Of the Origin of the ROMANS.
(Year of the World, 2800—Before Christ, 1184.)
All [1]nations [2]seem [3]willing to [4]derive [5]merit
from the [6]splendor of their [7]origin, and [8]where
[9]history [10]is silent, they [11]generally [12]supply the
[13]defect with [14]fable. The [15]Romans were [16]particularly
[17]desirous of being [18]thought [19]descended
from the [20]Gods, [21]as if they would [22]hide the
[23]meanness of their [24]real [25]ancestry. [26]Æneas, the
[27]son of [28]Venus and [29]Anchises, having [30]escaped
from the [31]destruction of [32]Troy, [33]after [34]many
[35]adventures and [36]dangers [37]arrived in [38]Italy,
[39]where he was [40]kindly [41]received by [42]Latinus,
[43]king of the [44]Latins, who [45]gave him his [46]daughter
[47]Lavinia in [48]marriage. Italy was [49]then [50]as
it is [51]now, [52]divided into a [53]number of [54]small
[55]states, [56]independent of [57]each other, and, [58]consequently,
[59]subject to [60]frequent [61]contentions
[62]among themselves. [63]Turnus, [64]king of the [65]Rutuli,
was the [66]first who [67]opposed Æneas, he having [68]long
[69]made pretensions to Lavinia himself. A [70]war
[71]ensued, in which the [72]Trojan [73]hero was [74]victorious,
and [75]Turnus [76]slain. In [77]consequence of this, Æneas
[78]built a [79]city, which was [80]called [81]Lavinium, in
[82]honour of his [83]wife; and [84]some time after [85]engaging
in another [86]war [87]against [88]Mezentius, one
of the [89]petty kings of the [90]country, he was [91]conquered
in his [92]turn, and [93]died in [94]battle, after a
[95]reign of four [96]years.
[97]Ascanius, his [98]son, [99]succeeded to the [100]kingdom,
and to him, Silvius, a [101]second son, [102]whom
he had by Lavinia. It would be [103]tedious to [104]recite
a [105]dry [106]catalogue of the kings that [107]followed,
and of whom we [108]know [109]little more than their
[110]names; it will be [111]sufficient to [112]say, that the
[113]succession [114]continued for [115]near [116]four [117]hundred
[118]years in the [119]family, and that [120]Numitor was the
[121]last king of Alba.
(Of the World, 3301—Before Christ, 753.)
The [1]twelfth [2]king of the [3]Latins after [4]Æneas,
was [5]Amulius, who [6]circumvented his [7]brother
[8]Numitor, to whom the [9]right of [10]succession
[11]appertained, upon the [12]account of his [13]age.
Numitor had an [14]only [15]daughter [16]called Sylvia,
and [17]Romulus and [18]Remus, [19]twin brothers, and
founders of Rome, were, as it is said in fable and
history, the [20]sons of [21]Mars and Sylvia. The
children being [22]exposed by the [23]king’s [24]order,
were [25]privately [26]educated by one [27]Faustulus, a
[28]shepherd. When they were [29]grown up, they
[30]slew Amulius, [31]restored their [32]grandfather, to
his [33]kingdom, and [34]built [35]Rome 753 years before
[36]Christ was [37]born.
Romulus, having [38]put his [39]rival brother to
[40]death, [41]was [42]proclaimed king by his [43]followers;
and having [44]settled the [45]state [46]affairs, and [47]being
in want of females, he [48]seized upon all the [49]young
women that [50]came to [51]see the [52]public [53]games
at Rome; upon which a [54]terrible and long [55]war
with the [56]Sabines [57]ensued.
The [58]Cæninenses, [59]Antemnates, and [60]Crustumini
were [61]conquered; and [62]at last the [63]Sabines,
under the [64]conduct of [65]Tatius, [66]bearing hard
upon the Romans, by the [67]interposition of the [68]Sabine
women who had been [69]detained at Rome, it
was [70]agreed upon [71]betwixt both [72]parties, [73]that
they should [74]jointly [75]inhabit Rome, and Romulus
and Tatius should [76]reign [77]together. Tatius being
[78]slain six [79]years after, Romulus reigned [80]alone,
and [81]completed the [82]term of 38 years, having
conquered the [83]neighbouring cities. At last, [84]a
great [85]tempest [86]arising as he [87]held an [88]assembly
at the [89]lake of Caprea, [90]he was no where to be
found, being [91]torn in pieces by the [92]senators (as
it was [93]generally [94]thought) to whom he was [95]now
[96]grown [97]odious on [98]account of his [99]cruelty.
He [100]first [101]divided the city into [102]thirty [103]curiæ,
and [104]three [105]tribes. The [106]poor he [107]put [108]under
the [109]protection of the [110]great, whom he [111]named
[112]patricii. He [113]triumphed [114]three times [115]over his
[116]vanquished [117]enemies; [118]first, over the Cæninenses,
and Antemnates, in which [119]war having [120]killed their
[121]king [122]Acron [123]with his own hand, he [124]consecrated
his first [125]spoils to [126]Jupiter Feretrius; [127]secondly,
over the [128]Camerini; [129]thirdly, over the [130]Fidenates,
and [131]Veientes.
[132]After an [133]interregnum of a [134]year’s continuance,
[135]Numa Pompilius, a Sabine, [136]born at [137]Cures,
was [138]chosen king by the Romans, 714 years before
[139]Christ was [140]born; [141]who [142]applying himself to
the [143]preservation of the public [144]quiet, [145]instituted
all the [146]religious [147]rites of the Romans. He [148]made
an [149]addition of two [150]months to the year, which
[151]till that time had [152]consisted of [153]ten, and [154]reigned
forty-three years.
[155]The third king of the Romans was [156]Tullus Hostilius,
a [157]man of a [158]restless temper, and [159]fit for
nothing but war. He [160]conquered the Albans, and
[161]destroyed their city, after he had first [162]removed
the [163]inhabitants, and all their [164]substance to Rome;
and [165]torn to pieces, [166]tied [167]betwixt two [168]chariots,
[169]Metius Fusetius, [170]dictator of the [171]Albans, [172]convicted
of [173]treachery. He [174]triumphed [175]three times
over the Albans, the [176]Fidenates, and the Sabines.
He [177]reigned [178]thirty-two years, and [179]perished with
his [180]wife, and [181]whole family, by [182]a thunderbolt
[183]from heaven.
The [184]fourth king that reigned at Rome was [185]Ancus
Martius, [186]grandson to Numa Pompilius, by whom
the [187]Latins were [188]subdued, and most of them [189]taken
into the city, and [190]settled in the [191]Aventine mount;
[192]the Janiculum was [193]fortified by him, a [194]bridge
made over the [195]Tiber, and Ostia [196]built. He
reigned 24 years.
The [197]fifth king of Rome was [198]Tarquinius Priscus,
the [199]son of [200]Demaratus, a [201]Corinthian. He
[202]came to Rome from [203]Tarquinii, a [204]town of
Etruria, [205]from whence he was [206]called [207]Lucius
Tarquinius. After he [208]came to the [209]government,
he [210]augmented the [211]senate, [212]subdued the [213]twelve
[214]nations of Etruria, and [215]borrowed from them the
[216]ensigns of [217]supreme [218]power, the [219]fasces; the
[220]trabea; the [221]curule chair; the [222]prætexta; and
other [223]things of that [224]kind. He was slain by the
sons of [225]Ancus, after he had reigned 38 years.
His [226]son-in-law Servius Tullius, the [227]sixth in
[228]order, [229]began his [230]reign in the year 577 before
Christ. He was for his [231]rare [232]endowments [233]preferred
before those of the royal [234]blood. He first
[235]instituted the [236]census, and [237]ordered it to be
[238]kept [239]every five years; [240]divided the [241]people into
[242]classes, and [243]centuries, and [244]enlarged the city: and
after he had [245]governed the [246]kingdom with great
[247]applause 44 years, he was [248]murdered through the
[249]horrid [250]wickedness of his own [251]daughter, and Tarquin
his [252]son-in-law.
The [253]seventh and [254]last king that reigned at
Rome was Tarquin, [255]surnamed [256]the Proud, whom
[257]most of the [258]old Roman [259]authors [260]affirm to be
the son of [261]Priscus; [262]but [263]Dionysius [264]will have
him to be his grandson. He [265]governed the [266]kingdom
he had [267]procured by his [268]wickedness [269]no better
than he got it, being [270]cruel to the [271]senators, and
his [272]other [273]subjects. He [274]conquered the [275]Volsci,
the Sabines, and Gabii; and having [276]built the
[277]Capitol with the [278]spoils of the cities he had [279]taken,
he was [280]at last [281]turned out of the city, and of his
kingdom, for a [282]violence [283]committed by his [284]son
upon [285]Lucretia.
(Of the World, 3545—Of Rome, 245.)
[1]King Tarquin, with his [2]family, being [3]banished,
[4]L. Junius Brutus, and [5]L. Tarquinius
Collatinus were [6]made [7]consuls. [8]The former
was so [9]severe, that he [10]scourged and [11]beheaded
his own sons for [12]favouring [13]the banished
kings, being a [14]greater [15]friend to the [16]public
[17]liberty than to his own family. A [18]field of the
Tarquins, which [19]lay [20]between the city and [21]the Tiber,
was [22]consecrated to [23]Mars, and [24]from thence
[25]called [26]Campus Martius. [27]Brutus [28]died in the
[29]war [30]against the Tarquins, who [31]prevailed upon
some of the [32]neighbouring [33]nations to [34]assist them;
[35]amongst the [36]rest, Porsena, king of Etruria, [37]made
war upon the Romans, in [38]favour of the Tarquins: in
which war the [39]bravery of [40]Horatius Coccles was very
[41]remarkable, who [42]maintained the [43]fight [44]against
the [45]victorious [46]enemy [47]till the [48]bridge on the
Tiber was [49]cut down, [50]when he [51]swam and crossed the
[52]river. Nor [53]must we [54]pass over in silence the [55]noble
[56]attempt of [57]Mutius Scævola, who [58]secretly [59]entered
the [60]enemy’s [61]camp with a [62]resolution to [63]kill
the king; [64]but having by [65]mistake [66]slain one of
his nobles, he [67]thrust his [68]hand into the [69]fire that
was upon the [70]altar; which so [71]terrified the king,
that he [72]made [73]peace with the Romans, and [74]returned
[75]home. [76]After this, the [77]Latins made
[78]war upon the Romans, [79]under the [80]conduct of
[81]Octavius Mamilius, Tarquin’s [82]son-in-law; [83]against
whom [84]Posthumius being made [85]dictator, [86]vanquished
them in a [87]memorable [88]battle at the [89]lake
Regillus.
[90]Afterwards a war was [91]proclaimed [92]against the
[93]Volsci, who had [94]raised some [95]troops, to [96]send
to the [97]assistance of the [98]Latins in the [99]former
war. The [100]fortune of [101]Caius Marcius Coriolanus
was [102]remarkable in that war, who being [103]condemned
in his [104]absence, [105]retired amongst the
Volsci, and [106]advised them to [107]renew the war;
for the [108]management of which, being [109]chosen [110]general
with [111]Tullius Accius, after he had [112]routed
the Romans in [113]several [114]engagements, and [115]advanced
up [116]to the very walls of the city, he was
[117]moved by the [118]prayers of his [119]mother, and he
[120]raised the [121]siege. After the [122]death of [123]Coriolanus,
the Volsci [124]continued the war, and [125]were
[126]together with the [127]Æqui, [128]and Hernici, [129]soundly
[130]beaten by [131]Spurius Cassius, who had been [132]thrice
[133]consul. [134]He being elevated by his [135]success, [136]aspired
to the [137]throne, [138]but was [139]prevented in his
[140]design, and [141]thrown headlong from the [142]Tarpeian
rock.
In the year 261 from the [143]building of the city, the
[144]common people being very [145]much in [146]debt, and
[147]provoked by the [148]cruelty of their [149]creditors,
[150]retired [151]beyond the [152]Anien into the [153]sacred
mount, but were [154]reconciled by the [155]pacific [156]persuasions
of [157]Menenius Agrippa; having [158]first [159]obtained
from the [160]fathers, that [161]officers should be
[162]appointed to [163]screen them from the [164]violence of
the [165]patricii, who were [166] called [167]tribunes of the
[168]people.
After this, the Romans had a war with the [169]Veientes,
which the [170]family of the [171]Fabii [172]undertook
to [173]carry on by themselves; and having [174]pitched
their camp by the [175]river [176]Cremera, were [177]trepanned
by the [178]enemy, and [179]cut off in one [180]day, to the
[181]number of 306.
The war with the [182]Volsci [183]continued. They
were [184]often [185]vanquished, [186]especially by T. [187]Quintius
Cincinnatus, who took [188]Antium, the [189]metropolis
of their [190]nation. Cincinnatus being [191]afterwards
[192]taken from the [193]plough, and [194]made [195]dictator
[196]against the [197]Æqui, he [198]delivered the [199]consul
[200]Minucius, who was [201]besieged by them, and
[202]obliged the [203]enemy to [204]pass under the [205]yoke.
In the year 303, [206]after the [207]foundation of the city,
and 451 years [208]before [209]Christ, the [210]form of the
[211]government was [212]changed. [213]For [214]instead of
[215]consuls, the [216]decemviri were [217]set up, with [218]supreme
[219]power to [220]make [221]laws for the Roman
[222]people, [223]from those which their ambassadors had
the year before [224]brought from [225]Greece. But
[226]abusing their [227]power, they were [228]obliged to [229]lay
down their [230]authority; and the [231]consuls and [232]tribunes
were [233]restored.
In the 315th year of the city, Sp. Melius, in the
[234]time of a [235]famine, [236]endeavouring to [237]make his
way to a [238]throne, by [239]sharing [240]corn [241]amongst
the [242]people, was [243]slain by [244]order of [245]Quintius
Cincinnatus the [246]dictator, by [247]C. Servilius
Ahala [248]master of the horse. In the [249]following
year the [250]Fidenates [251]revolted to [252]Lars Tolumnius,
king of the [253]Veientes, and [254]put the Roman ambassadors
to [255]death, who had their [256]statues [257]erected
in the [258]forum. The [259]Veientes [260]in the next year
were [261]subdued by [262]Mamercus Æmilius, [263]dictator.
[264]Tolumnius was [265]slain by [266]Cornelius Cossus, who
was the [267]second from [268]Romulus that [269]dedicated
the [270]spoils [271]called [272]Opima to Jupiter [273]Feretrius.
[274]Censors were [275]set up at Rome in the 311th
year of the city, who [276]held their [277]office [278]at first
for [279]five [280]years, [281]but were [282]afterwards, in the year
320, [283]reduced by [284]Mamercus Æmilius, [285]dictator,
to a year and a [286]half. In the year 323, the [287]dictator
[288]A. Posthumius was very [289]successful [290]against
the [291]Æqui and the [292]Volsci; but [293]stained the
[294]victory with the [295]blood of his own [296]son, whom
he [297]beheaded for having [298]fought [299]contrary to his
[300]orders.
In the year of the city 358, the [301]town of [302]Veii was
[303]taken by [304]Camillus, dictator, [305]after a [306]siege of
[307]ten years. He [308]likewise [309]reduced the [310]Falisci,
[311]not so much by his [312]arms, as the [313]opinion they
had of his [314]justice.
But after these [315]great [316]successes, the Romans
were [317]nearly [318]ruined by the [319]Galli Senones,
who having [320]laid [321]siege to [322]Clusium in Etruria,
the Romans [323]sent three of the [324]Fabian family ambassadors
to them. These, [325]contrary to the [326]law of
[327]nations, [328]marched out into the [329]field with the
[330]Clusini against the [331]Gauls, which proceeding so
[332]incensed the latter, that [333]leaving [334]Clusium, they
marched to Rome. The Romans were [335]routed, and
[336]put to [337]flight in the very [338]first [339]attack at Allia.
After which the city was [340]taken and [341]burnt; the
[342]Capitol, [343]whither the [344]flower of the Roman [345]youth
[346]retreated, was [347]besieged, and had it not been for
Manlius, who was afterwards surnamed [348]Capitolinus,
would have been [349]taken by the [350]barbarians in the
[351]night time; but he, being [352]awakened by the
[353]cackling of [354]geese, and [355]others [356]with him,
[357]pushed the [358]Gauls [359]as they [360]came up, [361]headlong
down the precipice. [362]In the mean time [363]Camillus,
who was [364]then in [365]exile at Ardea, being
[366]recalled and [367]made [368]dictator, [369]raised an [370]army,
[371]came to Rome, [372]drove them out, and at [373]about
[374]eight [375]miles [376]distance from the city [377]utterly
[378]destroyed their [379]whole [380]army.
(Of the World, 3670—Of Rome, 370.)
