45

and gradually formed to modefty and obedience ". One fatal error destroyed the falutary effects of this judicious plan. The numerous army, affembled in the Eaft by the late emperor, inftead of being immediately difperfed by Macrinus through the feveral provinces, was fuffered to remain united in Syria, during the winter that followed his elevation. In the luxurious idleness of their quarters, the troops viewed their strength and numbers, communicated their complaints, and revolved in their minds the advantages of another revolution. The veterans, inftead of being flattered by the advantageous diftinction, were alarmed by the firft fteps of the emperor, which they confidered as the prefage of his future intentions. The recruits, with fullen. reluctance, entered on a fervice, whofe labours were increased while its rewards were diminished by a covetous and unwarlike sovereign. The murmurs of the army fwelled with impunity into feditious clamours; and the partial mutinies betrayed a spirit of discontent and difaffection, that waited only for the slighteft occafion to break out on every fide into a general rebellion. To minds thus difpofed, the occafion foon prefented itself.

VI.

the em

prefs Julia.

pretenfions, and

The emprefs Julia had experienced all the viciffi- Death of tudes of fortune. From an humble ftation she had been raised to greatness, only to tafte the fuperior Education, bitterness of an exalted rank. She was doomed to weep over the death of one of her fons, and over the life of the other. The cruel fate of Caracalla, though her good fenfe must have long taught her to expect it, awakened the feelings of a mother

revolt of Elagaba

lus, called

at firft Baffianus and

Antoninus.

and of an emprefs. Notwithstanding the respectful civility expreffed by the ufurper towards the widow of Severus, she defcended with a painful ftruggle into the condition of a subject, and foon withdrew herself by a voluntary death from the anxious and humiliating dependence". Julia Mæfa, her fifter, was ordered to leave the court and Antioch. She retired to Emefa with an immense fortune, the fruit of twenty years favour, accompanied by her two daughters, Soæmias and Mamaa, each of whom was a widow, and each had an only fon. Baffianus, for that was the name of the son of Soæmias, was confecrated to the honourable miniftry of high prieft of the Sun; and this holy vocation, embraced either from prudence or fuperftition, contributed to raise the Syrian youth to the empire of Rome. A numerous body of troops was stationed at Emefa; and, as the fevere discipline of Macrinus had constrained them to pass the winter encamped, they were eager to revenge the cruelty of fuch unaccustomed hardships. The foldiers, who reforted in crowds to the temple of the Sun, beheld with veneration and delight the elegant drefs and figure of a young pontiff: they recognised, or they thought that they recognised, the features of Caracalla, whofe memory they now adored. The artful Mæfa faw and cherished their rifing partiality, and readily facrificing her daughter's reputation to the fortune of her grandfon, she infinuated that Baffianus was the natural fon of their murdered fovereign. The fums diftributed by her emiffaries with a lavish hand, filenced every

objection, and the profufion fufficiently proved the
affinity, or at least the resemblance, of Baffianus
with the great original. The young Antoninus
(for he had affumed and polluted that refpectable
name) was declared emperor by the troops of
Emefa, afferted his hereditary right, and called
aloud on the armies to follow the ftandard of a
young and liberal prince, who had taken up arms
to revenge his father's death and the oppreffion of
the military order *7.

47

48

Whilft a confpiracy of women and eunuchs was concerted with prudence, and conducted with rapid vigour, Macrinus, who, by a decifive motion, might have crushed his infant enemy, floated between the oppofite extremes of terror and fecurity, which alike fixed him inactive at Antioch. A fpirit of rebellion diffused itself through all the camps and garrifons of Syria, fucceffive detachments murdered their officers and joined the party of the rebels; and the tardy reftitution of military pay and privileges was imputed to the acknowledged weakness of Macrinus. At length he marched out of Antioch, to meet the increafing and zealous army of the young pretender. His own troops feemed to take the field with faintnefs and reluctance; but, in the heat of the battle", the Prætorian guards, almost by an involuntary impulfe, afferted the fuperiority of their valour and discipline. The rebel ranks were broken; when the mother and grandmother of the Syrian prince, who, according to their eaftern cuftom, had attended the army, threw themselves from their covered

CHAP
VI.

A. D. 218.

May 16.

Defeat and

death of

Macrinus.

A. D. 218,

7th June.

VI.

CHAP. chariots, and, by exciting the compaffion of the foldiers, endeavoured to animate their drooping courage. Antoninus himself, who, in the rest of his life, never acted like a man, in this important crifis of his fate approved himself a hero, mounted his horse, and, at the head of his rallied troops, charged fword in hand among the thickeft of the enemy; whilft the eunuch Gannys, whofe occupations had been confined to female cares and the foft luxury of Afia, difplayed the talents of an able and experienced general. The battle still raged with doubtful violence, and Macrinus might have obtained the victory, had he not betrayed his own cause by a shameful and precipitate flight. His cowardice ferved only to protract his life a few days, and to ftamp deferved ignominy on his misfortunes. It is fcarcely neceffary to add, that his fon Diadumenianus was involved in the fame fate. As foon as the ftubborn Prætorians could be convinced that they fought for a prince who had bafely deserted them, they furrendered to the conqueror; the contending parties of the Roman army mingling tears of joy and tenderness, united under the banners of the imagined son of Caracalla, and the East acknowledged with pleasure the first emperor of Afiatic extraction.

Elagaba

lus writes

nate,

:

The letters of Macrinus had condefcended to to the fe inform the fenate of the slight difturbance occafioned by an impoftor in Syria, and a decree immediately paffed, declaring the rebel and his family public enemies; with a promise of pardon, however, to fuch of his deluded adherents as

should merit it by an immediate return to their
duty. During the twenty days that elapfed from
the declaration to the victory of Antoninus (for
in fo short an interval was the fate of the Roman
'world decided), the capital and the provinces
more especially thofe of the Eaft, were distracted
with hopes and fears, agitated with tumult, and
ftained with a useless effufion of civil blood, fince
whofoever of the rivals prevailed in Syria, must
reign over the empire. The fpecious letters in
which the young conqueror announced his victory
to the obedient fenate, were filled with profef-
fions of virtue and moderation; the shining ex-
amples of Marcus and Auguftus, he should ever
confider as the great rule of his administration;
and he affected to dwell with pride on the strik-
ing resemblance of his own age and fortunes with
those of Auguftus, who in the earliest youth had
revenged by a fuccessful war the murder of his
father. By adopting the ftyle of Marcus Aurelius
Antoninus, fon of Antoninus and grandfon of
Severus, he tacitly afferted his hereditary claim
to the empire; but, by affuming the tribunitian
and proconfular powers before they had been
conferred on him by a decree of the fenate, he
offended the delicacy of Roman prejudice. This
new and injudicious violation of the conftitution
was probably dictated either by the ignorance of
his Syrian courtiers, or the fierce difdain of his
military followers

50

As the attention of the new emperor was diverted by the moft trifling amufements, he wafted

СНАР.

VI.

Picture of
A. D. 219.

Elagabalus