morning of the fourth day, the doors were + thrown open for the entrance of the great officers of the palace, the + dukes and counts of the provinces, the judges of the cities, and the + Gothic nobles, and the decrees of Heaven were ratified by the consent of + the people. + </p> + <p> + The same rules were observed in the provincial assemblies, the annual + synods, which were empowered to hear complaints, and to redress + grievances; and a legal government was supported by the prevailing + influence of the Spanish clergy. The bishops, who, in each revolution, + were prepared to flatter the victorious, and to insult the prostrate + labored, with diligence and success, to kindle the flames of persecution, + and to exalt the mitre above the crown. Yet the national councils of + Toledo, in which the free spirit of the Barbarians was tempered and guided + by episcopal policy, have established some prudent laws for the common + benefit of the king and people. The vacancy of the throne was supplied by + the choice of the bishops and palatines; and after the failure of the line + of Alaric, the regal dignity was still limited to the pure and noble blood + of the Goths. The clergy, who anointed their lawful prince, always + recommended, and sometimes practised, the duty of allegiance; and the + spiritual censures were denounced on the heads of the impious subjects, + who should resist his authority, conspire against his life, or violate, by + an indecent union, the chastity even of his widow. But the monarch + himself, when he ascended the throne, was bound by a reciprocal oath to + God and his people, that he would faithfully execute this important trust. + The real or imaginary faults of his administration were subject to the + control of a powerful aristocracy; and the bishops and palatines were + guarded by a fundamental privilege, that they should not be degraded, + imprisoned, tortured, nor punished with death, exile, or confiscation, + unless by the free and public judgment of their peers. <a + href="#linknote-38.124" name="linknoteref-38.124" id="linknoteref-38.124">124</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.123" id="linknote-38.123"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 123 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.123">return</a>)<br /> [ Such are the + complaints of St. Boniface, the apostle of Germany, and the reformer of + Gaul, (in tom. iv. p. 94.) The fourscore years, which he deplores, of + license and corruption, would seem to insinuate that the Barbarians were + admitted into the clergy about the year 660.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.124" id="linknote-38.124"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 124 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.124">return</a>)<br /> [ The acts of the + councils of Toledo are still the most authentic records of the church and + constitution of Spain. The following passages are particularly important, + (iii. 17, 18; iv. 75; v. 2, 3, 4, 5, 8; vi. 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18; vii. + 1; xiii. 2 3 6.) I have found Mascou (Hist. of the Ancient Germans, xv. + 29, and Annotations, xxvi. and xxxiii.) and Ferreras (Hist. Generale de + l’Espagne, tom. ii.) very useful and accurate guides.] + </p> + <p> + One of these legislative councils of Toledo examined and ratified the code + of laws which had been compiled by a succession of Gothic kings, from the + fierce Euric, to the devout Egica. As long as the Visigoths themselves + were satisfied with the rude customs of their ancestors, they indulged + their subjects of Aquitain and Spain in the enjoyment of the Roman law. + Their gradual improvement in arts, in policy, and at length in religion, + encouraged them to imitate, and to supersede, these foreign institutions; + and to compose a code of civil and criminal jurisprudence, for the use of + a great and united people. The same obligations, and the same privileges, + were communicated to the nations of the Spanish monarchy; and the + conquerors, insensibly renouncing the Teutonic idiom, submitted to the + restraints of equity, and exalted the Romans to the participation of + freedom. The merit of this impartial policy was enhanced by the situation + of Spain under the reign of the Visigoths. The provincials were long + separated from their Arian masters by the irreconcilable difference of + religion. After the conversion of Recared had removed the prejudices of + the Catholics, the coasts, both of the Ocean and Mediterranean, were still + possessed by the Eastern emperors; who secretly excited a discontented + people to reject the yoke of the Barbarians, and to assert the name and + dignity of Roman citizens. The allegiance of doubtful subjects is indeed + most effectually secured by their own persuasion, that they hazard more in + a revolt, than they can hope to obtain by a revolution; but it has + appeared so natural to oppress those whom we hate and fear, that the + contrary system well deserves the praise of wisdom and moderation. <a + href="#linknote-38.125" name="linknoteref-38.125" id="linknoteref-38.125">125</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.125" id="linknote-38.125"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 125 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.125">return</a>)<br /> [ The Code of the + Visigoths, regularly divided into twelve books, has been correctly + published by Dom Bouquet, (in tom. iv. p. 273-460.) It has been treated by + the President de Montesquieu (Esprit des Loix, l. xxviii. c. 1) with + excessive severity. I dislike the style; I detest the superstition; but I + shall presume to think, that the civil jurisprudence displays a more + civilized and enlightened state of society, than that of the Burgundians, + or even of the Lombards.] + </p> + <p> + While the kingdom of the Franks and Visigoths were established in Gaul and + Spain, the Saxons achieved the conquest of Britain, the third great + diocese of the Praefecture of the West. Since Britain was already + separated from the Roman empire, I might, without reproach, decline a + story familiar to the most illiterate, and obscure to the most learned, of + my readers. The Saxons, who excelled in the use of the oar, or the + battle-axe, were ignorant of the art which could alone perpetuate the fame + of their exploits; the Provincials, relapsing into barbarism, neglected to + describe the ruin of their country; and the doubtful tradition was almost + extinguished, before the missionaries of Rome restored the light of + science and Christianity. The declamations of Gildas, the fragments, or + fables, of Nennius, the obscure hints of the Saxon laws and chronicles, + and the ecclesiastical tales of the venerable Bede, <a + href="#linknote-38.126" name="linknoteref-38.126" id="linknoteref-38.126">126</a> + have been illustrated by the diligence, and sometimes embellished by the + fancy, of succeeding writers, whose works I am not ambitious either to + censure or to transcribe. <a href="#linknote-38.127" + name="linknoteref-38.127" id="linknoteref-38.127">127</a> Yet the historian + of the empire may be tempted to pursue the revolutions of a Roman + province, till it vanishes from his sight; and an Englishman may curiously + trace the establishment of the Barbarians, from whom he derives his name, + his laws, and perhaps his origin. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.126" id="linknote-38.126"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 126 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.126">return</a>)<br /> [ See Gildas de Excidio + Britanniae, c. 11-25, p. 4-9, edit. Gale. Nennius, Hist. Britonum, c. 28, + 35-65, p. 105-115, edit. Gale. Bede, Hist. Ecclesiast. Gentis Angloruml. + i. c. 12-16, p. 49-53. c. 22, p. 58, edit. Smith. Chron. Saxonicum, p. + 11-23, &c., edit. Gibson. The Anglo-Saxon laws were published by + Wilkins, London, 1731, in folio; and the Leges Wallicae, by Wotton and + Clarke, London, 1730, in folio.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.127" id="linknote-38.127"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 127 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.127">return</a>)<br /> [ The laborious Mr. + Carte, and the ingenious Mr. Whitaker, are the two modern writers to whom + I am principally indebted. The particular historian of Manchester + embraces, under that obscure title, a subject almost as extensive as the + general history of England. * Note: Add the Anglo-Saxon History of Mr. S. + Turner; and Sir F. Palgrave Sketch of the “Early History of England.”—M.] + </p> + <p> + About forty years after the dissolution of the Roman government, Vortigern + appears to have obtained the supreme, though precarious command of the + princes and cities of Britain. That unfortunate monarch has been almost + unanimously condemned for the weak and mischievous policy of inviting <a + href="#linknote-38.128" name="linknoteref-38.128" id="linknoteref-38.128">128</a> + a formidable stranger, to repel the vexatious inroads of a domestic foe. + His ambassadors are despatched, by the gravest historians, to the coast of + Germany: they address a pathetic oration to the general assembly of the + Saxons, and those warlike Barbarians resolve to assist with a fleet and + army the suppliants of a distant and unknown island. If Britain had indeed + been unknown to the Saxons, the measure of its calamities would have been + less complete. But the strength of the Roman government could not always + guard the maritime province against the pirates of Germany; the + independent and divided states were exposed to their attacks; and the + Saxons might sometimes join the Scots and the Picts, in a tacit, or + express, confederacy of rapine and destruction. Vortigern could only + balance the various perils, which assaulted on every side his throne and + his people; and his policy may deserve either praise or excuse, if he + preferred the alliance of those Barbarians, whose naval power rendered + them the most dangerous enemies and the most serviceable allies. Hengist + and Horsa, as they ranged along the Eastern coast with three ships, were + engaged, by the promise of an ample stipend, to embrace the defence of + Britain; and their intrepid valor soon delivered the country from the + Caledonian invaders. The Isle of Thanet, a secure and fertile district, + was allotted for the residence of these German auxiliaries, and they were + supplied, according to the treaty, with a plentiful allowance of clothing + and provisions. This favorable reception encouraged five thousand warriors + to embark with their families in seventeen vessels, and the infant power + of Hengist was fortified by this strong and seasonable reenforcement. The + crafty Barbarian suggested to Vortigern the obvious advantage of fixing, + in the neighborhood of the Picts, a colony of faithful allies: a third + fleet of forty ships, under the command of his son and nephew, sailed from + Germany, ravaged the Orkneys, and disembarked a new army on the coast of + Northumberland, or Lothian, at the opposite extremity of the devoted land. + It was easy to foresee, but it was impossible to prevent, the impending + evils. The two nations were soon divided and exasperated by mutual + jealousies. The Saxons magnified all that they had done and suffered in + the cause of an ungrateful people; while the Britons regretted the liberal + rewards which could not satisfy the avarice of those haughty mercenaries. + The causes of fear and hatred were inflamed into an irreconcilable + quarrel. The Saxons flew to arms; and if they perpetrated a treacherous + massacre during the security of a feast, they destroyed the reciprocal + confidence which sustains the intercourse of peace and war. <a + href="#linknote-38.129" name="linknoteref-38.129" id="linknoteref-38.129">129</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.128" id="linknote-38.128"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 128 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.128">return</a>)<br /> [ This invitation, + which may derive some countenance from the loose expressions of Gildas and + Bede, is framed into a regular story by Witikind, a Saxon monk of the + tenth century, (see Cousin, Hist. de l’Empire d’Occident, tom. ii. p. + 356.) Rapin, and even Hume, have too freely used this suspicious evidence, + without regarding the precise and probable testimony of Tennius: Iterea + venerunt tres Chinlae a exilio pulsoe, in quibus erant Hors et Hengist.