The city being [1]destroyed by the Gauls, the
Romans had [2]thoughts of [3]leaving it, and [4]removing
to [5]Veii; but were [6]dissuaded from that [7]design by
[8]Camillus; [9]whilst [10]Marcus Manlius (who [11]obtained
the [12]surname of [13]Capitolinus for his [14]noble
[15]defence of the [16]Capitol) [17]endeavoured by [18]ambition
and [19]popular [20]favour [21]to possess himself
of the [22]supreme [23]power, he was [24]thrown from
the [25]Tarpeian rock, which he had [26]defended, in
the year 370.
In the year 377, there was a [27]strong [28]contest
[29]between the [30]nobility and the [31]people. [32]C.
Licinius Stolo and [33]L. Sextius, [34]tribunes of
[35]the people, [36]proposed a [37]law for [38]choosing
[39]one of the consuls out [40]of the people. They
[41]carried their point at last, in the year 387, and
in the [42]following year [43]L. Sextius was elected
consul.
[44]After this, the Romans had [45]war with the
[46]Tiburtes, the [47]Tarquinenses, and [48]Falisci; and
again with the [49]Gauls, who being [50]drawn up
[51]in order of [52]battle, one of them [53]sent a [54]challenge
to the Romans, and was [55]slain by [56]one M.
Valerius, a [57]tribune of the [58]soldiers, by the [59]assistance
of a [60]crow, who [61]from thence had the [62]surname
of [63]Corvinus.
[64]But of all their [65]wars, none was more [66]troublesome
and [67]lasting than that [68]against the [69]Samnites;
which the Romans [70]undertook the year of
the city 411, at the [71]request of the [72]Campani. It
[73]lasted [74]seventy years; [75]though they were [76]several
times [77]beaten, as in the year 413, in which the
[78]Latins [79]rose up in arms [80]against the Romans, but
were the year after [81]conquered by the [82]consuls
Torquatus and Decius; the [83]former of whom [84]beheaded
his own [85]son for [86]fighting [87]without his
[88]order; the [89]other [90]devoted himself to [91]destruction
for the [92]army; after which the [93]enemies [94]submitted,
but [95]soon after [96]rebelling again, they were
[97]at last [98]entirely [99]reduced in the year 416.
[100]About this time the [101]Gauls [102]made a [103]peace
with the Romans, which they [104]kept [105]thirty years.
But in 450, the [106]Cisalpine, [107]together with the
[108]Transalpine [109]Gauls, and the [110]Tuscans, [111]laid
waste the [112]Roman [113]territories. The Cisalpine
[114]returning [115]home [116]loaded with [117]spoils, [118]fell
out together about them. [119]Four years after that, having
[120]joined the [121]Samnites and [122]Tuscans, they fell
[123]upon the Roman [124]army [125]commanded by [126]L. Scipio,
the [127]proprætor, in which [128]battle, [129]P. Decius
[130]the consul [131]devoted himself.
[132]Ten years after this, the [133]Galli Senones being
[134]invited by the [135]Lucani, [136]Brutii, Samnites, and
Tuscans, [137]besieged [138]Aretium, and having [139]vanquished
[140]L. Cæcilius the [141]prætor, [142]killed 13,000
Romans; which [143]overthrow the consul Dolobella
[144]revenged upon them [145]soon after; for having
[146]routed the [147]Gauls, and [148]taken their city of Sena,
[149]he sent a [150]colony there. The [151]Boii being
[152]moved at the [153]hard [154]fate of the [155]Senones, [156]entered
into an [157]alliance with the [158]Tuscans, and [159]engaged
the Romans at the [160]lake of [161]Vadimon; in
which [162]battle [163]almost [164]all the Tuscans were [165]slain,
and very [166]few of the Boii [167]escaped. This [168]happened
in the year of the city 471; but in the [169]following
year the Boii were [170]entirely [171]reduced, which
was [172]about three years [173]before [174]Pyrrhus, [175]came
into [176]Italy.
The [177]Palæpolitani [178]likewise, [179]where [180]now
[181]Naples is, [182]venturing to make war upon the Romans,
were [183]subdued the third year [184]after, [185]that is
to say, in the year of the city 428, by [186]Publius the
proconsul.
The [187]twelve [188]nations of the Tuscans, [189]rising for
the [190]utter ruin [191]of the Roman name in the year of
the city 442, were [192]routed in a great [193]battle by
Fabius the [194]consul, in the [195]year 444, in which were
[196]slain, or [197]taken of the [198]enemy, to the [199]number
of 60,000.
In the year 472, the [200]Tarentines, [201]brought the
[202]Romans against them [203]by plundering their [204]fleet,
and [205]assailing their [206]ambassadors, who [207]came to
[208]complain of the [209]injury. They, [210]together with
the [211]Samnites, and [212]Salentines, were [213]defeated
by L. [214]Æmilius Barbula. [215]Terrified at this [216]ill
fortune, they [217]sent for [218]Pyrrhus to their [219]assistance;
who, in the year of the city 474, having
[220]brought over an [221]army into [222]Italy, [223]waged
against the Romans [224]a war which [225]lasted six years.
In the [226]first [227]encounter the Romans, [228]headed by
[229]Lævinus, being [230]conquered, not so much by the
[231]strength of the [232]enemy, as by the [233]strange [234]shape
of the [235]elephants, [236]yielded up the [237]day: Pyrrhus
[238]dismissed all the [239]prisoners [240]without [241]ransom.
[242]Soon after, having [243]made some [244]fruitless [245]overtures
of [246]peace by his [247]ambassador [248]Cyneas ([249]for
[250]Appius Claudius [251]obstructed it), he [252]engaged the
Romans [253]twice: the [254]victory [255]both times being
[256]dubious. He was [257]then [258]invited by the [259]Syracusans
[260]into Sicily against [261]the Carthaginians;
[262]where [263]matters [264]not succeeding [265]according to
his [266]desires, he [267]returned into [268]Italy in the year
479; and being [269]defeated, [270]forced out of his
[271]camp, and [272]beaten from [273]Tarentum, he returned
into [274]Epirus.
(Of the World, 3790—Of Rome, 490.)
[1]After this, a [2]war [3]broke out [4]between the
Romans and the [5]Carthaginians, in the year
of the city 490, [6]occasioned by the [7]ambition and
[8]formidable [9]power of each of them. [10]Hiero, king of
Syracuse, and [11]ally of the Carthaginians, [12]made
war against the [13]Mamertini, who had [14]seized
upon Messana. They [15]applied to the Romans for
[16]help, who [17]carrying over an [18]army into [19]Sicily,
[20]fell upon Hiero, and the Carthaginians. The
[21]fortune of the war was for a [22]long time very
[23]doubtful; the Carthaginians [24]being successful by
[25]sea, and the Romans by [26]land. The most [27]memorable
[28]person in all this war was [29]Attilius Regulus,
who having [30]brought the Carthaginians
[31]very low by two [32]victories [33]obtained over them
at sea and land; and [34]refusing to [35]grant them
[36]peace but upon [37]hard terms, he was [38]vanquished
by [39]Xantippus the [40]Lacedæmonian [41]general, and
[42]taken [43]prisoner with 15,000 [44]men, 30,000 being
[45]slain, in the year 498. Being [46]afterwards [47]sent to
[48]Rome by the [49]Carthaginians, to [50]treat with the
[51]senate upon an [52]exchange of [53]prisoners, he [54]interposed
to [55]prevent it, and [56]returning to [57]Carthage,
was [58]put to [59]death in the most [60]cruel
[61]manner [62]imaginable, as [63]many [64]authors [65]tell
us. The [66]first among the Romans that [67]obtained
a [68]victory by sea, was C. [69]Duilius, in the first
year of this [70]war. C. [71]Lutatius [72]gained [73]another
in the 23rd and [74]last year; in which he [75]made an
end of the war with the Carthaginians, [76]near the
[77]island of the [78]Ægates. A [79]peace was [80]concluded
upon these [81]terms, that they should [82]quit all the
islands which [83]lie between Italy and Africa, and
should [84]pay [85]yearly 2,200 [86]talents for [87]twenty
years [88]together. This [89]happened in the year of the
city 513, and 241 before [90]Christ.
In the year 519, the [91]temple of [92]Janus was [93]shut,
which very rarely [94]happened in Rome; but upon the
[95]breaking out of new wars, it was [96]soon [97]open again.
The [98]Ligures, the Sardi, and Corsi were [99]subdued;
after which the Romans [100]had war with the [101]Illyrians,
and their [102]queen Teuta, which war was [103]ended in
[104]three years time. There [105]happened [106]about this
[107]time a [108]dreadful [109]irruption of the [110]Gauls. The
[111]Insubres and [112]Boii, having [113]first [114]sent for some
[115]transalpine Gauls, [116]fell upon the Romans, [117]on
account of the [118]land in Picene, that had been
[119]taken from the Galli [120]Senones, and [121]disposed of
by [122]Flaminius, [123]tribune of the [124]people, by
virtue of the [125]Agrarian law, [126]made in the year
of the city 452. They were [127]several times
[128]worsted, and the Insubres [129]entirely [130]subdued,
and king [131]Virdumarus [132]slain by C. [133]Marcellus,
the [134]consul, who was the only person after [135]Romulus
that [136]consecrated [137]Opima Spolia to [138]Jupiter
Feretrius. In this war Hiero, king of Sicily, [139]sent
the Romans a [140]vast quantity of [141]corn, the [142]price
of which he [143]received after the war was [144]ended.
After this, [145]followed a [146]second war with the
Carthaginians, four and twenty years after the
[147]end of the [148]former; which [149]indeed did not [150]last
[151]so long, but was [152]so much more [153]terrible for the
[154]dreadful [155]slaughter that was made in it ([156]says
Florus) that if [157]any one [158]compared the [159]losses on
[160]each side, the [161]people that [162]proved [163]victorious
[164]seemed more [165]likely to be [166]conquered. The
first cause of this war was the [167]same with that of
the former, [168]ambition and the [169]impatience of the
Carthaginians [170]under their [171]servitude. The first
cause of this [172]combustion was [173]Hannibal, the son
of [174]Hamilcar, who was [175]general of the [176]Carthaginians
in the [177]former [178]war, and had [179]accepted the
[180]conditions of peace [181]with a heavy heart. For
after [182]affairs were [183]settled in Africa, being [184]sent
into [185]Spain, in the year of the city 517, he [186]carried
along with him Hannibal, who [187]was then nine
years old, having [188]first [189]brought him before an [190]altar,
and [191]made him [192]swear that he [193]never would
be a [194]friend to the Romans. Hamilcar being [195]slain
about nine years after, Asdrubal, his son-in-law, was
[196]put in his [197]place. He [198]sent for Hannibal,
and being slain himself eight years after, was [199]succeeded
by him, [200]being in the 27th year of his age.
[201]As soon as he was made [202]general, he [203]conquered
all Spain within the river [204]Iberus. After that he [205]fell
upon the [206]town of [207]Saguntum with all his [208]forces,
and [209]took it, after a [210]siege of seven [211]months.
The [212]Saguntines having [213]in vain [214]waited for
[215]assistance from the Romans, [216]were all destroyed
[217]partly by the [218]enemy’s [219]sword, and [220]partly
by their own [221]hands. This war [222]broke out
in the year of the city 536; and [223]lasted seventeen
years.
Upon the first [224]coming of Hannibal into Italy,
both the [225]consuls were [226]defeated, P. [227]Cornelius
at [228]Ticinum, and [229]Sempronius at Trebia. They
[230]received a greater [231]overthrow the [232]following
year near the [233]Thrasymene [234]lake. [235]In the mean
time, Q. [236]Fabius Maximus being made [237]dictator
by the [238]people, [239]recovered in some [240]measure the
Roman [241]affairs. But the most [242]fatal [243]stroke was
that of Cannæ, in the year of the city 538, [244]occasioned
by the [245]rashness of one of the [246]consuls,
[247]Terentius Varro. [248]Forty thousand Romans were
[249]killed in that [250]battle: [251]however, their [252]courage
was not [253]cast down by this [254]overthrow; [255]for they
would not [256]redeem those that had been [257]taken
[258]prisoners, in the battle of Cannæ. In the year
540, the [259]consul [260]Marcellus [261]besieged [262]Syracuse,
which had [263]declared for the Carthaginians; it was
[264]wonderfully [265]defended a long time by the [266]contrivance
of [267]Archimedes, who was an [268]excellent
[269]astronomer, but more [270]famous for the [271]invention
of [272]military [273]engines. It was [274]taken [275]at last with
[276]much [277]difficulty, after a [278]siege of three years.
We are [279]told that Archimedes being very [280]intent
upon his [281]study at that time, and not [282]minding the
[283]hurry, and [284]noise of the [285]army, when they [286]broke
into the [287]town, was [288]killed by a [289]soldier; that
Marcellus was much [290]concerned for his [291]death,
having [292]given [293]strict [294]charge to his [295]men to
[296]spare his [297]life.
[298]In the mean time, [299]Lævinus the [300]prætor [301]stopt
[302]Philip king of [303]Macedon, who having made an
[304]alliance with Hannibal, was [305]ready to [306]come
into Italy, and [307]forced him to [308]burn his [309]fleet,
and [310]retreat into Macedon, in the year of the
city 542. But in Spain, the two [311]brothers P. and
C. [312]Scipio, who had [313]till then [314]prevented Hasdrubal’s
[315]passage into Italy to his brother Hannibal,
and had [316]performed a great many [317]gallant actions,
were both slain, and their [318]armies [319]destroyed.
L. Marcus, a Roman knight, being [320]chosen general,
by the [321]votes of the [322]soldiers, [323]upheld their [324]tottering
[325]cause; by whose [326]conduct in one [327]day,
and a [328]night, two [329]camps of the [330]enemy were
[331]taken by [332]assault, and about [333]thirty-seven thousand
[334]men [335]slain. The [336]same year [337]Tarentum,
[338]except the [339]citadel, was taken by Hannibal; and
Capua [340]besieged by the Romans; and Hannibal
[341]marched to Rome to [342]draw them from it. But
a [343]sudden [344]storm [345]arising, [346]forced him from the
[347]walls, and the [348]sight of it. Capua was after that
[349]surrendered to the Romans, the [350]grandees of
which [351]poisoned themselves; the [352]senators were
[353]beheaded, and the city [354]deprived of its [355]liberty.
There was a [356]son of that P. Scipio, who, as
we have said was [357]killed in [358]Spain, [359]named
[360]likewise P. Scipio, who after the [361]death of his
[362]father and [363]uncle, was [364]sent into Spain, [365]being
but twenty-four years old. There having [366]performed
very great [367]things, and [368]vanquished Hasdrubal,
the son of [369]Gisco and [370]Mago, [371]he drove
the Carthaginians out of Spain, in five years after
he [372]came there; from thence [373]passing over into
Africa, he [374]made an [375]alliance with [376]Syphax, king
of the [377]Masylians, and after that with Masanissa,
king of the [378]Masasulians. These things [379]were done
in the year 548, and the [380]third from the [381]death of
[382]Marcellus; who having been [383]successful in [384]several
[385]battles with Hannibal, was [386]at last, [387]trepanned
by an [388]ambuscade, and slain. In the [389]following
year, Hasdrubal was [390]cut off, with his [391]army [392]before
he could [393]join his [394]brother, by the two [395]consuls,
[396]Claudius Nero and [397]Livius Salinator. Hannibal
was [398]then in Apulia, [399]opposed by Nero the consul.
[400]Livy was [401]encamped in [402]Cisalpine Gaul [403]against
Hasdrubal, Nero [404]marched [405]through Italy [406]privately,
in six [407]days time, [408]came to the [409]camp of
his [410]colleague with a [411]part of his [412]army, and
having [413]conquered the [414]enemy, [415]returned to his
camp before Hannibal [416]perceived that he was
[417]gone. There are [418]said to have been 56,000 of
the [419]enemy [420]slain in the [421]battle, and 5,400 [422]taken
[423]prisoners. The head [424]of Hasdrubal was [425]thrown
before the [426]advanced guard of the Carthaginians
by Nero.
P. Scipio [427]resolved to [428]carry the [429]war into
Africa, that he might [430]draw Hannibal out of Italy;
but [431]at first that being [432]looked upon as a [433]rash
[434]design, he had neither [435]money nor [436]men from the
[437]government. [438]Wherefore, having [439]raised none
but [440]volunteers, and [441]borrowed money, he first
[442]went to [443]Sicily, and [444]from thence to Africa,
in the year 550; [445]when the [446]image of the
[447]Idæan mother was [448]brought from [449]Pessinus in
[450]Phrygia, to Rome, [451]according to the [452]advice of
[453]the oracle.
