two sons, 42 he preferred the welfare of Rome to the interest of his family, gave his daughter Faustina in marriage to young Marcus, obtained from the senate the tribunitian and proconsular powers, and with a noble disdain, or rather ignorance of jealousy, associated him to all the labours of government. Marcus, on the other hand, revered the character of his benefactor, loved him as a parent, obeyed him as his sovereign,43 and, after he was no more, regulated his own administration by the example and maxims of his predecessor. Their united reigns are possibly the only period of history in which the happiness of a great people was the sole object of government. and reign Titus Antoninus Pius has been justly denominated a second Numa. The same love of religion, justice, and peace, was the dis- Character tinguishing characteristic of both princes. But the situation of Pius. of the latter opened a much larger field for the exercise of those virtues. Numa could only prevent a few neighbouring villages from plundering each other's harvests. Antoninus diffused order and tranquillity over the greatest part of the earth. His reign is marked by the rare advantage of furnishing very few materials for history; which is, indeed, little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind. In private life he was an amiable as well as a good man. The native simplicity of his virtue was a stranger to vanity or affectation. He enjoyed with moderation the conveniences of his fortune and the innocent pleasures of society; 14 and the benevolence of his soul displayed itself in a cheerful serenity of temper. The virtue of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was of a severer and more laborious kind.45 It was the well-earned harvest of many a learned conference, of many a patient lecture, and Of Marcus. 42 Without the help of medals and inscriptions we should be ignorant of this fact, so honourable to the memory of Pius." 43 During the twenty-three years of Pius's reign, Marcus was only two nights absent from the palace, and even those were at different times. Hist. August. p. 25. [Capitol. M. Anton. c. 7.] 44 He was fond of the theatre, and not insensible to the charms of the fair sex. Marcus Antoninus, i. 16. Hist. August. p. 20, 21. [Capitol. Ant. Pius, c. 8 and 11.] Julian in Cæsar. 45 The enemies of Marcus charged him with hypocrisy, and with a want of that simplicity which distinguished Pius and even Verus (Hist. August. p. 34 [Capitol. M. Anton. c. 29]). This suspicion, unjust as it was, may serve to account for the superior applause bestowed upon personal qualifications, in preference to the social a Gibbon attributes to Antoninus Pius a merit which he either did not possess, or was not in a situation to display. 1. He was adopted only on the condition that he would adopt in his turn Marcus Aurelius and L. Verus. 2. His two sons died children, and one of them, M. Galerius, alone, appears to have survived, for a few years, his father's coronation. Gibbon is also mistaken when he says (note 42) that "without the help of medals and inscriptions we should be ignorant that Antoninus had two sons." Capitolinus says expressly (c. 1), Filii mares duo, duæ feminæ: we only owe their names to the medals. Pagi. Cont. Baron. i. 33, edit. Paris.-W. many a midnight lucubration. At the age of twelve years he embraced the rigid system of the Stoics, which taught him to submit his body to his mind, his passions to his reason; to consider virtue as the only good, vice as the only evil, all things external as things indifferent.16 His Meditations, composed in the tumult of a camp, are still extant; and he even condescended to give lessons of philosophy, in a more public manner than was perhaps consistent with the modesty of a sage or the dignity of an emperor.47 But his life was the noblest commentary on the precepts of Zeno. He was severe to himself, indulgent to the imperfection of others, just and beneficent to all mankind. He regretted that Avidius Cassius, who excited a rebellion in Syria, had disappointed him, by a voluntary death," of the pleasure of converting an enemy into a friend; and he justified the sincerity of that sentiment, by moderating the zeal of the senate against the adherents of the traitor.48 War he detested, as the disgrace and calamity of human nature; but when the necessity of a just defence called upon him to take up arms, he readily exposed his person to eight winter campaigns on the frozen banks of the Danube, the severity of which was at last fatal to the weakness of his constitution. His memory was revered by a grateful posterity, and, above a century after his death, many persons preserved the image of Marcus Antoninus among those of their household gods.49 Happiness of the If a man were called to fix the period in the history of the world during which the condition of the human race was most Romans. happy and prosperous, he would, without hesitation, name that which elapsed from the death of Domitian to the accession of virtues. Even Marcus Antoninus has been called a hypocrite; but the wildest scepticism never insinuated that Cæsar might possibly be a coward, or Tully a fool. Wit and valour are qualifications more easily ascertained than humanity or the love of justice. 