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.129" id="linknote-38.129"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 129 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.129">return</a>)<br /> [ Nennius imputes to + the Saxons the murder of three hundred British chiefs; a crime not + unsuitable to their savage manners. But we are not obliged to believe (see + Jeffrey of Monmouth, l. viii. c. 9-12) that Stonehenge is their monument, + which the giants had formerly transported from Africa to Ireland, and + which was removed to Britain by the order of Ambrosius, and the art of + Merlin. * Note: Sir f. Palgrave (Hist. of England, p. 36) is inclined to + resolve the whole of these stories, as Niebuhr the older Roman history, + into poetry. To the editor they appeared, in early youth, so essentially + poetic, as to justify the rash attempt to embody them in an Epic Poem, + called Samor, commenced at Eton, and finished before he had arrived at the + maturer taste of manhood.—M.] + </p> + <p> + Hengist, who boldly aspired to the conquest of Britain, exhorted his + countrymen to embrace the glorious opportunity: he painted in lively + colors the fertility of the soil, the wealth of the cities, the + pusillanimous temper of the natives, and the convenient situation of a + spacious solitary island, accessible on all sides to the Saxon fleets. The + successive colonies which issued, in the period of a century, from the + mouths of the Elbe, the Weser, and the Rhine, were principally composed of + three valiant tribes or nations of Germany; the Jutes, the old Saxons, and + the Angles. The Jutes, who fought under the peculiar banner of Hengist, + assumed the merit of leading their countrymen in the paths of glory, and + of erecting, in Kent, the first independent kingdom. The fame of the + enterprise was attributed to the primitive Saxons; and the common laws and + language of the conquerors are described by the national appellation of a + people, which, at the end of four hundred years, produced the first + monarchs of South Britain. The Angles were distinguished by their numbers + and their success; and they claimed the honor of fixing a perpetual name + on the country, of which they occupied the most ample portion. The + Barbarians, who followed the hopes of rapine either on the land or sea, + were insensibly blended with this triple confederacy; the Frisians, who + had been tempted by their vicinity to the British shores, might balance, + during a short space, the strength and reputation of the native Saxons; + the Danes, the Prussians, the Rugians, are faintly described; and some + adventurous Huns, who had wandered as far as the Baltic, might embark on + board the German vessels, for the conquest of a new world. <a + href="#linknote-38.130" name="linknoteref-38.130" id="linknoteref-38.130">130</a> + But this arduous achievement was not prepared or executed by the union of + national powers. Each intrepid chieftain, according to the measure of his + fame and fortunes, assembled his followers; equipped a fleet of three, or + perhaps of sixty, vessels; chose the place of the attack; and conducted + his subsequent operations according to the events of the war, and the + dictates of his private interest. In the invasion of Britain many heroes + vanquished and fell; but only seven victorious leaders assumed, or at + least maintained, the title of kings. Seven independent thrones, the Saxon + Heptarchy, <a href="#linknote-38.1301" name="linknoteref-38.1301" + id="linknoteref-38.1301">1301</a> were founded by the conquerors, and seven + families, one of which has been continued, by female succession, to our + present sovereign, derived their equal and sacred lineage from Woden, the + god of war. It has been pretended, that this republic of kings was + moderated by a general council and a supreme magistrate. But such an + artificial scheme of policy is repugnant to the rude and turbulent spirit + of the Saxons: their laws are silent; and their imperfect annals afford + only a dark and bloody prospect of intestine discord. <a + href="#linknote-38.131" name="linknoteref-38.131" id="linknoteref-38.131">131</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.130" id="linknote-38.130"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 130 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.130">return</a>)<br /> [ All these tribes are + expressly enumerated by Bede, (l. i. c. 15, p. 52, l. v. c. 9, p. 190;) + and though I have considered Mr. Whitaker’s remarks, (Hist. of Manchester, + vol. ii. p. 538-543,) I do not perceive the absurdity of supposing that + the Frisians, &c., were mingled with the Anglo-Saxons.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.1301" id="linknote-38.1301"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1301 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.1301">return</a>)<br /> [ This term (the + Heptarchy) must be rejected because an idea is conveyed thereby which is + substantially wrong. At no one period were there ever seven kingdoms + independent of each other. Palgrave, vol. i. p. 46. Mr. Sharon Turner has + the merit of having first confuted the popular notion on this subject. + Anglo-Saxon History, vol. i. p. 302.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.131" id="linknote-38.131"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 131 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.131">return</a>)<br /> [ Bede has enumerated + seven kings, two Saxons, a Jute, and four Angles, who successively + acquired in the heptarchy an indefinite supremacy of power and renown. But + their reign was the effect, not of law, but of conquest; and he observes, + in similar terms, that one of them subdued the Isles of Man and Anglesey; + and that another imposed a tribute on the Scots and Picts. (Hist. Eccles. + l. ii. c. 5, p. 83.)] + </p> + <p> + A monk, who, in the profound ignorance of human life, has presumed to + exercise the office of historian, strangely disfigures the state of + Britain at the time of its separation from the Western empire. Gildas <a + href="#linknote-38.132" name="linknoteref-38.132" id="linknoteref-38.132">132</a> + describes in florid language the improvements of agriculture, the foreign + trade which flowed with every tide into the Thames and the Severn the + solid and lofty construction of public and private edifices; he accuses + the sinful luxury of the British people; of a people, according to the + same writer, ignorant of the most simple arts, and incapable, without the + aid of the Romans, of providing walls of stone, or weapons of iron, for + the defence of their native land. <a href="#linknote-38.133" + name="linknoteref-38.133" id="linknoteref-38.133">133</a> Under the long + dominion of the emperors, Britain had been insensibly moulded into the + elegant and servile form of a Roman province, whose safety was intrusted + to a foreign power. The subjects of Honorius contemplated their new + freedom with surprise and terror; they were left destitute of any civil or + military constitution; and their uncertain rulers wanted either skill, or + courage, or authority, to direct the public force against the common + enemy. The introduction of the Saxons betrayed their internal weakness, + and degraded the character both of the prince and people. Their + consternation magnified the danger; the want of union diminished their + resources; and the madness of civil factions was more solicitous to + accuse, than to remedy, the evils, which they imputed to the misconduct of + their adversaries. + </p> + <p> + Yet the Britons were not ignorant, they could not be ignorant, of the + manufacture or the use of arms; the successive and disorderly attacks of + the Saxons allowed them to recover from their amazement, and the + prosperous or adverse events of the war added discipline and experience to + their native valor. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.132" id="linknote-38.132"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 132 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.132">return</a>)<br /> [ See Gildas de Excidio + Britanniae, c. i. p. l. edit. Gale.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.133" id="linknote-38.133"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 133 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.133">return</a>)<br /> [ Mr. Whitaker (Hist. + of Manchester, vol. ii. p. 503, 516) has smartly exposed this glaring + absurdity, which had passed unnoticed by the general historians, as they + were hastening to more interesting and important events] + </p> + <p> + While the continent of Europe and Africa yielded, without resistance, to + the Barbarians, the British island, alone and unaided, maintained a long, + a vigorous, though an unsuccessful, struggle, against the formidable + pirates, who, almost at the same instant, assaulted the Northern, the + Eastern, and the Southern coasts. The cities which had been fortified with + skill, were defended with resolution; the advantages of ground, hills, + forests, and morasses, were diligently improved by the inhabitants; the + conquest of each district was purchased with blood; and the defeats of the + Saxons are strongly attested by the discreet silence of their annalist. + Hengist might hope to achieve the conquest of Britain; but his ambition, + in an active reign of thirty-five years, was confined to the possession of + Kent; and the numerous colony which he had planted in the North, was + extirpated by the sword of the Britons. The monarchy of the West Saxons + was laboriously founded by the persevering efforts of three martial + generations. The life of Cerdic, one of the bravest of the children of + Woden, was consumed in the conquest of Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight; + and the loss which he sustained in the battle of Mount Badon, reduced him + to a state of inglorious repose. Kenric, his valiant son, advanced into + Wiltshire; besieged Salisbury, at that time seated on a commanding + eminence; and vanquished an army which advanced to the relief of the city. + In the subsequent battle of Marlborough, <a href="#linknote-38.134" + name="linknoteref-38.134" id="linknoteref-38.134">134</a> his British + enemies displayed their military science. Their troops were formed in + three lines; each line consisted of three distinct bodies, and the + cavalry, the archers, and the pikemen, were distributed according to the + principles of Roman tactics. The Saxons charged in one weighty column, + boldly encountered with their shord swords the long lances of the Britons, + and maintained an equal conflict till the approach of night. Two decisive + victories, the death of three British kings, and the reduction of + Cirencester, Bath, and Gloucester, established the fame and power of + Ceaulin, the grandson of Cerdic, who carried his victorious arms to the + banks of the Severn. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.134" id="linknote-38.134"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 134 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.134">return</a>)<br /> [ At Beran-birig, or + Barbury-castle, near Marlborough. The Saxon chronicle assigns the name and + date. Camden (Britannia, vol. i. p. 128) ascertains the place; and Henry + of Huntingdon (Scriptores pest Bedam, p. 314) relates the circumstances of + this battle. They are probable and characteristic; and the historians of + the twelfth century might consult some materials that no longer exist.] + After a war of a hundred years, the independent Britons still occupied the + whole extent of the Western coast, from the wall of Antoninus to the + extreme promontory of Cornwall; and the principal cities of the inland + country still opposed the arms of the Barbarians. Resistance became more + languid, as the number and boldness of the assailants continually + increased. Winning their way by slow and painful efforts, the Saxons, the + Angles, and their various confederates, advanced from the North, from the + East, and from the South, till their victorious banners were united in the + centre of the island. Beyond the Severn the Britons still asserted their + national freedom, which survived the heptarchy, and even the monarchy, of + the Saxons. The bravest warriors, who preferred exile to slavery, found a + secure refuge in the mountains of Wales: the reluctant submission of + Cornwall was delayed for some ages; <a href="#linknote-38.135" + name="linknoteref-38.135" id="linknoteref-38.135">135</a> and a band of + fugitives acquired a settlement in Gaul, by their own valor, or the + liberality of the Merovingian kings. <a href="#linknote-38.136" + name="linknoteref-38.136" id="linknoteref-38.136">136</a> The Western angle + of Armorica acquired the new appellations of Cornwall, and the Lesser + Britain; and the vacant lands of the Osismii were filled by a strange + people, who, under the authority of their counts and bishops, preserved + the laws and language of their ancestors. To the feeble descendants of + Clovis and Charlemagne, the Britons of Armorica refused the customary + tribute, subdued the neighboring dioceses of Vannes, Rennes, and Nantes, + and formed a powerful, though vassal, state, which has been united to the + crown of France. <a href="#linknote-38.137" name="linknoteref-38.137" + id="linknoteref-38.137">137</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.135" id="linknote-38.135"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 135 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.135">return</a>)<br /> [ Cornwall was finally + subdued by Athelstan, (A.D. 927-941,) who planted an English colony at + Exeter, and confined the Britons beyond the River Tamar. See William of + Malmsbury, l. ii., in the Scriptores post Bedam, p. 50. The spirit of the + Cornish knights was degraded by servitude: and it should seem, from the + Romance of Sir Tristram, that their cowardice was almost proverbial.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.136" id="linknote-38.136"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 136 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.136">return</a>)<br /> [ The establishment of + the Britons in Gaul is proved in the sixth century, by Procopius, Gregory + of Tours, the second council of Tours, (A.D. 567,) and the least + suspicious of their chronicles and lives of saints. The subscription of a + bishop of the Britons to the first council of Tours, (A.D. 461, or rather + 481,) the army of Riothamus, and the loose declamation of Gildas, (alii + transmarinas petebant regiones, c. 25, p. 8,) may countenance an + emigration as early as the middle of the fifth century. Beyond that era, + the Britons of Armorica can be found only in romance; and I am surprised + that Mr. Whitaker (Genuine History of the Britons, p. 214-221) should so + faithfully transcribe the gross ignorance of Carte, whose venial errors he + has so rigorously chastised.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.137" id="linknote-38.137"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 137 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.137">return</a>)<br /> [ The antiquities of + Bretagne, which have been the subject even of political controversy, are + illustrated by Hadrian Valesius, (Notitia Galliarum, sub voce Britannia + Cismarina, p. 98-100.) M. D’Anville, (Notice de l’Ancienne Gaule, + Corisopiti, Curiosolites, Osismii, Vorganium, p. 248, 258, 508, 720, and + Etats de l’Europe, p. 76-80,) Longuerue, (Description de la France, tom. + i. p. 84-94,) and the Abbe de Vertot, (Hist. Critique de l’Etablissement + des Bretons dans les Gaules, 2 vols. in 12 mo., Paris, 1720.) I may assume + the merit of examining the original evidence which they have produced. * + Note: Compare Gallet, Mémoires sur la Bretagne, and Daru, Histoire de + Bretagne. These authors appear to me to establish the point of the + independence of Bretagne at the time that the insular Britons took refuge + in their country, and that the greater part landed as fugitives rather + than as conquerors. I observe that M. Lappenberg (Geschichte von England, + vol. i. p. 56) supposes the settlement of a military colony formed of + British soldiers, (Milites limitanei, laeti,) during the usurpation of + Maximus, (381, 388,) who gave their name and peculiar civilization to + Bretagne. M. Lappenberg expresses his surprise that Gibbon here rejects + the authority which he follows elsewhere.—M.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap38.5"></a> +Chapter XXXVIII: Reign Of Clovis.—Part V. +</h2> + <p> + In a century of perpetual, or at least implacable, war, much courage, and + some skill, must have been exerted for the defence of Britain. Yet if the + memory of its champions is almost buried in oblivion, we need not repine; + since every age, however destitute of science or virtue, sufficiently + abounds with acts of blood and military renown. The tomb of Vortimer, the + son of Vortigern, was erected on the margin of the sea-shore, as a + landmark formidable to the Saxons, whom he had thrice vanquished in the + fields of Kent. Ambrosius Aurelian was descended from a noble family of + Romans; <a href="#linknote-38.138" name="linknoteref-38.138" + id="linknoteref-38.138">138</a> his modesty was equal to his valor, and his + valor, till the last fatal action, <a href="#linknote-38.139" + name="linknoteref-38.139" id="linknoteref-38.139">139</a> was crowned with + splendid success. But every British name is effaced by the illustrious + name of Arthur, <a href="#linknote-38.140" name="linknoteref-38.140" + id="linknoteref-38.140">140</a> the hereditary prince of the Silures, in + South Wales, and the elective king or general of the nation. According to + the most rational account, he defeated, in twelve successive battles, the + Angles of the North, and the Saxons of the West; but the declining age of + the hero was imbittered by popular ingratitude and domestic misfortunes. + The events of his life are less interesting than the singular revolutions + of his fame. During a period of five hundred years the tradition of his + exploits was preserved, and rudely embellished, by the obscure bards of + Wales and Armorica, who were odious to the Saxons, and unknown to the rest + of mankind. The pride and curiosity of the Norman conquerors prompted them + to inquire into the ancient history of Britain: they listened with fond + credulity to the tale of Arthur, and eagerly applauded the merit of a + prince who had triumphed over the Saxons, their common enemies. His + romance, transcribed in the Latin of Jeffrey of Monmouth, and afterwards + translated into the fashionable idiom of the times, was enriched with the + various, though incoherent, ornaments which were familiar to the + experience, the learning, or the fancy, of the twelfth century. The + progress of a Phrygian colony, from the Tyber to the Thames, was easily + ingrafted on the fable of the Aeneid; and the royal ancestors of Arthur + derived their origin from Troy, and claimed their alliance with the + Caesars. His trophies were decorated with captive provinces and Imperial + titles; and his Danish victories avenged the recent injuries of his + country. The gallantry and superstition of the British hero, his feasts + and tournaments, and the memorable institution of his Knights of the Round + Table, were faithfully copied from the reigning manners of chivalry; and + the fabulous exploits of Uther’s son appear less incredible than the + adventures which were achieved by the enterprising valor of the Normans. + Pilgrimage, and the holy wars, introduced into Europe the specious + miracles of Arabian magic. Fairies and giants, flying dragons, and + enchanted palaces, were blended with the more simple fictions of the West; + and the fate of Britain depended on the art, or the predictions, of + Merlin. Every nation embraced and adorned the popular romance of Arthur, + and the Knights of the Round Table: their names were celebrated in Greece + and Italy; and the voluminous tales of Sir Lancelot and Sir Tristram were + devoutly studied by the princes and nobles, who disregarded the genuine + heroes and historians of antiquity. At length the light of science and + reason was rekindled; the talisman was broken; the visionary fabric melted + into air; and by a natural, though unjust, reverse of the public opinion, + the severity of the present age is inclined to question the existence of + Arthur. <a href="#linknote-38.141" name="linknoteref-38.141" + id="linknoteref-38.141">141</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.138" id="linknote-38.138"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 138 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.138">return</a>)<br /> [ Bede, who in his + chronicle (p. 28) places Ambrosius under the reign of Zeno, (A.D. + 474-491,) observes, that his parents had been “purpura induti;” which he + explains, in his ecclesiastical history, by “regium nomen et insigne + ferentibus,” (l. i. c. 16, p. 53.) The expression of Nennius (c. 44, p. + 110, edit. Gale) is still more singular, “Unus de consulibus gentis + Romanicae est pater meus.”] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.139" id="linknote-38.139"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 139 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.139">return</a>)<br /> [ By the unanimous, + though doubtful, conjecture of our antiquarians, Ambrosius is confounded + with Natanleod, who (A.D. 508) lost his own life, and five thousand of his + subjects, in a battle against Cerdic, the West Saxon, (Chron. Saxon. p. + 17, 18.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.140" id="linknote-38.140"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 140 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.140">return</a>)<br /> [ As I am a stranger to + the Welsh bards, Myrdhin, Llomarch, and Taliessin, my faith in the + existence and exploits of Arthur principally rests on the simple and + circumstantial testimony of Nennius. (Hist. Brit. c. 62, 63, p. 114.) Mr. + Whitaker, (Hist. of Manchester, vol. ii. p. 31-71) had framed an + interesting, and even probable, narrative of the wars of Arthur: though it + is impossible to allow the reality of the round table. * Note: I presume + that Gibbon means Llywarch Hen, or the Aged.—The Elegies of this + Welsh prince and bard have been published by Mr. Owen; to whose works and + in the Myvyrian Archaeology, slumbers much curious information on the + subject of Welsh tradition and poetry. But the Welsh antiquarians have + never obtained a hearing from the public; they have had no Macpherson to + compensate for his corruption of their poetic legends by forcing them into + popularity.—See also Mr. Sharon Turner’s Essay on the Welsh Bards.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.141" id="linknote-38.141"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 141 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.141">return</a>)<br /> [ The progress of + romance, and the state of learning, in the middle ages, are illustrated by + Mr. Thomas Warton, with the taste of a poet, and the minute diligence of + an antiquarian. I have derived much instruction from the two learned + dissertations prefixed to the first volume of his History of English + Poetry. * Note: These valuable dissertations should not now be read + without the notes and preliminary essay of the late editor, Mr. Price, + which, in point of taste and fulness of information, are worthy of + accompanying and completing those of Warton.