XXXIV. CHA P.mired. The ambaffador of the Huns liftened to the tempte ing offer; and profeffed, with apparent zeal, his ability, as well as readiness, to execute the bloody deed: the design was communicated to the master of the offices, and the devout Theodofius confented to the affaffination of his invincible enemy. But this perfidious confpiracy was defeated by the diffimulation, or the repentance, of Edecon; and though he might exaggerate his inward abhorrence for the treafon, which he feemed to approve, he dexterously affumed the merit of an early and voluntary confeffion. If we now review the embaffy of Maximin, and the behaviour of Attila, we muft applaud the Barbarian, who refpected the laws of hofpitality, and generously entertained and difmiffed the minister of a prince, who had conspired against his life. But the rashness of Vigilius will appear still more extraordinary, fince he returned, confcious of his guilt and danger, to the royal camp; accompanied by his fon, and carrying with him a weighty purse of gold, which the favourite eunuch had furnished, to fatisfy the demands of Edecon, and to corrupt the fidelity of the guards. The interpreter was instantly seized, and dragged before the tribunal of Attila, where he afferted his innocence with fpecious firmnefs, till the threat of inflicting inftant death on his fon, extorted from him a fincere difcovery of the criminal tranfaction. Under the name of ransom, or confifcation, the rapacious king of the Huns accepted two hundred pounds of gold for the life of a traitor, whom he disdained to punish. He pointed his just -He repri- indignation against a nobler object. His ambaffadors Ellaw mands and and Oreftes were immediately dispatched to Conftantinople, forgives the with a peremptory inftruction, which it was much fafer for them to execute than to disobey. They boldly entered the Imperial prefence, with the fatal purse hanging down from the neck of Oreftes; who interrogated the eunuch Chryfaphius, as he stood befide the throne, whether he recognized the evidence of his guilt. But the office of reproof was reserved for the fuperior dignity of his colleague Eflaw, who gravely addreffed the Emperor of the Eaft in the following words; "Theodofius is the fon of an illustrious and refepctable pa"rent: Attila likewise is descended from a noble race; and ❝he has fupported, by his actions, the dignity which he in"herited from his father Mundzuk. But Theodofius has "forfeited his paternal honours, and, by consenting to pay “tribute, Emperor. "tribute, has degraded himself to the condition of a slave. C HA P. "It is therefore juft, that he fhould reverence the man XXXIV. "whom fortune and merit have placed above him; instead of "attempting, like a wicked flave, clandeftinely to confpire "against his mafter." The fon of Arcadius, who was accustomed only to the voice of flattery, heard with astonishment the fevere language of truth: he blushed and trembled; nor did he prefume directly to refufe the head of Chryfaphius, which Eflaw and Oreftes were inftructed to demand. A folemn embaffy, armed with full powers and magnificent gifts, was haftily fent to deprecate the wrath of Attila; and his pride was gratified by the choice of Nomius and Anatolius, two minifters of confular or patrician rank, of whom the one was great treasurer, and the other was mafter general of the armies of the Eaft. He condefcended to meet thefe ambaffadors on the banks of the river Drenco; and though he at first affected a stern and haughty demeanour, his anger was infenfibly mollified by their eloquence and liberality. He condefcended to pardon the emperor, the eunuch, and the interpreter; bound himself by an oath to obferve the conditions of peace; released a great number of captives; abandoned the fugitives and deferters to their fate; and refigned a large territory to the fouth of the Danube, which he had already exhausted of its wealth and inhabitants. But this treaty was purchased at an expence which might have fupported a vigorous and fuccefsful war; and the subjects of Theodofius were compelled to redeem the fafety of a worthlefs favourite by oppreffive taxes, which they would more cheerfully have paid for his deftruction (49). A. D. 450. The emperor Theodofius did not long furvive the most Theodofius humiliating circumstance of an inglorious life. As he was the Younriding, or hunting, in the neighbourhood of Conftantinople, ger dies, he was thrown from his horfe into the river Lycus: the July 28. fpine of the back was injured by the fall; and he expired fome days afterwards, in the fiftieth year of his age, and the forty-third of his reign (50). His fifter Pulcheria, whose authority (49) This fecret confpiracy, and its important confequences, may be traced in the fragments of Prifcus, p. 37, 38, 39. 