The general [454]employed [455]against him by the
[456]Carthaginians was Hasdrubal, the son of Gisco,
who had [457]contracted his daughter [458]Sophonisba to
Masanissa. But the Carthaginians had [459]given her
to [460]Syphax, (who being [461]in love with the [462]young
lady, [463]laid waste their [464]country in the [465]absence of
her [466]father and [467]husband) to [468]take him off from
the Roman [469]alliance: at which [470]usage Masanissa
being [471]incensed, he [472]gave himself up [473]entirely
to the Roman [474]interest, and was very [475]serviceable
to them in [476]reducing the Carthaginians.
[477]After a great many [478]overthrows, the Carthaginians
[479]found themselves [480]obliged to [481]recall Hannibal
out of Italy, to the [482]defence of their country, where,
after a [483]fruitless [484]overture of [485]peace, he was [486]vanquished
by Scipio, and an [487]end was put to the
[488]war, after it had [489]lasted seven years.
The second [490]Punic war was [491]followed by the
[492]Macedonian, [493]against king Philip. That which put
the Romans upon it was the [494]former injuries [495]Philip
had done them, [496]as likewise the late [497]vexation
he had given their [498]allies, [499]especially the Athenians,
who being [500]harassed by the king, [501]fled to the
Romans. [502]At length [503]Titus Quinctius Flaminius
[504]put an end to the war, four years after it [505]began,
by the [506]conquest of Philip at [507]Cynoscephalæ, in
[508]Thessaly.
After this [509]followed the war with [510]Antiochus,
king of Asia, who having [511]recovered Syria, and
[512]conquered Scopas, the general of [513]Ptolemæus
Epiphanes, [514]began now to be [515]formidable to the
Romans, [516]against whom Hannibal did not a little
[517]inflame him; who, for [518]fear of the same [519]enemy,
had [520]fled to the king. The [521]ambassadors of the
[522]Ætolians too, who were now [523]averse to the Roman
[524]alliance, [525]contributed not a [526]little towards
it. Antiochus [527]therefore having [528]clapped up a
peace with [529]Ptolemy, to whom he [530]gave his daughter
Cleopatra in [531]marriage, and [532]granted [533]Cœlo
Syria, and [534]Judea by way of [535]portion, [536]made war
upon the Romans, which being begun in the year of
the city 562, [537]lasted three years in all. For in
the year 565, L. [538]Cornelius Scipio the [539]consul,
[540]going over into Asia, with his brother P. Scipio
[541]Africanus, as his [542]lieutenant, did, by the [543]assistance,
[544]chiefly of his [545]counsel, [546]conquer Antiochus.
Livy [547]tells us, there were 50,000 [548]foot [549]slain in one
[550]battle, and 4,000 [551]horse. A peace was [552]granted
Antiochus [553]upon the following condition [554]among
others, that he should [555]recede [556]from all the countries
[557]on this side [558]mount Taurus.
After Antiochus was [559]conquered, the Ætolians
were [560]reduced by Fulvius the consul; and the same
year the Gallo-Greci were [561]subdued by the other
[562]consul, Cneius Manlius.
In the 149th [563]Olympiad [564]died three [565]famous
generals, P. Scipio, Hannibal, and [566]Philopæmen.
Scipio was [567]impeached for [568]taking [569]money of Antiochus
for the peace [570]he granted him; after which
he [571]retired to [572]Liturnum in Campania, and [573]died
there in the year of the city 570. Hannibal a year
or two after (for [574]historians are not [575]agreed upon
the [576]matter) being [577]demanded of Drusias, king of
Bythynia, by the Roman [578]ambassadors, [579]in order
to be [580]put to [581]death, [582]poisoned himself. [583]About
the [584]same time Philopæmen, general of the [585]Achæans,
was [586]taken by the [587]Messenians, and [588]slain,
after he had [589]forced to a [590]submission the Lacedæmonians,
who had [591]thrown off the Achæan [592]alliance.
In the mean time Philip, being [593]checked [594]rather
than [595]conquered in the [596]former war, was [597]very
busy in [598]making [599]preparations for [600]another; but
before [601]matters were [602]ripe [603]enough [604]for that purpose,
he died, and was [605]succeeded by his son [606]Perseus,
who [607]went on with the [608]preparations of war
[609]against the Romans; which was [610]finished in four
years after its [611]beginning with the [612]ruin of him
and the [613]kingdom of Macedon [614]together, in the
year of the city 586. The general [615]employed by
the Romans in that war, was [616]Paulus Æmilius, who
in one [617]battle, [618]wherein were slain 20,000 [619]men,
and 11,000 [620]taken [621]prisoners, [622]put a [623]final period
to the [624]Macedonian [625]empire in the [626]11th year
of king Perseus. About the same time, [627]Gentius,
king of the [628]Illyrians, being [629]trepanned into an
[630]alliance by Perseus, was [631]conquered by [632]Amicius
the [633]prætor.
After the [634]conquest of Antiochus, the Macedonians
[635]rebelled again, but were [636]subdued, and
Macedon [637]reduced to the [638]rank of a [639]province.
Some time after a war [640]broke out with the
[641]Achæans, who having [642]pulled down all the [643]walls
of [644]Lacedæmon, and [645]taken away their [646]ancient
[647]laws, had [648]obliged them to [649]unite with them;
which the Lacedæmonians [650]complained of to the
Romans, who [651]sent [652]against the Achæans Metellus
the prætor, by whom they were [653]defeated in two
[654]engagements at [655]Thermopylæ, and in [656]Phocis;
and [657]presently after [658]entirely reduced by the consul
[659]L. Nummius, and [660]Corinth, the [661]metropolis of
their [662]nation, [663]burnt.
The same year Carthage was [664]taken and [665]destroyed.
The [666]occasion of this war was a [667]difference
[668]between Masanissa and the Carthaginians
[669]about their [670]territories; which [671]controversy being
[672]referred to the Romans, they obliged the Carthaginians
to [673]give up the [674]country in [675]dispute,
and [676]money, also, to Masanissa. But the Romans
had [677]before-hand [678]resolved [679]utterly to [680]raze Carthage,
[681]right or wrong, [682]chiefly at the [683]instigation
of [684]Marcus Cato the censor, who, whenever
he [685]gave his [686]opinion upon any [687]debate in the
[688]senate, [689]used [690]finally to [691]add, Carthage [692]must
be [693]destroyed. [694]Wherefore in the year of the city
605, Carthage was [695]besieged by the consuls [696]Manilius
and [697]Censorinus. They soon after [698]surrendered
to the Romans; but being [699]ordered to
[700]demolish their city, and [701]fix themselves at ten
[702]miles [703]distance from the [704]sea, they were so [705]inflamed
with [706]fury and [707]despair, that they [708]held out
even [709]beyond their [710]strength, [711]till in the fourth
year, the [712]same in which [713]Corinth was destroyed, it
was [714]taken by [715]P. Cornelius Scipio, the [716]proconsul,
who was [717]Paulus Æmilius’s son, and had been
[718]adopted by the son of Scipio Africanus. At the
[719]beginning of the war Masanissa, king of the [720]Numidians,
[721]died, in the 97th year of his [722]age, having
[723]left behind him forty-four sons, and [724]continued
[725]an ally of the Romans near 60 years.
(Of the World, 3908—Of Rome, 608.)
[1]About the same time the [2]Lusitanians in
[3]Spain [4]beat the Romans most [5]shamefully
[6]under the [7]conduct of [8]Viriathus; who from a
[9]huntsman [10]became a [11]highwayman; and from a
highwayman, a general, and [12]defeated the Roman
[13]armies [14]several times. But that [15]overthrow was
most [16]memorable of all [17]others, in which, in the
year 608, having [18]routed the [19]forces of [20]Vetilius
the [21]prætor, [22]he took him prisoner, and [23]put him [24]to
death, according to [25]Appian. Nor was he the [26]only
one that was [27]conquered by Viriathus, but several
others [28]underwent the same [29]fate. The first that
was [30]successful [31]against him was [32]C. Lælius the
prætor, in the year 609. After which the proconsul
[33]Quintius Fabius Maximus [34]defeated him. In the
year 614, [35]Q. Servilius Cæpio [36]basely [37]procured
him to be [38]assassinated by some of his own [39]officers,
whom he had [40]bribed [41]for that purpose, to the great
[42]dishonour of the Roman [43]name.
After this a much more [44]dangerous war [45]broke
out in Celtiberia. The Numantini having [46]received
the [47]Segidenses their [48]allies, that had [49]escaped the
[50]hands of the Romans, were [51]commanded by Metellus
the proconsul, [52]to deliver up the [53]refugees,
and [54]lay down their [55]arms, but they [56]refused
both: and [57]though they were so much [58]inferior
to the Romans, in [59]number and [60]strength, they
[61]made a [62]gallant [63]resistance for some [64]years.
The [65]army of [66]M. Popilius the proconsul, was
[67]cut off by them, and the year [68]following, [69]thirty
[70]thousand Romans, under the consul Mancinus,
were [71]routed by four thousand of the Numantini;
which [72]disgrace was [73]followed by a most [74]shameful
[75]peace; but the senate [76]refused to [77]ratify it;
[78]wherefore Mancinus was [79]delivered up into their
hands, but the Numantini would not [80]receive him.
[81]At last they were [82]vanquished in the [83]field by
Scipio, who had [84]destroyed Carthage; and being
[85]shut up within their own [86]walls, were [87]reduced
to [88]so desperate a condition, that they all [89]laid violent
hands upon themselves; and Numantia was
[90]levelled with the ground, in the ninth year after
their [91]revolt from the Romans, and from the [92]foundation
of the city 621.
[93]Whilst the Romans were [94]still at war with the
[95]Achæans and Carthaginians, Macedon was [96]conquered
a third time. [97]Andriscus, a [98]man of
[99]mean birth, who [100]pretended to be [101]Philip the son
of [102]Perseus, had [103]possessed himself of it. He was
conquered by [104]Q. Cæcilius Metellus, with the
[105]slaughter of 25,000 [106]of his men. Metellus had
[107]from thence [108]the surname of [109]Macedonicus.
At the time that the Romans were [110]engaged in
the [111]Numantine war, there was a [112]rising of the
[113]slaves in Sicily. A [114]Syrian, [115]by name Eunus,
[116]pretending to a [117]divine [118]inspiration, [119]called the
slaves to [120]arms and [121]liberty, [122]as it were by the
[123]order of the [124]gods; and having [125]raised a [126]vast
[127]army, [128]consisting of no less than 70,000 men,
he [129]vanquished four Roman prætors, and was [130]at
last [131]routed himself, by P. Rupilius the consul, in
the year of the city 622.
Attalus, son of [132]Eumenes, king of [133]Phrygia,
when his [134]uncle Attalus was [135]dead (who after
Eumenes’ death had [136]managed the [137]kingdom as
his [138]guardian), [139]reigned five years, and dying about
the year of the city 621, made the Roman people
his [140]heir: which [141]Aristonicus, a son of Eumenes by
one of his [142]mistresses, [143]taking amiss, he [144]seized upon
Asia, and [145]cut off the army of Crassus the prætor.
Afterwards he was [146]vanquished by the consul Peperna,
and an [147]end was put to the war the year
[148]following, 625, by M. Aquilius the consul. This
was a [149]melancholy year for the [150]death of Scipio
Africanus, who was [151]found dead in his [152]bed, not
without the [153]suspicion of having been [154]poisoned
by his [155]wife.
The year in which Attalus [156]made the Roman
people his [157]heir, there was a [158]formidable [159]sedition
at Rome. For T. Gracchus, [160]tribune of the [161]people,
having made the [162]Agrarian law, that [163]nobody
should [164]possess above 500 [165]acres of [166]land, and
[167]proposing to have the [168]money of king Attalus
[169]divided amongst the people, and [170]likewise [171]suing
for the [172]tribuneship against the year following, the
senators being very much [173]disturbed at the [174]matter,
he was, by the [175]order of P. Corn. Nasica,
[176]slain in the [177]Capitol, [178]whither he had [179]fled for
[180]refuge.
After the death of Tiberius, his [181]brother Caius
[182]pursuing the same [183]design, was [184]taken off by Opimius,
the consul, and [185]together with him, Fulvius
Flaccus, who had been consul.
In the year of the city 629, the Romans first
made war upon the [186]Gauls [187]beyond the Alps.
They [188]began with the Salii, and [189]Allobroges,
whom Fulvius Flaccus [190]subdued. In the year 633,
Fabius the consul made an end of the war with the
Allobroges. He [191]conquered Bituitus, king of the
Arverni, in [192]battle. The king himself [193]coming
to Rome to [194]satisfy the senate, was [195]confined at
Alba. Then Gallia Narbonensis was made a [196]province,
and a [197]colony [198]sent to Narbon in the year
636.
The Romans were after this [199]almost [200]perpetually
at war with the Gauls, by whom they were [201]oftentimes
[202]soundly beaten; but, above all others, the
Cimbri and Teutones were [203]terrible to them.
They [204]marching for Italy, and not [205]being able
to [206]prevail with the senate for [207]room to [208]settle
in, they [209]routed M. Silanus the consul; the year
following Scaurus was [210]defeated by the Cimbri,
and L. Cassius by the Helvetii Tigurini the year
after that. But the [211]overthrow of Q. Cæpio was
more [212]memorable than all the [213]rest. He had
[214]plundered [215]Tholouse in the [216]country of the Tectosagæ,
and had [217]carried off an hundred thousand
[218]pounds of [219]gold, and fifteen hundred thousand
pounds of [220]silver. This was done in the year of
the city 648. But the following, he, with C. Manilius,
[221]paid for this [222]sacrilege, with the [223]utter,
[224]destruction of the Roman army. It is certain
there were [225]slain in this [226]battle of the Romans and
their [227]allies, [228]fourscore thousand, and of [229]servants
that [230]followed the [231]camp [232]threescore thousand.
At length the Teutones and the [233]Ambrones were
almost all [234]destroyed, two hundred thousand being
slain, and seventy thousand [235]taken [236]prisoners, by
C. Marius the consul, in the year 652; and the
following year, the same Marius, [237]in conjunction
with Catulus, defeated the Cimbri, that were [238]making
their way through [239]Noricum, [240]slew an hundred
and twenty thousand, and took sixty thousand prisoners.
With so many [241]victories did Marius [242]consummate
the [243]glory he had [244]got in the war with Jugurtha.
For in the year of the city 643, a war was
[245]undertaken against Jugurtha, king of Numidia,
because he had [246]deprived his [247]cousins Hiempsal
and Adherbal, the sons of Micipsa, and [248]grandsons
of Masanissa, of their [249]lives and [250]kingdom.
He [251]prevailed against the Romans for some years,
more by his gold than by his arms; but was at
last [252]brought low by Metellus the consul, and
[253]finally [254]entirely [255]subdued by Marius, and [256]delivered
up by Bocchus, king of Mauritania, to whom
he had [257]fled for refuge; after which he was [258]carried
to Rome, to [259]grace the [260]triumph of Marius, and
[261]put to death in [262]prison.
This [263]happy [264]progress of the [265]empire [266]abroad,
was [267]interrupted by [268]frequent and [269]shameful [270]disorders
at [271]home, which were [272]occasioned by the
tribunes. Saturninus having [273]had the Agrarian law
[274]passed, to [275]divide among the people the land
which Marius had got, by [276]driving the Cimbri out
of Gaul, [277]banished Metellus Numidicus, who [278]opposed
him; but at last was [279]slain himself by Marius,
then consul for the sixth time, in the year 654; and
the following year Metellus was [280]recalled from
[281]banishment.
After Saturninus, Livius Drusus, tribune of the
people, but [282]favouring the senate, being [283]desirous
to [284]restore them to their [285]ancient [286]splendor,
and to [287]put the [288]execution of their laws into their
[289]hands, which C. Gracchus had [290]divided [291]between
them and the [292]knights, he passed the same Agrarian
laws, and put the [293]allies in [294]hopes of the
[295]freedom of the city; which [296]being not able to
[297]bring about, he [298]fell under an universal [299]odium,
and was [300]stabbed, nobody [301]knew how, in the year
663.
After this, the Romans were [302]engaged in two
most [303]difficult and terrible wars, almost at the same
time; one in Italy, and the other without. That
was [304]called the [305]Social or [306]Marsic war, because
the Marsi had been the first [307]beginners of it; for
all the [308]Latins, and most of the people of Italy,
being [309]disgusted, that they who were [310]sharers in all
the [311]hardships and [312]dangers of the war, should be
[313]excluded from the [314]honours and [315]dignities of the
[316]state; and being [317]frustrated in the hopes of [318]obtaining
the [319]freedom of the city by Drusus, [320]endeavoured
to [321]compass that by [322]force of arms, which
they could not obtain [323]by fair means. They first [324]attempted
in the Latin [325]Feriæ, to [326]assassinate both
the consuls, Philip and Cæsar; but the [327]matter being
[328]discovered, they [329]openly [330]revolted, [331]massacred
Q. Servilius the proconsul, [332]Fonteius and all
the Romans at [333]Asculum. After this the war was
[334]carried on with [335]various [336]success. Cn. [337]Pompey
Strabo, father of Pompey the [338]Great, [339]distinguished
himself upon this [340]occasion. He [341]forced the Vestini
and Peligni to [342]submission, and [343]triumphed
upon that [344]account. [345]Likewise L. Sylla Cæsar,
the consul’s [346]lieutenant, did, by his great successes
against the enemy, [347]obtain the [348]consulship,
in which he [349]made an end of the war.
