cHAn xm.

A. D. 296.
Conductof
Diocletian
in Egypt.

to mount Atlas, Africa was in arms. A confederacy of five Moorish nations issued from their deserts to invade the peaceful provinces V. Julian had assumed the purple at Carthage *'. Achilleus at Alexandria, and even the Blemmyes, renewed, or rather continued, their incursions into the Upper Egypt. Scarcely any circumstances have been preserved of the exploits of Maximian in the western parts of Africa ; but it appears by the event, that the progress of his. arms was rapid and decisive, that he vanquished the fiercest barbarians of Mauritania, and that he removed them from the mOuntains, whose inaccessible strength had inspired their inhabitants with a lawless confidence, and habituatedthem to a life. of rapine and violence", Diocletian, on his side, opened the campaign in Egypt by the siege of Alexandria, cut off the aqueducts which conveyed the waters of the Nile into every quarter of that immense city V, and rendering his camp impregnable to the sallies of the besieged multitude, he pushed his reiterated attacks with caution and vigour. After a siege of eight months, Alexandria, wasted by the sword

c H A P. quity, shocked with the deformity of their figure,

He caused a diligent enquiry to be made "for all the sup? . ' . CS

T ancrent books which treated of the admirable iiooksof

'" art of making gold and silver, and without alCthF'

The Greeks were inat- .

seek them by the humbler means of commerce and _

heir of the monarchy, was saved by the fidelity of his friends, and educated under the protection of the emperors. Tiridates derived from his exile such advantages as he could never have obtained on the throne of Armenia; the early knowledge of adversity, of' mankind, and of the Roman discipline. He signalized his youth by deeds of valour, and displayed a matchless dexterity, as well as strength, in every martial exctercise, and even in the 'less honourable contests