CHAP. dead, in the midft of Conftantinople. The folXXV. diers, who were prepared for his reception,

faluted their trembling prince with fhouts of joy, and vows of fidelity. Their numbers were foon increased by a sturdy band of peafants, collected from the adjacent country; and Procopius, fhielded by the arms of his adherents, was fucceffively conducted to the tribunal, the fenate, and the palace. During the firft moments of his tumultuous reign, he was astonished and terrified by the gloomy filence of the people; who were either ignorant of the caufe, or apprehenfive of the event. But his military ftrength was fuperior to any actual refiftance: the malecontents flocked to the standard of rebellion; the poor were excited by the hopes, and the rich were intimidated by the fear, of a general pillage; and the obftinate credulity of the multitude was once more deceived by the promifed advantages of a revolution. The magiftrates were feized; the prifons and arsenals broke open; the gates, and the entrance of the harbour, were diligently occupied ; and, in a few hours, Procopius became the abfolute, though precarious, master of the Imperial city. The ufurper improved this unexpected fuccefs with fome degree of courage and dexterity. He artfully propagated the rumours and opinions the most favourable to his intereft; while he deluded the populace by giving audience to the frequent, but imaginary, ambaffadors of diftant nations. The large bodies of troops stationed in the cities of Thrace, and the fortreffes of the Lower Danube, were gradually involved in the

His generals paffed the Bofphorus,

XXV.

guilt of rebellion: and the Gothic princes con- CHAP. fented to supply the fovereign of Conftantinople with the formidable strength of feveral thoufand auxiliaries. and fubdued, without an effort, the unarmed, but wealthy, provinces of Bithynia and Afia. After an honourable defence, the city and island of Cyzicus yielded to his power; the renowned legions of the Jovians and Herculians embraced the cause of the ufurper, whom they were ordered to crush; and, as the veterans were continually augmented with new levies, he foon appeared at the head of an army, whofe valour, as well as numbers, were not unequal to the greatnefs of the conteft. The fon of Hormifdas ", a youth of spirit and ability, condefcended to draw his fword against the lawful emperor of the Eaft; and the Perfian prince was immediately invested with the ancient and extraordinary powers of a Roman Proconful. The alliance of Fauftina, the widow of the emperor Conftantius, who entrusted herfelf, and her daughter, to the hands of the ufurper, added dignity and reputation to his caufe. The princess Conftantia, who was then about five years of age, accompanied, in a litter,

37 Hormifdæ maturo juveni Hormisdæ regalis illius filio, poteftatem Proconfulis detulit ; et civilia, more veterum, et bella, recturo. Ammian. xxvi. 8. The Persian prince escaped with honour and safety, and was afterwards (A. D 380.) restored to the fame extraordinary office of proconful of Bithynia (Tillemont, Hift. des Empereurs, tom. v. p. 204.). I am ignorant whether the race of Saffan was propagated. I find (A. D. 514.) a pope Hormifdas; but he was a native of Frufino, in Italy (Pagi. Brev. Pontific. tom. i, p. 247.).

XXV.

38

CHAP. the march of the army. She was fhewn to the multitude in the arms of her adopted father; and, as often as fhe paffed through the ranks, the tenderness of the foldiers was inflamed into mar tial fury 3: they recollected the glories of the houfe of Conftantine, and they declared, with loyal acclamation, that they would shed the last drop of their blood in the defence of the royal infant 39.

His defeat

and death, A. D. 366. May 28.

