Town had done their work and were just ready to spring in Now the men concern'd were three Companies that is to say the Mattiarii Laccinarii and the Victores But the Emperor kept a little in suspense whilst he commanded an Engine to be brought with all speed against another Gate where he planted all his Army to make the Enemy believe that on the morrow with that Engine he would take the Castle For his Design indeed was to keep the Persians from any thoughts of being surprised through a Mine And therefore all those that were in the Castle were wholly intent upon destroying that Engine whilst at the same time the Parties who had the care of the Mines having dug quite through even to the Surface of the Earth they came forth at mid-night in the middle of an House where there was a Woman a grinding Corn whom he that first appear'd immediately kill'd because she was a going to cry out His name that did so was Superantius a notable Soldier in the Regiment of the Victores and next to him came Magnus then Jovianus a Tribune in the Regiment of the Notarii with many more that follow'd ' em And when by degrees the passage was made wider they were all got presently into the middle of the Town From whence they ran to the Wall and surprised the Persians who were singing after their Country fashion in praise of their own King's Valour but condemning the Roman Emperors vain attempt for they said he might sooner take Jupiter's Palace than their Castle till the Romans came upon 'em and killing all they met with by tumbling 'em down from the Wall they pursu'd the rest and cut 'em off with all manner of Deaths nor did they spare either Women or Children except some few that they had a mind to make Slaves of But Anabdates the Governour of the Castle being taken as he ran through it together with all his Guards which were eighty in number was brought to the Emperor with his Hands bound Now the Castle being thus taken by force and all the People in it of what age soever slain except a few that were unexpectedly preserved the Soldiers fell to plundering and when they had taken all they could find they razed the Wall to the very ground with Engines which they planted against it Nor did they stop there but pull'd down and burn'd all the Houses in such a manner that no body could imagine there had been ever any there From hence he march'd on and pass'd by other Castles of no great Note till he came to an enclosed Place which they call the Kings Hunting Chase where there was a Wall containing within it a large space of ground planted with all sorts of Trees in which there were all kinds of wild Beasts which wanted no food because it was brought in to 'em and they were only kept for the King to Hunt when he pleased Which when Julian saw he order'd the Wall to be broken down in several places and by that means the Soldiers shot the Deer as they ran by ' em But besides this place he saw somewhere nigh unto it a Palace magnificently built after the Roman fashion which when he heard was erected by the Romans he left it and would not suffer the Tribunes to spoil any part of it out of respect to the Romans who were said to be the Founders of it From hence when the Army had pass'd by several Castles they came to a City of Armenia called Sabatha which is thirty furlongs from that which was formerly called Zochasa but is now Seleucia And whilst the Emperor tarried with most part of his Army in a place near to it the Scouts that went before had storm'd the Town The next Day the Emperor walking about the Walls of it he saw several Bodies hanging upon gibbets before the Gates whom the Natives said were the kinsmen of one that had been accused for betraying a Town of the Persians which the Emperor Carus had taken And that put the Emperor in mind to summon Anabdates the Governor of the Castle to his Trial who though he had often deceiv'd the Roman Army by his pretences to assist 'em in the War against Persia yet he had then a fresh Crime laid to his Charge for speaking scandalously of Hormisdas as calling him Traitor before a great many People and saying he was the cause of that Expedition against the Persians for which he was taken and put to death Soon after his Execution the Army marching on Arintheus search'd all the Fens and finding a great many men in 'em he took 'em Prisoners But it was here that the Persians first muster'd up their Forces and set upon the Scouts that went before the Army though they were soon routed and glad to save their lives by flying into a neighbouring City But the Persians on the other side the River attaquing the Servants that look'd to the Beasts of Burthen and others also as many as they found with 'em kill'd part of 'em and took the rest alive which was the first loss the Romans happen'd to have had and therefore put the Army in some kind of consternation From thence they removed to a certain Sluce or Channel which was very large and cut as the Country People say by Trajan when he made War against the Persians Into which the River Narmalaches runs and discharges it self into the Tigris This therefore the Emperor caused to be cleans'd and search'd to make way for his Vessels to pass into the Tigris and if possible to make Bridges for the carrying of his Army over And whilst these things were in agitation there a great Body of Persians upon the opposite Bank both Horse and Foot were got together to hinder their passage if any such thing were attempted Which preparation of the Enemy when the Emperor discover'd he was extreamly eager to be over with 'em and in a sury commanded his men to go aboard the Vessels But they seeing the other Bank somewhat higher than ordinary and besides that a kind of an Hedg along it which was formerly made for a fence to the King's Garden but at that time serv'd for a Wall they said they were affraid of the Darts and Fire-balls which were thrown down from it Whereupon the Emperor being very earnest with 'em two Ships full of Foot Soldiers went over which the Persians presently set on fire by throwing a great quantity of flaming Darts upon them At which the Army was so much more dismay'd that the Emperor was fain to tell a lye to hide his errour They says he are got safe over and have made themselves masters of the Bank I know it by the fire that is in their Ships which I order'd the Soldiers that went over to make in token of Victory Nor had he sooner told 'em so than just as they were they went into the Ships and over as fast as they could till they came where they could wade and then leaping
