132

of the Pagans; and the boldest artists of anti-
quity would have been startled at the propofal of
raifing in the air a dome of the fize and propor-
tions of the pantheon. The temple of Diana was,
however, admired as one of the wonders of the
world. Succeffive empires, the Perfian, the Ma-
cedonian, and the Roman, had revered its fanctity,
and enriched its fplendour "". But the rude favages
of the Baltic were deftitute of a tafte for the elegant
arts, and they despised the ideal terrors of a foreign
fuperftition
Another circumftance is related of these invafions,
which might deserve our notice, were it not justly
to be fufpected as the fanciful conceit of a recent
fophift. We are told, that in the fack of Athens
the Goths had collected all the libraries, and were
on the point of fetting fire to this funeral pile of
Grecian learning, had not one of their chiefs, of
more refined policy than his brethren, diffuaded
them from the defign; by the profound observation,
that as long as the Greeks were addicted to the
study of books, they would never apply them felves
to the exercise of arms "". The fagacious counsellor
(should the truth of the fact be admitted) reasoned
like an ignorant barbarian. In the moft polite and
powerful nations, genius of every kind has displayed
itself about the fame period; and the age of science
has generally been the age of military virtue and
fuccefs.

IV. The new fovereigns of Perfia, Artaxerxes and his fon Sapor, had triumphed (as we have already feen) over the house of Arfaces. Of the

СНАР.

X.

Conduct of

the Goths

at Athens.

Conquest

of Armenia by the

Perfians.

many princes of that ancient race, Chofroes, king of Armenia, had alone preserved both his life and his independence. He defended himself by the natural ftrength of his country; by the perpetual refort of fugitives and malecontents; by the alliance of the Romans, and, above all, by his own courage. Invincible in arms, during a thirty years war, he was at length affaffinated by the emiffaries of Sapor king of Perfia. The patriotic fatraps of Armenia, who afferted the freedom and dignity of the crown, implored the protection of Rome in favour of Tiridates the lawful heir. But the fon of Chofroes was an infant, the allies were at a distance, and the Perfian monarch advanced towards the frontier at the head of an irrefiftible force. Young Tiridates, the future hope of his country, was faved by the fidelity of a fervant, and Armenia continued above twenty-feven years a reluctant province of the great monarchy of Perfia. Elated with this eafy conqueft, and prefuming on the diftreffes or the degeneracy of the Romans, Sapor obliged the strong garrisons of Carrhæ and Nifibis to furrender, and spread devaftation and terror on either fide of the Euphrates.、

The lofs of an important frontier, the ruin of a faithful and natural ally, and the rapid fuccefs of Sapor's ambition, affected Rome with a deep fenfe of the infult as well as of the danger. Valerian flattered himself, that the vigilance of his lieutenants would fufficiently provide for the fafety of the Rhine and of the Danube; but he refolved, notwithstanding his advanced age, to march in person to the defence

of the Euphrates. During his progress through Afia Minor, the naval enterprises of the Goths were suspended, and the afflicted province enjoyed a tranfient and fallacious calm. He paffed the Euphrates, encountered the Perfian monarch near the walls of Edeffa, was vanquished and taken prifoner by Sapor. The particulars of this great event are darkly and imperfectly reprefented; yet, by the glimmering light which is afforded us, we may discover a long series of imprudence, of error, and of deferved misfortunes on the fide of the Roman emperor. He repofed an implicit confidence in Macrianus, his Prætorian præfect "". That worthless minifter rendered his mafter formidable only to the oppreffed fubjects, and contemptible to the enemies of Rome"". By his weak or wicked counfels, the Imperial army was betrayed into a fituation, where valour and military skill were equally unavailing. The vigorous attempt of the Romans to cut their way through the Perfian hoft was repulfed with great slaughter ***; and Sapor, who encompassed the camp with fuperior numbers, patiently waited till the increafing rage of famine and peftilence had enfured his victory. The licentious murmurs of the legions foon accufed Valerian as the cause of their calamities; their feditious clamours demanded an inftant capitulation. An immense sum of gold was offered to purchafe the permiffion of a difgraceful retreat. But the Perfian, confcious of his fuperiority, refused the money with difdain; and detaining the deputies, advanced in arder of battle to the foot of the Roman rampart,

138

CHAP.

X.

Is defeattaken prifoner by Sapor King A. D. 269.

ed and

of Perfia.

139

and infifted on a perfonal conference with the emperor. Valerian was reduced to the neceffity of intrusting his life and dignity to the faith of an enemy. The interview ended as it was natural to expect. The emperor was made a prisoner, and his aftonished troops laid down their arms In such a moment of triumph, the pride and policy of Sapor prompted him to fill the vacant throne with a fucceffor entirely dependent on his pleasure. Cyriades, an obfcure fugitive of Antioch, ftained with every vice, was chofen to dishonour the Roman purple; and the will of the Perfian victor could not fail of being ratified by the acclamations, however reluctant, of the captive army

240

The imperial slave was eager to fecure the favour of his master, by an act of treason to his native country. He conducted Sapor over the Euphrates, and by the way of Chalcis to the metropolis of the East. So rapid were the motions of the Perfian cavalry, that, if we may credit a very judicious hiftorian 11 the city of Antioch was surprised when the idle multitude was fondly gazing on the amusements of the theatre. The fplendid buildings of Antioch, private as well as public, were either pillaged or destroyed; and the numerous inhabitants were put to the fword, or led away into captivity". The tide of devaftation was stopped for a moment by the refolution of the high priest of Emefa. Arrayed in his facerdotal robes, he appeared at the head of a great body of fanatic peasants, armed only with slings, and defended his god and his property the facrilegious hands of the followers of Zoroa

from

143

fter ". But the ruin of Tarfus, and of many other cities, furnishes a melancholy proof that, except in this fingular inftance, the conqueft of Syria and Cilicia fcarcely interrupted the progrefs of the Perfian arms. The advantages of the narrow paffes of mount Taurus were abandoned, in which an invader, whose principal force confifted in his cavalry, would have been engaged in a very unequal combat and Sapor was permitted to form the fiege of Cæfarea, the capital of Cappadocia ; a city, though of the second rank, which was supposed to contain four hundred thousand inhabitants. Demofthenes commanded in the place, not fo much by the commiffion of the emperor, as in the voluntary defence of his country. For a long time he deferred its fate; and, when at laft Cæfarea was betrayed by the perfidy of a phyfician, he cut his way through the Perfians, who had been ordered to exert their utmost diligence to take him alive. This heroic chief efcaped the power of a foe, who might either have honoured or punished his obftinate valour; but many thousands of his fellow-citizens were involved in a general maffacre, and Sapor is accused of treating his prifoners with wanton and unrelenting cruelty. Much should undoubtedly be allowed for national animofity, much for humbled pride and impotent revenge; yet, upon the whole, it is certain, that the fame prince, who, in Armenia, had difplayed the mild afpect of a legislator, shewed himself to the Romans under the stern features of a conqueror. He defpaired of making any permanent eftablishment in the

CHAP.

X.