CHA P. labours were not unfuccefsful; and Julian inXIX. violably preferved for Athens that tender regard, which feldom fails to arife in a liberal mind, from the recollection of the place where it has difcovered and exercised its growing powers. The gentlenefs and affability of manners, which his temper fuggefted and his fituation impofed, infenfibly engaged the affections of the ftrangers, as well as citizens, with whom he converfed. Some of his fellow-ftudents might perhaps examine his behaviour with an eye of prejudice and averfion; but Julian established, in the fchool of Athens, a general prepoffeffion in favour of his virtues and talents, which was foon diffused over the Roman world 29. Recalled to Milan, Whilft his hours were paffed in ftudious retirement, the emprefs, refolute to achieve the generous defign which she had undertaken, was not unmindful of the care of his fortune. The death of the late Cæfar had left Conftantius invested with the fole command, and oppreffed by the accumulated weight of a mighty empire. Before the wounds of civil difcord could be healed, the provinces of Gaul were overwhelmed by a deluge of Barbarians. The Sarmatians no longer re 29 Libanius and Gregory Nazianzen have exhaufted the arts as well as the powers of their eloquence, to reprefent Julian as the first of heroes, or the worst of tyrants. Gregory was his fellow ftudent at Athens; and the fymptoms which he fo tragically defcribes, of the future wickednefs of the apoftate, amount only to fome bodily imperfections, and to fome peculiarities in his speech and manner. He protefts, however, that he then forefaw and foretold the calamities of the church and ftate (Greg. Nazianzem, Orat, iv. p. 121, : 122.). fpected XIX. spected the barrier of the Danube. The im- НАР. punity of rapine had increased the boldness and numbers of the wild Ifaurians: thofe robbers defcended from their craggy mountains to ravage the adjacent country, and had even prefumed, though without fuccefs, to befiege the important city of Seleucia, which was defended by a garrifon of three Roman legions. Above all, the Perfian monarch, elated by victory, again threatened the peace of Afia, and the prefence of the emperor was indifpenfably required, both in the West, and in the Eaft. For the first time, Conftantius fincerely acknowledged, that his fingle ftrength was unequal to fuch an extent of care and of dominion 30. Infenfible to the voice of flattery, which affured him that his all-powerful virtue, and celeftial fortune, would ftill continue to triumph over every obftacle, he liftened with complacency to the advice of Eufebia, which gratified his indolence, without offending his fufpicious pride. As the perceived that the remembrance of Gallus dwelt on the emperor's mind, fhe artfully turned his attention to the oppofite characters of the two brothers, which from their infancy had been compared to thofe of Domitian and of Titus 31. She accustomed her husband to con 30 Succumbere tot neceffitatibus tamque crebris unum fe quod nunquam fecerat apertè demonftrans. Ammian. 1. xv. c. 8. He then expreffes, in their own words, the flattering affurances of the courtiers. 3 Tantum a temperatis moribus Juliani d fferens fratis quantum inter Vefpafiani filios fuit, Domitianum et Titum. Ammian. 1. xiv. C. II. The circumflances and education of the two brothers were fo nearly the fame, as to afford a strong example of the innate difference of characters. CHA P. fider Julian as a youth of a mild unambitious dif XIX. pofition, whofe allegiance and gratitude might be fecured by the gift of the purple, and who was qualified to fill, with honour, a fubordinate fta tion, without afpiring to difpute the commands, or to fhade the glories, of his fovereign and benefactor. After an obftinate, though fecret fruggle, the oppofition of the favourite eunuchs fubmitted to the afcendency of the emprefs; and it was refolved that Julian, after celebrating his nuptials with Helena, fifter of Conftantius, fhould be appointed, with the title of Cæfar, to reign over the countries beyond the Alps 32. Although the order which recalled him to court was probably accompanied by fome intimation of his approaching greatnefs, he appeals to the people of Athens to witness his tears of