most dishonourable Peace with the Persians And not long after when the Persian Fire had enflamed all the East and that great City Antioch was taken so that the Persian Army march'd as far as Cilicia Valerianus the Emperor undertook an Expedition against 'em and though he were taken by 'em yet they durst not pretend to be Masters of these Countreys Onely the death of the Emperor Julian was cause enough for us to lose 'em and that so irrevocably that the Roman Emperors could never recover any part of 'em even to this day but by degrees have lost more and more still of which some have made themselves perfectly free others have surrender'd themselves to Barbarians and others have been almost quite deserted all which I will demonstrate in the progress of this History as they severally happened But to return from whence I have digress'd When this Peace was made with the Persians in the manner that I have told you Jovianus the Emperor and his Army were coming home securely but met with many difficulties through the roughness of the Way and want of Water besides his loss of many Men in the Enemies Country through which he pass'd wherefore he sent Mauricius a Tribune and commanded him to bring Provisions for his Army from Nisibis and meet 'em with it as far off as he could He also sent others into Italy to tell of Julian's death and how he himself was declared Emperor And when he was come with a great deal of pains and much ado near unto Nisibis he would not go into the Town because it was surrender'd to the Enemy but lay all night in a Piazza before the Gate and the next morning receiv'd the Crowns and Complements that were offer'd to him whilst all the Townsmen besought him that he would not forsake them and force 'em to degenerate into Barbarism who for so many Ages had lived under the Roman Laws Besides they told him it was a dishonour to him that Constantius who had been engaged in three Persian Wars and was defeated in every one of 'em had notwithstanding always protected Nisibis and even when it was besieged and in extream danger done all he could to save it and yet that he when there was no such necessity for it should give up the city to the Enemy and shew the Romans such a day as they had never seen before as being forced to suffer such a Town and such a Country to be surrender'd to an Enemy Which when the Emperor heard he excused his not complying with their desires by telling 'em what Articles he had enter'd into and then Sabinus who was the chief Man of their Council their Recorder went on with what the People had said before by way of Petition and told him farther That they wanted neither Mony to carry on a War against Persia nor any forein Aid but that they were able with their own Bodies and their own Purses to defend themselves from any War that should be waged against 'em and likewise assur'd him that whenever they were Victorious and had regain'd their Liberty they would again be subject to the Romans and obey their Commands as formerly they had done To which when the Emperor reply'd that he could not break his Covenants the Townsmen beg'd of him a thousand times that he would not deprive the Roman Empire of such a Bulwark as that was But all was in vain and away the Emperor went in a fury whilst the Persians desired to have possession of the Countreys Castles and of that City according to the Conditions agreed upon And thereupon the Inhabitants of some Countreys and Castles that could not privately escape let the Persians do with them what they pleased but the Nisibini having gained some time to prepare for their removal they went most of 'em to Amida though some few inhabited in other Towns But all places were full of lamentation and mourning because they thought themselves exposed to the incursions of the Persians now Nisibis was surrender'd to them And among others the Carreni were so sorry when they heard of Julian's death that they stoned him to death who brought the news and threw a great heap of Stones upon his Carcass so great an alteration of Affairs was one mans death then able to create But Jovianus therefore march'd through the Towns with all speed because they were so full of grief that they could not give him one pleasant look which is the custom and nature of those People and along with him as many Soldiers as belong'd to the Imperial Guard he went to Antioch whilst the whole Army attended upon Julian's Body which was carry'd into Cilicia and buried in a Royal Sepulchre in the Suburbs of Tarsus upon whose Tombstone there is this Inscription Julian has Tigris left and here he lies A Warlike Prince just valiant and wise And now Jovian being mindful of his Imperial Affairs disposed of other matters and among the rest sent Lucillianus his Father in law Procopius and Valentinian who was afterward Emperor to the Armies in Pannonia to tell 'em of Julian's Death and how that he was chosen Emperor But the Batavi that were at Sirmium and were left there for a Guard to it as soon as they heard the news they kill'd Lucillianus who brought 'em such ill tidings without any regard to that Relation which he had to the Emperor But they let Procopius go untouch'd