Soon after [350]broke out a war between the Romans
and [351]Mithridates, who having [352]taken off Ariarthes,
king of Cappadocia, his [353]sister’s [354]husband, together
with his son of the same [355]name, had [356]seized upon
the kingdom; but being forced to [357]forego what he
had [358]unjustly got, Ariobarzanes was [359]nominated
king of Cappadocia by the senate, but forced out of
his [360]dominions by Mithridates, and [361]restored by
Sylla. After this he was once more [362]driven out of
Cappadocia by Mithridates, [363]as was likewise Nicomedes
out of Bithynia. But both [364]recovered their
dominions again by a [365]decree of the senate; which
Mithridates being [366]offended at, he [367]invaded Cappadocia
and Bithynia, [368]routed the Roman armies,
[369]massacred all the Italians, [370]throughout Asia in one
day; and [371]reduced Macedon, [372]Thrace, [373]Greece,
and [374]Athens. The consul Sylla [375]marching against
him, [376]took Athens, and having [377]defeated his
generals, forced him to a peace upon the [378]conditions
of his [379]quitting Asia, Bithynia, and Cappadocia.
(Of the World, 3966—Of Rome, 666.)
Marius, [1]though now [2]broken with [3]age and
years, yet being very [4]ambitious of getting
[5]employed against Mithridates, could not [6]bear
with patience the [7]bestowing that [8]province upon
Sylla. [9]Wherefore he [10]prevailed by the [11]means
of C. Sulpicius, the tribune of the people, to
have it [12]taken from Sylla, and bestowed upon himself.
At which Sylla being [13]enraged, [14]seized upon
the city, and having [15]slain Sulpicius, [16]obliged Marius
to [17]fly. In his [18]absence, Cinna the consul,
making a [19]disturbance, was [20]driven out of the
city, and being [21]joined by Marius, Carbo, and Sertorius,
[22]assaulted Rome; which, having [23]taken,
[24]he put a great many of the Romans [25]to the
sword. Marius [26]died a natural death the year following.
Sylla having made peace with Mithridates, [27]returned
into Italy, and [28]made an end of the civil war
in two years time, by the [29]defeat of Carbo, Norbanus,
young Marius, and others; and being [30]declared
[31]dictator, [32]took off a great many of Marius’s
party by means of a [33]proscription. Q. Sertorius
[34]retired into Farther Spain, where he [35]held out
for some years very [36]valiantly.
Sylla having in the year 675 [37]laid down the
[38]dictatorship, died the year following of the [39]lousy
[40]disease, in the sixtieth year of his [41]age. After
his death, Lepidus the consul, [42]endeavouring to
[43]annul the [44]acts of Sylla, was [45]forced out of
the city by his [46]colleague Catulus. And the year
following [47]advancing up to the city with an [48]army,
he was defeated by the same Catulus and Cn. Pompey,
and [49]fled into [50]Sardinia, where he [51]fell ill
and died. The same Pompey being [52]sent into Spain
against Sertorius, [53]performed no important things;
but the latter being [54]treacherously [55]slain by his
own people, he [56]easily [57]recovered that province in
the year 681.
In the mean time the war with Mithridates
[58]broke out again, while Sylla was yet living; and
after Sylla’s death, Mithridates having [59]entered
into an [60]alliance with Sertorius, [61]seized by force
of arms upon Bithynia, which Nicomedes at his
death in 679, had [62]left to the Roman people. L.
Lucullus consul, in 680, [63]went against him, and
being very [64]successful both by [65]sea and [66]land, he
[67]obliged him to fly, first into [68]Pontus, and soon
after to [69]Tigranes in Armenia. Lucullus [70]conquered
Pontus, and defeated both the kings who [71]engaged
him with an army of two hundred thousand [72]foot
and sixty thousand [73]horse, in the year of the city
685. After this, Tigranocerta, the capital of
Armenia, and [74]Nisibis, two very great cities, were
[75]taken. But this excellent general being [76]forsaken
by his men, was [77]obliged to [78]leave the
[79]fruit of his [80]toil and [81]victories to Cn. Pompey,
in the year 688. He having [82]forced Tigranes to
[83]surrender, obliged him to be [84]satisfied with
Armenia; and whilst he [85]pursued Mithridates, he
[86]added the [87]Iberians and [88]Albanians to the Roman
empire, in the year 689. [89]Finally, Mithridates,
in the year 691, being [90]every where [91]beaten,
[92]thought of [93]flying into [94]Gaul, but being [95]discouraged
by the [96]revolt of his son [97]Pharnaces and
the army, he [98]slew himself.
Whilst the war with Mithridates was [99]warmly
[100]carried on, there [101]broke out another with the
[102]slaves, in the year of the city 681. One [103]Spartacus
Ænomanus, and [104]Crixus, [105]gladiators, having
[106]broken up a [107]school of gladiators at Capua, [108]belonging
to Lentulus, and [109]assembled an army of
[110]desperadoes, [111]routed the Roman armies several
times, but at last were [112]vanquished by Crassus the
prætor, and Pompey, in the year 685.
Pompey [113]likewise [114]subdued the [115]pirates, who,
at the [116]instigation of Mithridates, [117]infested the
seas, having an [118]extraordinary [119]commission [120]for
that purpose by the [121]Gabinian law. Whilst Pompey
was [122]enlarging the Roman empire [123]abroad,
the [124]head of the empire was in no small [125]danger
from a [126]conspiracy which [127]Cataline, [128]Lentulus
the prætor, [129]Cethegus, and other senators, had
[130]entered into, to [131]murder the consul [132]Cicero, and
to [133]burn and [134]plunder the city. But their [135]designs
were [136]prevented by the [137]vigilance of the
consul. Catiline being [138]forced out of the city,
[139]repaired to the army, which some of his [140]accomplices
had [141]collected. Lentulus, and the rest
of the [142]ringleaders of the [143]plot were put to death.
This [144]happened in the year 691, and the following
year Cataline was [145]defeated by [146]Petreius [147]Antony
the proconsul’s [148]lieutenant, and [149]slain in the
[150]fight.
The whole [151]world being now almost [152]subdued,
the Roman empire was [153]arrived to that [154]grandeur,
that it could [155]hardly [156]extend itself farther. No
[157]outward [158]force was [159]sufficient to [160]ruin it; it [161]fell
by its own [162]power, which was [163]occasioned by the
[164]ambition of the [165]leading men, and the civil [166]contests
that [167]arose from thence.
C. Cæsar, after the time of his [168]prætorship in the
city was [169]expired, [170]obtained the province of Lusitania;
and by the great feats he [171]performed
there, [172]deserved well the honor of a [173]triumph;
but [174]postponed the [175]hopes of that to the [176]consular
[177]dignity; for which, [178]while he made all [179]possible
[180]interest, Pompey [181]united with Cæsar and Crassus,
while Lucullus and some others of the [182]grandees,
[183]opposing his [184]acts, which he [185]desired might
be [186]ratified by the senate. Thus Cæsar [187]gained
the [188]consulship in the year 695, in which he [189]established
the acts of Pompey by the senate, and
[190]divided the [191]public [192]lands in Campania amongst
the [193]citizens. He [194]married his daughter Julia to
Pompey, and [195]took Calphurnia, the daughter
of [196]Piso [197]as a wife. Having by these [198]arts, and
a [199]boundless [200]generosity, [201]gained the [202]favor of
all [203]ranks and [204]degrees of men, he [205]procured the
province of Gaul, which he [206]governed for nine years;
during which time he [207]reduced all Gaul, that is
[208]comprehended within the [209]Pyrenean mountains,
the [210]Alps, the Rhone, and the [211]Rhine, in the
[212]form of a province, and [213]imposed a [214]yearly [215]tribute
upon it. He was the first of all the Romans that
[216]attacked the [217]Germans [218]beyond the Rhine. He
likewise [219]visited the [220]Britons, where [221]none before
him had ever [222]come. In this [223]interval, in the year
698, he [224]entered into an [225]association with Pompey
and Crassus; by [226]virtue of which he was to have
Gaul [227]continued to him. Pompey was to have
[228]Spain, and Crassus Syria, in order to a war against
the [229]Parthians; to which he [230]accordingly [231]went
in the year 699, and the third year after, [232]perished
most [233]miserably, with the greater [234]part of his
army; after which the Parthians made an [235]irruption
into Syria, but were [236]bravely [237]repulsed by
Cassius.
After the death of Crassus, Pompey not being
able to [238]endure an [239]equal, nor Cæsar a [240]superior,
the civil war broke out. Pompey’s [241]party [242]endeavouring
to [243]take away from Cæsar both his army and
province, as soon as the time of his [244]government
should [245]expire; whilst Cæsar’s on the other [246]hand
were for [247]treating Pompey [248]in like manner. At last
in the year 705, in the [249]consulship of C. Claudius
Marcellus, and L. Cornelius Lentulus, the senate,
by a [250]vote, obliged Cæsar to [251]disband his army by
a certain day. Antonius and Cassius, tribunes of the
people, [252]interposing their [253]authority in vain,
[254]left the town, and [255]repaired to Cæsar, who [256]advancing
his army towards the city, [257]struck such a
[258]consternation into Pompey and the rest, that
[259]leaving the city [260]without much ado, and [261]shortly
after Italy, they [262]passed over into [263]Greece. Cæsar
went to Spain, where he [264]vanquished Petreius and
Afranius, and [265]forced their armies to [266]surrender
[267]prisoners of war. In his [268]return he [269]took [270]Marseilles,
and after that was made dictator, to which
[271]office he was [272]chosen four times, and at last had
it [273]given him for [274]life.
In the year 706, Pompey being [275]defeated by
Cæsar in the [276]fields of [277]Pharsalia, went to [278]Egypt,
where he was slain by the [279]order of [280]Ptolemy, in
the 59th year of his [281]age. Hither Cæsar [282]likewise
[283]came the following year, and after a very
[284]dangerous [285]rencounter, which he [286]happily [287]accomplished,
[288]delivered the [289]kingdom of Egypt to
Cleopatra and her brother. In the year following he
vanquished Scipio and Cato, with king Juba, in
Africa. Cato [290]laid violent hands upon himself at
Utica. The year that [291]followed was [292]remarkable
for the [293]correction of the [294]calendar and the year.
The same year likewise he [295]conquered Pompey’s
sons; and the year after was [296]stabbed in the [297]senate
house, by a [298]conspiracy of Brutus and Cassius, and
some others, in the 56th year of his age.
Besides these [299]convulsions, with which the whole
[300]world was [301]shattered, there were some less [302]disturbances
[303]happened a little before. [304]Clodius Pulcher
being [305]made tribune of the people, [306]banished
Cicero, for having [307]condemned the [308]associates
of Cataline to death without a [309]trial; which [310]calamity
he [311]bore too [312]meanly, and [313]by no means
[314]agreeable to the [315]dignity of his past life. But
he was [316]recalled the year after by the [317]interposition
of Pompey, and Lentulus the consul, and
[318]received with the greatest [319]honor. The same
Clodius [320]declared [321]Cyprus to [322]belong to the Roman
people, and Cato being [323]sent to [324]take possession
of it, Ptolemy, king of the [325]island, after first
[326]throwing all his [327]money into the sea, [328]prevented
his [329]disgrace by a [330]voluntary death. The senate
[331]bestowed the [332]prætorship upon Cato at his [333]return,
by a [334]vote of the house, without any [335]election;
which honor he [336]refused, being [337]desirous to [338]obtain
it rather by the [339]free [340]votes of the people.
But he was [341]disappointed in his [342]hopes, and Vatinius
was [343]preferred to him.
[344]Bribery [345]ruling in [346]all [347]elections, and the
[348]candidates making a most [349]dismal [350]confusion,
after a long [351]interregnum, Pompey was made
consul, without a [352]colleague, a thing [353]wholly new,
and never heard of before; in which office he made
a [354]severe [355]inquiry into all other [356]misdemeanors,
as likewise into the death of Clodius, whom Milo
[357]killed the same year, and for which he was [358]banished.
After the death of Cæsar, Antony the consul so
[359]inflamed the people by [360]a seditious [361]harangue,
that they [362]burnt his [363]body [364]publicly, and [365]threatened
to set fire, and [366]pull down the houses of the
[367]assassins. Octavius Cæsar, the son of Accia [368]Julius’s
sister, was his [369]adopted son by [370]will. He being
[371]slighted by M. Antony, [372]raised an army of [373]veteran
soldiers, and [374]opposed his [375]tyrannical [376]proceedings.
Antonius [377]extorted from the people by
force the province of Gaul, but his [378]passage there
was opposed by D. Brutus at Modena, where he
was [379]besieged by Antony.
In the [380]consulship of [381]Hirtius and Pansa, in the
year of the city 711, at the [382]instigation of Cicero
Antony was [383]declared [384]enemy, and a war [385]undertaken
against him; when Octavius [386]joined in [387]commission
with the consuls, with the [388]power of proconsul,
being then about the 20th year of his age.
There was a [389]dreadful and [390]bloody [391]battle [392]fought
near Modena, in which all Cæsar’s [393]life-guards were
slain; but Antony was routed, and the [394]siege [395]raised,
yet both the consuls were killed.
In Macedon, Brutus [396]took off C. Antonius,
M. Antony’s brother, who was [397]intriguing against
him, and [398]got together a [399]formidable army. Upon
which the senate [400]resolved by [401]degrees to [402]take
down Octavius, [403]for fear of his [404]growing too
[405]powerful; which he being [406]apprehensive of, [407]he
entered into an [408]association with Antony and Lepidus;
and [409]consequently they were all three made
[410]commissioners [411]for settling the [412]republic.
They having [413]divided the whole [414]empire into three
parts, [415]proscribed a great many of the Romans,
and amongst the rest M. [416]Tully Cicero, who, whilst
he was [417]endeavouring to [418]make his escape into
Greece, was killed by Pompilius, a [419]captain, whose
[420]cause he had [421]pleaded in a capital [422]action. There
was a [423]dreadful [424]havoc made in this [425]proscription.
The [426]Epitome of Livy speaks of no less than an
hundred and thirty senators; the same year, [427]gave
[428]beginning to one of the finest cities of France,
[429]Lyons.
The year following, Octavius and Antony [430]fought
a battle with M. Brutus and the [431]principal of the
[432]conspirators, near the city of Philippi. The [433]right
[434]wings were [435]victorious on both [436]sides, and on
both sides the [437]camps were [438]plundered. But
Cassius, who was in the wing that was [439]routed,
[440]giving up all for lost, [441]slew himself. Brutus, being
[442]defeated in another [443]engagement, likewise put
an end to his own life, being then thirty-seven years
of age, and none of Cæsar’s [444]assassins [445]lived above
three years after, being all [446]taken off by a [447]violent
death, as [448]Suetonius says; some too [449]killed themselves
with the same [450]dagger with which they had
slain Cæsar.
After the [451]victory, Antony [452]went to Asia, and
Octavius to Italy; where he [453]was engaged in a war
with L. Antony, the brother of the [454]triumvir, and
his [455]wife Fulvia, a [456]woman of a [457]manly [458]spirit.
He forced Lucius from the town; after which, being
[459]declared an enemy, he [460]besieged him in Perusia,
and obliged him to [461]surrender. In the mean
time, the Parthians being [462]invited by Labienus,
one of Pompey’s party, made an [463]irruption into
Syria, whom Ventidius, after a very [464]signal [465]overthrow,
in which the king was slain, [466]drove out again,
and [467]recovered Syria.
S. Pompey, Cneius’s son, having a [468]fleet at his
[469]command, [470]infested the seas. Cæsar made with
him a peace, which was [471]soon [472]broken. [473]An engagement
[474]followed, wherein Pompey was [475]worsted,
and [476]forced to [477]fly. He was soon after [478]put to
death by [479]order of M. Antony, under whose
[480]protection he had put himself. About this time
Antony made an [481]attempt upon the Parthians, by
whom he was most [482]shamefully [483]beaten. At last
Antony being [484]entirely [485]devoted to his Cleopatra,
[486]divorced Octavia, Cæsar’s sister, and [487]declared
war against him, in which he was at last defeated by
sea near [488]Actium, a [489]promontory of [490]Epirus.
Cæsar had upwards of 400 [491]ships, and Antony about
200, but so [492]prodigiously [493]large, that they [494]looked
like [495]castles and cities [496]moving through the sea.