undiffembled forrow, when he was reluctantly torn away from his beloved retirement 33, He trembled for his life, for his fame, and even for his virtue; and his fole confidence was derived from the perfuafion, that Minerva infpired all his actions, and that he was protected by an invifible guard of angels, whom for that purpose she had borrowed from the Sun and Moon. He approached with He approached with horror the palace of Milan; nor could the ingenuous youth conceal his indignation, when he found himself accofted with falfe and fervile respect by the affaffins of his family. Eufebia, re 32 Ammianus, 1.xv c. 8. Zofimus, 1. iii p. 137, 138. 33 Julian. ad S. P. Q. \. p. 275, 2:6, -Liban us. Orat. x p. 268. Julian did not yield till the Gods bad dignified their will by repeated vilions and omens. His piety then forbade him to refift. joicing XIX. joicing in the fuccefs of her benevolent schemes, cHAP. embraced him with the tenderness of a fifter; and endeavoured by the most foothing careffes, to difpel his terrors, and reconcile him to his fortune. But the ceremony of fhaving his beard, and his awkard demeanour, when he first exchanged the cloak of a Greek philofopher for the military habit of a Roman prince, amufed, during a few days, the levity of the Imperial court **. The emperors of the age of Conftantine no longer deigned to confult with the fenate in the choice of a colleague; but they were anxious that their nomination fhould be ratified by the confent of the army. On this folemn occafion, the guards, with the other troops whofe ftations were in the neighbourhood of Milan, appeared under arms; and Conftantius afcended his lofty tribunal, holding by the hand his coufin Julian, who entered the fame day into the twenty-fifth year of his age 35. In a ftudied fpeech, conceived and delivered with dignity, the emperor reprefented the various dangers which threatened the profperity of the republic, the neceffity of naming a Cæfar for the adminiftration of the Weft, and his own intention, if it was agreeable to their wifhes, of rewarding with the honours of the purple, the promifing virtues of the nephew of Conftantine. The approbation of the foldiers was 34 Julian himself relates (p. 274). with fome humour, the circumftances of his own metamorphefis, his downcaft looks, and his perplexity at being thus fuddenly tranfported into a new world, where every object appeared ftrange and hoftile. 35 See Ammian. Marcellin. 1, xv. c. 8. Aurelius Victor. Victor Junior in Epitom. Žofimus, l. iii. p. 139. testified CHAP. teftified by a refpectful murmur: they gazed on XIX. the manly countenance of Julian, and obferved with pleasure, that the fire which sparkled in his eyes was tempered by a modeft blush, or being thus expofed, for the firft time, to the public view of mankind. As foon as the ceremony of his inveftiture had been performed, Conftantius addreffed him with the tone of authority, which his fuperior age and ftation permitted him to affume, and exhorting the new Cæfar to deferve, by heroic deeds, that facred and immortal name, the emperor gave his colleague the ftrongest af furances of a friendship which should never be impaired by time, nor interrupted by their feparation into the most distant climates. As foon as the fpeech was ended, the troops, as a token of applause, clashed their fhields against their knees 36; while the officers who furrounded the tribunal expreffed, with decent reserve, their sense of the merits of the reprefentative of Conftantius. The two prnices returned to the palace in the fame chariot; and during the flow proceffion, Julian repeated to himself a verfe of his favourite Homer, which he might equally apply to his fortune and to his fears 37. The four-and-twenty 16 Militares omnes horrendo fragore fcuta genibus illid ntes ; quod eft profperitatis indicium plenum; nam contra cum hältis clypei feriuntur, iræ documentum eft et doloris.... Ammianus adds, with a nice diftinction, Eumque ut potiori reverentia fervareter, nec fupra modum laudabant nec infra quam decebat. 37 Έλλαβε πορφυρεσ θινατο, και μοίρα κραταιη. The word purple, which Homer had used as a vague but common epithet for death, was applied by Julian to exprefs, very aptly, the nature and object of his own apprehenfions. days |