out of the respect they bore to Julian's Kindred whilst Valentinian made his escape and deliver'd himself from that Death which they intended to inflict upon him But when Jovianus was going from Antioch toward Constantinople he was taken sick of a sudden at Dadastana in Bithynia and died after he had been Emperor onely eight months in which so short a time he was not able to do any signal Service to the publick And when he was dead there was a Consultation proposed concerning who should be his Successor which occasion'd a great variety of Discourse and of several Persons among the Soldiers as well as Officers till at length they all with one accord pitch'd upon Salustius Prefect of the Court But he pretending he was too old and therefore could not serve 'em in those their ill circumstances they desired his Son might be Emperor in his stead But he told 'em that his Son was young and upon that as well as other accounts unfit to undergo the weight of an Imperial Diadem so that they missed the choice of such a Man who was the best in that Age. Upon which reason they voted for Valentinian who was born at Cibalis in Pannonia and an excellent Souldier but no Scholar at all However they sent for him being then at some distance nor did the Common-wealth long want an Head And when he came to the Army at Nicea in Bithynia he there took upon him the Imperial Authority and march'd forward A New HISTORY Written by Count ZOSIMVS Sometime Advocate of the Treasury The Fourth Book HOW
who committed all his Affairs to the conduct of Libertines the Sons of those who had been Slaves that were Eunuchs and his Successors were then advanced to the Imperial Throne Of whom I resolve not to say one word because the World shall not know what monstrous and enormous actions they were guilty of But Vespasian and his Son Titus were much more moderate in their time as on the other hand Domitian surpass'd all others in cruelty luxury and avarice for which reason when he had been a plague to the Commonwealth for fifteen years together he was kill'd by Stephanus one of his Freemen and seemed to suffer justly for his wicked actions From this time good men succeeded in the Empire as Nerva Trajan and after him Adrian Antoninus Pius and that pair of Brothers called Verus and Lucius who corrected many Errours in the State and not onely recover'd what their Predecessors had lost but made likewise some new additions But after them when Commodus the Son of Marcus had been Emperour who was addicted not only to Tyranny but even prodigious Vices besides till Marcia his Concubine took manly courage and kill'd him the Empire was conferred upon Pertinax But the Court Guards being not able to endure his strict way of exercise and Discipline which made 'em mutinee and kill him also Rome had like to have been all in an uproar and confusion whilst the Pretorian Soldiers that were design'd to secure the Palace endeavour'd to extort out of the Senate hands the power of making a Sole-governour And now the Empire being set to Sale as it were one Didius Julianus by the instigation of his Wife and through more folly than Wisdom produced a sum of money wherewith he purchas'd the Empire and made such a Shew as the people ne'r saw in their lives before or any other legal Attendance besides the Soldiers who set him up and by violence gave him possession of the Palace with all the furniture that was in it But he was call'd in question and taken off too by those very men that raised him to his Hononr nor was his Life any more than a momentany golden Dream When he was removed the Senate sate in consultation who they should choose Emperour in his room and pitched upon Severus But Albinus and Niger pretending a right of Government at the same time there arose fierce civil Wars between 'em so that the Cities were divided some being for one side and some for the other Whereupon there were great commotions in the Eastern parts and in Egypt nor did the Bizantians who were Nigers friends and entertain'd him refuse any dangerous Attempt till Severus got the Victory and Niger was kill'd After whom Albinus also quitted the Empire and this World together so that the sole Power was now devolv'd upon Severus He therefore apply'd himself to rectifie those things that had been carried with such exorbitancy inflicting in the first place severe punishments upon the Souldiers that kill'd Pertinax and deliver'd up the Empire to Julianus Which having done and setled the Militia he went against the Persians and in the same expedition took Ctesiphon and Babylon over-ran the Arabians called Scenites from their living in Tents conquer'd Arabia in general and did many other great Exploits besides that he was inexorable to Delinquents and made a publick distribution of their goods who were guilty of any heinous Offence Having adorn'd a great many Cities with sumptuous Buildings he declared his Son Antoninus Emperour but being near his death left not only him but his other Son Geta also coheirs in the Government and made Papinianus a very just person and one that was more skill'd in the knowledg and interpretation of the Law than any Roman either before or since their Guardian or Protector But Antoninus not long after suspected this worthy Person who was Prefect of the Court for no other reason but because he did what he could to frustrate a Design that Antoninus had laid against his Brother Geta and Papinianus had discover'd He therefore resolved to remove this Obstacle and with the Soldiers contrived Papinianus's destruction After which when he had his hands at liberty he slew his Brother whom even his own Mother could not save though he sled to her for protection But not long after Antoninus paid for murthering his Brother nor was the person that slew him ever known And then the Souldiery at Rome chose Macrinus who was Prefect of