XXIV. CHAP. fpicuous for any of the ambitious qualifications which excite the admiration and envy of mankind, the comely person of Jovian, his cheerful temper, and familiar wit, had gained the affection of his fellow-foldiers; and the generals of both parties acquiefced in a popular election, which had not been conducted by the arts of their enemies. The pride of this unexpected elevation was moderated by the just apprehenfion, that the fame day might terminate the life and reign of the new The preffing voice of neceffity was obeyed without delay; and the first orders iffued by Jovian, a few hours after his predeceffor had expired, were to profecute a march, which could alone extricate the Romans from their actual diftrefs 103. Danger culty of the retreat, June 27th -July Ift. emperor. The esteem of an enemy is most fincerely exand diffi- preffed by his fears; and the degree of fear may be accurately measured by the joy with which he The welcome news celebrates his deliverance. of the death of Julian, which a deferter revealed to the camp of Sapor, infpired the defponding monarch with a fudden confidence of victory. He immediately detached the royal cavalry, perhaps the ten thoufand Immortals 104, to fecond and 103 Ammianus (xxv. 10.) has drawn from the life an impartial portrait of Jovian: to which the younger Victor has added fome remarkable strokes. The Abbé de la Bleterie (Hiftoire de Jovien, tom. i. p. 1—238.) has composed an elaborate history of his short reign; a work remarkably distinguished by elegance of style, critical difquifition, and religious prejudice. 104 Regius equitatus. It appears from Procopius, that the Immortals, fo famous under Cyrus and his fucceffors, were revived, if we may use that improper word, by the Saffanides. Briffon de Regno Perfico, p. 268, &c. fupport XXIV. fupport the purfuit; and difcharged the whole CHA P. weight of his united forces on the rear-guard of the Romans. The rear-guard was thrown into diforder; the renowned legions, which derived their titles from Diocletian, and his warlike colleague, were broke and trampled down by the elephants; and three tribunes loft their lives in attempting to stop the flight of their foldiers. The battle was at length restored by the perfevering valour of the Romans; the Perfians were repulfed with a great flaughter of men and elephants; and the army, after marching and fighting a long fummer's day, arrived, in the evening, at Samara on the banks of the Tigris, about one hundred miles above Ctefiphon 195. On the enfuing day, the Barbarians, inftead of haraffing the march, attacked the camp, of Jovian; which had been feated in a deep and fequeftered valley. From the hills, the archers of Perfia infulted and annoyed the wearied legionaries; and a body of cavalry, which had pene. trated with desperate courage through the Prætorian gate, was cut in pieces, after a doubtful In the fucceedconflict, near the Imperial tent. ing night, the camp of Carche was protected by the lofty dykes of the river; and the Roman army, though inceffantly expofed to the vexatious 105 The obfcure villages of the inland country are irrecoverably loft, nor can we name the field of battle where Julian fell: but M. d'Anville has demonftrated the precife fituation of Sumere, Carche, and Dura, along the banks of the Tigris (Geographie Ancienne, tom. ii. p. 248. l'Euphrate et le Tigre, p. 95. 97.). In the ninth century, Sumere, or Samara, became, with a flight change of name, the royal refidence of the Khalifs of the houfe of Abbas. pursuit XXIV. CHAP. pursuit of the Saracens, pitched their tents near the city of Dura 106, four days after the death of Julian. The Tigris was ftill on their left; their hopes and provifions were almost confumed; and the impatient foldiers, who had fondly perfuaded themselves, that the frontiers of the empire were not far diftant, requested their new fovereign, that they might be permitted to hazard the paffage of the river. With the affiftance of his wifeft officers, Jovian endeavoured to check their rashness; by reprefenting, that if they poffeffed fufficient fkill and vigour to ftem the torrent of a deep and rapid fiream, they would only deliver themselves naked and defenceless to the Barbarians, who had occupied the oppofite banks. Yielding at length to their clamorous importunities, he confented, with reluctance, that five hundred Gauls and Germans, accustomed from their infancy to the waters of the Rhine and Danube, fhould attempt the bold adventure, which might ferve either as an encouragement, or as a warning, for the reft of the army. In the filence of the night, they fwam the Tigris, furprised an unguarded poft of the enemy, and difplayed at the dawn of day the fignal of their refolution and fortune. The fuccefs of this trial disposed the emperor to liften to the promises of his architects, who proposed to construct a floating bridge of the inflated fkins of fheep, oxen,. 