XXX. CHAP. difimiffed the implacable enemy of the republic. The first moment of the public fafety is devoted to gratitude and joy; but the fecond is diligently occupied by envy and calumny s2. The tri umph of Honorius, 52 The citizens of Rome had been aftonished by the approach of Alaric; and the diligence with at Rome, which they laboured to restore the walls of the A.D.404. capital, confeffed their own fears, and the decline of the empire. After the retreat of the Barbarians, Honorius was directed to accept the dutiful invitation of the fenate, and to celebrate, in the Imperial city, the aufpicious æra of the Gothic victory, and of his fixth consulfhip 53 The fuburbs and the ftreets, from the Milvian bridge to the Palatine mount, were filled by the Roman people, who, in the space of an hundred years, had only thrice been honoured with the presence of their fovereigns. While their eyes were fixed on the chariot where Stilicho was deservedly feated by the fide of his royal pupil, they applauded the pomp of a triumph, which was not stained, like that of Constantine, or of Theodofius, with civil blood. The proceffion paffed under a lofty arch, which had been purposely erected: but in lefs than feven years, the Gothic conquerors of Rome might read, if they were able to read, the fuperb infcription of that monument, which attefted the total defeat and de 52 Taceo de Alarico fæpe victo, fæpe conclufo, femperque dimiffo. Orofius, 1. vii. e. 37. p. 567. Claudian (vi Cons. Hon. 320.) drops the curtain with a fine image. 53 The remainder of Claudian's poem on the fixth confulfhip of Honorius, defcribes the journey, the triumph, and the games (330$60.). ftruction XXX. ftruction of their nation 4. The emperor refided CHAP. feveral months in the capital, and every part of his behaviour was regulated with care to conciliate the affection of the clergy, the fenate, and the people of Rome. The clergy was edified by his frequent vifits, and liberal gifts, to the fhrines of the apostles. The fenate, who, in the triumphal proceffion, had been excufed from the humiliating ceremony of preceding on foot the Imperial chariot, was treated with the decent reverence which Stilicho always affected for that affembly. The people was repeatedly gratified by the attention and courtesy of 'Honorius in the public games, which were celebrated on that occafion with a magnificence not unworthy of the spectator. As foon as the appointed number of chariotraces was concluded, the decoration of the Circus was fuddenly changed; the hunting of wild beasts afforded a various and fplendid entertainment; and the chace was fucceeded by a military dance, which feems, in the lively defcription of Claudian, to present the image of a modern tournament. diators abolished. In thefe games of Honorius, the inhuman com- The glabats of gladiators 55 polluted, for the last time, the amphitheatre of Rome. The first Christian emperor may claim the honour of the firft edict, which condemned the art and amufement of shed 54 See the infcription in Mafcow's Hiftory of the Ancient Germans, viii. 12. The words are pofitive and indifcreet, Getarum nationem in omne ævum domitam, &c. 55 On the curious, though horrid, subject of the gladiators, confult the two books of the Saturnalia of Lipfius, who, as an antiqua rian, is inclined to excufe the practice of antiquity (tom, iii, p. 483545-). XXX. 56 CHAP. ding human blood ", but this benevolent law expreffed the wishes of the prince, without reforming an inveterate abufe, which degraded a civilifed nation below the condition of favage cannibals. Several hundred, perhaps feveral thoufand, victims were annually flaughtered in the great cities of the empire; and the month of December, more particularly devoted to the combats of gladiators, ftill exhibited, to the eyes of the Roman people, a grateful fpectacle of blood and cruelty. Amidst the general joy of the victory of Pollentia, a Chriftian poet exhorted the emperor to extirpate, by his authority, the horrid custom which had fo long refifted the voice of humanity and religion ". The pathetic representations of Prudentius were lefs effectual than the generous boldnefs of Telemachus, an Afiatic monk, whofe death was more useful to mankind than his life 5. The Romans were provoked by the interruption of their pleasures; and the rafh monk, who had defcended into the arena, to feparate the gladiators, was overwhelmed under a fhower of ftones. But the madness of the people 58 '56 Cod. Theodof. 