The [497]flight of Cleopatra [498]turned the [499]fate of a
[500]dubious [501]engagement into the [502]ruin of Antony;
he followed her into Egypt, and being [503]besieged in
Alexandria, he [504]slew himself, and Cleopatra soon
[505]followed his [506]example.
(Of Rome, 725—Of Christ, 11.)
After the death of Antony and Cleopatra,
[1]Egypt was [2]reduced to the [3]form of a [4]province.
Cæsar, in the year 725, [5]triumphed three times,
for the [6]conquest of [7]Dalmatia, the victory at
Actium, and the [8]reducing of Egypt. After which
he [9]advised with Agrippa and Mecænas, either
[10]seriously, or [11]pretendedly, about the [12]laying
down of his [13]authority; Agrippa was for it, Mecænas
against it; this last [14]advice he [15]resolved to
follow, but [16]brought a [17]bill [18]nevertheless into
the senate [19]to divest himself of his power, and by
that [20]stratagem got it [21]secured to him both by the
senate and the people, in the year 726.
[22]Cornelius Gallus, a [23]Roman [24]knight, [25]governor
of Egypt, being [26]banished for his [27]insolence, slew
himself. Augustus [28]carried on a war against the
Cantabri and Austus for some years, by his [29]lieutenants:
that is to say, from the year 729 to 735, in
which they were entirely [30]reduced by Agrippa;
who, upon his [31]return [32]refused a [33]triumph which
was [34]offered him. [35]Phraates, king of the Parthians,
about this time [36]restored the Roman [37]standards
that had been [38]taken from Crassus.
For two of his [39]friends, Mecænas and M. Vipsanius
Agrippa, he had a [40]particular [41]esteem above
all others; the [42]former was a great [43]patron of
[44]learning and [45]learned men. Augustus made Agrippa
his [46]son-in-law, by [47]marrying his daughter Julia to
him, whom he had by Scribonia. She had children,
C. and L. Cæsars, Agrippa Posthumus, Agrippina
married to Germanicus, Drusus’s son, Livia’s [48]grandson,
and Julia, whom Æmilius married. He took
Livia, when she was [49]big with child, by her former
[50]husband Tiberius Nero, by whom he had no [51]issue,
though she had by Nero, Tiberius, who was emperor
afterwards, and Drusus who [52]died in Germany.
Tiberius having gotten the [53]tribunitial [54]power
for five years, was [55]sent to [56]settle the [57]affairs of
Armenia. Soon after he [58]retired to Rhodes,
where, for fear of [59]falling under the [60]displeasure
of his [61]step-sons, he [62]continued seven years. But
the [63]occasion of his [64]retirement was his [65]aversion
for his wife Julia, who [66]spent her time in all [67]manner
of [68]debauchery. Augustus, upon a [69]discovery of
her [70]pranks, [71]banished her.
The [72]age of this emperor [73]produced several
great [74]men: amongst the [75]Greeks [76]Dionysius Halicarnassensis
and [77]Nicholas Damascenus were [78]famous
for their [79]talents in writing [80]history;
and amongst the [81]Latins [82]Cornelius Nepos, Atticus’s
[83]son-in-law, and Sallust, who died four years
before the [84]battle of Actium. In this age lived
likewise those [85]celebrated [86]poets, [87]Virgil, [88]Horace,
[89]Ovid, [90]Tibullus, and [91]Propertius.
Augustus died at Nola, in Campania, in the 14th
year of [92]Christ, and the 76th year of his age, having
[93]held the empire by himself, from the death of
M. Antony, forty-three years; he was an [94]excellent
[95]prince, and [96]necessary for those times.
He was [97]succeeded by Tiberius, a prince of a
[98]savage [99]disposition, and [100]given up to all manner
of debauchery; he was the son of Livia by Nero.
He [101]dissembled his [102]vices at the [103]beginning of his
reign with [104]wonderful [105]art, through fear of Germanicus,
his brother’s son, whom he had [106]adopted at
the [107]command of his [108]father-in-law. For, as he
[109]gained a great [110]reputation by his [111]virtues and
[112]exploits in war, he was [113]looked upon with a [114]jealous
eye, as [115]fitter for the empire than himself. He [116]removed
him from Germany where he had [117]wonderful
[118]success against the enemy, into the [119]East, to [120]fight
against the Parthians, in the year 769, having sent at
the same time Cn. Piso into Syria, between whom
and Germanicus was a [121]mortal enmity. Wherefore
Germanicus died, not without the [122]suspicion of
having been [123]poisoned by him, for which being
[124]prosecuted at Rome by Agrippina, the wife of
Germanicus, he [125]prevented his [126]sentence by a
[127]voluntary death.
[128]Ælius Sejanus, a Roman [129]knight, was afterwards
[130]raised by Tiberius, who after a great many [131]wicked
[132]actions, [133]aiming now at no less than the empire
itself, was, by a [134]letter of Tiberius to the senate,
[135]thrown from the [136]top of all his [137]grandeur, and
died by the [138]hand of an [139]executioner, with all his
[140]family, in the 18th year of Tiberius.
About the 18th year of his [141]reign, he [142]retired to
Caprea, an [143]island on the [144]coast of Campania, with
a [145]design of never returning to the town, where
he [146]privately [147]wallowed in all manner of [148]debauchery,
and died in the 23rd year of his reign, to
the great [149]joy of every one, being then in the
78th year of his age.
[150]Jesus Christ, the son of God, was [151]born of the
[152]Virgin Mary, in the reign of Augustus, and [153]crucified
in that of Tiberius, being then thirty-three
years of age.
Caius Cæsar Caligula, so [154]called from a [155]shoe
[156]worn by the [157]soldiery, which, when a boy, he
[158]wore in the camp, [159]succeeded Tiberius, being the
son of Germanicus and Agrippina, the daughter of
M. Agrippa and Julia. He was [160]entered into
the five and twentieth year of his age. Great was
the joy of the people upon his first [161]accession to
the [162]throne, and no less were their [163]hopes that he
would be [164]like Germanicus his father, who is said
to have been [165]possessed of all the good [166]qualities
of [167]body and [168]mind. And indeed as the worst of
princes frequently [169]begin well, he gave many
[170]signs of his [171]moderation and [172]regard to the
good of the public. But soon after, as if he had
[173]put off all [174]humanity, he [175]outstripped the most
savage [176]creatures in [177]cruelty; and having made
sad [178]havoc among all [179]ranks and [180]degrees of
men, he [181]killed likewise Macro, [182]commander of
the [183]prætorian [184]bands, by whose [185]means he had
been made emperor. He also [186]committed [187]crimes
with his sisters. Having in a year’s time [188]exhausted
[189]immense [190]treasures that had been [191]left by Tiberius,
he [192]fell to [193]proscribing and [194]plundering.
Among other proofs of his cruelty, he was [195]heard
to say, I [196]wish the Roman people had but one
[197]neck. In all his [198]buildings, or public [199]works,
he [200]effected what was [201]looked upon to be impossible.
He [202]ordered himself to be [203]worshipped as
a god throughout the [204]world, and [205]temples to be
[206]erected to him. At last, he was slain by Chærea
Cassius, [207]tribune of a [208]cohort of his [209]guards,
and some others, who had [210]entered into a [211]plot
against him, after he had [212]reigned three years, ten
months, and eight days, and [213]lived twenty-nine
years.
Claudius Nero, Caligula’s uncle, and the son of Drusius
[214]reigned after him, [215]naturally no bad man, but
[216]senseless and foolish. He was not naturally
[217]cruel, but only so when [218]instigated by others,
[219]especially by his [220]freedmen and his [221]wives, into
whose hands he [222]gave up himself and his [223]affairs.
His first lady was Messalina, whose [224]depravity
and [225]dissoluteness every body [226]knew but himself;
till at last [227]venturing to [228]marry one Silius,
a knight, she was by her [229]husband’s order slain,
together with her [230]paramour, at the [231]instigation
of [232]Narcissus, who with [233]Pallas, another of his
[234]freedmen, [235]ruled him entirely.
Another [236]instance of his [237]folly is, that after
Messalina was [238]put to death, by whom he had his
son [239]Britannicus, and Octavia, he married Agrippina
Germanicus his brother’s daughter, the mother
of Nero by [240]Domitius, in the ninth year of his reign,
by the [241]advice of Pallas: at whose and Agrippina’s
[242]request, he [243]adopted Nero, and [244]passing by
Britannicus, [245]designed him for his [246]successor. He
[247]banished the [248]Jews from Rome, and the [249]mathematicians
out of Italy: and [250]undertaking an [251]expedition
into [252]Britain, he [253]subdued it all in sixteen
days time, as Dio says, in the third year of his reign.
He died in the year of Christ 54, by [254]poison [255]put
in a [256]mushroom by Agrippina. He reigned
thirteen years eight months and twenty days, and
lived sixty-four years.
Domitius Nero, [257]mounted the throne after the
death of his [258]step-father, being then seventeen years
of age. He at first, [259]behaved himself in such a
manner, that he might be [260]reckoned among the
best of [261]princes; that is, as long as he [262]listened
to the [263]precepts of his [264]master Seneca. Afterwards,
being [265]corrupted with [266]luxury and
[267]flattery, he [268]became more like a [269]monster than a
man. He [270]stopped the progress of the Parthians,
who had [271]over-run Armenia, by Corbulo, a [272]gallant
[273]commander, and a person of great [274]virtue
and [275]authority, who [276]recovered Armenia, in the
ninth year of Nero, and [277]obliged [278]Tiridates, Volegesis
king of the Parthians brother, to [279]come
to Rome, and to [280]beg his [281]crown of Nero, in the
thirteenth year of Nero’s reign; in which year
he [282]recalled Corbulo, and put him to death. He
[283]destroyed Britannicus by [284]poison in the very [285]beginning
of his reign. He likewise [286]ordered his
mother Agrippina to be put to death, after having
first [287]disgraced and [288]banished her from the [289]court,
which [290]parricide, that nothing might be [291]wanting
to [292]complete the [293]unhappiness of the times, the
Senate [294]approved of. Afterwards having married
Poppæa, whom he [295]took from Otho, he [296]banished
Octavia, and at last put her to death. Upon
the [297]discovery of a [298]plot, which Piso, and some
others had [299]laid against him; he put to death the
[300]poet Lucan, and Seneca the philosopher, with
several others, in the year of Christ 65, and the
same year he [301]kicked his wife Poppæa, when
[302]pregnant, [303]to death. He had the [304]impudence to
[305]appear upon the [306]stage, and [307]act amongst the
[308]players and [309]harpers, and [310]ride [311]chariot-races
at the [312]Circensian games; and to [313]represent for
his [314]diversion the [315]appearance of [316]Troy in [317]flames,
he [318]set fire to the city, and [319]imputed it to the
[320]Christians. He [321]became so odious and [322]contemptible
by his [323]villanies, that he was [324]forsaken
by all, and being [325]sought for in order to be [326]punished,
he [327]performed the [328]executioner’s [329]office
upon himself, in the 14th year of his [330]reign,
and 68th of our Lord.
A little before Nero’s death, [331]C. Julius Vindex,
who was [332]proprætor of Gaul, [333]openly [334]rebelled,
and [335]persuaded Sergius Galba, [336]governor of Spain,
to [337]set up for emperor, which he accordingly did,
and [338]put Vindex to death presently after. He
reigned about seven months, being very [339]old. He
was slain together with Piso, whom he had [340]adopted,
after M. Silvius Otho was [341]proclaimed emperor; he
reigned only about three months.
In the mean time, Vitellius [342]trusting to the [343]legions
of Germany, which he [344]commanded in [345]quality
of a [346]consular [347]lieutenant-general, [348]took upon
him the [349]name of emperor, and [350]defeated Otho’s
army in a [351]rencounter near [352]Bebriacum, who being
[353]weary of a civil war, killed himself.
Vitellius reigned eight months after Otho, and
was [354]succeeded by Vespasian, who had been [355]sent
by Nero to [356]quell the [357]Jews. He reigned ten
years with the greatest [358]justice and [359]clemency. He
was a great [360]encourager of [361]learning and [362]learned
men. The only thing that was [363]blamed in him,
was his [364]covetousness, which he used to [365]excuse,
by [366]alleging the [367]emptiness of the [368]Exchequer.
The war in [369]Judea was [370]finished in his time, to
which he was sent by Nero, as we have [371]already
[372]said. It was [373]begun by some [374]seditious [375]people
that were [376]headed by Eleazar, the son of Ananias,
the [377]high-priest, who [378]took up arms against the
Romans, under the [379]pretence of [380]religion. Cestius
Gallus, [381]lieutenant of Syria, [382]laid siege to [383]Jerusalem,
but was [384]beaten off with great [385]slaughter
in the 12th year of Nero. The [386]victorious
Jews upon their [387]return to Jerusalem, amongst
other generals, [388]made choice of [389]Josephus, the
son of [390]Matthias for one. In the year of Christ 67,
Vespasian, [391]carrying his arms through Galilee and
Judea, [392]took, besides most of their towns, Josephus
their [393]commander, who [394]foretold his [395]rise. At last,
he [396]fell upon Jerusalem, the [397]metropolis of the [398]nation,
which was taken by his son Titus, in the second
year of his reign.
This [399]proved the [400]ruin of the nation, and of the
very name of the Jews. The [401]calamity was indeed so
[402]violent, and the [403]miseries they [404]suffered so [405]various,
that it was [406]visible they were [407]punished for
the [408]horrid [409]murder of the [410]only begotten son of
God; for a [411]dreadful [412]famine [413]forced the [414]besieged
to [415]live on human [416]flesh; mothers to [417]eat
their own children; and eleven hundred thousand
[418]persons (a thing hardly ever [419]heard of before),
[420]perished in that [421]siege. The city was [422]finally
[423]razed to the ground. Vespasian, in the third year
of his reign [424]triumphed, with his son Titus, over
the Jews; upon which he [425]shut up the [426]temple of
[427]Janus. He [428]died in his ninth [429]consulship whilst
he was [430]giving [431]audience to some [432]ambassadors,
having lived sixty-nine years, one month and seven
days, and reigned eight years.
Titus, who [433]succeeded his father, is [434]deservedly
[435]ranked among the best [436]emperors, although
before he [437]came to the [438]empire, he was [439]thought a
man of a cruel [440]temper, [441]covetous, and [442]depraved.
But upon his [443]advancement, he was so much [444]altered
for the better, that he [445]deserved the [446]title of
the [447]delight of [448]mankind. He was [449]remarkable
for great [450]mildness, and [451]easy temper, and never
[452]sent any one away [453]dissatisfied; and [454]remembering
once at [455]supper that he had [456]done nobody
any [457]kindness that day, he told all those who were
about him that he had [458]lost a day. In his reign, in
the year of Christ 80, there was a [459]dreadful [460]eruption
of [461]flames and [462]ashes out of [463]mount Vesuvius,
which [464]flew as far as Africa, Syria, and Egypt; and
the two towns of Pompeii and [465]Herculaneum[A] were
[466]utterly [467]ruined by it. This good emperor died
in the year of Christ 81, two years and three
months after he had [468]succeeded his father, and in
the one and fortieth year of his [469]age, not without
the [470]suspicion of having been [471]poisoned by his
[472]brother Domitian.
Titus was very much [473]lamented both by the senate
and people: and their [474]concern for his death
was very much [475]increased by his brother and [476]successor
Domitian, the worst prince of all that [477]came
before, or [478]followed after him. At first he made
some [479]show of [480]clemency and [481]justice, but soon
[482]discovered his [483]temper, and [484]imitated Nero in
[485]cruelty, [486]rapine, and [487]debauchery. He [488]ordered
himself to be [489]called God, and was at last [490]destroyed
by means of a [491]plot, in the year of Christ 96, after
he had reigned fifteen years.
(Of Rome, 836—Of Christ, 96.)
[1]Cocceius Nerva succeeded Domitian in
the empire. He reigned but one year, four months,
and eleven days; an [2]excellent prince, but [3]despised
for his age. He [4]annulled all the [5]acts of Domitian,
and [6]restored what had been [7]taken from the
people by [8]violence and [9]injustice: but he [10]wanted
[11]authority to [12]keep the soldiers within [13]due bounds;
wherefore those who were [14]concerned in the death
of Domitian, from whom he had [15]received the empire,
were [16]killed by the [17]guards, [18]in spite of all
he could do to [19]prevent it. He made Trajan,
[20]lieutenant of Germany, his [21]adopted son, with
whom he lived three months.