—M.] + </p> + <p> + Resistance, if it cannot avert, must increase the miseries of conquest; + and conquest has never appeared more dreadful and destructive than in the + hands of the Saxons; who hated the valor of their enemies, disdained the + faith of treaties, and violated, without remorse, the most sacred objects + of the Christian worship. The fields of battle might be traced, almost in + every district, by monuments of bones; the fragments of falling towers + were stained with blood; the last of the Britons, without distinction of + age or sex, was massacred, <a href="#linknote-38.142" + name="linknoteref-38.142" id="linknoteref-38.142">142</a> in the ruins of + Anderida; <a href="#linknote-38.143" name="linknoteref-38.143" + id="linknoteref-38.143">143</a> and the repetition of such calamities was + frequent and familiar under the Saxon heptarchy. The arts and religion, + the laws and language, which the Romans had so carefully planted in + Britain, were extirpated by their barbarous successors. After the + destruction of the principal churches, the bishops, who had declined the + crown of martyrdom, retired with the holy relics into Wales and Armorica; + the remains of their flocks were left destitute of any spiritual food; the + practice, and even the remembrance, of Christianity were abolished; and + the British clergy might obtain some comfort from the damnation of the + idolatrous strangers. The kings of France maintained the privileges of + their Roman subjects; but the ferocious Saxons trampled on the laws of + Rome, and of the emperors. The proceedings of civil and criminal + jurisdiction, the titles of honor, the forms of office, the ranks of + society, and even the domestic rights of marriage, testament, and + inheritance, were finally suppressed; and the indiscriminate crowd of + noble and plebeian slaves was governed by the traditionary customs, which + had been coarsely framed for the shepherds and pirates of Germany. The + language of science, of business, and of conversation, which had been + introduced by the Romans, was lost in the general desolation. A sufficient + number of Latin or Celtic words might be assumed by the Germans, to + express their new wants and ideas; <a href="#linknote-38.144" + name="linknoteref-38.144" id="linknoteref-38.144">144</a> but those + illiterate Pagans preserved and established the use of their national + dialect. <a href="#linknote-38.145" name="linknoteref-38.145" + id="linknoteref-38.145">145</a> Almost every name, conspicuous either in + the church or state, reveals its Teutonic origin; <a href="#linknote-38.146" + name="linknoteref-38.146" id="linknoteref-38.146">146</a> and the geography + of England was universally inscribed with foreign characters and + appellations. The example of a revolution, so rapid and so complete, may + not easily be found; but it will excite a probable suspicion, that the + arts of Rome were less deeply rooted in Britain than in Gaul or Spain; and + that the native rudeness of the country and its inhabitants was covered by + a thin varnish of Italian manners. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.142" id="linknote-38.142"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 142 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.142">return</a>)<br /> [ Hoc anno (490) Aella + et Cissa obsederunt Andredes-Ceaster; et interfecerunt omnes qui id + incoluerunt; adeo ut ne unus Brito ibi superstes fuerit, (Chron. Saxon. p. + 15;) an expression more dreadful in its simplicity, than all the vague and + tedious lamentations of the British Jeremiah.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.143" id="linknote-38.143"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 143 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.143">return</a>)<br /> [ Andredes-Ceaster, or + Anderida, is placed by Camden (Britannia, vol. i. p. 258) at Newenden, in + the marshy grounds of Kent, which might be formerly covered by the sea, + and on the edge of the great forest (Anderida) which overspread so large a + portion of Hampshire and Sussex.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.144" id="linknote-38.144"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 144 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.144">return</a>)<br /> [ Dr. Johnson affirms, + that few English words are of British extraction. Mr. Whitaker, who + understands the British language, has discovered more than three thousand, + and actually produces a long and various catalogue, (vol. ii. p. 235-329.) + It is possible, indeed, that many of these words may have been imported + from the Latin or Saxon into the native idiom of Britain. * Note: Dr. + Prichard’s very curious researches, which connect the Celtic, as well as + the Teutonic languages with the Indo-European class, make it still more + difficult to decide between the Celtic or Teutonic origin of English + words.—See Prichard on the Eastern Origin of the Celtic Nations + Oxford, 1831.—M.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.145" id="linknote-38.145"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 145 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.145">return</a>)<br /> [ In the beginning of + the seventh century, the Franks and the Anglo-Saxons mutually understood + each other’s language, which was derived from the same Teutonic root, + (Bede, l. i. c. 25, p. 60.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.146" id="linknote-38.146"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 146 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.146">return</a>)<br /> [ After the first + generation of Italian, or Scottish, missionaries, the dignities of the + church were filled with Saxon proselytes.] + </p> + <p> + This strange alteration has persuaded historians, and even philosophers, + that the provincials of Britain were totally exterminated; and that the + vacant land was again peopled by the perpetual influx, and rapid increase, + of the German colonies. Three hundred thousand Saxons are said to have + obeyed the summons of Hengist; <a href="#linknote-38.147" + name="linknoteref-38.147" id="linknoteref-38.147">147</a> the entire + emigation of the Angles was attested, in the age of Bede, by the solitude + of their native country; <a href="#linknote-38.148" name="linknoteref-38.148" + id="linknoteref-38.148">148</a> and our experience has shown the free + propagation of the human race, if they are cast on a fruitful wilderness, + where their steps are unconfined, and their subsistence is plentiful. The + Saxon kingdoms displayed the face of recent discovery and cultivation; the + towns were small, the villages were distant; the husbandry was languid and + unskilful; four sheep were equivalent to an acre of the best land; <a + href="#linknote-38.149" name="linknoteref-38.149" id="linknoteref-38.149">149</a> + an ample space of wood and morass was resigned to the vague dominion of + nature; and the modern bishopric of Durham, the whole territory from the + Tyne to the Tees, had returned to its primitive state of a savage and + solitary forest. <a href="#linknote-38.150" name="linknoteref-38.150" + id="linknoteref-38.150">150</a> Such imperfect population might have been + supplied, in some generations, by the English colonies; but neither reason + nor facts can justify the unnatural supposition, that the Saxons of + Britain remained alone in the desert which they had subdued. After the + sanguinary Barbarians had secured their dominion, and gratified their + revenge, it was their interest to preserve the peasants as well as the + cattle, of the unresisting country. In each successive revolution, the + patient herd becomes the property of its new masters; and the salutary + compact of food and labor is silently ratified by their mutual + necessities. Wilfrid, the apostle of Sussex, <a href="#linknote-38.151" + name="linknoteref-38.151" id="linknoteref-38.151">151</a> accepted from his + royal convert the gift of the peninsula of Selsey, near Chichester, with + the persons and property of its inhabitants, who then amounted to + eighty-seven families. He released them at once from spiritual and + temporal bondage; and two hundred and fifty slaves of both sexes were + baptized by their indulgent master. The kingdom of Sussex, which spread + from the sea to the Thames, contained seven thousand families; twelve + hundred were ascribed to the Isle of Wight; and, if we multiply this vague + computation, it may seem probable, that England was cultivated by a + million of servants, or villains, who were attached to the estates of + their arbitrary landlords. The indigent Barbarians were often tempted to + sell their children, or themselves into perpetual, and even foreign, + bondage; <a href="#linknote-38.152" name="linknoteref-38.152" + id="linknoteref-38.152">152</a> yet the special exemptions which were + granted to national slaves, <a href="#linknote-38.153" + name="linknoteref-38.153" id="linknoteref-38.153">153</a> sufficiently + declare that they were much less numerous than the strangers and captives, + who had lost their liberty, or changed their masters, by the accidents of + war. When time and religion had mitigated the fierce spirit of the + Anglo-Saxons, the laws encouraged the frequent practice of manumission; + and their subjects, of Welsh or Cambrian extraction, assumed the + respectable station of inferior freemen, possessed of lands, and entitled + to the rights of civil society. <a href="#linknote-38.154" + name="linknoteref-38.154" id="linknoteref-38.154">154</a> Such gentle + treatment might secure the allegiance of a fierce people, who had been + recently subdued on the confines of Wales and Cornwall. The sage Ina, the + legislator of Wessex, united the two nations in the bands of domestic + alliance; and four British lords of Somersetshire may be honorably + distinguished in the court of a Saxon monarch. <a href="#linknote-38.155" + name="linknoteref-38.155" id="linknoteref-38.155">155</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.147" id="linknote-38.147"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 147 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.147">return</a>)<br /> [ Carte’s History of + England, vol. i. p. 195. He quotes the British historians; but I much + fear, that Jeffrey of Monmouth (l. vi. c. 15) is his only witness.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.148" id="linknote-38.148"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 148 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.148">return</a>)<br /> [ Bede, Hist. + Ecclesiast. l. i. c. 15, p. 52. The fact is probable, and well attested: + yet such was the loose intermixture of the German tribes, that we find, in + a subsequent period, the law of the Angli and Warini of Germany, + (Lindenbrog. Codex, p. 479-486.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.149" id="linknote-38.149"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 149 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.149">return</a>)<br /> [ See Dr. Henry’s + useful and laborious History of Great Britain, vol. ii. p. 388.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.150" id="linknote-38.150"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 150 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.150">return</a>)<br /> [ Quicquid (says John + of Tinemouth) inter Tynam et Tesam fluvios extitit, sola eremi vastitudo + tunc temporis fuit, et idcirco nullius ditioni servivit, eo quod sola + indomitorum et sylvestrium animalium spelunca et habitatio fuit, (apud + Carte, vol. i. p. 195.) From bishop Nicholson (English Historical Library, + p. 65, 98) I understand that fair copies of John of Tinemouth’s ample + collections are preserved in the libraries of Oxford, Lambeth, &c.