XXV. fion provoked the emulation of the bordering CHAP. tribes; and the province of Mafia would infallibly have been loft, if young Theodofius, the duke, or military commander, of the frontier, had not fignalised, in the defeat of the public enemy, an intrepid genius, worthy of his illuftrious father, and of his future greatness 150 The mind of Valentinian, who then refided at The expeTreves, was deeply affected by the calamities of dition, Illyricum; but the lateness of the feafon fufpended the execution of his defigns till the enfuing spring. He marched in perfon, with a A.D. 375. confiderable part of the forces of Gaul, from the banks of the Mofelle: and to the fuppliant ambaffadors of the Sarmatians, who met him on the way, he returned a doubtful anfwer, that as soon as he reached the fcene of action, he should examine, and pronounce. When he arrived at Sirmium, he gave audience to the deputies of the Illyrian provinces; who loudly congratulated their own felicity under the aufpicious government of Probus, his Prætorian præfect ". Va lentinian, 150 Ammianus (xxix. 6.) and Zofimus (1. iv. p. 219, 220.) carefully mark the origin and progrefs of the Quadic and Sarmatian war. 151 Ammianus (xxx. 5.) who acknowledges the merit, has cenfured, with becoming afperity, the oppreffive adminiftration of Petronius Probus. When Jerom tranflated, and continued, the Chronicle of Eufebius (A. D. 380. See Tillemont, Mem. Ecclef. tom. xii. p. 53. 636.), he expreffed the truth, or at least the public opinion of his country, in the following words: "Probus P. P. Illyrici iniquiffimis tributorum exactionibus, ante provincias quas re"gebat, quam a Barbaris vaftarentur, erafit." (Chron. edit. Scaliger, p. 187. Animadverf. p. 159.). The Saint afterwards formed an XXV. CHAP. lentinian, who was flattered by thefe demonftrations of their loyalty and gratitude, imprudently afked the deputy of Epirus, a Cynic philofopher of intrepid fincerity 12, whether he was freely fent by the wishes of the province?" With "tears and groans am I fent (replied Iphicles) by a reluctant people." The emperor paused: but the impunity of his minifters established the pernicious maxim, that they might opprefs his fubjects, without injuring his fervice. A ftrict inquiry into their conduct would have relieved the public discontent. The fevere condemnation of the murder of Gabinius, was the only meafure which could reftore the confidence of the Germans, and vindicate the honour of the Roman name. But the haughty monarch was incapable of the magnanimity which dares to acknowledge a fault. He forgot the provocation, remembered only the injury, and advanced into the country of the Quadi with an infatiate thirst of blood and revenge. The extreme devaftation, and promifcuous maffacre, of a savage war, were juftified, in the eyes of the emperor, and perhaps in those of the world, by the cruel equity of retaliation ; and fuch was the difcipline of an intimate and tender friendship with the widow of Probus; and the name of Count Equitius, with lefs propriety, but without much injustice, has been fubftituted in the text. 152 Julian (Orat. vi. p. 198.) reprefents his friend Iphicles as a man of virtue and merit, who had made himself ridiculous and unhappy, by adopting the extravagant drefs and manners of the Cynics. 153 Ammian. xxx. 5. Jerom, who exaggerates the misfortune of Valentinian, refufes him even this laft confolation of revenge. Genitali vaftato folo, et inultam patriam derelinquens (tom. i. P. 26.). the the Romans, and the confternation of the enemy, that Valentinian repaffed the Danube without the lofs of a single man. As he had refolved to complete the destruction of the Quadi by a second campaign, he fixed his winter-quarters at Bregetio, on the Danube, near the Hungarian city of Prefburgh. While the operations of war were fufpended by the feverity of the weather, the Quadi made an humble attempt to deprecate the wrath of their conqueror; and, at the earnest perfuafion of Equitius, their ambaffadors were introduced into the Imperial council. They approached the throne with bended bodies, and dejected countenances; and, without daring to complain of the murder of their king, they affirmed, with folemn oaths, thât the late invasion was the