18. Fla"vius Clau"dius being nominated to succeed, was joyfully accepted by all orders of the state, and his t.i.tle confirmed by the senate and the people. 19. He was a man of great valour and conduct, having performed the most excellent services against the Goths, who had long continued to make irruptions into the empire; but, after a great victory over that barbarous people, he was seized with a pestilential fever at Ser"mium in Panno"nia, of which he died, to the great regret of his subjects, and the irreparable loss of the Roman empire.
[Sidenote: U.C. 1023. A.D. 270.]
20. Upon the death of Clau"dius, Aure"lian was acknowledged by all the states of the empire, and a.s.sumed the command with a greater share of power than his predecessors had enjoyed for a long time before. 21.
This active monarch was of mean and obscure parentage in Da"cia, and about fifty-five years old at the time of his coming to the throne. He had spent the early part of his life in the army, and had risen through all the gradations of military rank. He was of unshaken courage and amazing strength. He, in one engagement, killed forty of the enemy with his own hand; and at different times above nine hundred. In short, his valour and expedition were such, that he was compared to Julius Caesar; and, in fact, only wanted mildness and clemency to be every way his equal. 22. Among those who were compelled to submit to his power, was the famous Zeno"bia, queen of Palmy"ra. He subdued her country, destroyed her city, and took her prisoner.
Longi"nus, the celebrated critic, who was secretary to the queen, was by Aure"lian"s order put to death. Zeno"bia was reserved to grace his triumph; and afterwards was allotted such lands, and such an income, as served to maintain her in almost her former splendour. 23. But the emperor"s severities were at last the cause of his own destruction.
Mnes"theus, his princ.i.p.al secretary, having been threatened by him for some fault which he had committed, formed a conspiracy against him, and as the emperor pa.s.sed, with a small guard, from Ura"clea, in Thrace, towards Byzan"tium, the conspirators set upon him at once and slew him, in the sixtieth year of his age, after a very active reign of almost five years.
[Sidenote: U.C. 1028. A.D. 275.]
24. After some time the senate made choice of Ta"citus, a man of great merit, and no way ambitious of the honours that were offered him, being at that time seventy-five years old. 25. A reign begun with much moderation and justice, only wanted continuance to have made his subjects happy: but after enjoying the empire about six months, he died of a fever in his march to oppose the Persians and Scyth"ians, who had invaded the eastern parts of the empire. 26. During this short period the senate seemed to have possessed a large share of authority, and the histories of the times are liberal of their praises to such emperors as were thus willing to divide their power.
27. Upon the death of Ta"citus, his half-brother took upon himself the t.i.tle of emperor, in Cile"sia: but being twice defeated by Pro"bus, he killed himself in despair, when the whole army, as if by common consent, cried out that Pro"bus should be emperor. 28. He was then forty-four years old; was born of n.o.ble parentage, and bred a soldier.
He began early to distinguish himself for his discipline and valour: being frequently the first man that scaled the walls, or that burst into the enemy"s camp. He was equally remarkable for single combat, and for having saved the lives of many eminent citizens. Nor were his activity and courage when elected to the empire less apparent than in his private station. 29. Every year now produced new calamities to the state; and fresh irruptions on every side threatened universal desolation. Perhaps at this time no abilities, except those of Pro"bus, were capable of opposing such united invasions. 30. However, in the end, his own mutinous soldiers, taking their opportunity, as he was marching into Greece, seized and slew him, after he had reigned six years and four months with general approbation. He was succeeded by Ca"rus.
_Questions for Examination_.
1. Did Philip succeed without opposition?
2. Was his reign of long duration?
3. What was the character of Decius?
4. Did he restore the empire to its former grandeur?
5. What was his end?
6. Who succeeded him?
7. What was his character?
8. What farther calamities distinguished this reign?
9. What effect had this news on Gallus?
10. Who succeeded Gallus?
11. What were his first acts and their effects?
12. What disaster befel him?
13. How was he treated in captivity?
14. Did he long survive this cruelty?
15. Who succeeded him?
16. Was Galienus the only pretender to the throne?
17. What measures did Galienus adopt on this?
18. Who succeeded Galienus?
19. What were his character and end?
20. Who succeeded Claudius?
21. Who was Aurelian?
22. Over whom did he triumph?
23. What occasioned his destruction?
24. Who succeeded Aurelian?
25. Did he govern well?
26. What distinguished his reign?
27. Who succeeded Tacitus?
28. What were the qualifications of Probus?
29. What was the state of the empire at this time?
30. What was the end of Probus?
SECTION V.