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.151" id="linknote-38.151"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 151 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.151">return</a>)<br /> [ See the mission of + Wilfrid, &c., in Bede, Hist. Eccles. l. iv. c. 13, 16, p. 155, 156, + 159.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.152" id="linknote-38.152"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 152 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.152">return</a>)<br /> [ From the concurrent + testimony of Bede (l. ii. c. 1, p. 78) and William of Malmsbury, (l. iii. + p. 102,) it appears, that the Anglo-Saxons, from the first to the last + age, persisted in this unnatural practice. Their youths were publicly sold + in the market of Rome.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.153" id="linknote-38.153"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 153 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.153">return</a>)<br /> [ According to the laws + of Ina, they could not be lawfully sold beyond the seas.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.154" id="linknote-38.154"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 154 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.154">return</a>)<br /> [ The life of a Wallus, + or Cambricus, homo, who possessed a hyde of land, is fixed at 120 + shillings, by the same laws (of Ina, tit. xxxii. in Leg. Anglo-Saxon. p. + 20) which allowed 200 shillings for a free Saxon, 1200 for a Thane, (see + likewise Leg. Anglo-Saxon. p. 71.) We may observe, that these legislators, + the West Saxons and Mercians, continued their British conquests after they + became Christians. The laws of the four kings of Kent do not condescend to + notice the existence of any subject Britons.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.155" id="linknote-38.155"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 155 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.155">return</a>)<br /> [ See Carte’s Hist. of + England, vol. i. p. 278.] + </p> + <p> + The independent Britons appear to have relapsed into the state of original + barbarism, from whence they had been imperfectly reclaimed. Separated by + their enemies from the rest of mankind, they soon became an object of + scandal and abhorrence to the Catholic world. <a href="#linknote-38.156" + name="linknoteref-38.156" id="linknoteref-38.156">156</a> Christianity was + still professed in the mountains of Wales; but the rude schismatics, in + the form of the clerical tonsure, and in the day of the celebration of + Easter, obstinately resisted the imperious mandates of the Roman pontiffs. + The use of the Latin language was insensibly abolished, and the Britons + were deprived of the art and learning which Italy communicated to her + Saxon proselytes. In Wales and Armorica, the Celtic tongue, the native + idiom of the West, was preserved and propagated; and the Bards, who had + been the companions of the Druids, were still protected, in the sixteenth + century, by the laws of Elizabeth. Their chief, a respectable officer of + the courts of Pengwern, or Aberfraw, or Caermarthen, accompanied the + king’s servants to war: the monarchy of the Britons, which he sung in the + front of battle, excited their courage, and justified their depredations; + and the songster claimed for his legitimate prize the fairest heifer of + the spoil. His subordinate ministers, the masters and disciples of vocal + and instrumental music, visited, in their respective circuits, the royal, + the noble, and the plebeian houses; and the public poverty, almost + exhausted by the clergy, was oppressed by the importunate demands of the + bards. Their rank and merit were ascertained by solemn trials, and the + strong belief of supernatural inspiration exalted the fancy of the poet, + and of his audience. <a href="#linknote-38.157" name="linknoteref-38.157" + id="linknoteref-38.157">157</a> The last retreats of Celtic freedom, the + extreme territories of Gaul and Britain, were less adapted to agriculture + than to pasturage: the wealth of the Britons consisted in their flocks and + herds; milk and flesh were their ordinary food; and bread was sometimes + esteemed, or rejected, as a foreign luxury. Liberty had peopled the + mountains of Wales and the morasses of Armorica; but their populousness + has been maliciously ascribed to the loose practice of polygamy; and the + houses of these licentious barbarians have been supposed to contain ten + wives, and perhaps fifty children. <a href="#linknote-38.158" + name="linknoteref-38.158" id="linknoteref-38.158">158</a> Their disposition + was rash and choleric; they were bold in action and in speech; <a + href="#linknote-38.159" name="linknoteref-38.159" id="linknoteref-38.159">159</a> + and as they were ignorant of the arts of peace, they alternately indulged + their passions in foreign and domestic war. The cavalry of Armorica, the + spearmen of Gwent, and the archers of Merioneth, were equally formidable; + but their poverty could seldom procure either shields or helmets; and the + inconvenient weight would have retarded the speed and agility of their + desultory operations. One of the greatest of the English monarchs was + requested to satisfy the curiosity of a Greek emperor concerning the state + of Britain; and Henry II. could assert, from his personal experience, that + Wales was inhabited by a race of naked warriors, who encountered, without + fear, the defensive armor of their enemies. <a href="#linknote-38.160" + name="linknoteref-38.160" id="linknoteref-38.160">160</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.156" id="linknote-38.156"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 156 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.156">return</a>)<br /> [ At the conclusion of + his history, (A.D. 731,) Bede describes the ecclesiastical state of the + island, and censures the implacable, though impotent, hatred of the + Britons against the English nation, and the Catholic church, (l. v. c. 23, + p. 219.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.157" id="linknote-38.157"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 157 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.157">return</a>)<br /> [ Mr. Pennant’s Tour in + Wales (p. 426-449) has furnished me with a curious and interesting account + of the Welsh bards. In the year 1568, a session was held at Caerwys by the + special command of Queen Elizabeth, and regular degrees in vocal and + instrumental music were conferred on fifty-five minstrels. The prize (a + silver harp) was adjudged by the Mostyn family.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.158" id="linknote-38.158"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 158 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.158">return</a>)<br /> [ Regio longe lateque + diffusa, milite, magis quam credibile sit, referta. Partibus equidem in + illis miles unus quinquaginta generat, sortitus more barbaro denas aut + amplius uxores. This reproach of William of Poitiers (in the Historians of + France, tom. xi. p. 88) is disclaimed by the Benedictine editors.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.159" id="linknote-38.159"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 159 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.159">return</a>)<br /> [ Giraldus Cambrensis + confines this gift of bold and ready eloquence to the Romans, the French, + and the Britons. The malicious Welshman insinuates that the English + taciturnity might possibly be the effect of their servitude under the + Normans.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.160" id="linknote-38.160"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 160 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.160">return</a>)<br /> [ The picture of Welsh + and Armorican manners is drawn from Giraldus, (Descript. Cambriae, c. + 6-15, inter Script. Camden. p. 886-891,) and the authors quoted by the + Abbe de Vertot, (Hist. Critique tom. ii. p. 259-266.)] + </p> + <p> + By the revolution of Britain, the limits of science, as well as of empire, + were contracted. The dark cloud, which had been cleared by the Phoenician + discoveries, and finally dispelled by the arms of Caesar, again settled on + the shores of the Atlantic, and a Roman province was again lost among the + fabulous Islands of the Ocean. One hundred and fifty years after the reign + of Honorius, the gravest historian of the times <a href="#linknote-38.161" + name="linknoteref-38.161" id="linknoteref-38.161">161</a> describes the + wonders of a remote isle, whose eastern and western parts are divided by + an antique wall, the boundary of life and death, or, more properly, of + truth and fiction. The east is a fair country, inhabited by a civilized + people: the air is healthy, the waters are pure and plentiful, and the + earth yields her regular and fruitful increase. In the west, beyond the + wall, the air is infectious and mortal; the ground is covered with + serpents; and this dreary solitude is the region of departed spirits, who + are transported from the opposite shores in substantial boats, and by + living rowers. Some families of fishermen, the subjects of the Franks, are + excused from tribute, in consideration of the mysterious office which is + performed by these Charons of the ocean. Each in his turn is summoned, at + the hour of midnight, to hear the voices, and even the names, of the + ghosts: he is sensible of their weight, and he feels himself impelled by + an unknown, but irresistible power. After this dream of fancy, we read + with astonishment, that the name of this island is Brittia; that it lies + in the ocean, against the mouth of the Rhine, and less than thirty miles + from the continent; that it is possessed by three nations, the Frisians, + the Angles, and the Britons; and that some Angles had appeared at + Constantinople, in the train of the French ambassadors. From these + ambassadors Procopius might be informed of a singular, though not + improbable, adventure, which announces the spirit, rather than the + delicacy, of an English heroine. She had been betrothed to Radiger, king + of the Varni, a tribe of Germans who touched the ocean and the Rhine; but + the perfidious lover was tempted, by motives of policy, to prefer his + father’s widow, the sister of Theodebert, king of the Franks. <a + href="#linknote-38.162" name="linknoteref-38.162" id="linknoteref-38.162">162</a> + The forsaken princess of the Angles, instead of bewailing, revenged her + disgrace. Her warlike subjects are said to have been ignorant of the use, + and even of the form, of a horse; but she boldly sailed from Britain to + the mouth of the Rhine, with a fleet of four hundred ships, and an army of + one hundred thousand men. After the loss of a battle, the captive Radiger + implored the mercy of his victorious bride, who generously pardoned his + offence, dismissed her rival, and compelled the king of the Varni to + discharge with honor and fidelity the duties of a husband. <a + href="#linknote-38.163" name="linknoteref-38.163" id="linknoteref-38.163">163</a> + This gallant exploit appears to be the last naval enterprise of the + Anglo-Saxons. The arts of navigation, by which they acquired the empire of + Britain and of the sea, were soon neglected by the indolent Barbarians, + who supinely renounced all the commercial advantages of their insular + situation. Seven independent kingdoms were agitated by perpetual discord; + and the British world was seldom connected, either in peace or war, with + the nations of the Continent. <a href="#linknote-38.164" + name="linknoteref-38.164" id="linknoteref-38.164">164</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.161" id="linknote-38.161"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 161 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.161">return</a>)<br /> [ See Procopius de + Bell. Gothic. l. iv. c. 20, p. 620-625. The Greek historian is himself so + confounded by the wonders which he relates, that he weakly attempts to + distinguish the islands of Britia and Britain, which he has identified by + so many inseparable circumstances.