CHAP. city. Prætextatus was a philofophic Pagan, a XXV. man of learning, of tafte, and politeness; who

Foreign

wars,

A. D.

disguised a reproach in the form of a jeft, when he affured Damafus, that if he could obtain the bishopric of Rome, he himself would immediately embrace the Chriftian religion". This lively picture of the wealth and luxury of the popes in the fourth century, becomes the more curious, as it represents the intermediate degree, between the humble poverty of the apoftolic fisherman, and the royal state of a temporal prince, whose dominions extend from the confines of Naples to the banks of the Po.

When the fuffrage of the generals and of the army committed the fceptre of the Roman em364-375. pire to the hands of Valentinian, his reputation in arms, his military skill and experience, and his rigid attachment to the forms, as well as fpirit, of ancient difcipline, were the principal motives of their judicious choice. The eagerness of the troops who preffed him to nominate his colleague was juftified by the dangerous fituation of public affairs; and Valentinian himself was confcious, that the abilities of the most active

cords, in two columns, his religious and civil honours. In one line he was Pontiff of the Sun, and of Vefta, Augur, Quindecemvir, Hierophant, &c. &c. In the other, 1. Quæstor candidatus, more probably titular. 2. Prætor. 3. Corrector of Tuscany and Umbria. 4. Confular of Lufitania. 5. Proconful of Achaia. 6. Præfect of Rome. 7. Prætorian præfect of Italy. 8. Of Illyricum. 9. Conful elect; but he died before the beginning of the year 385. See Tillemont, Hift. des Empereurs, tom. v. p. 241. 736.

87 Facite me Romanæ urbis epifcopum ; et ero protinus Chriftianus (Jerom, tom. ii. p. 165.). It is more than probable, that Damafus would not have purchased his converfion at such a price.

XXV..

A. D. 364-375

mind were unequal to the defence of the diftant CHA P. frontiers of an invaded monarchy. As foon as the death of Julian had relieved the Barbarians from the terror of his name, the most fanguine hopes of rapine and conqueft excited the nations of the Eaft, of the North, and of the South. Their inroads were often vexatious, and fometimes formidable; but, during the twelve years of the reign of Valentinian, his firmness and vigilance protected his own dominions; and his powerful genius feemed to infpire and direct the feeble counfels of his brother. Perhaps the method of annals would more forcibly exprefs the urgent and divided cares of the two emperors; but the attention of the reader, likewife, would be distracted by a tedious and desultory narrative. A feparate view of the five great theatres of war; I. Germany; II. Britain; III. Africa; IV. The Eaft; and, V. The Danube; will imprefs a more distinct image of the military state of the empire under the reigns of Valentinian and Valens.

*

I. The ambaffadors of the Alemanni had been offended by the harsh and haughty behaviour of Urfacius, mafter of the offices"; who, by an act of unfeasonable parfimony, had diminished the value, as well as the quantity, of the prefents, to which they were entitled, either from custom or treaty, on the acceffion of a new emperor. They expreffed, and they communicated to their countrymen, their strong sense of the

88 Ammian. xxvi. 5. Valefius adds a long and good note on the mafter of the offices.

XXV.

January.

CHAP. national affront. The irafcible minds of the chiefs were exafperated by the fufpicion of contempt; and the martial youth crowded to their standard. Before Valentinian could pass the Alps, the villages of Gaul were in flames; before his general Dagalaiphus could encounter the Alemanni, they had fecured the captives and the A. D. 366. fpoil in the forests of Germany. In the beginning of the enfuing year, the military force of the whole nation, in deep and folid columns, broke through the barrier of the Rhine, during the feverity of a northern winter. Two Roman counts were defeated and mortally wounded; and the standard of the Heruli and Batavians fell into the hands of the conquerors, who difplayed, with infulting fhouts and menaces, the trophy of their victory. The standard was recovered; but the Batavians had not redeemed the fhame of their difgrace and flight in the eyes of their fevere judge. It was the opinion of Valentinian, that his foldiers must learn to fear their commander, before they could cease to fear the enemy. The troops were folemnly affembled: and the trembling Batavians were inclofed within the circle of the Imperial army. Valentinian then afcended his tribunal and, as if he difdained to punish cowardice with death, he inflicted a ftain of indelible ignominy on the officers, whofe mifconduct and pufillanimity were found to be the first occafion of the defeat. The Batavians were de. graded from their rank, ftripped of their arms, and condemned to be fold for flaves to the highest

**

9

XXV.

highest bidder. At this tremendous fentence the CHA P.
troops fell proftrate on the ground; deprecated
the indignation of their fovereign; and protefted,
that, if he would indulge them in another trial,
they would approve themselves not unworthy of
the name of Romans, and of his foldiers. Valen-
tinian, with affected reluctancè, yielded to their
entreaties: the Batavians refumed their arms;
and with their arms, the invincible refolution of
wiping away their difgrace in the blood of the
Alemanni 9. The principal command was declin-
ed by Dagalaiphus; and that experienced gene-
ral, who had represented, perhaps with too much
prudence, the extreme difficulties of the under-
taking, had the mortification, before the end of
the campaign, of seeing his rival Jovinus con-
vert thofe difficulties into a decifive advantage
over the scattered forces of the Barbarians. At Their de
the head of a well-difciplined army of cavalry,
infantry, and light troops, Jovinus advanced,
with cautious and rapid fteps, to Scarponna 99,
in the territory of Metz, where he furprized a
large divifion of the Alemanni, before they had
time to run to their arms; and flufhed his foldiers
with the confidence of an eafy and bloodlefs vic-
tory. Another divifion, or rather army, of the

89 Ammian. xxvii. r. Zofimus, 1. iv. p. 208. The difgrace of
the Batavians is fuppreffed by the contemporary foldier, from a re-
gard for military honour, which could not affect a Greek rhetori-
cian of the fucceeding age.

9° See d'Anville, Notice de l'ancienne Gaule, p. 587. The name of the Mofelle, which is not specified by Ammianus, is clearly understood by Mafcqu (Hift. of the ancient Germans, vii. 2.)

feat.

1

XXV.

CHAP. enemy after the cruel and wanton devaftation of the adjacent country, repofed themselves on the fhady banks of the Mofelle. Jovinus, who had viewed the ground with the eye of a general, made his filent approach through a deep and woody vale, till he could diftinctly perceive the indolent fecurity of the Germans. Some were bathing their huge limbs in the river; others were combing their long and flaxen hair; others again were swallowing large draughts of rich and delicious wine. On a fudden they heard the found of the Roman trumpet; they faw the enemy in their camp. Aftonifhment produced dif order; disorder was followed by flight and dif may; and the confused multitude of the bravest warriors was pierced by the swords and javelins of the legionaries and auxiliaries. The fugitives escaped to the third, and most confiderable, camp, in the Catalaunian plains, near Chalons in Champagne: the ftraggling detachments were haftily recalled to their standard; and the Barbarian chiefs, alarmed and admonished by the fate of their companions, prepared to encounter, in a decifive battle, the victorious forces of the lieutenant of Valentinian, The bloody and obftinate conflict lafted a whole fummer's day, with equal valour, and with alternate fuccefs. The Romans at length prevailed, with the lofs of about twelve hundred men. Six thousand of the Alemanni were flain, four thousand were wounded; and the brave Jovinus, after chacing the flying remnant of their hoft as far as the banks

of