ΧΙ

CHAP, themselves; that a people ruined by oppreffion, and indolent from defpair, could no longer fupply a numerous army with the means of luxury or even of fubfiftence; that the danger of each individual had increased with the defpotifm of the military order, fince princes who tremble on the throne, will guard their fafety by the inftant facrifice of every obnoxious fubject. The emperor expatiated on the mischiefs of a lawless caprice · which the foldiers could only gratify at the expence of their own blood; as their feditious elections had fo frequently been followed by civil wars, which confumed the flower of the legions either in the field of battle, or in the cruel abuse of victory. He painted in the most lively colours the exhausted state of the treasury, the defolation of the provinces, the difgrace of the Roman name, and the infolent triumph of rapacious barbarians. It was against those barbarians, he declared, that he intended to point the firft effort of their arms. Tetricus might reign for a while over the West, and even Zenobia might preserve the dominion of the East. These ufurpers were his perfonal adverfaries; nor could he think of indulging any private refentment till he had faved an empire, whofe impending ruin would, unless it was timely prevented, crush both the army and the people,

A, D, 269.

The Goths

invade the empire.

The various nations of Germany and Sarmatia, who fought under the Gothic ftandard, had already collected an armament more formidable than any which had yet iffued from the Euxine. On the banks of the Niefter, one of the great rivers

that discharge themselves into that fea, they conftructed a fleet of two thousand, or even of fix thousand veffels "; numbers which, however incredible they may feem, would have been infufficient to transport their pretended army of three hundred and twenty thousand barbarians. Whatever might be the real strength of the Goths, the vigour and fuccefs of the expedition were not adequate to the greatness of the preparations. In their paffage through the Bosphorus, the unskilful pilots were overpowered by the violence of the current; and while the multitude of their ships were crowded in a narrow channel, many were dashed against each other, or against the shore. The barbarians made feveral descents on the coafts both of Europe and Afia; but the open country was already plundered, and they were repulfed with shame and lofs from the fortified cities which they affaulted. A spirit of discouragement and divifion arose in the fleet, and fome of their chiefs failed away towards the islands of Crete and Cyprus; but the main body pursuing a more steady course, anchored at length near the foot of mount Athos, and affaulted the city of Theffalonica, the wealthy capital of all the Macedonian provinces. Their attacks, in which they difplayed a fierce but artless bravery, were foon interrupted by the rapid approach of Claudius, haftening to a fcene of action that deferved the presence of a warlike prince at the head of the remaining powers of the empire. Impatient for battle, the Goths immediately broke up their camp, relinquished the fiege of Theffalonica, left

XI.

Distress

nefs of

Claudius.

their navy at the foot of mount Athos, traversed the hills of Macedonia, and preffed forwards to engage the last defence of Italy.

peror,

"

"

We still poffefs an original letter addressed by and firm Claudius to the fenate and people on this memorable occafion. "Confcript fathers," fays the em"know that three hundred and twenty thousand Goths have invaded the Roman ter»ritory. If I vanquish them, your gratitude » will reward my fervices. Should I fall, remember that I am the successor of Gallienus. The whole republic is fatigued and exhaufted. We shall » fight after Valerian, after Ingenuus, Regillianus, " Lollianus, Pofthumus, Celfus, and a thousand ,, others, whom a juft contempt for Gallienus provoked into rebellion. We are in want of » darts, of fpears, and of shields. The ftrength " of the empire, Gaul, and Spain, are ufurped " by Tetricus, and we blush to-acknowledge that,, the archers of the Eaft ferve under the banners of Zenobia. Whatever we shall perform, will be fufficiently great "." The melancholy firmness of this epiftle announces a hero careless of his fate, conscious of his danger, but ftill deriving a wellgrounded hope from the refources of his own mind.

His victory
Over the
Goths.

The event furpaffed his own expectations and thofe of the world. By the most signal victories he delivered the empire from this hoft of barbarians, and was diftinguished by pofterity under the glorious appellation of the Gothic Claudius. The imperfect hiftorians of an irregular war " do

not enable us to defcribe the order and circum-
ftances of his exploits; but, if we could be in-
dulged in the allufion, we might distribute into
three acts this memorable tragedy. I. The decisive
battle was fought near Naiffus, a city of Dardania.
The legions at firft gave way, oppreffed by nume
bers, and difmayed by misfortunes. Their ruin
was inevitable, had not the abilities of their em-
peror prepared a seasonable relief. A largé detach-
ment rifing out of the fecret and difficult paffes
of the mountains, which, by his order, they had
occupied, fuddenly affailed the rear of the victo-
rious Goths. The favorable inftant was improved
by the activity of Claudius. He revived the cou-
rage of his troops, restored their ranks, and pressed
the barbarians on every fide. Fifty thousand men
are reported to have been slain in the battle of
Naiffus. Several large bodies of barbarians, covering
their retreat with a moveable fortification of wag-
gons, retired, or rather escaped, from the field of
slaughter. II. We may prefume that fome infur-
mountable difficulty, the fatigue, perhaps, or the
difobedience, of the conquerors, prevented Clau-
dius from completing in one day the destruction.
of the Goths. The war was diffufed over the pro-
vinces of Mæfia, Thrace and Macedonia, and its
operations drawn out into a variety of marches,
furprises, and tumultuary engagements, as well
by fea as by land. When the Romans fuffered any
lofs, it was commonly occafioned by their own
cowardice or rashness; but the fuperior talents of
the emperor,
his perfect knowledge of the coun-

XI.

CHAP. try, and his judicious choice of measures as well as officers, affured on moft occafions the fuccefs of his arms. The immenfe booty, the fruit of fo many victories, confifted for the greater part of cattle and slaves. A felect body of the Gothic youth was received among the Imperial troops; the remainder was fold into fervitude; and fo confiderable was the number of female captives, that every foldier obtained to his share two or three women. A circumftance from which we may conclude, that the invaders entertained fome defigns of fettlement as well as of plunder; fince even in a naval expedition they were accompanied by their families. III. The lofs of their fleet, which was either taken or funk, had intercepted the retreat of the Goths. A vaft circle of Roman posts diftributed with skill, fupported with firmness and gradually clofing towards a common centre, forced the barbarians into the most inacceffible parts of mount Hæmus, where they found a safe refuge, but a very scanty fubfiftence. During the course of a rigorous winter, in which they were befieged by the emperor's troops, famine and peftilence, desertion and the fword, continually diminished A. D. 270. the imprifoned multitude. On the return of spring, nothing appeared in arms except a hardy and defperate band, the remnant of that mighty host which had embarked at the mouth of the Niefter.

March.
Death of

the empe

The peftilence which swept away fuch numbers of the barbarians, at length proved fatal to their ror, who conqueror. After a short but glorious reign of two years, Claudius expired at Sirmium, at Sirmium, amidst the

recom

mends