XI.

of the world. But Aurelian, who, watchful for CHAP. the fafety of Rome, ftill hung on their rear, found in this place the decifive moment, of giving them a total and irretrievable defeat ". The flying

remnant of their hoft was exterminated in a third and last battle near Pavia; and Italy was delivered from the inroads of the Alemanni.

38

monies.

Fear has been the original parent of fuperftition, Superftiand every new calamity urges trembling mortals tious cereto deprecate the wrath of their invifible enemies. Though the best hope of the republic was in the valour and conduct of Aurelian, yet fuch was the public confternation, when the barbarians were hourly expected at the gates of Rome, that, by a decree of the fenate, the Sibylline books were confulted. Even the emperor himself, from a motive either of religion or of policy, recommended this falutary measure, chided the tardiness of the fenate and offered to fupply whatever expence, whatever animals, whatever captives of any nation, the gods. should require. Notwithstanding this liberal offer, it does not appear, that any human victims expiated with their blood the fins of the Roman people. The Sibylline books enjoined ceremonies of a ‘A. D. 271, more harmless nature, proceffions of priests in white January. robes, attended by a chorus of youths and virgins; luftrations of the city and adjacent country; and facrifices, whofe powerful influence difabled the barbarians from paffing the myftic ground on which they had been celebrated. However puerile in themselves, thefe fuperftitious arts were fubfervient to the fuccefs of the war; and if, in the decisive

II.

XI.

CHAP. battle of Fano, the Alemanni fancied they saw an army of spectres combating on the fide of Aurelian, he received a real and effectual aid from this imaginary reinforcement ".

Fortifications of Rome.

39

40

But whatever confidence might be placed in ideal ramparts, the experience of the paft, and the dread of the future, induced the Romans to conftruct fortifications of a groffer and more fubftantial kind. The feven hills of Rome had been furrounded, by the fucceffors of Romulus, with an ancient wall of more than thirteen miles "°. The vaft inclosure may feem difproportioned to the ftrength and numbers of the infant ftate. But it was neceffary to fecure an ample extent of pasture and arable land, against the frequent and fudden incurfions of the tribes of Latium, the perpetual enemies of the republic. With the progrefs of Roman greatnefs, the city and its inhabitants gradually increased, filled up thẹ vacant space, pierced through the useless walls, covered the field of Mars, and, on every fide, followed the public highways in long and beautiful fuburbs ". The extent of the new walls, erected by Aurelian, and finished in the reign of Probus, was magnified by popular estimation to near fifty but is reduced by accurate measurement to about twenty-one, miles". It was a great but melancholy labour, fince the defence of the capital betrayed. the decline of the monarchy. The Romans of a more profperous age, who trufted to the arms of the legions the fafety of the frontier camps were very far from entertaining a fufpicion, that

42

44

it would ever become necessary to fortify the feat CHAP. of empire against the inroads of the barbarians

45

XI.

the two

The victory of Claudius over the Goths, and Aurelian the success of Aurelian against the Alemanni, had fuppreffes already restored to the arms of Rome their ancient ufurpers fuperiority over the barbarous nations of the North. To chastise domestic tyrants, and to reunite the difmembered parts of the empire, was a was a task referved for the fecond of thofe warlike emperors. Though he was acknowledged by the fenate and people, the frontiers of Italy, Africa, Illyricum, and Thrace, confined the limits of his reign. Gaul, Spain, and Britain, Egypt, Syria, and Afia Minor, were ftill poffeffed by two rebels, who alone, out of so numerous a lift, had hitherto efcaped the dangers of their fituation; and to complete the ignominy of Rome, these rival thrones had been ufurped by women. A rapid fucceffion of monarchs had arifen and fallen in the provinces of Gaul. The rigid virtues of Pofthumus ferved only to haften his destruction. After fuppreffing a competitor, who had affumed the purple at Mentz, he refused to gratify his troops with the plunder of the rebellious city; and, in the seventh year of his reign, became the victim of their disappointed avarice ". The death of Victorinus, his friend and affociate, was occafioned by a lefs worthy cause. The shining accomplishments of that prince were stained by a licentious paffion, which he indulged in acts of violence, with too little regard to the laws of fociety, or even to thofe of love ", He was slain

47

46

Succeffion

of ufurp

ers in

Gaul.

CHAP.

XI.

at Cologne, by a confpiracy of jealous husbands, whose revenge would have appeared more justifiable, had they fpared the innocence of his fon. After the murder of fo many valiant princes, it is fomewhat remarkable, that a female for a long time controlledthe fierce legions of Gaul, and ftill more fingular that she was the mother of the unfortunate Victorinus. The arts and treasures of Victoria enabled her fucceffively to place Marius and Tetricus on the throne, and to reign with a manly vigour under the name of thofe dependent emperors. Money of copper, of filver, and of gold, was coined in her name; she affumed the titles of Augufta and Mother of the Camps: her power ended only with her life; but her life was perhaps shortened by the ingratitude of Tetricus ". When, at the inftigation of his ambitious patroness, Tetricus affumed the enfigns of royalty, he was governor of the peaceful province of Aquitaine, an employment suited to his character and education. He reigned four or five years over Gaul, Spain, and Britain, the slave and fovereign of a licentious army, whom he dreaded, and by whom he was defpifed. The valour and fortune of Aurelian at A. D. 271. length opened the profpect of a deliverance. He ventured to disclose his melancholy fituation and conjured the emperor to haften to the relief of his unhappy rival. Had this fecret correfpondence reached the ears of the foldiers, would most probably have coft Tetricus his life; nor could he refign the fceptre of the Weft, without committing an act of treafon against himself. He

The reign

and defeat of Tetri

cus.

Summer.

it

affected the appearances of a civil war, led his forces into the field against Aurelian, posted them in the most disadvantageous manner, betrayed his own counsels to the enemy, and with a few chosen friends deferted in the beginning of the action. The rebel legions, though disordered and dismayed by the unexpected treachery of their chief, defended themselves with defperate valour, till they were cut in pieces almost to a man, in this bloody and memorable battle, which was fought near Chalons in Champagne The retreat of the irregular auxiliaries, Franks and Batavians " whom the conqueror foon compelled or perfuaded to repafs the Rhine, restored the general tranquillity, and the power of Aurelian was acknowledged from the wall of Antoninus to the columns of Hercules.

As early as the reign of Claudius, the city of Autun, alone and unaffifted, had ventured to declare against the legions of Gaul. After a fiege of feven months, they ftormed and plundered that unfortunate city, already wafted by famine ". Lyons, on the contrary, had refifted with obftinate difaffection the arms of Aurelian. We read of the punishment of Lyons but there is not mention of the rewards of Autun. Such, indeed, is the policy of civil war: feverely to remember injuries, and to forget the most important fervices. Revenge is profitable, gratitude is expenfive.

any

53

CHAP

XI.

Character

of Zeno

Aurelian had no fooner fecured the perfon and A. D. 272. provinces of Tetricus, than he turned his arms against Zenobia, the celebrated queen of Palmyra bia; and the Eaft. Modern Europe has produced feveral