46 Tacitus has characterised, in a few words, the principles of the Portico : Doctores sapientiæ secutus est, qui sola bona quæ honesta, mala tantum quæ turpia; potentiam, nobilitatem, cæteraque extra animum, neque bonis neque malis adnumerant. Tacit. Hist. iv. 5. *7 Before he went on the second expedition against the Germans, he read lectures of philosophy to the Roman people during three days. He had already done the same in the cities of Greece and Asia. Hist. August. p. 41, in Cassio, c. 3. 48 Dion, 1. lxxi. [c 23, sqq.] p. 1190. Hist. August. [p. 43] in Avid. Cassio [c. 8].b 49 Hist. August. [Capitol.] in Marc. Antonin. c. 18. a Cassius was murdered by his own partisans. Vulcat. Gallic. in Cassio, c. 7. Dion, lxxi. c. 27.-W. See one of the newly discovered pas sages of Dion Cassius. Marcus wrote to the senate, who urged the execution of the partisans of Cassius, in these words: "I entreat and beseech you to preserve my reign unstained by senatorial blood. None of your order must perish either by your desire or mine." Mai. Fragm. Marcus would not accept the services of any of the barbarian allies who crowded to his standard in the war against Avidius Cassius. "Barbarians," he said, with wise but vain sagacity, "must not become acquainted with the dissensions of the Roman people." Mai. Fragm. Vatican, ii. 224.-M. A.D. 96-180. Commodus. The vast extent of the Roman empire was governed by absolute power, under the guidance of virtue and wisdom. The armies were restrained by the firm but gentle hand of four successive emperors whose characters and authority commanded involuntary respect. The forms of the civil administration were carefully preserved by Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the Antonines, who delighted in the image of liberty, and were pleased with considering themselves as the accountable ministers of the laws. Such princes deserved the honour of restoring the republic, had the Romans of their days been capable of enjoying a rational freedom. rious na The labours of these monarchs were overpaid by the immense reward that inseparably waited on their success; by the Its precahonest pride of virtue, and by the exquisite delight of be- ture. holding the general happiness of which they were the authors. A just but melancholy reflection embittered, however, the noblest of human enjoyments. They must often have recollected the instability of a happiness which depended on the character of a single man. The fatal moment was perhaps approaching, when some licentious youth, or some jealous tyrant, would abuse, to the destruction, that absolute power which they had exerted for the benefit, of their people. The ideal restraints of the senate and the laws might serve to display the virtues, but could never correct the vices, of the emperor. The military force was a blind and irresistible instrument of oppression; and the corruption of Roman manners would always supply flatterers eager to applaud, and ministers prepared to serve, the fear or the avarice, the lust or the cruelty, of their masters. Tiberius, Nero, and These gloomy apprehensions had been already justified by the experience of the Romans. The annals of the emperors Memory of exhibit a strong and various picture of human nature, which Caligula, we should vainly seek among the mixed and doubtful cha- Domitian. racters of modern history. In the conduct of those monarchs we may trace the utmost lines of vice and virtue; the most exalted perfection and the meanest degeneracy of our own species. The golden age of Trajan and the Antonines had been preceded by an age of iron. It is almost superfluous to enumerate the unworthy successors of Augustus. Their unparalleled vices, and the splendid theatre on which they were acted, have saved them from oblivion. The dark unrelenting Tiberius, the furious Caligula, the feeble Claudius, the profligate and cruel Nero, the beastly Vitellius, 50 and the timid 50 Vitellius consumed in mere eating at least six millions of our money in about seven months. It is not easy to express his vices with dignity, or even decency. Tacitus fairly calls him a hog, but it is by substituting for a coarse word a very fine image. "At Vitellius, umbraculis hortorum abditus, ut ignava animalia, quibus si cibum suggeras, jacent torpentque, præterita, instantia, futura, pari oblivione dimiserat. Atque illum nemore Aricino desidem et marcentem," &c. Tacit. Hist. iii. 36, ii. 95. Sueton. in Vitell. c. 13. Dion Cassius, 1. lxv. [c. 3] p. 1062. 