crime of fome irregular robbers, which the public council of the nation condemned and abhorred. The answer of the emperor left them but little to hope from his clemency or compaffion. He reviled, in the most intemperate language, their bafenefs, their ingratitude, their infolence. His eyes, his voice, his colour, his gestures, expreffed the violence of his ungoverned fury; and, while his whole frame was agitated. with convulfive paffion, a large blood-veffel fuddenly burst in his body; and Valentinian fell speechlefs into the arms of his attendants. Their pious care immediately concealed his fituation from the crowd: but, in a few minutes, the emperor of the Weft expired in an agony of pain, retaining his fenfes till the laft; and ftruggling, without CHAP. XXV. and death, nian, of Valenti CHAP. without fuccefs, to declare his intentions to the XXV. generals and minifters, who furrounded the royal A.D. 375 couch. Valentinian was about fifty-four years of age; and he wanted only one hundred days to accomplish the twelve years of his reign "54. Nov. 17th The em perors Gratian, and Valentinian II. "The The polygamy of Valentinian is seriously attested by an ecclefiaftical historian 15. "emprefs Severa (I relate the fable) admitted into her familiar fociety the lovely Juftina, "the daughter of an Italian governor her ad"miration of those naked charms, which the 4C had often feen in the bath, was expreffed with "fuch lavish and imprudent praife, that the emperor was tempted to introduce a fecond wife into his bed; and his public edict ex"tended to all the subjects of the empire, the fame domeftic privilege, which he had affumed "for himfelf." But we may be affured, from the evidence of reason, as well as hiftory, that the two marriages of Valentinian, with Severa, and with Juftina, were fucceffively contracted; and that he used the ancient permiffion of divorce, which was still allowed by the laws, though it 154 See, on the death of Valentinian, Ammianus (xxx. 6.), Zofimus (1. iv. p. 221.), Victor (in Epitom.), Socrates (1. iv. c. 31.), and Jerom (in Chron. p. 187, and tom. i. p. 26. ad Heliodor.). There is much variety of circumstances among them; and Ammianus is fo eloquent, that he writes nonsense. 155 Socrates (1. iv. c. 31.) is the only original witness of this foolish ftory, fo repugnant to the laws and manners of the Romans, that it fcarcely deferves the formal and elaborate differtation of M. Bonamy (Mem. de l'Academie, tom. xxx. p. 394–405.). Yet I would preferve the natural circumftance of the bath; instead of following Zofimus, who represents Justina as an old woman, the widow of Magnentius. was 156 was condemned by the church. Severa was the mother of Gratian, who seemed to unite every claim which could entitle him to the undoubted fucceffion of the Western empire. He was the eldest son of a monarch, whofe glorious reign had confirmed the free and honourable choice of his fellow-foldiers. Before he had attained the ninth year of his age, the royal youth received from the hands of his indulgent father the purple robe and diadem, with the title of Auguftus: the election was folemnly ratified by the confent and applause of the armies of Gaul ""; and the name of Gratian was added to the names of Valentinian and Valens, in all the legal tranfactions of the Roman government. By his marriage with the grand-daughter of Conftantine, the fon of Valentinian acquired all the hereditary rights of the Flavian family; which, in a series of three Imperial generations, were fanctified by time, religion, and the reverence of the people. At the death of his father, the royal youth was in the seventeenth year of his age; and his virtues already juftified the favourable opinion of the army and people. But Gratian refided, without apprehenfion, in the palace of Treves; whilft, at the distance of many hundred miles, Valentinian fuddenly expired in the camp of Bregetio. The paffions, which had been fo long fuppreffed by the presence of a master, immediately revived in the Imperial council; and the ambitious design 156 Ammianus (xxvii. 6.) describes the form of this military. election, and august inveftiture, Valentinian does not appear to have confulted, or even informed, the fenate of Rome, of 335 CHA P. XXV. |