Trajan [22]took upon him the [23]government of the
empire at [24]Cologn, being then in the 42nd year of
his age; and a man [25]excellently [26]skilled in the [27]military
art. He was likewise a person of great prudence,
[28]moderation, and [29]meekness of [30]temper;
so that he was thought by all to [31]deserve the [32]surname
of [33]Optimus. He [34]added Dacia to the empire,
and, [35]marching into the [36]East, [37]subdued the
[38]Armenians, the [39]Iberians, the [40]Colchians, the
[41]Sarmatians, the [42]Osrhoenians, the [43]Arabians, and
the [44]Bosphoranians. He likewise [45]fell upon the
Parthians, and [46]took the cities Seleucia, [47]Ctesiphon,
and [48]Babylon, with several others. But upon
his [49]taking a voyage in the [50]Red Sea, almost all
those nations [51]rose in rebellion. He, however, [52]quickly
[53]reduced them either in person or by his [54]lieutenants.
There was in his time a great [55]earthquake,
which [56]ruined the city of [57]Antioch: it [58]happened
in the year of Christ 115, in the [59]consulship of Messala
and Pedo, the latter of whom was [60]buried in
the [61]ruins of the [62]place, and Trajan was [63]drawn
through a [64]window, and had [65]much ado to [66]escape.
The Jews of [67]Syrene [68]took up arms, and [69]exercised
all manner of [70]cruelty upon the Romans and
Greeks throughout [71]Egypt and [72]Cyprus. Trajan
[73]suppressed this rebellion with infinite [74]slaughter,
by his lieutenant Martius Turbo. [75]Whilst he
was [76]preparing to march against the Parthians,
who were up in arms, having [77]forced from amongst
them the king that had been [78]given them by
the Roman emperor; this excellent prince [79]fell
ill, and [80]died at [81]Selinus in Cilicia. He
reigned nineteen years, six months, and fifteen
days.
[82]Ælius Hadrianus, Trajan’s [83]cousin and [84]countryman,
[85]obtained the empire after him, by the [86]favour
of Plotina, Trajan’s wife; a man very [87]fickle in his
[88]temper and [89]genius, [90]equally [91]formed for virtue
and [92]vice. He [93]went through all the [94]provinces
of the empire, so that nobody had ever [95]travelled
over so much of the [96]world as he. After the death
of Trajan, he [97]abandoned Armenia, Syria, and Mesopotamia,
to the Parthians, and [98]intended likewise
to [99]leave Dacia, had he not been [100]apprehensive
of [101]ruining the many thousands of Romans that
were there.
He [102]rebuilt Jerusalem, which he [103]called Ælia
Capitolina, and [104]settled a colony there; and in
the same place where the [105]temple had [106]stood,
[107]built another in [108]honour of [109]Jupiter; which so
[110]provoked the Jews, that, [111]taking up arms, they
[112]carried on the war with more [113]fury than ever,
under the [114]conduct of Barchochebas; against whom,
amongst other [115]skilful generals that he [116]employed,
Hadrian [117]sent for Julius Severus out of [118]Britain,
by whom the Jews were by [119]degrees [120]suppressed
and utterly [121]destroyed; there being no less than
50,000 slain in that war, besides an [122]innumerable
[123]multitude that were [124]consumed by [125]famine, [126]pestilence,
and [127]fire; so that [128]Palestine became almost
a [129]wilderness. After that time, the Jews
were [130]forbidden, [131]under pain of death, to come to
Jerusalem, unless one day in a year to [132]lament their
[133]misery.
At last Hadrian [134]growing old and [135]infirm, having
no [136]children of his own, [137]adopted [138]Arrius Antoninus,
who was afterwards [139]surnamed [140]Pius, [141]upon
condition that he should adopt Annius Verus, son of
Ælius Verus, and [142]M. Aurelius Antoninus. After
which he died at Baiæ, in the year of Christ 138,
having lived sixty-two years, and reigned twenty-one
and eleven months.
Antoninus Pius, adopted by Hadrian, [143]governed
the Roman empire with so much virtue and [144]goodness,
that he [145]surpassed all [146]example; for he [147]managed
the [148]commonwealth rather with the [149]affection
of a father, than with the authority of a prince,
and [150]kept the world in [151]peace during his whole reign,
for which [152]reason he was [153]compared to Numa.
[154]Foreign and [155]remote princes and [156]nations [157]feared
him to that degree, that they [158]referred the [159]decision
of their [160]controversies to him. He [161]forbade
any [162]scrutiny to be made after those, who had [163]entered
into a [164]plot against his [165]life. He died in
the seventieth year of his age, and twenty-fourth of
his reign.
After him reigned M. Antonius Verus, [166]son-in-law
of Pius; for he had married his daughter Valeria
Faustina. He had from [167]his youth been [168]educated
as well in the [169]knowledge of other [170]arts as
the [171]studies of [172]wisdom, which he [173]made appear
no less in his life and [174]conduct, than his [175]words
and [176]professions. In the [177]beginning of his reign,
he made L. Ælius Verus his [178]partner of the empire,
to whom he married his daughter Lucilla.
They reigned together eleven years, being of very
[179]different [180]inclinations; for Verus was of a [181]listless,
[182]luxurious, and [183]morose temper, but was
[184]kept within [185]bounds through the [186]respect he had
for his father-in-law; by whom he was [187]sent against
the Parthians, and [188]carried on the war [189]successfully
for four years, by his lieutenants; wherefore
they both [190]triumphed over the Parthians. Afterwards
they [191]undertook an [192]expedition against the
Marcomanni, but upon their [193]march, Verus was
[194]seized with an [195]apoplexy, between Concordia and
[196]Altinum, and died. M. Aurelius carried on the
war for three years against the Marcomanni, to
whom the Quadi, [197]Vandals, [198]Sarmatians, and
Suevi, [199]joined themselves. His army in [200]want [201]of
water, was [202]relieved by a [203]legion of [204]Christians
that was in it, who, by their [205]prayers [206]procured
[207]rain from [208]heaven, according to [209]Eusebius. The
[210]exchequer being quite [211]exhausted by the great
[212]expense of the war, that he might not [213]burthen the
people with [214]taxes, he [215]produced all the imperial
[216]furniture and [217]sold it; and after the victory [218]restored
the [219]price to those [220]purchasers who [221]were
willing to [222]part with what they had [223]bought.
Avidius Cassius, upon [224]false advice that he was
[225]dead, [226]seized the [227]government, and was slain
three months after. M. Aurelius died at Vienna,
after a reign of nineteen years, and eleven months.
He was [228]succeeded by his [229]wicked son Aurelius
Commodus Antoninus, who [230]resembled Nero for
[231]cruelty, [232]lust, [233]avarice, and such practices as are
[234]scandalous in an emperor. Having [235]settled his
affairs with the [236]Germans, he triumphed at Rome.
He put to death his sister Lucilla, who, with [237]several
others, had [238]conspired against his life. He [239]used
to [240]fight among the [241]gladiators in the [242]public
games. He was at last, after an [243]infamous life,
[244]slain by the [245]contrivance of a [246]mistress, and
the captain-general of his [247]life-guards, whom he
had [248]determined to [249]put to death. He reigned
twelve years, nine months, and fourteen days.
After Commodus was [250]killed in the year of
Christ 193, P. [251]Helvius Pertinax, was [252]declared
emperor, by those who had [253]dispatched Commodus,
who [254]endeavouring to [255]reduce the [256]commonwealth
into better [257]order, and to [258]curb the [259]licentiousness
of the [260]soldiery, was, within eighty
days after his coming to the empire, [261]murdered by
his own guards. The empire after this, was by the
soldiers [262]exposed to [263]sale, and Didius Julianus
[264]coming up to their [265]terms, was [266]accepted of,
and [267]proclaimed emperor accordingly. But [268]not
being able to [269]make up the [270]promised donative, he
was [271]forsaken by them, and slain by [272]order of
Septimius Severus, after he had reigned two months
and five days.
This Severus, a [273]native of Africa, was at that
time lieutenant of Pannonia, and [274]took upon him
the government, under the [275]pretence of [276]revenging
Pertinax’s death. He first of all [277]disbanded
the guards for that [278]abominable [279]murder. Then
he [280]fell upon Pescennius Niger, lieutenant of
Syria, and Clodius Albinus of [281]Britain, his [282]competitor
for the empire. Niger was [283]conquered,
and Antioch, into which he [284]threw himself, was
taken; after which, [285]flying towards the [286]river
Euphrates, he was [287]taken and slain. After the
[288]taking off of Niger, Severus [289]took [290]Byzantium,
which had [291]declared for him, after a [292]siege of three
years.
[293]Matters being [294]brought to a [295]peaceable [296]settlement
in the [297]East, he [298]turned his arms [299]westward
against Clodius Albinus, and [300]engaged him
at [301]Lyons in [302]France; where many being slain on
both [303]sides, and amongst others, Albinus, he was
[304]left sole [305]possessor of the empire. The city was
[306]plundered and [307]burnt, Albinus’s [308]head [309]sent to
Rome, and a [310]dreadful [311]havoc made among those
who had been his [312]favourers and [313]friends.
After this, he [314]marched [315]eastward again, and
[316]conquered the Parthians, the [317]Adiabenians, and
Arabians, whilst Plotianus, in the mean time, [318]governed
all at Rome. Plotilla, this man’s daughter,
was [319]contracted to Antoninus, Severus’s son, and
the [320]nuptials were [321]celebrated in the tenth year
of Severus’s reign. But not long after, Plotianus
being [322]engaged in a [323]plot against the emperor,
was slain by his [324]son-in-law, and a great many that
had been in his [325]interest, killed after him.
Severus [326]undertook an [327]expedition into Britain,
with his two sons, in the 15th year of his reign,
where he [328]continued three years; being very [329]successful,
he [330]drew a [331]wall [332]across the [333]island for
its [334]security. He died at York, after he had reigned
seventeen years eight months and three days.
[335]Antoninus Caracalla and Geta, the two sons of
Severus, were after him [336]advanced to the empire,
in the year of Christ 211. But the [337]difference of
their [338]humour and [339]manners was such, that they
were [340]perpetually at [341]variance. Geta was of a [342]mild
and civil [343]temper, the other [344]cruel and [345]boisterous,
who, in the second year of his reign, [346]slew
his brother in his [347]mother’s [348]bosom. After him, a
great many of his friends and [349]favourers were [350]put
to death, amongst whom the [351]famous [352]lawyer [353]Papinian,
because he would not [354]justify his [355]parricide.
After this, he [356]marched into the [357]East. At Alexandria
he made a [358]shocking [359]massacre of the [360]inhabitants,
for having some time before made some
[361]jests upon him. He then [362]invaded [363]Artabanus,
king of the Parthians, and [364]laid waste his [365]dominions.
He was [366]killed by the [367]contrivance
of Opilius Macrinus after he had reigned six years
and two months.
Macrinus [368]enjoyed the empire but a short time;
for he and his sons were slain by the [369]soldiers within
a year and two months after he obtained it: and
was [370]succeeded by [371]Antoninus Heliogabalus, [372]supposed,
but [373]falsely, to be the son of Caracalla.
He was the [374]vilest [375]wretch that ever lived,
[376]given up to all manner of [377]vice. Wherefore, after
a reign of three years, and nine months, he was
slain by the [378]soldiery, with his mother Julia, or
Semiamira.
After this, [379]M. Aurelius Alexander [380]mounted
the throne, having been [381]created Cæsar the year
before; an [382]extraordinary prince, and well [383]instructed
in all the [384]arts of [385]peace and war. He
[386]carried a strict hand over the [387]judges, and was
very [388]severe upon all those that by [389]favour or
[390]bribery [391]transgressed the [392]bounds of [393]justice.
He [394]banished from his [395]person all [396]flatterers,
[397]buffoons, and such as are a [398]scandal to the [399]court.
He [400]forbade the [401]sale of [402]offices, saying, that
what was [403]bought would be [404]sold again. He
[405]allowed the [406]deputies of the [407]provinces all their
[408]furniture out of the [409]exchequer, that they
might not be [410]burdensome to the people. He was
[411]successful against the Persians, but at last slain
in a [412]sedition of his army.
In the fifth year of his reign, [413]Artaxerxes, [414]the
Persian, having [415]defeated the Parthians in three
[416]battles, and slain their king Artabanus, [417]raised
again the empire of the Persians in the East. He
also made an [418]excursion into the Roman [419]territories,
but was defeated by Alexander. After this, he
[420]undertook an [421]expedition against the Germans,
in which he was slain by Maximinus, together with
his mother, after a reign of thirteen years.
Maximinus was made emperor after the [422]murder
of Alexander, and [423]put a happy end to the German
war. In the mean time he made a [424]dreadful [425]havoc
at Rome, by his governor there, and killed a great
many of the [426]nobility. During this, the two [427]Gordians,
father and son, while at [428]Carthage, [429]laid claim
to the empire. The Romans, being [430]headed by the
senate, [431]declared against Maximinus; and [432]persons
were [433]dispatched away to [434]secure the provinces for
the senate. At home, twenty [435]commissioners were
[436]nominated for the [437]management of public [438]affairs.
The Gordians being [439]killed in Africa, after a
year and a few days, by [440]Capelian, Maximinus’s
general, [441]Balbinus and [442]Maximus Pupienus, two
of the [443]twenty [444]commissioners, were [445]advanced
to the empire by the senate in the year of Christ
237; in which Maximinus, as he was [446]besieging
Aquileia, was slain by the [447]soldiers with his son,
who was but a [448]boy, after a reign of two years and
ten months.
Balbinus and Pupienus, with Gordian ([449]a boy,
who, as will be seen [450]hereafter, [451]perished in
Africa), reigned together for a year. But afterwards
being [452]desirous to [453]get rid of Gordian, who was
more in [454]favour than themselves, they were slain by
the soldiers in the year of Christ 238; from which
time Gordian [455]enjoyed the empire by himself, a
[456]youth of an [457]extraordinary [458]genius, and [459]prone
to all manner of virtue; which was [460]improved by
the [461]prudence of Misitheus, a very [462]learned and
[463]eloquent man, whose daughter he [464]married; with
whom he [465]marched at the [466]head of the great army
against the Persians, and [467]recovered from them
[468]Carræ, [469]Nisibis, and other towns, and [470]forced them
back into their own [471]country. The year [472]following,
Misitheus being [473]murdered by the [474]contrivance
of [475]Philip the Arabian, Gordian himself was soon
after slain in a [476]tumult, which the same Philip
[477]raised by the [478]help of some soldiers he had [479]corrupted,
after he had reigned six years, in whose
[480]place the [481]parricide [482]succeeded.
In the fourth year of Philip’s reign, the [483]Secular
games were [484]celebrated at Rome, in the
[485]thousandth year of the city. He was [486]at last
[487]slain at Verona, by the soldiers, in the sixth year
of his [488]reign.
Decius, [489]born in [490]Lower Pannonia, a man of
great [491]courage and [492]experience in war, [493]succeeded
him. He [494]perished in a [495]morass in a battle against
the [496]Barbarians. This [497]defeat was [498]occasioned
by the [499]treachery of Gallus, who [500]secretly [501]caballed
with the enemy after he had reigned thirty
months. This Gallus being made emperor by the
[502]choice of the [503]soldiery, and having [504]taken his
son as a [505]partner in the [506]government, was slain
together with him by the soldiers, two years and
four months after at Interamna, as he was [507]marching
against Æmilian, who was [508]raising a [509]rebellion
in Mœtia.
Æmilian did not reign long, being slain three
months after his [510]advancement, and was [511]succeeded
by Valerian, with his son Gallienus, who reigned six
years together; during which time the Roman empire
was [512]miserably [513]rent by the Barbarians. Thirty
[514]tyrants [515]started up in several [516]places, according
to [517]Trebellius Pollio. Wherefore Valerian [518]marching
against the [519]Scythians, who had [520]taken
[521]Chalcedon, [522]burnt Nice, and the [523]temple of the
[524]Ephesian Diana, and from thence [525]advancing
against Sapores, who [526]was very troublesome to the
[527]Eastern [528]borders, he [529]took him [530]prisoner, and
[531]treated him like a vile [532]slave; for when he
[533]mounted his [534]horse, he [535]set his [536]foot upon his
[537]neck, who [538]bowed down [539]for that purpose. At
last he [540]ordered him to be [541]flayed and [542]salted.
This [543]victory over the Romans [544]happened in the
year of Christ 260. After which Odenatus, a senator
of the [545]Palmyrenians, whom Zenobia had [546]married,
[547]bravely [548]repulsed the Persians that still
[549]harassed the [550]borders.
[551]In the mean time Gallienus, wholly [552]given up
to [553]luxury and [554]debauchery, [555]suffered the empire
to be [556]torn to pieces by the Barbarians, and
[557]tyrants. Odenatus, after the [558]taking of Nisibis and
Carræ, and the [559]recovery of Mesopotamia, [560]upon
routing of the king of the Persians, having [561]sent the
great [562]lords of the Persians to him in [563]chains, he
was [564]not ashamed to [565]triumph, as if he had [566]conquered
them himself. Odenatus was [567]murdered by
his [568]cousin, together with his son Herod, whose
[569]wife Zenobia, being a [570]woman of a [571]masculine
spirit, [572]undertook the government. Gallienus was
slain with his brother Valerian at [573]Milan, as he was
marching against Aureolus the tyrant. He reigned
almost seven years with his father, and eight alone.
