уп.

CHAP. human kind; and at length, by an act of private oppreffion, a peaceful and unarmed province was driven into rebellion against him "

Revolt in
Africa

A. D. 237.

April.

The procurator of Africa was a fervant worthy of fuch a mafter, who confidered the fines and confifcations of the rich as one of the most fruitful branches of the Imperial revenue. An iniquitous fentence had been pronounced against fome opulent youths of that country, the execution of which would have ftripped them of far the greater part of their patrimony. In this extremity, a refolution that muft either complete or prevent their ruin, was dictated by defpair. A refpite of three days, obtained with difficulty from the rapacious treasurer, was employed in collecting from their eftates a great number of slaves and pealants, blindly devoted to the commands of their lords, and armed with the ruftic weapons of clubs and axes. The leaders of the confpiracy, as they were admitted to the audience of the procurator, ftabbed him with the daggers concealed under their garments, and, by the affiftance of their tumultuary train, feized on the little town of Thyfdrus, and erected the standard of rebellion against the fovereign of the Roman empire. They refted their hopes on the hatred of mankind against Maximin, and they judiciously refolved to oppofe to that detefted tyrant, an emperor whofe mild virtues had already acquired the love and efteem of the Romans, and whofe authority over the province would give weight and stability to the enterprife. Gordianus, their proconful, and the

object of their choice, refused, with unfeigned reluctance, the dangerous honour, and begged with tears that they would fuffer him to terminate in peace a long and innocent life, without ftaining his feeble age with civil blood. Their menaces compelled him to accept the Imperial purple, his only refuge indeed against the jealous cruelty of Maximin; fince, according to the reasoning of tyrants, those who have been efteemed worthy of the throne deferve death, and those who deliberate have already rebelled ".

CHAP.

VII

and elevation of the

two Gor

dians.

The family of Gordianus was one of the most Character illuftrious of the Roman fenate. On the father's fide, he was defcended from the Gracchi; on his mother's, from the emperor Trajan. A great estate enabled him to fupport the dignity of his birth, and, in the enjoyment of it, he displayed an elegant tafte, and beneficent difpofition. The palace in Rome, formerly inhabited by the great Pompey, had been, during several generations, in the poffeffion of Gordian's family ". It was diftinguished by ancient trophies of naval victories, and decorated with the works of modern painting. His villa on the road to Prænefte, was celebrated for baths of fingular beauty and extent, for three ftately rooms of an hundred feet in length, and for a magnificent portico, fupported by two hundred columns of the four moft curious and coftly forts of marble". The public shows exhibited at his expence, and in which the people were entertained with many hundreds of wild beafts and gladiators ", feem to furpass the fortune of a fsubject; and whilft

СНАР.

VII.

the liberality of other magiftrates was confined to a few folemn festivals in Rome, the magnificence of Gordian was repeated, when he was ædile, every month in the year, and extended, during his confulship, to the principal cities of Italy. He was twice elevated to the last mentioned dignity, by Caracalla and by Alexander; for he poffeffed the uncommon talent of acquiring the esteem of virtuous princes, without alarming the jealousy of tyrants. His long life was innocently spent in the study of letters and the peaceful honours of Rome; and, till he was named proconful of Africa by the voice of the fenate and the approbation of Alexander", he appears prudently to have declined the command of armies and the government of provinces. As long as that emperor lived, Africa was happy under the administration of his worthy representative; after the barbarous Maximin had ufurped the throne Gordianus alleviated the miferies which he was unable to prevent. When he reluctantly accepted the purple, he was above fourfcore years old; a laft and valuable remains of the happy age of the Antonines, whose virtues he revived in his own conduct, and celebrated in an elegant poem of thirty books. With the venerable proconful, his fon, who had accompanied him into Africa as his lieutenant, was likewise declared emperor. His manners were lefs pure, but his character was equally amiable with that of his father. Twenty-two acknowledged concubines, and a library of fixty-two thousand volumes, attefted the variety of his inclinations; and from the

VII.

productions which he left behind him, it appears CHAP.
that the former as well as the latter were defigned
for use rather than for oftentation ". The Roman
people acknowledged in the features of the younger
Gordian the resemblance of Scipio Africanus,
recollected with pleasure that his mother was the
grand-daughter of Antoninus Pius, and refted the
public hope on thofe latent virtues which had
hitherto, as they fondly imagined, lain concealed
in the luxurious indolence of a private life.

They foli-
cit the con

firmation
of their au

As foon as the Gordians had appeased the first tumult of a popular election, they removed their court to Carthage. They were received with the acclamations of the Africans, who honoured their thority. virtues, and who, fince the vifit of Hadrian, had never beheld the majesty of a Roman emperor. But thefe vain acclamations neither strengthened nor confirmed the title of the Gordians. They were induced by principle, as well as intereft, to folicit the approbation of the fenate; and a deputation of the noblest provincials was fent, without delay, to Rome, to relate and justify the conduct of their countrymen, who, having long fuffered with patience, were at length refolved to act with vigour. The letters of the new princes were modeft and refpectful, excufing the neceffity which had obliged them to accept the Imperial title; but fubmitting their election and their fate to the fupreme judgment of the fenate 2.

The inclinations of the fenate were neither doubtful nor divided. The birth and noble alliances of the Gordians had intimately connected them

BIBLI

MADRID

The fenate ratifies

their elec

ton of the

Gordians;

VII.

CHAP. with the most illuftrious houfes of Rome. Their fortune had created many dependants in that affembly, their merit had acquired many friends. Their mild adminiftration opened the flattering profpect of the restoration, not only of the civil but even of the republican government. The terror of military violence, which had firft obliged the fenate to forget the murder of Alexander, and to ratify the election of a barbarian peasant", now produced a contrary effect, and provoked them to affert the injured rights of freedom and humanity. The hatred of Maximin towards the fenate was declared and implacable; the tameft fubmiffion had not appeased his fury, the most cautious innocence would not remove his fufpicions; and even the care of their own fafety urged them to share the fortune of an enterprise, of which (if unsuccessful) they were fure to be the firft victims. These confiderations, and perhaps others of a more private nature, were debated in a previous conference of the confuls and the magiftrates. As foon as their refolution was decided, they convoked in the temple of Ca ftor the whole body of the fenate, according to an ancient form of fecrecy ", calculated to awaken their attention, and to conceal their decrees. ,, Confcript fathers, faid the conful Syllanus,

99

the two Gordians, both of confular dignity, the one your proconful, the other your lieute,, nant, have been declared emperors by the general consent of Africa. Let us return thanks,

he boldly continued, "to the youth of Thyfdrus; let us return thanks to the faithful people of Car