the Court as Papinianus had been Emperour whilst those in the Eastern Countreys set up Emisenus who was a kin to Antoninus's Mother Now therefore both Armies were so tenacious of what they had done that there arose a civil broil between 'em and whilst Emisenus Antoninus's men were bringing him to Rome Macrinus's Army march'd out of Italy And when at Antioch in Syria the two Armies had engaged Macrinus was so totally defeated that he was forced to fly the Camp but between Byzantium and Chalcedon was taken and killed When Antoninus had gotten this Victory and punished all those that sided with Macrinus as Enemies he lived such a dissolute scandalous life conversing so much with Magicians and Juglers that the Romans not able to endure his excessive Luxury murther'd him tore his body in pieces and declared Alexander Emperour who came likewise of Severus's Family Who though he were but young yet he was a person of a good Nature and put all people in hopes that he would prove an easie Governour For he made Flavianus and Chrestus Prefects of his Court who were men not onely well vers'd in Military affairs but excellent also in the management of civil Business But Mamaea the Emperours Mother set Vlpianus as an Inspector or Overseer over them and indeed as a Partner in their Office because he was an incomparable Lawyer and one that knew not onely how to regulate the present Affairs but to provide with all prudence for the future at which the Souldiers were so offended that they privately contrived his ruin Which when Mamaea understood she prevented their Design by taking off the Conspiratours and making Vlpian the sole Prefect belonging to the Court But after that being suspected by the Army for what cause I cannot well tell since there are so many various reports concerning his inclinations he was murthered in a tumult nor could the Emperour himself save his life From this time forward the Souldiers who by degrees forgot their former kindness to Alexander seemed very unwilling to execute his Commands and lest they should be punish'd for their sloth made publick mutinies in which they promoted one Antoninus to the Empire But he not able to sustein the weight of that great Trust withdrew himself which made 'em chuse Vranius a man of mean and slavish condition who being presently brought before Alexander in his purple Robes their hatred to the Emperour was thereby the more augmented And hence it was that Alexander seeing himself inviron'd with so many difficulties was alter'd not
onely in the temper of his body but in the complexion of his mind too insomuch that he was seized with the Disease of Avarice and laid up money with great care and sollicitude of which he made his Mother his Treasurer But whilst his Affairs stood in this unhappy posture the Armies that were in Pannonia and Mysia who had no great kindness for him before were now more inclined to a Revolt and therefore being set upon Innovation they raised Maximinus who was Captain of a Pannonian Troop to the Empire He therefore having got all his forces together march'd into Italy as fast as he could because he thought it easier to attaque the Emperour at unawares But Alexander who was then in the parts about the Rhine having intelligence there of their design'd Innovations moved towards Rome with all speed Where though he offer'd pardon both to the Souldiers and Maximinus too if they would desist from their Attempts yet he could not reconcile 'em and therefore in a desperate humour expos'd himself as it were to Death His Mother Mamaea too who came out of the Palace with the Prefects to appease the Tumult was murthered together with the Prefects By which means Maximinus was well setled in the Empire but all people were sorry that they had changed a moderate Emperour for a cruel Tyrant For he was of an obscure Family and therefore when he came to be Emperour eclipsed those Virtues that he was naturally endued with by the excessive confidence of his own power insomuch that he was intolerable to all men in general and did not onely injure those that were in places of Honour but used all cruelty in the conduct of his Affairs obliging none but Sycophants who inform'd against innocent quiet men as if they were Debtors to the Imperial Treasury At length he proceeded to murther men through covetousness before he heard what they could say for themselves made all the Towns his own and plunder'd the Inhabitants Now the Nations subject to the Romans being not able to endure his extravagant cruelty but mightily troubled at the open ravage which he committed the Africans declared Gordianus and his Son of the same name Emperours and sent Embassadours to Rome among whom was Valerianus a Consuls fellow who himself was afterward Emperour At which the Senate was well pleas'd and consulted how to remove the Tyrant inciting the Soldiers to Rebellion and putting the people in mind of the injuries done to them both in their private capacities and also as they were members of such a Commonwealth Then being all agreed they chose twenty Men out of their whole Senate who understood Military Discipline and from among them elected two called Balbinus and Maximus to whom they committed the chief Command and going toward Rome were ready to make an Insurrection But Maximinus when he heard of these things went in all haste toward Rome with the Moors and Frenchmen that he had under him and by the way besieged the Garison of Aquileia because they shut their Gates against him though his own party who at last conulted the publick good with much ado consented to those who had a mind to take him off and thereby reduced him to such extremity of danger that he was fain to make his own Son a Petitioner in his behalf supposing that his tender years would rebate their anger and move them to pity But they were thereby the more enraged and