Claudius [574]succeeded him; a [575]frugal and [576]moderate
prince, and very [577]serviceable to the public,
who having [578]taken off the tyrant Aureolus, was very
[579]successful against the [580]Goths, of whom he [581]slew
320,000, and [582]sunk 200 of their [583]ships. The rest
of the Barbarians were [584]consumed at [585]Hæmimontium
by [586]famine and [587]pestilence; and soon after
Claudius [588]died of the same [589]plague, after a reign
of one year and nine months.
His brother Quintilius [590]usurping the empire,
was slain by the soldiers ten days after, who had
now [591]made choice of Aurelian, a person of [592]mean
birth, but [593]reckoned amongst the most [594]glorious
princes, only rather too [595]cruel. He [596]subdued the
Alemanni and Marcomanni, from whom the Romans
had before [597]received a [598]signal [599]overthrow. After
that victory he [600]came to Rome, [601]put several of the
[602]senators to death, and [603]enlarged the [604]walls of
the city. Then marching [605]eastward, he conquered
Zenobia, whom with the tyrant [606]Tetrichus, he [607]led
in [608]triumph. [609]Aurelius Victor tells us, he was the
first of the Roman emperors who [610]wore a [611]diadem
on his [612]head, or [613]used [614]jewels and [615]cloth of
[616]gold. He was [617]taken off by [618]Mnestheus, a
[619]notary to the [620]secretaries at [621]Cænophrurium,
[622]betwixt [623]Byzantium and Heraclea. After his
[624]death, there was an [625]interregnum of about seven
months, [626]occasioned by a [627]dispute between the senate
and the army, about the [628]choice of an emperor;
at length Tacitus was [629]chosen by the senate,
a person of [630]excellent [631]morals, and very [632]fit for
the [633]government, he was [634]descended from Tacitus
the [635]historian; and he [636]died of a [637]fever six
months after at Tarsus. His brother Florianus
[638]succeeded him: but Probus being [639]set up by a
[640]majority of the army, Florianus [641]bled himself to
death, two months after his brother died, in the
year of Christ 276.
This Probus was [642]born in Pannonia Sirmiensis,
a very fine man, and an excellent [643]soldier, of [644]unspotted
morals. [645]As soon as he was [646]made emperor,
he [647]punished all those who [648]had a hand in the death
of Aurelian. After that, he [649]marched to [650]Gaul,
[651]recovered several towns out of the [652]hands of
the [653]Barbarians, and [654]slew nearly 70,000 of them.
After [655]reducing [656]Gaul, he recovered [657]Illyricum,
and [658]subdued the people [659]called the
[660]Getæ; then going into the [661]East, he [662]fell upon
the [663]Persians; when having [664]defeated them, and
[665]taken several towns, he was [666]slain on his [667]return
to Italy, by the soldiers, at [668]Sirmium, who [669]hated
him for his great [670]severity. This [671]happened in
the seventh year of his [672]reign, and the 282nd of
Christ.
Probus was [673]succeeded by M. Aurelius Carus,
[674]born at [675]Narbon in France, who [676]immediately
[677]made his sons Carinus, and Numerianus, [678]Cæsars;
and having [679]sent Carinus to [680]take the care of
Gaul, he [681]marched into the [682]East against the Persians
with Numerianus; where, after he had [683]reduced
Mesopotamia, and marched as far as [684]Ctesiphon,
he was [685]struck dead by [686]lightning, having
[687]reigned about a year. Numerianus being much
[688]concerned for his father’s death, [689]contracted a
[690]weakness in his [691]eyes with [692]weeping, and was
[693]slain by the [694]contrivance of Aper his [695]father-in-law.
Carinus was nothing [696]like his father and brother,
being [697]guilty of all [698]manner of [699]wickedness;
[700]wherefore he was [701]odious to all [702]ranks of [703]people.
He was [704]betrayed by his own army at [705]Margum
in Mœsia, and [706]killed by the soldiers of Dioclesian,
who, as soon as Numerianus was [707]dead, [708]accepted
of the [709]purple [710]offered him by the army, being
born of [711]mean parents in [712]Dalmatia (for [713]he is said
to have been the [714]slave of [715]Anulinus the senator),
but a [716]gallant soldier. He [717]took his [718]oath in an
[719]assembly of the soldiers, that he [720]had no hand in
the death of Numerianus, and upon that [721]slew Aper
with his own [722]hand; and so [723]fulfilled the [724]prophecy
of him, that he should be emperor, when he
had killed a [725]boar with his own hand; for which
reason [726]as often as he [727]met with a boar, he [728]used
to kill him. After he had killed Aper, he said he
had [729]found the fatal boar. He [730]suppressed the
[731]boors who made an [732]insurrection in Gaul, and
[733]called themselves Bacaudæ, by means of [734]Maximianus
Herculius, whom he [735]sent thither [736]for that purpose
in the year 285, in which this Herculius was first
made Cæsar, and the year [737]following he was made
Augustus. About the same time Carausius having
[738]seized upon [739]Britain, and Achilleus in [740]Egypt,
[741]pretended to the empire; and in the [742]East, Narses
king of Persia, being [743]ready to [744]fall upon the Romans,
and Africa being [745]wasted by the [746]Quinquegentians,
the better to [747]conduct all these wars at once, he
[748]created Constantius Chlorus, and Galerius Maximianus,
Cæsars. The latter was [749]born in Dacia, not
far from Sardica, and was [750]surnamed [751]Armentarius,
because he had been a [752]herdsman. Dioclesian [753]gave
his daughter Valeria to Armentarius, and Maximianus
Herculius [754]disposed of his step-daughter
Theodora to Constantius. After this, Dioclesian
[755]went to Egypt, Herculius into Africa, Armentarius
into the East, and Constantius into Britain. Alexandria
was [756]taken by Dioclesian, after a [757]siege of
eight months, in the twelfth year of his reign. Ceransius
was [758]killed by his friend [759]Alectus, eight
years after his [760]revolt. At the same time the Quinquegentians
were [761]reduced by Maximianus Herculius:
and Galerius Armentarius [762]defeated by Narsus,
being [763]haughtily [764]received by Dioclesian, he the
year following 297, [765]revenged this [766]disgrace, by
[767]routing the Persian army, and [768]taking the [769]wives,
[770]sisters, and [771]children of Narsus prisoners; upon
which Dioclesian received him [772]honourably in Mesopotamia.
At length, after a [773]splendid [774]triumph, Dioclesian
and Herculius [775]laid down their [776]authority; the
former did it [777]by choice, and [778]retired to Salonæ;
the other was [779]prevailed upon more by the
[780]authority of his [781]colleague, than from any
[782]inclination for it. This [783]happened in the 20th of
Dioclesian, and 304th year of Christ; upon which
[784]Constantius Chlorus, and [785]Galerius Maximianus
Armentarius, were [786]proclaimed emperors; Severus,
and Galerius Maximianus, the [787]nephew of Armentarius
by a sister, were [788]declared Cæsars. Constantius
[789]divided the Roman empire with Maximian,
[790]keeping to himself Gaul, Italy, and Africa; but
the two [791]last he afterwards [792]left to his colleague,
who had besides [793]Illyricum, Asia, and the
[794]East. Of this he made Maximianus [795]governor,
and [796]placed Severus in Italy.
(Of Rome, 1044—Of Christ, 304.)
Constantius Chlorus having [1]enjoyed
his [2]dignity one year, or as most [3]will have it, two
years, [4]died at York. He was [5]mild and [6]civil in
his [7]disposition; he would [8]suffer no [9]enquiry to
be made after the [10]Christians, and [11]preferred such
of his [12]servants as he [13]knew to be of that [14]profession
before the [15]rest.
Constantine, his son, [16]began his [17]reign in the
year of Christ 306, being 32 or 33 years of age,
[18]born of [19]Helen of Bithynia, whom, most [20]authors
say, was not, but some, that she was, the [21]lawful
[22]wife of Constantius, though of [23]mean [24]birth.
At Rome, [25]Maxentius, the son of [26]Herculius, was
[27]proclaimed emperor, by the [28]prætorian [29]bands:
he, at first, to [30]gain the [31]people, [32]seemed to [33]favour
the [34]Christians; but [35]presently after [36]wallowed
in all [37]manner of [38]wickedness and [39]cruelty.
Galerius Maximianus [40]sent Severus against him,
who, being [41]forsaken by his men, [42]fled to Ravenna;
Galerius, upon this, [43]marching for Rome,
with his [44]army, was [45]likewise forsaken by his
men, and went into [46]Illyricum, where he [47]made
Licinius Cæsar. Upon which Herculius [48]being
now in hopes of [49]recovering the empire which he
had [50]quitted against his [51]will, [52]returned from Lucania
to Rome, and [53]advised [54]Dioclesian, [55]living
at Carnus in Pannonia, by his [56]letters to him, to
[57]do the like, which he [58]refused. He [59]trepanned
Severus by [60]perjury, and [61]slew him. Then [62]laying
a plot for his son, he was [63]forced to [64]fly from
Rome to Constantine in Gaul, to whom he [65]gave
his daughter Faustina in [66]marriage. But some
time after, having [67]entered into a [68]wicked [69]design
against his [70]son-in-law, Constantine, (which was [71]discovered
by his daughter), he [72]fled to [73]Marseilles,
and there [74]suffered the [75]punishment of his [76]treachery.
About this time, Galerius Maximianus [77]died
and was by his son-in-law Maxentius [78]enrolled
amongst the [79]gods.
In the year 312, [80]Constantine [81]marched against
[82]Maxentius, and was [83]encouraged to it by the [84]prodigy
of a [85]cross he [86]saw in the [87]heavens. Having
[88]passed the [89]Alps, and [90]defeated his generals
near Verona, he [91]routed Maxentius himself not far
from Rome, who [92]flying over a [93]bridge he had
[94]laid upon the [95]Tyber, it [96]broke under him, and
he was [97]drowned.
[98]Affairs being [99]settled in the city, Constantine
in his [100]way to Germany, at Milan [101]married his
sister [102]Constantia to Licinius, who had now been
[103]made emperor. The same year Galericus Maximinus,
a cruel [104]enemy of the [105]Christians, [106]undertaking
a war against both the emperors, was [107]beaten
by Licinius in [108]Illyricum, and [109]fled into Asia,
where he [110]died a [111]horrible death at Tarsus in Cilicia.
Nor did the [112]agreement betwixt the two
[113]princes [114]last long; their first [115]rencounter was at
Cibalis, a town in Pannonia; after which they had
another [116]battle in the [117]plains of Mardia; in both
which the [118]Licinians were [119]entirely defeated. At
last a [120]peace was [121]made, and the empire again
[122]divided.
In the year 324, Licinius [123]taking up arms
against Constantine, [124]upon a pretence that he
[125]went beyond his [126]bounds, and had [127]broken into his
[128]dominions, received a great [129]overthrow near Hadrianople.
[130]From thence flying into [131]Byzantium,
he was again [132]defeated by [133]sea; and being [134]routed
in another [135]battle near [136]Chalcedon, he was [137]taken
prisoner by Constantine, from whom he [138]procured
his life by the [139]interposition of his sister, and was
[140]banished to [141]Thessalonica, where, [142]endeavouring
to make a new [143]insurrection, he was [144]put to death.
After this, [145]Crispus Cæsar, his son, by a former
[146]wife Minervina, a [147]youth of an [148]extraordinary
[149]genius, was put to death upon [150]suspicion of [151]attempting
to [152]seduce his [153]step-mother; and the
year [154]following, Fausta, being [155]found [156]guilty of
[157]falsely [158]accusing him, was [159]suffocated in a hot
[160]bath, by [161]order of her [162]husband Constantine.
In this emperor’s time, Byzantium was [163]rebuilt,
and [164]enriched with the [165]spoils of almost the whole
[166]world; so that it [167]equalled Rome, and [168]took its
[169]name from its [170]restorer, being [171]called [172]Constantinople.
After this, having [173]subdued the [174]Sarmatians,
and [175]disposed of them in several [176]places of the
Roman [177]empire; Constantine died in the [178]suburbs
of Nicomedia, where most [179]authors say he was
[180]baptised a little before his [181]death.
He [182]left by Fausta, the daughter of Maximianus,
three children, [183]heirs of the empire, who [184]divided it
amongst them. Constantine the [185]eldest had [186]Gaul,
and all [187]beyond the [188]Alps. [189]Constans the [190]youngest
had Rome, Italy, Africa, Sicily, and the [191]rest of
the [192]islands, Illyricum, [193]Thracia, Macedonia, and
[194]Greece. Constantius, the [195]second son, Asia, and
the [196]East, with [197]Egypt.
But the brothers did not long [198]agree; four years
after his father’s [199]death, Constantine making war upon
his brother Constans, and [200]invading his [201]territories,
was [202]slain near Aquileia. Constans himself was slain
ten years after by [203]Magnentius’s general, Gaison,
near the [204]Pyrænean mountains. Constantius was
[205]engaged in a [206]dangerous war with this Magnentius.
In the [207]battle [208]fought at Morsa in Pannonia, Constantius’s
army was [209]worsted in the first [210]attack,
but at last [211]came off [212]victorious. Two years after
this, Magnentius slew himself at Lyons in [213]despair.
Gallus was [214]declared Cæsar, and [215]governor of the
East; but [216]abusing his [217]authority, he was [218]sent for
by Constantius, and [219]put to death in Illyricum.
[220]Julian, his brother, was [221]saved by the [222]interposition
of Eusebia, Constantius’s [223]wife, and sent to Athens
to [224]study. He was afterwards [225]advanced to the
[226]dignity of Cæsar, [227]married to the emperor’s sister
[228]Helen, and was [229]made governor of [230]Gaul, where
he was very [231]successful against the [232]Germans,
[233]Franks, and [234]Alemans; he [235]sent the [236]king of the
Alemans a [237]prisoner to Constantius at Rome, who
[238]envying his [239]success, [240]endeavoured to [241]draw his
soldiers from him, and [242]send them into the [243]East
against the Persians. But they [244]proclaimed Julian
emperor at [245]Paris, [246]whilst Constantius was [247]preparing
for a war against the Persians. [248]As soon as
he [249]understood this, he [250]marched against Julian,
but died on the [251]road near Tarsus.
Julian, after the death of Constantius, was sole
[252]master of the empire. He [253]killed, or [254]banished
all the [255]friends of Constantius; [256]opened the [257]temples
of the [258]idols, and [259]abjuring the [260]Christian [261]faith,
was [262]consecrated [263]high-priest, [264]according to the
[265]rites of the [266]pagan [267]religion. He made war
against the Persians, and was [268]slain in it. They
say that, when he [269]perceived his [270]wound to be
[271]mortal, he [272]received the [273]blood in his [274]hand, and
[275]threw it up [276]towards [277]heaven, with these [278]words:
“Thou hast [279]conquered me, O [280]Galilæan!”
[281]meaning [282]Christ, whose religion he had [283]abjured,
and hence was called Julian the Apostate.
After the death of Julian, [284]Jovian, a [285]native of
Pannonia, was [286]proclaimed emperor by the [287]soldiers.
He [288]ordered the temples of the idols to be [289]shut up,
and their [290]sacrifices to be [291]abolished. He made an
[292]inglorious peace with Sapor, king of the Persians,
for thirty years, by which he [293]yielded up Nisibis,
and the greatest [294]part of Mesopotamia. He died
in his [295]return to Constantinople, in the [296]confines
of Galatea and Bithynia.
In the year of Christ 364, [297]Valentinian was [298]chosen
emperor at Nice, and not long after [299]gave the [300]title
of [301]Augustus to his brother [302]Valens; and [303]leaving
him in the East, [304]came into the [305]West himself.
He had a great many good [306]qualities, but was [307]particularly
[308]famed for his [309]love of [310]justice. He
made war against the Alemanni, [311]Saxons, Quadri,
and other [312]nations. He [313]died in Pannonia, of an
[314]apoplexy, in the 55th year of his [315]age, and the
12th of his [316]reign.
His brother Valens [317]suppressed Procopius, a [318]relation
of [319]Julian, who had [320]assumed the [321]purple
at Constantinople. After which he made war with
the [322]Goths; but upon the [323]suit of their king
[324]Athanaricus, [325]granted them a [326]peace, in the
year 369. Ten years after this, Athanaricus with
Fritigernes, were [327]driven out of their [328]country by
the [329]Huns, and were [330]kindly [331]received by Valens,
and [332]settled with their Goths in [333]Thrace. They
afterwards excited an [334]insurrection against the
Romans, and Valens being [335]wounded in a [336]battle
with them, near [337]Hadrianople, was [338]burnt [339]alive
by the barbarians, in a [340]cottage he [341]fled to. He
reigned fourteen years and four months.
