BOOK IX. DECLINE OF THE EMPIRE AND OF PAGANISM. FROM THE DEATH OF COMMODUS TO THE FALL OF THE WESTERN EMPIRE. A.D. 193 TO A.D. 476. CHAPTER XLI. THE MILLENNIUM OF ROME. FROM THE DEATH OF COMMODUS TO THE SECULAR GAMES OF PHILIP. A.D. 193 TO A.D. 286. One day is with the LORD as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter iii. 8. ACCESSION AND DEATH OF PERTINAX-THE PRÆTORIANS SELL THE EMPIRE TO DIDIUS JULIANUS-PROCLAMATION OF CLODIUS ALBINUS, PESCENNIUS NIGER AND SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS-SEVERUS MARCHES ON ROME-JULIANUS DESERTED AND SLAIN-CLODIUS ALBINUS NAMED CESAR-DEFEAT AND DEATH OF NIGER AND ALBINUS-PARTHIAN EXPEDITION OF SEVERUS-HIS NEW PRETORIAN GUARD, AND RELAXATION OF DISCIPLINE-DEATH OF PLAUTIANUS-EXPEDITION TO CALEDONIA-DEATH OF SEVERUS -CARACALLA AND GETA-THEIR MUTUAL HATRED - MURDER OF GETA-TYRANNY AND MURDER OF CARACALLA-UNIVERSAL CITIZENSHIP-REIGN OF MACRINUS-THE GRANDSONS OF JULIA MESA-ACCESSION AND ABOMINABLE TYRANNY OF ELAGABALUS -REIGN AND VIRTUES OF ALEXANDER SEVERUS - HIS COUNCIL OF STATE-MILITARY INSOLENCE-MURDER OF THE JURIST ULPIAN-CAREER OF THE HISTORIAN DION CASSIUS ARDS!IIR, OR ARTAXERXES, OVERTHROWS THE PARTHIAN EMFIRE, AND FOUNDS THE PERSIAN DYNASTY OF THE SASSANIDE-WAR BETWEEN ROME AND PERSIA-ALEXANDRR SEVERUS ON THE RHINE-ORIGIN AND ACCESSION OF MAXIMIN -HIS BRUTAL TYRANNY-THE TWO GORDIANS PROCLAIMED AND KILLED IN AFRICA -MAXIMUS AND BALBINUS PROCLAIMED AT ROME-DEATHS OF MAXIMIN, MAXIMUS, AND BALBINUS-REIGN OF GORDIAN III-HIS PERSIAN WAR AND MURDER-REIGN OF PHILIP I.-QUESTION OF HIS CHRISTIANITY-HIS SECULAR GAMES-RETROSPECT OF ROME'S ONE THOUSAND YEARS-HER PRESENT CONDITION, AND APPROACHING FALL. THE last experiment of a constitutional empire had been tried and had failed. Hopeless from the first, through the utter corruption of the whole social system, and deprived of its last chance by the rejection of the renovating power of Christianity, it had been stifled by the tyranny of Commodus, and extinguished in his blood. We now enter on a period of undisguised military despotism, a form of government which does not purchase by its bloodshed and tyranny even the fruit claimed for it of firm order. For, as we have had abundant proof since the maxim was uttered by Gibbon, "every military government floats between the extremes of absolute monarchy and wild democracy ;" and often, he might have added, combines the vices of the two. Still, as after the fall of Nero and Domitian, there were some who fondly dreamed of a restoration of the Republic; and this time the conspirators were prepared with a worthy successor to the empire in PERTINAX, the prefect of the city, and now almost the sole survivor of the ancient counsellors of Marcus Aurelius. Roused in the dead of night by Lætus and Eclectus, he showed more readiness to submit to the than to doom, of which he at first supposed them the messengers, accept the purple which they came to offer. His reign began on the 1st of January, A.D. 193, amidst the joyful acclamations of the people and the sullen acquiescence of the prætorians; but he had only had time to give promise of a rule as just and beneficent as that of Nerva, when he was murdered in a sedition of the prætorians, on the eighty-sixth day after the death of Commodus (March 28th). The prætorians now exhibited the principle of military despotism in its last depth of degradation, by offering the empire for sale, and the purple was bought by DIDIUS JULIANUS, a wealthy Senator, at the price of a donative of about 2007. to each soldier. But the shameful bargain disgusted the capital, and raised the legions of the provinces in revolt. Each of the three armies which claimed to hold the balance of power set up its own eandidate, Clodius Albinus in Britain, Pescennius Niger in Syria, and L. SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS in Illyricum. Each was an experienced general, and at the head of three legions; but Severus, the ablest of the three, was within ten days