70, 71, 72. The chronology of that hiftorian is not fixed by any precife date; but the series of negociations between Attila and the Eastern empire, must be included within the three or four years, which are terminated, A. D. 450, by the death of Theodofius. (50) Theodorus the Reader (fee Valef. Hift. Ecclef. tom. iii. p. 563.), and Marcian, CHA P. authority had been controuled both in civil and ecclefiaftical XXXIV. affairs by the pernicious influence of the eunuchs, was unanimoufly proclaimed Empress of the Eaft; and the Romans, for the first time, fubmitted to a female reign. No fooner had Pulcheria afcended the throne, than fhe indulged her own, and the public refentment, by an act of popular juftice. Without any legal trial, the eunuch Chryfaphius was executed before the gates of the city; and the immense riches which had been accumulated by the rapacious favourite, ferved only to haften and to justify his punishment (51). Amidst the general acclamations of the clergy and people, the emprefs did not forget the prejudice and difadvantage to which her fex was expofed; and fhe wifely refolved to prevent their murmurs by the choice of a colleague, who would always reand is fuc- fpect the fuperior rank and virgin chastity of his wife. She ceeded by gave her hand to Marcian, a fenator, about fixty years of age, and the nominal husband of Pulcheria was folemnly invested with the Imperial purple. The zeal which he displayed for the orthodox creed, as it was established by the council of Chalcedon, would alone have inspired the grateful eloquence of the Catholics. But the behaviour of Marcian in a private life, and afterwards on the throne, may support a more rational belief, that he was qualified to restore and invigorate an empire, which had been almost diffolved by the fucceffive weakness of two hereditary monarchs. He was born in Thrace, and educated to the profeffion of arms; but Marcian's youth had been severely exercifed by poverty and misfortune, fince his only refource, when he first arrived at Conftantinople, confifted in two hundred pieces of gold, which he had borrowed of a friend. He paffed nineteen years in the domeftic and military fervice of Afpar, and his fon Ardaburius; followed thofe powerful generals to the Perfian and African wars; and obtained, by their influence, the honourable rank of tribune and fenator. His mild difpofition, and useful talents, without and the Pafchal Chronicle, mention the fall, without fpecifying the injury: but the confequence was fo likely to happen, and fo unlikely to be invented, that we may fafely give credit to Nicephorus Calliftus, a Greek of the fourteenth century. (51) Pulcheria nutû (fays Count Marcellinus) fuâ cum avaritiâ interemptus eft. She abandoned the eunuch to the pious revenge of a fon, whole father had suffered at his inftigation. without alarming the jealoufy, recommended Marcian to the CHA P. efteem and favour, of his patrons: he had seen, perhaps he XXXIV. had felt, the abuses of a venal and oppreffive administration; and his own example gave weight and energy to the laws, which he promulgated for the reformation of manners (52). (52) Procopius, de Bell. Vandal. 1. i. c. 4. Evagrius, 1. ii. c. 1. Theophanes, p. 90, 91. Novell. ad calcem Cod. Theod. tom. vi. p. 30. The praises which St. Leo, and the Catholics, have bestowed on Marcian, are diligently transcribed by Baronius, as an encouragement for future princes. CHAP. CHAP. Attila threatens both em prepares to CHA P. XXXV. Invafion of Gaul by Attila.-He is repulfed by Etius and the Vifigoths.Attila invades and evacuates Italy.-The Deaths of Attila, Etius, and Valentinian the Third. T was the opinion of Marcian, that war fhould be avoided, as long as it is poffible to preferve a secure and honourable peace; but it was likewife his opinion, that peace cannot be honourable or fecure, if the fovereign betrays a pufillanimous averfion to war. This temperate courage dicpires, and tated his reply to the demands of Attila, who infolently invade preffed the payment of the annual tribute. The emperor Gaul, fignified to the Barbarians, that they must no longer infult A. D. 450. the majefty of Rome, by the mention of a tribute; that he was difpofed to reward, with becoming liberality, the faithful friendship of his allies; but that, if they prefumed to violate the public peace, they should feel that he poffeffed troops, and arms, and refolution to repel their attacks. The fame language, even in the camp of the Huns, was used by his ambaffador Apollonius, whofe bold refufal to deliver the prefents, till he had been admitted to a perfonal interview, difplayed a fenfe of dignity, and a contempt of danger, which Attila was not prepared to expect from the degenerate Romans (1). He threatened to chaftife the rafh fucceffor of Theodofius; but he hesitated, whether he should first direct his invincible arms against the Eastern or the Western empire. While mankind awaited his decifion with awful fufpenfe, he sent an equal defiance to the courts of Ravenna and Conftantinople; and his ministers faluted the two emperors with the fame haughty declaration. "Attila, my lord, and thy lord, commands thee to provide "a palace for his immediate reception (2)." But as the Barbarian despised, or affected to defpife, the Romans of the Eaft, (1) See Prifcus, p. 39. 72. (2) The Alexandrian or Pafchal Chronicle, which introduces this haughty meffage, during the lifetime of Theodofius, may have anticipated the date but the dull annalist was incapable of inventing the original and genuine style of Attila. |