1. xv. tit. xii. leg. 1. The Commentary of Godefroy affords large materials (tom. v. p. 395.) for the history of gladiators. 57 See the peroration of Prudentius (in Symmach. 1. ii. 1121– 1131.), who had doubtless read the eloquent invective of Lactantius (Divin. Inftitut. l. vi. c. 20.). The Chriftian apologists have not fpared thefe bloody games, which were introduced in the religious feftivals of Faganism. 58 Theoderet, 1. v. c. 26. I wish to believe the ftory of St. Telemachus. Yet no church has been dedicated, no altar has been erected, to the only nonk who died a martyr in the cause of humanity. foon XXX. foon fubfided; they refpected the memory of Te- CHAP. lemachus, who had deserved the honours of martrydom; and they fubmitted, without a murmur, to the laws of Honorius, which abolished for ever the human facrifices of the amphitheatre. The citizens, who adhered to the manners of their ancestors, might perhaps infinuate, that the laft remains of a martial fpirit were preserved in this school of fortitude, which accustomed the Romans to the fight of blood, and to the contempt of death: a vain and cruel prejudice, fo nobly confuted by the valour of ancient Greece, and of modern Europe "! fixes his venna, A.D.404. The recent danger, to which the perfon of the Honorius emperor had been expofed in the defenceless pa- rece lace of Milan, urged him to feek a retreat in at Rafome inacceffible fortrefs of Italy, where he might fecurely remain, while the open country was covered by a deluge of Barbarians. On the coaft of the Hadriatic, about ten or twelve miles from the most southern of the feven mouths of the Po, the Theffalians had founded the ancient colony of RAVENNA, which they afterwards refigned 59 Crudele gladiatorum fpectaculum et inhumanum nonnullis videri folet; et baud fcio an ita fit, ut nunc fit. Cicero Tusculan. ii. 17. He faintly cenfures the abuse, and warmly defends the ufe, of these fports; oculis nulla poterat effe fortior contra dolorem et mortem difciplina. Seneca (epift. vii.) fhews the feelings of a man. 60 This account of Ravenna is drawn from Strabo (1. v. p. 327.), Pliny (iii. 20), Stephen of Byzantium (sub voce Paßiwa, p. 651. edit. Berkel.), Claudian (in vi Cons. Honor. 494, &c.), Sidonius Apollinaris (1. i. epist. v. 8.), Jornandes (de Reb. Get. c. 29.), Procopius (de Bell. Gothic. 1. i. c. i. p. 309. edit. Louvre), and Cluverius (Ital. Antiq. tom. i. p. 301-307.). Yet I ftill want a local antiquarian, and a good topographical map. XXX. CHAP. to the natives of Umbria. Auguftus, who had obferved the opportunity of the place, prepared, at the diftance of three miles from the old town, a capacious harbour, for the reception of two hundred and fifty fhips of war. This naval eftablishment, which included the arfenals and magazines, the barracks of the troops, and the houses of the artificers, derived its origin and name from the permanent ftation of the Roman fleet; the intermediate space was foon filled with buildings and inhabitants, and the three extensive and populous quarters of Ravenna gradually contributed to form one of the most important cities of Italy. The principal canal of Auguftus poured a copious ftream of the waters of the Po through the midst of the city, to the entrance of the harbour; the fame waters were introduced into the profound ditches that encompaffed the walls; they were diftributed, by a thousand fubordinate canals, into every part of the city, which they divided into a variety of small islands; the communication was maintained only by the use of the boats and bridges; and the houses of Ravenna, whofe appearance may be compared to that of Venice, were raifed on the foundation of wooden piles. The adjacent country, to the distance of many miles, was a deep and impaffable morafs; and the artificial caufeway, which connected Ravenna with the continent, might be easily guarded, or destroyed, on the approach of an hoftile army. These moraffes were interfperfed, however, with vineyards; and though the foil was exhausted by four or five crops, the town enjoyed |