106 Dura was a fortified place in the wars of Antiochus against the rebels of Media and Perfia (Polybius, 1. v. c. 48. 52. P. 548. 552. edit. Cafaubon, in 8vo.). XXIV. and goats, covered with a floor of earth and faf- CHAP. cines 107, Two important days were spent in the ineffectual labour; and the Romans, who already endured the miferies of famine, caft a look of defpair on the Tigris, and upon the Barbarians; whose numbers and obftinacy increased with the distress of the Imperial army 108 tion and treaty of peace. July. In this hopeless fituation, the fainting fpirits of Negociathe Romans were revived by the found of peace. The tranfient prefumption of Sapor had vanished: he observed, with ferious concern, that, in the repetition of doubtful combats, he had loft his most faithful and intrepid nobles, his bravest troops, and the greatest part of his train of elephants and the experienced monarch feared to provoke the resistance of despair, the viciffitudes of fortune, and the unexhausted powers of the Roman empire; which might foon advance to relieve, or to revenge, the fucceffor of Julian. The Surenas himfelf, accompanied by another fatrap, appeared in the camp of Jovian 1o9; and declared, that the clemency of his fovereign was 107 A fimilar expedient was proposed to the leaders of the ten thoufand, and wifely rejected., Xenophon, Anabafis, 1. iii. p. 255, 256, 257. It appears, from our modern travellers, that rafts floating on bladders perform the trade and navigation of the Tigris. 108 The first military acts of the reign of Jovian are related by Ammianus (xxv. 6.), Libanius (Orat. Parent. c. 146. p. 364.), and Zofimus (1. iii. p. 189, 190, 191.). Though we may distrust the fairness of Libanius, the ocular teftimony of Eutropius (uno a Perfis atque altero prœlio victus, X. 17.) must incline us to suspect, that Ammianus has been too jealous of the honour of the Roman arms. 109 Sextus Rufus (de Provinciis, c. 29.) embraces a poor fubterfuge of national vanity. Tanta reverentia nominis Romani fuit, ut a Perfis primus de pace fermo haberetur. VOL. IV. P not XXIV. CHAP. not averfe to fignify the conditions, on which he would confent to fpare and to difmifs the Cæfar, with the relics of his captive army. The hopes of fafety fubdued the firmness of the Romans; the emperor was compelled, by the advice of his council, and the cries of the foldiers, to embrace the offer of peace; and the præfect Sallust was immediately fent, with the general Arinthæus, to understand the pleasure of the Great King. The crafty Perfian delayed, under various pretences, the conclufion of the agreement; started difficulties, required explanations, fuggefted expedients, receded from his conceffions, encreased his demands, and wasted four days in the arts of negociation, till he had confumed the stock of provifions which yet remained in the camp of the Romans. Had Jovian been capable of executing a bold and prudent measure, he would have continued his march with unremitting diligence; the progrefs of the treaty would have fufpended the attacks of the Barbarians; and, before the expiration of the fourth day, he might have fafely reached the fruitful province of Corduene, at the distance only of one hundred miles 110. The irrefolute emperor, inftead of breaking through the toils of the enemy, expected his fate with patient refignation; and accepted the humiliating conditions of peace, which it 110 It is prefumptuous to controvert the opinion of Ammianus, a foldier and a spectator. Yet it is difficult to understand, how the mountains of Corduene could extend over the plain of Affyria, as low as the conflux of the Tigris and the great Zab: or how an army of fixty thousand men could march one hundred miles in four days. was |