after they had kill'd the Boy in a most barbarous manner dispatch'd him also upon which one of 'em came and cutting off his head brought it along with him to Rome for a demonstration and Trophy of their Victory And thus being freed from all their fears they waited for the Arrival of the two Emperours out of Africk But they being cast away in a storm the Senate conferr'd the universal management of affairs upon Gordianus who was Son to one of ' em In whose Reign the Romans remitted something of their former melancholy because the Emperour diverted 'em with Plays and other exercises But when they were all awaked as it were out of a dead sleep they laid a private Plot against the Emperour by the advice of Balbinus and Maximus who instigated certain Soldiers against him Which being found out the Heads of the party besides a great many of the Complices were put to death Not long after this the Carthaginians fell out with the Emperour and would needs have put Sabianus in his room but Gordianus raised the African forces which soon reconciled 'em insomuch that they deliver'd up the Vsurper that would have been begged pardon for their Offences and freed themselves from all impendent dangers In the mean time Gordianus married the Daughter of Timesicles who was a man very much applauded for his learning and made him Prefect of the Court by which action he seemed to supply the defects of his own nonage in the administration of publick Affairs But when he had secur'd the Empire he look'd every hour when the Persians would attaque the Eastern Nations since Sapores was King upon the Death of Artaxerxes who restored the Government back from the Parthians to the Persians For after Alexander the Son of Philip was dead and other Successors of his in the Macedonian Empire at that time when Antiochus govern'd those superiour Satrapies or Provinces Arsaces a Parthian being incensed at an injury offer'd to his Brother Teridates levyed War against the Satrape of Antiochus gave occasion to the Parthians to turn out all the Macedonians and make the Government their own The Emperour therefore made all the preparations that he could to go against the Persians Now though the Roman Army seemed to have gotten the Victory in the first fight yet seeing Timesicles the Prefect of the Court died the Emperours great Confidence in the security of his enterprize was very much abated For Philip being chosen in his place the good will of the Soldiers toward the Emperour decay'd by degrees and grew insensible For he being born in Arabia which is a wicked Nation and no better than he should have been in the advancement of his Fortune as soon as he got into his Office affected to be Emperour obliged all the Soldiers who were inclined to innovations and seeing there was plenty of military provisions brought in whilst the Emperour stay'd about Carrae and Nisibis commanded the Ships that brought such provisions to go up farther into the Countrey that thereby the Army being oppress'd with Famine and want of necessaries might be provoked to mutiny And indeed his Design took effect for the Soldiers under pretence of wanting necessaries came about Gordianus in a very rude manner and having kill'd him as the chief cause that so many perish'd in the Army they conferr'd the Purple Robe upon Philip according to their Contract He therefore made a Peace with Sapores upon Oath which when he had done and put an end to the War he march'd toward Rome and as he obliged the
sent into Britain for Corn and invented a way how to carry that Corn up the Rhine in Boats And this he did so often because the Voyage was but short that he abundantly supply'd them that were restored to their Cities so that they had meat enough Seed-corn and what they lacked between that and Harvest And these things he did when he was hardly enter'd into the five and twentieth year of his Age. But seeing the Soldiers loved him for his frugality at home and courage in the Wars and also for his Command that he had of himself in respect to Riches with his other Virtues wherein he excell'd I had almost said all the men of his Age Constantius was full of envy to see Julian do such great things and thought that Salustius who was one of those Counsellours that were allotted to him had been the Author of all that Policy which gained him so much Honour both in his Warlike and Civil Affairs Wherefore he sent for Salustius as if he would have made him Governour of the Eastern Countreys And Julian as readily dismiss'd him because he was resolv'd to be obedient unto Constantius in all points But though Salustius were now removed yet all that was committed to Julian's charge encreas'd every day as I may say in a great measure and the Soldiers were improved in military experience as well as augmented in their numbers whilst the Towns enjoy'd Peace and the fruits of it And now almost all the Barbarians thereabouts began to despair and expected little less than the utter ruine and destruction of all them that were lest alive when at the same time the Saxons who are the stoutest Barbarians in all those parts both for courage strength and hardiness in a Campagne sent out the Quadi who are a part of themselves into the Roman Dominions But they were hinder'd from passing the River by the Franks who lived upon their Confines and were affraid of giving Cesar a just occasion to make another inrode upon them and therefore built themselves a convenient number of Boats in which they sailed upon the Rhine beyond the French Territories and got into the Roman Empire And when they arrived at Batavia which the Rhine by being divided makes an Island much bigger than any River-Island besides they drove out the Salii who are a Nation descended from the Franks and turn'd out of their own Country into this Island by the Saxons For this Island though it had been formerly