U.C. 1035.--A.D. 282.
Forbid it, G.o.ds! when barbarous Scythians come From their cold north to prop declining Rome.
That I should see her fall, and sit secure at home.--_Lucan_.
1. Ca"rus, who was praetorian prefect to the deceased emperor, was chosen by the army to succeed him; and he, to strengthen his authority, united his two sons, Cari"nus and Nume"rian, with him in command; the elder of whom was as much sullied by his vices, as the younger was remarkable for his virtues, his modesty, and courage.
2. The next object of Ca"rus was to punish the murderers of Pro"bus, and procure public tranquillity. Several nations of the west having revolted, he sent his son Cari"nus against them, and advanced himself against the Sarma"tians, whom he defeated, with the loss of sixteen thousand men killed, and twenty thousand prisoners. Soon after this he entered Persia, and removed to Mesopota"mia. Vera"nes the second, king of Persia, advancing against him, was defeated, and lost Ctes"iphon, his capital. This conquest gained Ca"rus the surname of Per"sieus; but he had not enjoyed it long, when he was struck dead, by lightning, in his tent, with many of his attendants, after a reign of about sixteen months. Upon the death of Ca"rus, the imperial power devolved on his sons Cari"nus and Nume"rian, who reigned jointly. In the first year of their accession, having made peace with the Persians, Cari"nus advanced against Ju"lian, who had caused himself to be proclaimed in Vene"tia,[5] and whom he defeated; when he returned again into Gaul.
3. Cari"nus was at this time in Gaul, but Nume"rian, the younger son, who accompanied his father in his expedition was inconsolable for his death, and brought such a disorder upon his eyes, with weeping, that he was obliged to be carried along with the army, shut up in a close litter. 4. The peculiarity of his situation, after some time, excited the ambition of A"per, his father-in-law, who supposed that he could now, without any great danger, aim at the empire himself. He therefore hired a mercenary villain to murder the emperor in his litter; and, the better to conceal the fact, gave out that he was still alive, but unable to endure the light. 5. The offensive smell, however, of the body, at length discovered the treachery, and excited an universal uproar throughout the whole army. 6. In the midst of this tumult, Diocle"sian, one of the most noted commanders of his time, was chosen emperor, and with his own hand slew A"per, having thus, as it is said, fulfilled a prophecy, that Diocle"sian should be emperor after he had slain a boar.[6]
[Sidenote: U.C. 1057. A.D. 284.]
7. Diocle"sian was a person of mean birth; he received his name from Dio"clea, the town in which he was born, and was about forty years old when he was elected to the empire. He owed his exaltation entirely to his merit; having pa.s.sed through all the gradations of office with sagacity, courage, and success.
8. In his time, the northern hive, as it was called poured down its swarms of barbarians upon the Roman empire. Ever at war with the Romans, they issued forth whenever that army that was to repress their invasions was called away; and upon its return, they as suddenly withdrew into their cold, barren, and inaccessible retreats, which themselves alone could endure. 9. In this manner the Scyth"ians, Goths, Sarma"tians, Ala"ni, Car"sii, and Qua"di, came down in incredible numbers, while every defeat seemed but to increase their strength and perseverance. 10. After gaining many victories over these, and in the midst of his triumphs, Diocle"sian and Maxim"ian, his partners in the empire, surprised the world by resigning their dignities on the same day, and both retiring into private stations.
11. In this manner Diocle"sian lived some time, and at length died either by poison or madness, but by which of them is uncertain. His reign of twenty years was active and useful; and his authority, which was tinctured with severity, was adapted to the depraved state of morals at that time.