than that of his colleagues. Eutropius, his fa ther, was one of the most considerable nobles of w Dardania, and his mother was the niece of the emperor Claudius '1. Although the youth of Constantius had been spent in arms, he was en. the popular voice had long since acknowledged him worthy of the rank which he at last attained. To strengthen the bonds of political, by those of domestic union, each of the emperors assumed the character of a father to one of the Casar's, Diocletian to Galerius, and Maximian to Conq' stantius ; and each obliging them to repudiate their former wives, bestowed his daughter in marriage on his adopted son'i'. These four princes distributed among themselves the wide extent of the Roman empire. The defence of Gaul, Spain'fl, and Britain, was intrusted to Constantius: Galerius was stationed on the banks os the Danube, as the safeguard of the Illyrian provinces. Italy and Africa were considered asthe department of Maximian; and for his pecuq. liar portion, Diocletian reserved Thrace, Egypt, and the rich countries of Asia. Every one was sovereign within his own jurisdiction; but their Departments and harm ony of the four princes, Series of events. A. D. 287. State of the peafants of Gaul. his colleagues with his counsels or presence. The Caesars, in their exalted rank, revered the majesty of the emperors, and the three younger princes invariably acknowledged, by their gratitude and obedience, the common parent of their fortunes. The suspicious jealousy of power found not any place among them; and the singular happiness of their union has been compared to a chorus of music, whose harmony was regulated and maintained by the skilful hand of the first artictst '5. This important measure was not carried into execution till about six years after the association of Maximian, and that interval of time had not been destitute of memorable incidents. But we have preferred, for the sake of perspicuity, first to describe the more perfect form of Diocletian's government, and afterwards to relate the actions of his reign, following rather the natural order of the events, than the'dates of a very doubtful chronology. = i * ., - The first exploitof Maximian, though it is mentioned Lin a few words by our imperfect writers, deserves, from its fingularity, to be recorded in a history of human manners. He suppressed the ss'peasants _of Gaul, who, under the rappellation of Bagaudae "5, had risen in a general C H A P 15 The general name of Bagaudze (in the signification of Rebela) continued till the fifth century in Gaul. Some critics derive it irom a Celtic word Bagad, a tumultuous assembly. Scaliger ad Euseb. Du Cange Glossar. _ '7 Chrcnique de Froissart, vol. i. c. 182. ii. 73-79. The 'wi-vere' of his story is lost in our best modern writers. 13 Caesar de Bell. Gallic. vi. 13. Orgetorix, the Helvetian, could 'arm for his defence a body often thousand flaves. During the long series of troubles' 1; The fact rests indeed on very slight authority, a life os St. Baþolinus, which is Probably of the seventh century'1 See Duchesne Scriptoi*es,l{er. Francicar. tom. i. p. 662. ' zi- Aiisirelius Victor'calls them Germans. Eutropius (ix. 21.) gives them the name of gagons. But Eutropius lived- in the ensuing century, and seems to use the language of his own times. a A meanest A. D. 287. |