subject to none but the Romans yet it was now in possession of the Salii Which when Cesar knew he endeavour'd to countermine the Quadi but first commanded his Army to engage them briskly but kill ne'r an one of the Salii or hinder their passage into the Roman Countreys because they did not come as Enemies but were forced thither by the Quadi As soon as the Salii heard how kind Cesar was to 'em some of 'em went over out of the Island with their King into the Roman Confines and others fled to the utmost borders of the Country but all of 'em came and humbly committed both their lives and fortunes to Cesar's gracious protection But Cesar by this time observing that the Barbarians durst not fight with him any more they were so intent upon their secret incursions and sly Thieveries by which they did a great deal of damage to the Country he could not tell what to do till at the last he invented this Stratagem to baffle the Barbarians There was a man much bigger than any body else and one that had courage proportionable to his bulk Which Person being by Nation a Barbarian and having used to rob with the other Barbarians thought fit to leave his own Country and go into Gallia Celtica which was under the Romans But whilst he sojourn'd sometime at Treves which is the greatest City in all the Nations beyond the Alps and saw the Barbarians beyond the Rhine over-run the Cities that are situate upon this side of the River and pillage all places without controul which was before that Julian was made a Cesar he was resolving with himself to defend those Towns But because he durst not do that for want of Law to back him in it he at first went alone into the thickest part of the Woods and waited till the Barbarians made their incursions and so in the Night-time when they were Drunk and asleep he set upon 'em and cut off as many of their heads as he was able which he brought and shew'd to those that were in the Town And this he did continually insomuch that he rebated the keenness of the Barbarians who though they could not tell how it came to pass yet they were sensible of a prejudice done to 'em by the Armies decreasing almost every Day But after other Robbers had join'd with this same Person and of a great many single Persons had made a considerable Company then Charietto for that was the mans Name who first found out this way of Ambuscade against the Barbarians came to Cesar and told him all the story which few People knew before that time And thereupon Cesar who could not easily restrain the nocturnal and clandestine inrodes of the Barbarians for they robb'd in small Companies straggling from each other and when it was Day you could not see one man of 'em because they hid themselves in Woods adjacent to the fields and lived upon that which they had gotten by robbing Cesar therefore I say considering how difficult it was to subdue such an Enemy was forced to oppose these Thieves not with an Army of Soldiers onely but Moss-Troopers also For this reason he took Charietto and his men along with him besides a good many of the Salii which he added to 'em and sent 'em forth in the Night against the thievish Quadi who though they lived at that time upon what they stole yet might be less skill'd in the Art of Robbing which these men had studied And then in the Day-time he kept Guard in the open field and kill'd all that escaped his Robbers And thus he did for a great while together till the Quadi were reduced to such a streight and so small a number that they and their General surrendered themselves to Cesar who had taken a great many Prisoners in the former excursions and engagements had got among the rest the Kings Son whom Charietto took For that was the cause that when they made such miserable Petitions for Peace and Cesar demanded some of their Nobility for Hostages amongst whom he requir'd the King's Son should be one the General or King broke out into a most lamentable Complaint and swore with tears in in his Eyes that he had lost his Son too among the rest Which Cesar seeing he had compassion upon his sorrow and shew'd him his Son who was kept very nobly but told him withal that he would keep the Youth for an Hostage as well as others of the Nobility whom he had upon that account
and this was the foundation of his Design There was a certain Eunuch called Eugenius not long before turn'd out of the Court who had no great love for the Emperors Him therefore Procopius made his friend because he found him very Rich and told him who he was why he came thither and how things ought to be managed Whereupon the Eunuch having promised him to bear a part in all Attempts whatever and to lend him Money if he wanted it the first thing they undertook was with Money to corrupt the City-Guards which consisted of two Legions And then arming the Slaves and mustering up with ease a vast multitude of Men who were many of 'em Voluntiers they sent 'em in the Night into the City and made a general disturbance for that the people came every one out of their several Houses and gazed upon Procopius as if he had been a King made of a sudden in a Play But the City being all in an uproar and no Man in his right mind or that could tell what to do by reason of the surprise Procopius thought he was yet undiscover'd by a great many and that he might secure the Power to himself if the business were but so far unreveal'd Then having taken Cesarius whom the Emperors had made Prefect of the City and Nebridius to whom they had committed the Government of the Court after Salustius he forced 'em to write to the Subjects of the Empire whatever he pleased But he also kept 'em asunder that they might not advise with one another And when he had contrived things thus he went toward the Court in a splendid manner where getting up upon a Tribunal before the Gate he fill'd all people with hopes and large