In the mean while, Valentinian was alarmed and perplexed, by the doubtful intelligence of the revolt of the Eaft. The difficulties of a German war forced him to confine his immediate care to the fafety of his own dominions; and, as every channel of communication was stopt or corrupted, he liftened, with a doubtful anxiety, to the rumours which were induftriously fpread; that the defeat and death of Valens had left Procopius fole mafter of the eastern provinces. Valens was not dead; but, on the news of the rebellion, which he received at Cæfarea, he bafely defpaired of his life and fortune; propofed to negociate with the ufurper, and difcovered his fecret inclination to abdicate the Im

perial purple. The timid monarch was faved from difgrace and ruin by the firmnefs of his minifters, and their abilities foon decided in his

38 The infant rebel was afterwards the wife of the emperor Gratian; but she died young and childlefs. See Ducange, Fam. Byzantin. p. 48. 59;

39 Sequimini culminis fummi profapiam, was the language of Procopius; who affected to despise the obfcure birth, and fortuitous election, of the upftart Pannonian. Ammian. xxvi. 7.

favour the event of the civil war. In a feafon of tranquillity, Salluft had refigned without a murmur; but as foon as the public safety was attacked, he ambitioufly folicited the pre-eminence of toil and danger; and the restoration of that virtuous minister to the præfecture of the East, was the first step which indicated the repentance of Valens, and satisfied the minds of the people. The reign of Procopius was apparently supported by powerful armies, and obedient provinces. But many of the principal officers, military as well as civil, had been urged, either by motives of duty or intereft, to withdraw themselves from the guilty fcene; or to watch the moment of betraying, and deserting, the cause of the ufurper. Lupicinus advanced, by hafty marches, to bring the legions of Syria to the aid of Valens. Arintheus, who, in strength, beauty, and valour, excelled all the heroes of the age, attacked with a fmall troop a fuperior body of the rebels. When he beheld the faces of the foldiers who had ferved under his banner, he commanded them, with a loud voice, to feize and deliver up their pretended leader; and fuch was the afcendant of his genius, that this extraordinary order was inftantly obeyed 4o°. Arbetio, a respectable veteran

40

40 Et dedignatus hominem fuperare certamine despicabilem, auctoritatis et celfi fiduciâ corporis, ipfis hoftibus juffit, fuum vincire rectorem atque ita turmarum antefignanus umbratilis comprenfus fuorum manibus. The strength and beauty of Arintheus, the new Hercules, are celebrated by St. Bafil; who fuppofes that God had created him as an inimitable model of the human species. The painters and sculptors could not express his figure: the hiftorians appeared fabulous when they related his exploits (Ammian. xxvi. and Valef. ad loc.).

of

CHA P.

XXV.

XXV.

CHAP. of the great Conftantine, who had been diftinguished by the honours of the confulship, was perfuaded to leave his retirement, and once more to conduct an army into the field. In the heat of action, calmly taking off his helmet, he fhewed his grey hairs, and venerable countenance; faluted the foldiers of Procopius by the endearing names of children and companions, and exhorted them, no longer to support the defperate cause of a contemptible tyrant; but to follow their old commander, who had fo often led them to honour and victory. In the two engagements of Thyatira and Nacofia, the unfortunate Procopius was deferted by his troops, who were feduced by the inftructions and example of their perfidious officers. After wandering fome time among the woods and mountains of Phrygia, he was betrayed by his desponding followers, conducted to the Imperial camp, and immediately beheaded. He fuffered the ordinary fate of an unsuccessful ufurper; but the acts of cruelty which were exercised by the conqueror, under the forms, of legal juftice, excited the pity and indignation of mankind 42.

4-1

4 The fame field of battle is placed by Ammianus in Lycia, and by Zofimus at Thyatira; which are at the distance of 150 miles from each other. But Thyatira alluitur Lyco (Plin. Hift. Natur. v. 31. Cellarius, Geograph. Antiq. tom. ii. p. 79.); and the transcribera might easily convert an obscure river into a well known province,

42 The adventures, ufurpation, and fall of Procopius, are related, in a regular feries, by Ammianus (xxvi. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.) and Zofi-. mus (1. iv. p. 203-210.). They often illuftrate, and seldom contradict, each other. Themiftius (Orat. vii. p. 91, 92.) adds fome bafe panegyric; and Eunapius (p. 83, 84.) fome malicious fatire.

Such