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.162" id="linknote-38.162"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 162 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.162">return</a>)<br /> [ Theodebert, grandson + of Clovis, and king of Austrasia, was the most powerful and warlike prince + of the age; and this remarkable adventure may be placed between the years + 534 and 547, the extreme terms of his reign. His sister Theudechildis + retired to Sens, where she founded monasteries, and distributed alms, (see + the notes of the Benedictine editors, in tom. ii. p. 216.) If we may + credit the praises of Fortunatus, (l. vi. carm. 5, in tom. ii. p. 507,) + Radiger was deprived of a most valuable wife.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.163" id="linknote-38.163"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 163 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.163">return</a>)<br /> [ Perhaps she was the + sister of one of the princes or chiefs of the Angles, who landed in 527, + and the following years, between the Humber and the Thames, and gradually + founded the kingdoms of East Anglia and Mercia. The English writers are + ignorant of her name and existence: but Procopius may have suggested to + Mr. Rowe the character and situation of Rodogune in the tragedy of the + Royal Convert.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.164" id="linknote-38.164"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 164 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.164">return</a>)<br /> [ In the copious + history of Gregory of Tours, we cannot find any traces of hostile or + friendly intercourse between France and England except in the marriage of + the daughter of Caribert, king of Paris, quam regis cujusdam in Cantia + filius matrimonio copulavit, (l. ix. c. 28, in tom. ii. p. 348.) The + bishop of Tours ended his history and his life almost immediately before + the conversion of Kent.] + </p> + <p> + I have now accomplished the laborious narrative of the decline and fall of + the Roman empire, from the fortunate age of Trajan and the Antonines, to + its total extinction in the West, about five centuries after the Christian + era. At that unhappy period, the Saxons fiercely struggled with the + natives for the possession of Britain: Gaul and Spain were divided between + the powerful monarchies of the Franks and Visigoths, and the dependent + kingdoms of the Suevi and Burgundians: Africa was exposed to the cruel + persecution of the Vandals, and the savage insults of the Moors: Rome and + Italy, as far as the banks of the Danube, were afflicted by an army of + Barbarian mercenaries, whose lawless tyranny was succeeded by the reign of + Theodoric the Ostrogoth. All the subjects of the empire, who, by the use + of the Latin language, more particularly deserved the name and privileges + of Romans, were oppressed by the disgrace and calamities of foreign + conquest; and the victorious nations of Germany established a new system + of manners and government in the western countries of Europe. The majesty + of Rome was faintly represented by the princes of Constantinople, the + feeble and imaginary successors of Augustus. Yet they continued to reign + over the East, from the Danube to the Nile and Tigris; the Gothic and + Vandal kingdoms of Italy and Africa were subverted by the arms of + Justinian; and the history of the Greek emperors may still afford a long + series of instructive lessons, and interesting revolutions. + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap38.6"></a> +Chapter XXXVIII: Reign Of Clovis.—Part VI. +</h2> + +<p class="center"> +General Observations On The Fall Of The Roman Empire In The West. +</p> + + <p> + The Greeks, after their country had been reduced into a province, imputed + the triumphs of Rome, not to the merit, but to the fortune, of the + republic. The inconstant goddess, who so blindly distributes and resumes + her favors, had now consented (such was the language of envious flattery) + to resign her wings, to descend from her globe, and to fix her firm and + immutable throne on the banks of the Tyber. <a href="#linknote-38.1000" + name="linknoteref-38.1000" id="linknoteref-38.1000">1000</a> A wiser Greek, + who has composed, with a philosophic spirit, the memorable history of his + own times, deprived his countrymen of this vain and delusive comfort, by + opening to their view the deep foundations of the greatness of Rome. <a + href="#linknote-38.2000" name="linknoteref-38.2000" id="linknoteref-38.2000">2000</a> + The fidelity of the citizens to each other, and to the state, was + confirmed by the habits of education, and the prejudices of religion. + Honor, as well as virtue, was the principle of the republic; the ambitious + citizens labored to deserve the solemn glories of a triumph; and the ardor + of the Roman youth was kindled into active emulation, as often as they + beheld the domestic images of their ancestors. <a href="#linknote-38.3000" + name="linknoteref-38.3000" id="linknoteref-38.3000">3000</a> The temperate + struggles of the patricians and plebeians had finally established the firm + and equal balance of the constitution; which united the freedom of popular + assemblies, with the authority and wisdom of a senate, and the executive + powers of a regal magistrate. When the consul displayed the standard of + the republic, each citizen bound himself, by the obligation of an oath, to + draw his sword in the cause of his country, till he had discharged the + sacred duty by a military service of ten years. This wise institution + continually poured into the field the rising generations of freemen and + soldiers; and their numbers were reenforced by the warlike and populous + states of Italy, who, after a brave resistance, had yielded to the valor + and embraced the alliance, of the Romans. The sage historian, who excited + the virtue of the younger Scipio, and beheld the ruin of Carthage, <a + href="#linknote-38.4000" name="linknoteref-38.4000" id="linknoteref-38.4000">4000</a> + has accurately described their military system; their levies, arms, + exercises, subordination, marches, encampments; and the invincible legion, + superior in active strength to the Macedonian phalanx of Philip and + Alexander. From these institutions of peace and war Polybius has deduced + the spirit and success of a people, incapable of fear, and impatient of + repose. The ambitious design of conquest, which might have been defeated + by the seasonable conspiracy of mankind, was attempted and achieved; and + the perpetual violation of justice was maintained by the political virtues + of prudence and courage. The arms of the republic, sometimes vanquished in + battle, always victorious in war, advanced with rapid steps to the + Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine, and the Ocean; and the images of gold, + or silver, or brass, that might serve to represent the nations and their + kings, were successively broken by the iron monarchy of Rome. <a + href="#linknote-38.5000" name="linknoteref-38.5000" id="linknoteref-38.5000">5000</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.1000" id="linknote-38.1000"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1000 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.1000">return</a>)<br /> [ Such are the + figurative expressions of Plutarch, (Opera, tom. ii. p. 318, edit. + Wechel,) to whom, on the faith of his son Lamprias, (Fabricius, Bibliot. + Graec. tom. iii. p. 341,) I shall boldly impute the malicious declamation. + The same opinions had prevailed among the Greeks two hundred and fifty + years before Plutarch; and to confute them is the professed intention of + Polybius, (Hist. l. i. p. 90, edit. Gronov. Amstel. 1670.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.2000" id="linknote-38.2000"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2000 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.2000">return</a>)<br /> [ See the inestimable + remains of the sixth book of Polybius, and many other parts of his general + history, particularly a digression in the seventeenth book, in which he + compares the phalanx and the legion.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.3000" id="linknote-38.3000"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3000 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.3000">return</a>)<br /> [ Sallust, de Bell. + Jugurthin. c. 4. Such were the generous professions of P. Scipio and Q. + Maximus. The Latin historian had read and most probably transcribes, + Polybius, their contemporary and friend.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.4000" id="linknote-38.4000"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4000 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.4000">return</a>)<br /> [ While Carthage was + in flames, Scipio repeated two lines of the Iliad, which express the + destruction of Troy, acknowledging to Polybius, his friend and preceptor, + (Polyb. in Excerpt. de Virtut. et Vit. tom. ii. p. 1455-1465,) that while + he recollected the vicissitudes of human affairs, he inwardly applied them + to the future calamities of Rome, (Appian. in Libycis, p. 136, edit. + Toll.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.5000" id="linknote-38.5000"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5000 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.5000">return</a>)<br /> [ See Daniel, ii. + 31-40. “And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron; forasmuch as iron + breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things.” The remainder of the prophecy + (the mixture of iron and clay) was accomplished, according to St. Jerom, + in his own time. Sicut enim in principio nihil Romano Imperio fortius et + durius, ita in fine rerum nihil imbecillius; quum et in bellis civilibus + et adversus diversas nationes, aliarum gentium barbararum auxilio + indigemus, (Opera, tom. v. p. 572.)] + </p> + <p> + The rise of a city, which swelled into an empire, may deserve, as a + singular prodigy, the reflection of a philosophic mind. But the decline of + Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of immoderate greatness. + Prosperity ripened the principle of decay; the causes of destruction + multiplied with the extent of conquest; and as soon as time or accident + had removed the artificial supports, the stupendous fabric yielded to the + pressure of its own weight. The story of its ruin is simple and obvious; + and instead of inquiring why the Roman empire was destroyed, we should + rather be surprised that it had subsisted so long. The victorious legions, + who, in distant wars, acquired the vices of strangers and mercenaries, + first oppressed the freedom of the republic, and afterwards violated the + majesty of the purple. The emperors, anxious for their personal safety and + the public peace, were reduced to the base expedient of corrupting the + discipline which rendered them alike formidable to their sovereign and to + the enemy; the vigor of the military government was relaxed, and finally + dissolved, by the partial institutions of Constantine; and the Roman world + was overwhelmed by a deluge of Barbarians. + </p> + <p> + The decay of Rome has been frequently ascribed to the translation of the + seat of empire; but this History has already shown, that the powers of + government were divided, rather than removed. The throne of Constantinople + was erected in the East; while the West was still possessed by a series of + emperors who held their residence in Italy, and claimed their equal + inheritance of the legions and provinces. This dangerous novelty impaired + the strength, and