promises and then march'd into the Palace to take care for the remaining part of his Affairs And because the new Emperors had divided the Army between 'em Procopius thought it requisite to send certain persons to the Soldiers who were yet in Disorder and went by the Emperor's Command from place to place as they pleased to bring over as many as they could to his Party Nor did they fail with ease to accomplish their Design by giving Money to them and their Officers insomuch that they muster'd up a considerable number and made themselves ready openly to set upon the Enemy After which Procopius sent Marcellus with an Army into Bithynia to take Serenianus and the Imperial Horse that he had with him in hopes to destroy ' em But they flying to a Town called Cyzicum Marcellus took it as being too strong for 'em both by Sea and Land and having caught Serenianus who was fled into Lydia he put him to Death With which first lucky hit Procopius was so exalted that he raised more Men by degrees and was able in the Opinion of many people to fight the Emperors for both the Roman Legions and the Barbarian Forces flock'd to him And then besides the very honour of being akin to Julian and having been his Fellow-Soldier in all the Wars that he was ever engaged in drew people to his Party Nor was that all but he likewise sent certain Noblemen to the Prince of Scythia which lies beyond Ister who contributed ten thousand Men to fight in his service So also did the other Barbarous Nations send in their Quota to make themselves sharers in the Expedition But yet Procopius consider'd that it was not fit for him to engage with both the Emperors together and therefore thought it the best way to fight him first that was nearest and then consult farther what was to be done And thus was Procopius employ'd whilst the Emperor Valens who heard of this Rebellion at Galatia in Phrygia was frighted at the news and fill'd with consternation But Arbitio bad him have a good heart and then he made those Men that he had ready for the War and sent likewise to his Brother to let him know what Designs Procopius had in hand But Valentinian did not think fit to send Auxiliaries to him who was not able to defend that Empire which was committed to him So Valens was fain to prepare for a fight and made Arbitio General of his Army against Procopius But when the Armies were just ready to engage Arbitio circumvented Procopius by a stratagem and brought over a great number of his Men from whom he learn'd before-hand whatever Procopius design'd to do And when the Emperor and Procopius came toward each other the two Armies met near Thyatira where Procopius had like to have had the better on 't and made him sole Lord of all because Hormisdas which was his Father's name too seemed in the fight to be too many for the Enemy But Gomarius another of Procopius's Captains imparting his intention to all Procopius's Soldiers that loved the Emperor cry'd out in the midst of the fight Augustus with a shout and gave the signal for all the rest to do the same so that all Procopius's Men went over to Valens And he as soon as he had gotten the Victory march'd to Sardeis and thence into Phrygia where in a Town called Nacolia he found Procopius and there again one Naplo a Captain of Procopius having order'd every thing for the Emperors advantage Valens had much the better of him insomuch that he took the Traitor and not long after him Marcellus whom he put both to Death But finding an Imperial Robe in Marcellus's possession that was given him by Procopius he was so angry at it that he fell foul upon all and inquired after not onely those that were Actors in the Rebellion but those also that were Counsellers in it or so much as heard any thing of it which they did not presently discover By which means he was very severe upon all sorts of Men without any justice whilst all that either conspired or were but even kinsmen or friends of the Conspirators though otherwise altogether innocent were sacrificed to the Emperours fury Now this being the state of Affairs in that part of the Empire which was allotted to Valens the Emperor Valentinian who dwelt in the Countries beyond the Alps fell into very great and unexpected dangers For all Germany recollecting what they had suffer'd in those Days when Julian was a Cesar as soon as they heard of his Death shook off all fear from their Souls and resuming their natural audacity they went one and all and invaded the Countries that were subject to the Roman Empire Where when the Emperor met 'em they had a smart Battel in which the Barbarians won the Day and put the Roman Army to a shameful flight But Valentinian was resolv'd he would not run away to save his life and therefore bore the fortune of the fight with seeming satisfaction till he had found out who were the cause of their misfortune by beginning first to fly And having made strict enquiry so as at last to prove the Batavian Legion guilty of it he order'd all the Army to come together in