of Rome by forced marches; and he strained every nerve to use his advantage. Proclaimed by the legions of Pannonia on the 13th of April, he advanced to Interamna, only seventy miles from Rome; and sent forward his demands for the punishment of the murderers of Pertinax. The prætorians abandoned their nominee, and the Senate declared for Severus, who entered Rome without opposition. Didius Julianus was beheaded in a chamber of the palace, after a reign of sixty-six days (June 2, A.D. 193). The prætorian guards were surrounded and disbanded; and Pertinax was honoured with a splendid funeral and apotheosis. The man whose rapid decision thus raised him to the purple was born at the ancient Punic colony and Roman conventus of Leptis in Africa in A.D. 146. To great military ability he added a good acquaintance both with Greek and Roman literature, and a splendid taste for public buildings and popular shows. But his character is darkened by the stain of cruelty; and he was addicted to foreign superstitions and magic arts. His wife Julia Domna is said to have favoured Christianity. Severus was less popular, and, as far as we can detect the truth from the evidence of the writers who celebrated the successful cause, less deserving of popularity than one of the competitors with whom he had now to deal. The other was easily duped. Clodius Albinus had enjoyed the confidence of Aurelius, and had declined the dignity of Cæsar, offered to him by Commodus. On a premature report of that prince's death, he had harangued his troops on the evils of despotism, and, amidst their acclamations, proclaimed himself, like Galba, the lieutenant of the Senate and People. So strong was his position, that Severus thought it prudent to offer him, with the title of Cæsar, the succession to the empire, while he marched against Pescennius Niger. That general, beloved by his troops and the provincials, had secured the adhesion of the eastern provinces and the alliance of the kings beyond the frontier; and Niebuhr observes that the force of circumstances was already tending towards a separation of the East from the West. But the vigour of Severus postponed the first division of the empire for another century. Like Alexander, he defeated his rival's generals at the Hellespont, and himself at Issus, where the death of Niger ensured the submission of all the East, and Severus crossed the Euphrates, gaining some successes against the Arabs of Mesopotamia (A.D. 194). Byzantium alone held out, till reduced by famine; and its three years' resistance was punished by the slaughter of the inhabitants and the destruction of the city (A.D. 196). Severus now seized the pretext of a real or pretended plot against his life, to declare war upon Clodius Albinus; whom he defeated in a great battle at Lyon, where 150,000 Romans fought upon both sides. Albinus, mortally wounded, was trampled to death by the horses (A.D. 197). He had been the real favourite of the Senate; and no less than forty-one senators, besides many of the chief men of Gaul and Spain, were put to death by the victor. After the fall of Albinus, Severus returned to the East to make war with Parthia, took Ctesiphon (A.D. 198), and received the submission of the kings of Mesopotamia and Arabia. His return to Rome was marked by that persecution of the Christians, which called forth the Apology of TERTULLIAN (A.D. 202); and his victories were commemorated by the splendid triumphal arch, which forms one of the noblest imperial monuments.* Severus could justly boast that he had restored peace to the empire; and the creed which grants absolution for duplicity and cruelty in gaining sovereignty, if only it ceases to be exercised with wanton tyranny, may be satisfied with his government. Recent disorders were repaired by wise laws, and justice was firmly administered. But the pains which Severus took to claim the titles of the Antonines only made the contrast greater between the * The Arch of Septimus Severus was dedicated in A.D. 203. |