fomented the vices, of a double reign: the instruments + of an oppressive and arbitrary system were multiplied; and a vain + emulation of luxury, not of merit, was introduced and supported between + the degenerate successors of Theodosius. Extreme distress, which unites + the virtue of a free people, imbitters the factions of a declining + monarchy. The hostile favorites of Arcadius and Honorius betrayed the + republic to its common enemies; and the Byzantine court beheld with + indifference, perhaps with pleasure, the disgrace of Rome, the misfortunes + of Italy, and the loss of the West. Under the succeeding reigns, the + alliance of the two empires was restored; but the aid of the Oriental + Romans was tardy, doubtful, and ineffectual; and the national schism of + the Greeks and Latins was enlarged by the perpetual difference of language + and manners, of interests, and even of religion. Yet the salutary event + approved in some measure the judgment of Constantine. During a long period + of decay, his impregnable city repelled the victorious armies of + Barbarians, protected the wealth of Asia, and commanded, both in peace and + war, the important straits which connect the Euxine and Mediterranean + Seas. The foundation of Constantinople more essentially contributed to the + preservation of the East, than to the ruin of the West. + </p> + <p> + As the happiness of a future life is the great object of religion, we may + hear without surprise or scandal, that the introduction or at least the + abuse, of Christianity had some influence on the decline and fall of the + Roman empire. The clergy successfully preached the doctrines of patience + and pusillanimity: the active virtues of society were discouraged; and the + last remains of military spirit were buried in the cloister: a large + portion of public and private wealth was consecrated to the specious + demands of charity and devotion; and the soldiers’ pay was lavished on the + useless multitudes of both sexes, who could only plead the merits of + abstinence and chastity. <a href="#linknote-38.511" name="linknoteref-38.511" + id="linknoteref-38.511">511</a> Faith, zeal, curiosity, and the more + earthly passions of malice and ambition, kindled the flame of theological + discord; the church, and even the state, were distracted by religious + factions, whose conflicts were sometimes bloody, and always implacable; + the attention of the emperors was diverted from camps to synods; the Roman + world was oppressed by a new species of tyranny; and the persecuted sects + became the secret enemies of their country. Yet party spirit, however + pernicious or absurd, is a principle of union as well as of dissension. + The bishops, from eighteen hundred pulpits, inculcated the duty of passive + obedience to a lawful and orthodox sovereign; their frequent assemblies, + and perpetual correspondence, maintained the communion of distant + churches; and the benevolent temper of the gospel was strengthened, though + confined, by the spiritual alliance of the Catholics. The sacred indolence + of the monks was devoutly embraced by a servile and effeminate age; but if + superstition had not afforded a decent retreat, the same vices would have + tempted the unworthy Romans to desert, from baser motives, the standard of + the republic. Religious precepts are easily obeyed, which indulge and + sanctify the natural inclinations of their votaries; but the pure and + genuine influence of Christianity may be traced in its beneficial, though + imperfect, effects on the Barbarian proselytes of the North. If the + decline of the Roman empire was hastened by the conversion of Constantine, + his victorious religion broke the violence of the fall, and mollified the + ferocious temper of the conquerors. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.511" id="linknote-38.511"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 511 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.511">return</a>)<br /> [ It might be a curious + speculation, how far the purer morals of the genuine and more active + Christians may have compensated, in the population of the Roman empire, + for the secession of such numbers into inactive and unproductive celibacy.—M.] + </p> + <p> + This awful revolution may be usefully applied to the instruction of the + present age. It is the duty of a patriot to prefer and promote the + exclusive interest and glory of his native country: but a philosopher may + be permitted to enlarge his views, and to consider Europe as one great + republic whose various inhabitants have obtained almost the same level of + politeness and cultivation. The balance of power will continue to + fluctuate, and the prosperity of our own, or the neighboring kingdoms, may + be alternately exalted or depressed; but these partial events cannot + essentially injure our general state of happiness, the system of arts, and + laws, and manners, which so advantageously distinguish, above the rest of + mankind, the Europeans and their colonies. The savage nations of the globe + are the common enemies of civilized society; and we may inquire, with + anxious curiosity, whether Europe is still threatened with a repetition of + those calamities, which formerly oppressed the arms and institutions of + Rome. Perhaps the same reflections will illustrate the fall of that mighty + empire, and explain the probable causes of our actual security. + </p> + <p> + I. The Romans were ignorant of the extent of their danger, and the number + of their enemies. Beyond the Rhine and Danube, the Northern countries of + Europe and Asia were filled with innumerable tribes of hunters and + shepherds, poor, voracious, and turbulent; bold in arms, and impatient to + ravish the fruits of industry. The Barbarian world was agitated by the + rapid impulse of war; and the peace of Gaul or Italy was shaken by the + distant revolutions of China. The Huns, who fled before a victorious + enemy, directed their march towards the West; and the torrent was swelled + by the gradual accession of captives and allies. The flying tribes who + yielded to the Huns assumed in their turn the spirit of conquest; the + endless column of Barbarians pressed on the Roman empire with accumulated + weight; and, if the foremost were destroyed, the vacant space was + instantly replenished by new assailants. Such formidable emigrations can + no longer issue from the North; and the long repose, which has been + imputed to the decrease of population, is the happy consequence of the + progress of arts and agriculture. Instead of some rude villages, thinly + scattered among its woods and morasses, Germany now produces a list of two + thousand three hundred walled towns: the Christian kingdoms of Denmark, + Sweden, and Poland, have been successively established; and the Hanse + merchants, with the Teutonic knights, have extended their colonies along + the coast of the Baltic, as far as the Gulf of Finland. From the Gulf of + Finland to the Eastern Ocean, Russia now assumes the form of a powerful + and civilized empire. The plough, the loom, and the forge, are introduced + on the banks of the Volga, the Oby, and the Lena; and the fiercest of the + Tartar hordes have been taught to tremble and obey. The reign of + independent Barbarism is now contracted to a narrow span; and the remnant + of Calmucks or Uzbecks, whose forces may be almost numbered, cannot + seriously excite the apprehensions of the great republic of Europe. <a + href="#linknote-38.6000" name="linknoteref-38.6000" id="linknoteref-38.6000">6000</a> + Yet this apparent security should not tempt us to forget, that new + enemies, and unknown dangers, may possibly arise from some obscure people, + scarcely visible in the map of the world, The Arabs or Saracens, who + spread their conquests from India to Spain, had languished in poverty and + contempt, till Mahomet breathed into those savage bodies the soul of + enthusiasm. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.6000" id="linknote-38.6000"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6000 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.6000">return</a>)<br /> [ The French and + English editors of the Genealogical History of the Tartars have subjoined + a curious, though imperfect, description, of their present state. We might + question the independence of the Calmucks, or Eluths, since they have been + recently vanquished by the Chinese, who, in the year 1759, subdued the + Lesser Bucharia, and advanced into the country of Badakshan, near the + source of the Oxus, (Mémoires sur les Chinois, tom. i. p. 325-400.) But + these conquests are precarious, nor will I venture to insure the safety of + the Chinese empire.] + </p> + <p> + II. The empire of Rome was firmly established by the singular and perfect + coalition of its members. The subject nations, resigning the hope, and + even the wish, of independence, embraced the character of Roman citizens; + and the provinces of the West were reluctantly torn by the Barbarians from + the bosom of their mother country. <a href="#linknote-38.7000" + name="linknoteref-38.7000" id="linknoteref-38.7000">7000</a> But this union + was purchased by the loss of national freedom and military spirit; and the + servile provinces, destitute of life and motion, expected their safety + from the mercenary troops and governors, who were directed by the orders + of a distant court. The happiness of a hundred millions depended on the + personal merit of one or two men, perhaps children, whose minds were + corrupted by education, luxury, and despotic power. The deepest wounds + were inflicted on the empire during the minorities of the sons and + grandsons of Theodosius; and, after those incapable princes seemed to + attain the age of manhood, they abandoned the church to the bishops, the + state to the eunuchs, and the provinces to the Barbarians. Europe is now + divided into twelve powerful, though unequal kingdoms, three respectable + commonwealths, and a variety of smaller, though independent, states: the + chances of royal and ministerial talents are multiplied, at least, with + the number of its rulers; and a Julian, or Semiramis, may reign in the + North, while Arcadius and Honorius again slumber on the thrones of the + South. The abuses of tyranny are restrained by the mutual influence of + fear and shame; republics have acquired order and stability; monarchies + have imbibed the principles of freedom, or, at least, of moderation; and + some sense of honor and justice is introduced into the most defective + constitutions by the general manners of the times. In peace, the progress + of knowledge and industry is accelerated by the emulation of so many + active rivals: in war, the European forces are exercised by temperate and + undecisive contests. If a savage conqueror should issue from the deserts + of Tartary, he must repeatedly vanquish the robust peasants of Russia, the + numerous armies of Germany, the gallant nobles of France, and the intrepid + freemen of Britain; who, perhaps, might confederate for their common + defence. Should the victorious Barbarians carry slavery and desolation as + far as the Atlantic Ocean, ten thousand vessels would transport beyond + their pursuit the remains of civilized society; and Europe would revive + and flourish in the American world, which is already filled with her + colonies and institutions. <a href="#linknote-38.8000" + name="linknoteref-38.8000" id="linknoteref-38.8000">8000</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.7000" id="linknote-38.7000"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7000 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.7000">return</a>)<br /> [ The prudent reader + will determine how far this general proposition is weakened by the revolt + of the Isaurians, the independence of Britain and Armorica, the Moorish + tribes, or the Bagaudae of Gaul and Spain, (vol. i. p. 328, vol. iii. p. + 315, vol. iii. p. 372, 480.)] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.8000" id="linknote-38.8000"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8000 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.8000">return</a>)<br /> [ America now + contains about six millions of European blood and descent; and their + numbers, at least in the North, are continually increasing. Whatever may + be the changes of their political situation, they must preserve the + manners of Europe; and we may reflect with some pleasure, that the English + language will probably be diffused ever an immense and populous + continent.] + </p> + <p> + III. Cold, poverty, and a life of danger and fatigue, fortify the strength + and courage of Barbarians. In every age they have oppressed the polite and + peaceful nations of China, India, and Persia, who neglected, and still + neglect, to counterbalance these natural powers by the resources of + military art. The warlike states of antiquity, Greece, Macedonia, and + Rome, educated a race of soldiers; exercised their bodies, disciplined + their courage, multiplied their forces by regular evolutions, and + converted the iron, which they possessed, into strong and serviceable + weapons. But this superiority insensibly declined with their laws and + manners; and the feeble policy of Constantine and his successors armed and + instructed, for the ruin of the empire, the rude valor of the Barbarian + mercenaries. The military art has been changed by the invention of + gunpowder; which enables man to command the two most powerful agents of + nature, air and fire. Mathematics, chemistry, mechanics, architecture, + have been applied to the service of war; and the adverse parties oppose to + each other the most elaborate modes of attack and of defence. Historians + may indignantly observe, that the preparations of a siege would found and + maintain a flourishing colony; <a href="#linknote-38.9000" + name="linknoteref-38.9000" id="linknoteref-38.9000">9000</a> yet we cannot + be displeased, that the subversion of a city should be a work of cost and + difficulty; or that an industrious people should be protected by those + arts, which survive and supply the decay of military virtue. Cannon and + fortifications now form an impregnable barrier against the Tartar horse; + and Europe is secure from any future irruptions of Barbarians; since, + before they can conquer, they must cease to be barbarous. Their gradual + advances in the science of war would always be accompanied, as we may + learn from the example of Russia, with a proportionable improvement in the + arts of peace and civil policy; and they themselves must deserve a place + among the polished nations whom they subdue. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.9000" id="linknote-38.9000"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9000 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.9000">return</a>)<br /> [ On avoit fait venir + (for the siege of Turin) 140 pieces de canon; et il est a remarquer que + chaque gros canon monte revient a environ ecus: il y avoit 100,000 + boulets; 106,000 cartouches d’une facon, et 300,000 d’une autre; 21,000 + bombes; 27,700 grenades, 15,000 sacs a terre, 30,000 instruments pour la + pionnage; 1,200,000 livres de poudre. Ajoutez a ces munitions, le plomb, + le fer, et le fer-blanc, les cordages, tout ce qui sert aux mineurs, le + souphre, le salpetre, les outils de toute espece. Il est certain que les + frais de tous ces preparatifs de destruction suffiroient pour fonder et + pour faire fleurir la plus aombreuse colonie. Voltaire, Siecle de Louis + XIV. c. xx. in his Works. tom. xi. p. 391.] + </p> + <p> + Should these speculations be found doubtful or fallacious, there still + remains a more humble source of comfort and hope. The discoveries of + ancient and modern navigators, and the domestic history, or tradition, of + the most enlightened nations, represent the human savage, naked both in + body and mind and destitute of laws, of arts, of ideas, and almost of + language. <a href="#linknote-38.1001" name="linknoteref-38.1001" + id="linknoteref-38.1001">1001</a> From this abject condition, perhaps the + primitive and universal state of man, he has gradually arisen to command + the animals, to fertilize the earth, to traverse the ocean and to measure + the heavens. His progress in the improvement and exercise of his mental + and corporeal faculties <a href="#linknote-38.1101" + name="linknoteref-38.1101" id="linknoteref-38.1101">1101</a> has been + irregular and various; infinitely slow in the beginning, and increasing by + degrees with redoubled velocity: ages of laborious ascent have been + followed by a moment of rapid downfall; and the several climates of the + globe have felt the vicissitudes of light and darkness. Yet the experience + of four thousand years should enlarge our hopes, and diminish our + apprehensions: we cannot determine to what height the human species may + aspire in their advances towards perfection; but it may safely be + presumed, that no people, unless the face of nature is changed, will + relapse into their original barbarism. The improvements of society may be + viewed under a threefold aspect. 1. The poet or philosopher illustrates + his age and country by the efforts of a single mind; but those superior + powers of reason or fancy are rare and spontaneous productions; and the + genius of Homer, or Cicero, or Newton, would excite less admiration, if + they could be created by the will of a prince, or the lessons of a + preceptor. 2. The benefits of law and policy, of trade and manufactures, + of arts and sciences, are more solid and permanent: and many individuals + may be qualified, by education and discipline, to promote, in their + respective stations, the interest of the community. But this general order + is the effect of skill and labor; and the complex machinery may be decayed + by time, or injured by violence. + </p> + <p> + 3. Fortunately for mankind, the more useful, or, at least, more necessary + arts, can be performed without superior talents, or national + subordination: without the powers of one, or the union of many. Each + village, each family, each individual, must always possess both ability + and inclination to perpetuate the use of fire <a href="#linknote-38.1201" + name="linknoteref-38.1201" id="linknoteref-38.1201">1201</a> and of metals; + the propagation and service of domestic animals; the methods of hunting + and fishing; the rudiments of navigation; the imperfect cultivation of + corn, or other nutritive grain; and the simple practice of the mechanic + trades. Private genius and public industry may be extirpated; but these + hardy plants survive the tempest, and strike an everlasting root into the + most unfavorable soil. The splendid days of Augustus and Trajan were + eclipsed by a cloud of ignorance; and the Barbarians subverted the laws + and palaces of Rome. But the scythe, the invention or emblem of Saturn, <a + href="#linknote-38.1302" name="linknoteref-38.1302" id="linknoteref-38.1302">1302</a> + still continued annually to mow the harvests of Italy; and the human + feasts of the Laestrigons <a href="#linknote-38.1401" + name="linknoteref-38.1401" id="linknoteref-38.1401">1401</a> have never been + renewed on the coast of Campania. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.1001" id="linknote-38.1001"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1001 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.1001">return</a>)<br /> [ It would be an + easy, though tedious, task, to produce the authorities of poets, + philosophers, and historians. I shall therefore content myself with + appealing to the decisive and authentic testimony of Diodorus Siculus, + (tom. i. l. i. p. 11, 12, l. iii. p. 184, &c., edit. Wesseling.) The + Icthyophagi, who in his time wandered along the shores of the Red Sea, can + only be compared to the natives of New Holland, (Dampier’s Voyages, vol. + i. p. 464-469.) Fancy, or perhaps reason, may still suppose an extreme and + absolute state of nature far below the level of these savages, who had + acquired some arts and instruments.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.1101" id="linknote-38.1101"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1101 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.1101">return</a>)<br /> [ See the learned and + rational work of the president Goguet, de l’Origine des Loix, des Arts, et + des Sciences. He traces from facts, or conjectures, (tom. i. p. 147-337, + edit. 12mo.,) the first and most difficult steps of human invention.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.1201" id="linknote-38.1201"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1201 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.1201">return</a>)<br /> [ It is certain, + however strange, that many nations have been ignorant of the use of fire. + Even the ingenious natives of Otaheite, who are destitute of metals, have + not invented any earthen vessels capable of sustaining the action of fire, + and of communicating the heat to the liquids which they contain.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.1302" id="linknote-38.1302"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1302 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.1302">return</a>)<br /> [ Plutarch. Quaest. + Rom. in tom. ii. p. 275. Macrob. Saturnal. l. i. c. 8, p. 152, edit. + London. The arrival of Saturn (of his religious worship) in a ship, may + indicate, that the savage coast of Latium was first discovered and + civilized by the Phoenicians.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.1401" id="linknote-38.1401"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1401 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.1401">return</a>)<br /> [ In the ninth and + tenth books of the Odyssey, Homer has embellished the tales of fearful and + credulous sailors, who transformed the cannibals of Italy and Sicily into + monstrous giants.] + </p> + <p> + Since the first discovery of the arts, war, commerce, and religious zeal + have diffused, among the savages of the Old and New World, these + inestimable gifts: they have been successively propagated; they can never + be lost. We may therefore acquiesce in the pleasing conclusion, that every + age of the world has increased, and still increases, the real wealth, the + happiness, the knowledge, and perhaps the virtue, of the human race. <a + href="#linknote-38.1501" name="linknoteref-38.1501" id="linknoteref-38.1501">1501</a> + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-38.1501" id="linknote-38.1501"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1501 (<a href="#linknoteref-38.1501">return</a>)<br /> [ The merit of + discovery has too often been stained with avarice, cruelty, and + fanaticism; and the intercourse of nations has produced the communication + of disease and prejudice. A singular exception is due to the virtue of our + own times and country. The five great voyages, successively undertaken by + the command of his present Majesty, were inspired by the pure and generous + love of science and of mankind. The same prince, adapting his benefactions + to the different stages of society, has founded his school of painting in + his capital; and has introduced into the islands of the South Sea the + vegetables and animals most useful to human life.] + </p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div style='display:block;margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE ***</div> +<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0;'>This file should be named 733-h.htm or 733-h.zip</div> +<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0;'>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in https://www.gutenberg.org/7/3/733/</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will +be renamed. +</div> + +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. 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