therefore sent Embassadours and desired to purchase a Peace though with a small sum of Money as likewise to have Aetius and Jason the former Son to Jovius and the latter to Gaudentius for Hostages and therewithal told 'em that he would send them two under the like circumstances out of his Nobility and having made peace upon such terms would lead his Army out of Noricum into Pannonia But Alarichus demanding Peace upon these conditions the Emperour refus'd him his Request although he must have of necessity done one thing or other of two that were before him if he would have disposed of his Affairs the right way For he must either have deferr'd the War and procured a Peace for some small sum or if he would rather fight he ought to have muster'd up all the Legions that he could and posted them in the Enemies way to obstruct the Barbarians from coming any further on Besides which he should have chosen a fit Man to lead 'em and made Sarus General of the War who in his own person was sufficient to strike a terrour into the Enemies upon the account both of his courage and his experience in Warlike Affairs and had also a number of Barbarians under him enough to make a good defence But he on the contrary neither embracing the offers of Peace not making Sarus his Friend nor mustering up the Roman Army but placing all his hopes in the desires and wishes of Olympius was the cause of so many calamities to the Commonwealth For he made such Men Commanders as were contemptible in the esteem of the Enemy to wit Turpilio whom he made General of the Horse Varanes of the Foot Vigilantius of the Domesticks and so of all other things accordingly Upon which account all Men despaired and seemed to have the utter ruin of Italy even then before their Eyes Now seeing these things were thus order'd Alarichus began his expedition against Rome and laugh'd at the preparations made by Honorius And because he would not go about such a weighty business with onely equal but rather far greater Forces than his Enemy he sent for his Wifes Brother called Ataulphus out of the upper Pannonia to be his Partner in the Action as having a very considerable number of Gotths and Hunns to bring along with him Yet nevertheless he did not stay for his Brother-in law's coming but marching forward in haste passed by Aquileia and all the other Cities in order that lie beyond the River Po I mean Concordia Altinum and Cremona And when he had cross'd the River being as it were at some Festival and having no Enemy to stop him he came into a certain Castle of Bononia which they call Oecubaria From whence passing by all Aemilia and leaving Ravenna behind him he â—arne to Ariminum a great City of Flaâ—â—nia But moving by that also with â—â—eed as he did by all the rest that were in that Province he came into Picenum which is a Nation lying in the extremity of the Ionian Bay And from thence marching towards Rome he sack'd all the Castles and Towns that were in his way insomuch that if Arsacius and Tarentius the two Eunuchs had not made haste and so prevented the coming of the Barbarians into those parts as to bring Eucherius Stilico's Son before that time to Rome to die according to the Emperour's Order and executed what the Emperour commanded the Youth had certainly fallen into the hands of Alarichus and been saved But the Eunuchs having fulfilled what was enjoyn'd 'em upon that score and deliver'd Thermantia Honorius's Wife to her Mother they took shipping and went over to the Emperour in Gallia Celtica where he then lived because they could not go unto him the same way they came Now upon this account the Emperour thinking he should do good service to the Commonwealth if he rewarded these two Eunuchs for their great exploits in restoring Thermantia to her Mother and killing Eucherius he made Tarentius Imperial Chamberlain and gave Arsacius the next Place under him Then having taken oft Bathanarius who was Master of the Soldiers Militum Magister General in the greater Libya and Husband to Stilico's Sister he gave that Command to Heraclianus who was the Man that kill'd Stilico and receiv'd his Honour as the reward of that Action But when Alarichus was near Rome besieging those within the Senate suspected Serena for bringing the Barbarians against their City And therefore both the whole Senate and Placidia who was the Emperour's own Sister by the Mothers side thought fit that she should die for it as being the cause of all the present mischief For Alarichus said they when Serena is removed will draw off from the City because there will be no body left from whom he can hope to have the City betray'd into his hands But this suspicion was really salse for Serena never thought of any such thing However she suffer'd justly for her impieties toward the Gods as I am now agoing to tell you When Theodosius the Elder having defeated the Rebel Eugenius came to Rome and created in all people a Contempt or neglect of divine Worship denying to defray the charge of holy things out of the publick Stock the Priests of both Sexes were turn'd out and banish'd and the Temples bereft of all their Sacrifices Whereupon Serena scoffing at 'em would needs see the Temple dedicated to the Mother of the Gods In which when she saw certain Bracelets and attire about the neck of Rheas Statue suitable to the divine Worship which was paid to her She took it off of the Statue and put it about her own Neck And when a certain old Maid that was the onely person left of all the Vestal Virgins upbraided her with such a wicked Action even to her Teeth she not onely gave her very ill Language but commanded her Attendants to carry or drive her away But notwithstanding the old Woman as she was going from the place pray'd that whatsoever was due ro such impiety might fall upon Serena her Husband and Children But Serena took no notice of what she said and went out of the Temple well pleas'd with the Attire that she had gotten though afterward there often appear'd to her something not onely fantastick in a Dream but real when she was awake which did foretel her Death But others too besides her saw the like things and so far did that just Vengeance which uses to punish the wicked discharge its duty that though Serena knew what would happen she took no care of her self but submitted that Neck about which she had put the Goddesses Attire even to * What Death Serena died I cannot learn from those Authors that I have by me But I should wonder if Zosimus did not refer such accidents to these to a contempt of the Gods for there is no fitter defence for false worship than what is derived from Tables But it is indeed credible that Serena hang'd her self though upon far different occasions as the