46 many a midnight lucubration. At the age of twelve years he embraced the rigid system of the Stoics, which taught him to submit his body to his mind, his passions to his reason; to consider virtue as the only good, vice as the only evil, all things external as things indifferent. His Meditations, composed in the tumult of a camp, are still extant; and he even condescended to give lessons of philosophy, in a more public manner than was perhaps consistent with the modesty of a sage or the dignity of an emperor.47 But his life was the noblest commentary on the precepts of Zeno. He was severe to himself, indulgent to the imperfection of others, just and beneficent to all mankind. He regretted that Avidius Cassius, who excited a rebellion in Syria, had disappointed him, by a voluntary death, of the pleasure of converting an enemy into a friend; and he justified the sincerity of that sentiment, by moderating the zeal of the senate against the adherents of the traitor. 48 War he detested, as the disgrace and calamity of human nature; but when the necessity of a just defence called upon him to take up arms, he readily exposed his person to eight winter campaigns on the frozen banks of the Danube, the severity of which was at last fatal to the weakness of his constitution. His memory was revered by a grateful posterity, and, above a century after his death, many persons preserved the image of Marcus Antoninus among those of their household gods." If a man were called to fix the period in the history of the world Happiness during which the condition of the human race was most happy and prosperous, he would, without hesitation, name that which elapsed from the death of Domitian to the accession of of the Romans. virtues. Even Marcus Antoninus has been called a hypocrite; but the wildest 46 Tacitus has characterised, in a few words, the principles of the P tiam, nobilitatem, cæteraque extra animum, neque b 7 Before he went on the second expedition against "Cassius was murdered by his own par your desir Marcus tisans. Vulcat. Galite. in Cassio, & 7. Vatican. i Dion, lxxi. c. 27.-W. See one of the newly discovered pas- of any of the sages of Dion Cassius. Marcus wrote to to his standar the senate, who urged the execution of Cassis the partisans of Cassius, in these words: but in sagacit "I entreat and beseech you to preserve my reign unstained by staterial blood None of your order must perish either by A D. 96-180. Commodus. The vast extent of the Roman empire was governed by absolute power, under the guidance of virtue and wisdom. The armies were restrained by the firm but gentle hand of four successive emperors whose characters and authority commanded involuntary respect. The forms of the civil administration were carefully preserved by Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and the Antonines, who delighted in the image of liberty, and were pleased with considering themselves as the accountable ministers of the laws. Such princes deserved the honour of restoring the republic, had the Romans of their days been capable of enjoying a rational freedom. rious na The labours of these monarchs were overpaid by the immense reward that inseparably waited on their success; by the Its precahonest pride of virtue, and by the exquisite delight of be- ture. holding the general happiness of which they were the authors. A just but melancholy reflection embittered, however, the noblest of human enjoyments. They must often have recollected the instability of a happiness which depended on the character of a single man. The fatal moment was perhaps approaching, when some licentious youth, or some jealous tyrant, would abuse, to the destruction, that absolute power which they had exerted for the benefit, of their people. The ideal restraints of the senate and the laws might serve to display the virtues, but could never correct the vices, of the emperor. The military force was a blind and irresistible instrument of oppression; and the corruption of Roman manners would always supply flatterers eager to applaud, and ministers prepared to serve, the fear or the avarice, the lust or the cruelty, of their masters. Tiberius, Nero, and These gloomy apprehensions had been already justified by the experience of the Romans. The annals of the emperors Memory of exhibit a strong and various picture of human nature, which Caligula, we should vainly seek among the mixed and doubtful cha- Domitian. racters of modern history. In the conduct of those monarchs we may trace the utmost lines of vice and virtue; the most exalted perection and the meanest degeneracy of our own species. The golden of Trajan and the Antonines had been preceded by an age of It is almost superfluous to enumerate the unworthy successors Their unparalleled vices, and the splendid theatre were acted, have saved them from oblivion. The dark berius, the furious Caligula, the feeble Claudius, the uel Nero, the beastly Vitellius, 50 and the timid istus. in mere eating at least six millions of our money in about easy to express his vices with dignity, or even decency. hog, but it is by substituting for a coarse word a very fine mbraculis hortorum abditus, ut ignava animalia, quibus si rpentque, præterita, instantia, futura, pari oblivione dire Aricino desidem et marcentem," &c. Tacit. Hist. iii. . 13. Dion Cassius, 1. lxv. [c. 3] p. 1062. |