The emperor Valentinian had two sons, [342]Gratian
and Valentinian. The former he [343]declared Augustus
in Gaul, in the year 367; and his other son was
[344]immediately after the death of his father [345]advanced
to the same [346]dignity by the soldiers, in the year
375, and the 10th year of his age. Gratian had an
[347]aversion to [348]public [349]business. After the death
of Valens, the Goths [350]over-running Thrace, and
other [351]provinces of the Roman empire, not [352]being
able alone to [353]bear the [354]burthen, he [355]sent for
[356]Theodosius out of [357]Spain, and made him his
[358]associate, who was then in the 33rd year of his age.
Theodosius having [359]conquered the barbarians,
[360]restored the public [361]peace. At last the whole
[362]nation of the Goths, with their king, [363]delivered
themselves up to the Romans, to whom the emperor
[364]assigned [365]lands. After these things, Maximus
[366]seized the [367]government in [368]Britain, in the year
382; and having [369]fixed his imperial [370]seat at Triers,
[371]basely killed Gratian at Lyons, after he had been
[372]forsaken by his army; but Theodosius [373]revenged
his death, and [374]likewise [375]re-established Valentinian
the [376]younger, who had been [377]obliged to [378]quit
Italy. This [379]happened in the year 388, in which
he [380]overthrew and killed Maximus near Aquileia.
Theodosius had all the [381]accomplishments [382]becoming
a Christian emperor: [383]inferior to none of the
[384]foregoing or [385]following princes; a [386]consummate
general, never [387]undertaking any war but such as
was [388]necessary; of [389]singular [390]clemency and
[391]humanity, yet a little [392]inclined to [393]passion.
In the year 391, Eugenius, [394]supported by the
[395]power of Arbogastes, [396]set up for emperor,
and in the following year, Valentinian was slain at
Vienne in Gaul, by the same Arbogastes. Two
years after, [397]Eugenius was [398]routed, [399]taken prisoner,
and put to [400]death by Theodosius. Arbogastes
was his own [401]executioner. The year following,
395, this excellent emperor died at Milan, after
a reign of sixteen years.
Theodosius [402]left two sons, [403]Arcadius and [404]Honorius;
to the [405]former he [406]gave the [407]East, to the
[408]latter the [409]West. Arcadius, [410]immediately after his
father’s death, [411]married Eudoxia, which [412]match was
[413]brought about by Eutropius, [414]for fear of his [415]taking
to wife Ruffinus’s daughter. This Ruffinus in the
East, and Stilicho in the West, were at that time
two men of the greatest [416]eminence and [417]power in
the empire. Stilicho, after the death of Theodosius,
[418]laying claim to the [419]management of both the Eastern
and Western empires, and [420]marching [421]Eastward,
Ruffinus [422]endeavoured [423]to hinder him, by [424]posting
his [425]troops in all the [426]passages into [427]Greece, and
[428]sent for Alaricus, king of the Goths, who [429]over-ran
Greece, but was [430]defeated by Stilicho. At last,
Ruffinus was [431]slain by the [432]soldiers, the same year in
which Theodosius died. After his death, Eutropius
[433]became very intimate with Arcadius, but was at last
[434]disgraced and slain, in the very year in which he
was [435]consul. In 403, died Arcadius, a prince of a
[436]peaceable, but [437]indolent [438]temper, and too much
[439]governed by his [440]wife. He left the [441]guardianship
of his son, by [442]will, to Jezdegirdes, king of the [443]Persians,
who [444]faithfully [445]executed that [446]trust, and
[447]committed the [448]care of his [449]ward to Antiochus,
a very [450]learned man, who [451]threatened to make
war upon any that should [452]offer to [453]disturb him.
In the West, the [454]frequent [455]invasions of the barbarians
were almost [456]fatal to the Roman [457]state.
Radagisus, king of the Goths, with four, or as
[458]others [459]say, two hundred thousand men, [460]invaded
Italy, who were very [461]happily [462]cut off by Stilicho,
the general himself being [463]taken and [464]slain. After
Alaricus, a king of the [465]Goths, having [466]laid [467]Greece
waste, and [468]continued a long time in [469]Epirus, at
the [470]instigation of Stilicho, who was [471]desirous to
[472]take [473]Illyricum from Arcadius, in order to [474]annex
it to the [475]dominions of Honorius, afterwards [476]penetrated
into Italy. To [477]get rid of him, Honorius
[478]gave him [479]Spain and Gaul to [480]live in, himself not
being in a condition to [481]keep those [482]provinces.
As Alaricus was [483]marching thither, Saul, a [484]pagan
general, whom Stilicho had [485]placed at the [486]head of
an army, [487]falling upon the Barbarians, was [488]defeated
by them. This [489]success so [490]elevated Alaricus,
that [491]quitting his [492]former [493]design, he [494]over-ran
Italy, and [495]took Rome: but before this, Stilicho
was [496]put to death by the [497]order of Honorius.
For, after the death of Theodosius, [498]designing to get
the empire to himself and to make his son [499]Eucherius,
who was a [500]pagan, and an enemy to the [501]Christians,
emperor; the better to [502]accomplish his [503]design,
he [504]resolved to [505]throw all into [506]confusion.
[507]Wherefore he sent for the Barbarians to [508]ravage
the empire, and [509]let the Alans, the Vandals, the
Suevi, and the Burgundians, loose upon France
and Spain. His [510]relation to the emperor [511]encouraged
him in it; for he had Serena, the daughter
of Theodosius’s brother, in [512]marriage, and had
[513]disposed of the two daughters he had by her, first,
[514]Mary, and after her death, [515]Termantia, in marriage
to Honorius. But these [516]intrigues being [517]discovered
by [518]Olympius, in the year of Christ 408, he was slain
by the [519]hands of [520]Heraclius. The year following,
Eucherius was [521]put to death, with his mother Serena.
After Stilicho was [522]taken off, Alaricus was [523]desirous
to [524]come to an [525]accommodation with Honorius, but
was [526]foolishly [527]rejected. Wherefore, with a [528]body
of [529]Goths, and [530]Huns, in [531]conjunction with his
wife’s brother [532]Athaulfus, he [533]laid siege to Rome,
and [534]carried it in the year 410. The [535]plunder of
it he [536]gave to his soldiers, but with orders that all
such as [537]fled to the [538]churches, [539]especially those
of [540]Peter and [541]Paul, should have [542]quarter given
them. He then [543]went to [544]Rhegium, in order to
[545]pass over into Sicily and Africa, but there [546]died.
He was [547]succeeded by Athaulfus, who [548]plundered
Rome again, [549]carried off Placidia the emperor’s
sister, and [550]married her.
During this [551]storm in Italy, the same [552]calamity
[553]fell upon Gaul and Spain. The Alans, Vandals,
Suevans, [554]laid waste Gaul, passed the [555]Pyrenæan
mountains, and [556]made themselves [557]masters of Spain
in the year 409. The Vandals and Suevans [558]seized
upon Galæcia; the Alans, Lusitania and the [559]province
of [560]Carthage; the [561]Silingans, which was another
[562]branch of the Vandals, Bœtica.
After the [563]breaking in of the Goths in 410, [564]divers
[565]pretenders to the empire [566]started up in [567]several
[568]places. First Attalus was [569]made emperor, by the
[570]senate, at the [571]command of Alaricus. He [572]proudly
[573]rejected Honorius, who [574]offered by his [575]ambassadors
to [576]receive him as his [577]partner in the empire,
but was [578]obliged by Alaricus to [579]return to a [580]private
[581]condition, and was afterwards [582]put up and [583]down
again several times. At length, [584]renewing his [585]pretensions
in Gaul, but not being [586]supported by the
[587]Goths, he was [588]taken [589]prisoner, and [590]put into
the [591]hands of Honorius, who [592]spared his [593]life,
but [594]cut off one of his hands.
[595]Martius Gratianus, and Constantine in [596]Britain,
[597]usurped the [598]supreme [599]power, and were [600]taken
off. [601]Jovin and [602]Sebastian, two brothers, then
[603]pretended to the empire; but were [604]taken and
[605]slain by [606]Athaulfus, king of the Goths. [607]Heraclianus
was set up in Africa, and [608]venturing over
into Italy against Honorius, was [609]routed by Marinus
at [610]Utriculum; and [611]returning into Africa, was
slain at [612]Carthage.
In the year 415, Athaulfus was slain by a Goth,
and [613]succeeded by Sigericus, who was destroyed
seven days after; and succeeded by Vuallia, who
[614]made peace with the Romans, and [615]restored Placidia
to Honorius; after which he made war against
the Alans, Vandals, Suevi, and other [616]nations, who
had [617]settled in Spain. Honorius [618]married Placidia
against her [619]will to [620]Constantius Comes, who [621]confirmed
the peace with Vuallia, [622]sent for him back
into Gaul, and [623]gave him that part of [624]Aquitain
which [625]lies betwixt Thoulouse and the [626]sea, to [627]live in.
Upon this, Thoulouse [628]became the [629]capital of the
[630]Gothic, or [631]Visigothic [632]kingdom in Gaul. This
[633]happened in the year 419. In the year following,
Honorius, against his [634]will, made Constantius his
[635]companion in the empire, who died seven months
after, as did Honorius himself in the year 428.
He was [636]succeeded by Valentinian his sister’s son.
In his reign the Vandals, whom Boniface had hitherto
[637]repulsed from the [638]shores of Africa, [639]entered it
from Spain, under the [640]command of Geisericus. For
Boniface being [641]impeached by [642]Ætius of [643]high-treason,
and [644]Sigisvulphus being [645]sent against him,
[646]finding himself not a [647]match for the Romans, [648]fled
to the Vandals for [649]assistance, with whom he had
[650]contracted an [651]alliance before. Wherefore in the
year 427, Geisericus, with 80,000 Vandals and Alans,
[652]passed over into Africa, and [653]made himself master
of it. In the mean time, Boniface being [654]reconciled
to Placidia, and not [655]being able to [656]persuade the
Barbarians, to [657]return home, [658]endeavoured to
[659]oblige them, by [660]force of arms, and was [661]routed.
He then [662]went to Rome, and died there soon
after.
Ætius in Gaul [663]sustained his part very well for the
Romans, against the Franks, Goths, Burgundians,
Huns, and other Barbarians. Ætius had [664]sent for the
Huns to his assistance against the Goths. In the year
434, Honoria, the sister of Valentinian, being [665]banished
the [666]court for [667]improper conduct with her [668]steward,
and sent to Theodosius, emperor of the [669]East, [670]engaged
Attila, king of the Huns, to make war upon the [671]West.
[672]Litorius, a Roman general, having the [673]command
of them, whilst he [674]endeavoured to [675]eclipse the
[676]glory of Ætius, was so [677]foolish as to [678]regard the
[679]answers of [680]soothsayers and [681]fortune-tellers, and
[682]rashly [683]engaged [684]Theodoricus, king of the Goths,
who by the most [685]abject [686]submission [687]declined the
war, and after a great [688]overthrow was [689]taken and
[690]slain in the year 439, in which [691]Carthage was
[692]surprised by the Vandals. At last, in the year 442,
Valentinian [693]renewed the peace with Geisericus,
and Africa was [694]divided between them.
In the year 450, Attila [695]marched into Gaul, which
at that time the [696]Visigoths, Franks, Burgundians,
Alans, and other Barbarians, were in [697]possession of.
Part of the Romans [698]reluctantly [699]remained under the
[700]command of Ætius, who alone at that time [701]kept
the [702]western [703]empire from [704]falling [705]to utter
[706]ruin. Attila [707]laid siege to Aurelia, but Ætius
[708]coming upon him, [709]obliged him to [710]raise the
[711]siege, and [712]pursued him into Gallia, and Belgium
then [713]overthrew him, in a great [714]battle [715]fought
on the [716]plains of Catalonia. There were [717]slain on
both [718]sides at least 170,000, and amongst them
Theodoricus king of the Goths. It is [719]certain the
Huns might have been [720]utterly [721]destroyed, if Ætius
had not [722]been afraid, that in the event of the Huns
being [723]entirely [724]cut off, the Goths would be [725]insupportable
in Gaul.
Attila having [726]unexpectedly [727]escaped, [728]poured
his [729]troops into Italy, where he laid siege to Aquileia,
and [730]levelled it with the ground. He afterwards
[731]laid waste [732]Milan, [733]Ticinum, and other [734]towns;
and [735]marching for Rome, was so [736]wrought upon
by an [737]embassy from [738]Leo, who [739]met him at the
[740]river Mincius, that he [741]went into his own [742]country;
afterwards [743]returning into Gaul against the
Alans, who had [744]posted themselves beyond the
Loire, he was again [745]defeated by [746]Thorismundus,
as he had been in the [747]plains of Catalonia; and in
the year 454, after an [748]excess of [749]wine, died of
[750]vomiting [751]blood.
It is [752]said the city of [753]Venice [754]owes its [755]origin
to that [756]inroad of the Barbarians, most of the Italians,
[757]especially those of [758]Patavium, [759]flying from
the [760]fire and [761]ruins of their cities to some [762]rocks
and [763]desert [764]islands in the [765]sea for [766]refuge.
Valentinian, upon the death of his mother Placidia,
[767]let loose the [768]reins of [769]power and [770]abused his
[771]authority, for the [772]gratification of his [773]baseness and
[774]cruelty. He [775]seduced the [776]wife of Maximus the
senator, [777]put Ætius to death, after Maximus had by
his [778]crafty [779]contrivances [780]rendered him [781]suspected,
in the year 454; and the year following, by the
contrivance of the same Maximus, he was [782]stabbed
by Ætius’s [783]life-guard in the [784]field of [785]Mars, being
thirty-six years of age, and in the 31st of his reign.
[786]Eudoxia, the [787]consort of Valentinian, to [788]revenge
the death of her [789]husband, [790]sent for Gensericus out
of Africa, into Italy. Maximus, upon his [791]arrival,
[792]endeavoured to [793]save himself by [794]flight, but was
[795]torn in pieces by his own men, and [796]thrown into
the [797]Tiber, after a [798]reign of [799]hardly two [800]months.
Gensericus, after he had [801]taken the city, was so
[802]affected by an [803]address of [804]Pope Leo’s, that he did
not [805]set it on fire, or [806]put any to the sword; but
[807]made plunder of all the [808]wealth of the [809]place,
both [810]sacred and [811]profane, for fourteen days together;
and [812]carried off Eudoxia, with her two daughters,
Eudocia and Placidia, into Africa: the [813]former
of which he [814]married to his son [815]Hunericus.
In the mean time, [816]Avitus Gallus being proclaimed
emperor by the [817]Gallic [818]army at Thoulouse,
made peace with the Goths; at whose [819]persuasion,
Theodoric [820]entering Spain, [821]conquered the Suevi,
and [822]killed their king [823]Richiarius in the year
456.
After him, [824]Majorianus [825]took the [826]government
upon him at Ravenna; a [827]prince of a [828]great [829]soul,
who being [830]desirous to [831]recover Africa, was going
to Gensericus, under the [832]title of [833]ambassador;
but being [834]seized by Ricimer at Dertona, and
[835]obliged to [836]resign, was [837]put to death in the year
461, after a reign of four years and four months.
Ricimer [838]raised Severus for emperor, [839]according
to an [840]agreement between them, and [841]poisoned
him in the fourth year of his reign.
After this, there was an [842]interregnum of a year,
and some months, till Anthemius was [843]sent into the
West by [844]Leo, emperor of the [845]East, between
whom and [846]Ricimer, it had been [847]agreed he should
be [848]declared emperor, and his daughter should
[849]marry Ricimer. Thus the barbarian being [850]made
Anthemius’s [851]son-in-law, with his [852]wonted [853]treachery,
first [854]raised a civil war against him, and
then [855]put him to death at Rome, after he had
[856]reigned five years and some months.
[857]Olybrius was then [858]put up in the [859]room of
Anthemius by Ricimer, who [860]died forty days after
Anthemius’s death: nor [861]was he long survived by
Olybrius, for he died the same year, about seven
months after his [862]promotion.
[863]He was followed by [864]Glycerius, who [865]took the
[866]government upon himself at Ravenna, in the year
473, and reigned a year and four months. He was
[867]succeeded by [868]Julius Nepos, who was [869]killed
about five years after his [870]advancement.
[871]Momyllus, who was [872]likewise [873]called [874]Augustulus,
was [875]set up by his father [876]Orestes, being
the [877]last of all the emperors in the [878]West; for
[879]Odouacer, king of the [880]Turcilingans, with the
[881]Scyrans, and [882]Herulans, [883]seized Italy, and after
having [884]slain Orestes and his brother [885]Paul, [886]banished
Augustus into Campania. Thus [887]ended the
[888]empire of the West. In the year of [889]Christ 476.
FINE.
Printed by T. C. Hansard, Peterborough-court, Fleet-street, London.