CHAP. Over the adjacent country. By the labour of the xvIII. Perfians, the course of the river was ftopt below the town, and the waters were confined on every fide by folid mounds of earth. On this artificial lake, a fleet of armed veffels filled with foldiers, and with engines which discharged ftones of five hundred pounds weight, advanced in order of battle, and engaged, almoft upon a level, the troops which defended the ramparts. The irresistible force of the waters was alternately fatal to the contending parties, till at length a portion of the walls, unable to fuftain the accumulated preffure, gave way at once, and expofed an ample breach of one hundred and fifty-feet. The Perfians were inftantly driven to the affault, and the fate of Nifibis depended on the event of the day. The heavy-armed cavalry, who led the van of a deep column, were embarrassed in the mud, and great numbers were drowned in the unfeen holes which had been filled by the rushing waters. elephants, made furious by their wounds, encreafed the disorder, and trampled down thousands of the Perfian archers. The Great King, who, from an exalted throne, beheld the misfortunes of his arms, founded, with reluctant indignation, the fignal of the retreat, and fufpended for fome hours the profecution of the attack. But the vigilant citizens improved the opportunity of the night; and the return of day discovered a new wall of fix feet in height, rifing every moment to fill up the interval of the breach. Notwithstanding the difappointment of his hopes, and the lofs of more than twenty thousand men, Sapor ftill preffed the reduction 9 4 The e Fed: reduction of Nifibis, with an obftinate firmness, CHA P. which could have yielded only to the neceffity of XVIII. defending the eastern provinces of Perfia against 67 a formidable invafion of the Maffagetæ 7. Alarm- of Con A.D. 340 After the partition of the empire, three years Civil war, had scarcely elapfed before the fons of Conftan- and death tine feemed impatient to convince mankind that ftantine, they were incapable of contenting themselves March with the dominions which they were unqualified to govern. The eldest of thofe princes foon complained, that he was defrauded of his juft proportion of the fpoils of their murdered kinf men; and though he might yield to the fuperior guilt and merit of Conftantius, he exacted from Conftans, the ceffion of the African provinces, as an equivalent for the rich countries of Macedonia and Greece, which his brother had acquired 67 We are obliged to Zonaras (tom. ii, l. xiii. p. 11.) for this invafion of the Maffagetæ, which is perfectly confiftent with the ge neral series of events, to which we are darkly led by the broken history of Ammianus. VOL. III. I by CHAP. by the death of Dalmatius. The want of finXVIII. cerity, which Conftantine experienced in a tedious and fruitlefs negociation, exafperated the fierceness of his temper; and he eagerly liftened to those favourites, who fuggefted to him that his honour, as well as his intereft, was concerned in the prosecution of the quarrel. At the head of a tumultuary band, fuited for rapine rather than for conqueft, he fuddenly broke into the dominions of Conftans, by the way of the Julian Alps, and the country round Aquileia felt the firft effects of his refentment. The meafures of Conftans, who then refided in Dacia, were directed with more prudence and ability. On the news of his brother's invafion, he detached a felect and difciplined body of his Illyrian troops, propofing to follow them in perfon, with the remainder of his forces. But the conduct of his lieutenants: foon terminated the unnatural conteft. By the artful appearances of flight, Conftantine was betrayed into an ambuscade, which had been concealed in a wood, where the rafh youth, with a few attendants, was furprised, furrounded, and flain. His body, after it had been found in the obfcure ftream of the Alfa, obtained the honours of an Imperial fepulchre; but his provinces tranfferred their allegiance to the conqueror, who, refufing to admit his elder brother Conftantius to any fhare in thefe new acquifitions, maintained the undifputed poffeffion of more than two-thirds of the Roman empire. The 68 The caules and the events of this civil war are related with much perplexity and contradiction. I have chiefly followed Zo naras, L A.D. 350. The fate of Conftans himself was delayed about CHAP. ten years longer, and the revenge of his brother's XVIII. death was referved for the more ignoble hand of Murder of a domeflic traitor. The pernicious tendency of Conftans, the fyftem introduced by Conftantine was dif- February played in the feeble adminiftration of his fons ; who, by their vices and weakness, foon loft the efteem and affections of their people. The pride affumed by Conftans, from the unmerited fuccefs of his arms, was rendered more contemptible by his want of abilities and application. His fond partiality towards fome German captives, diftinguished only by the charms of youth, was an object of fcandal to the people"; and Magnentius, an ambitious foldier, who was himfelf of Barbarian extraction, was encouraged by the public difcontent to affert the honour of the Roman name The chofen bands of Jovians and Herculians, who acknowledged Magnentius as their leader, maintained the most refpectable and important 3 70 naras, and the younger Victor. The monody (ad calcem Eutrop. 69 Quarum (gentium) obfides pretio quæfitos pueros venuftiores, Victor in Epi 70 Julian. Orat. i. and ii. Zofim. 1. ii. p. 134. L 2 station CHAP. ftation in the Imperial camp. The friendship of XVIII. Marcellinus, count of the facred largeffes, fup As plied with a liberal hand the means of feduction. The foldiers were convinced by the most specious arguments, that the republic fummoned them to break the bonds of hereditary fervitude; and, by the choice of an active and vigilant prince, to reward the fame virtues which had raised the ancestors of the degenerate Conftans from a private condition to the throne of the world. foon as the confpiracy was ripe for execution, Marcellinus, under the pretence of celebrating his fon's birth-day, gave a fplendid entertainment to the illuftrious and honourable perfons of the court of Gaul, which then refided in the city of Autun. The intemperance of the feaft was artfully protracted till a very late hour of the night; and the unsuspecting guests were tempted to indulge themselves in a dangerous and guilty freedom of converfation. On a fudden the doors were thrown open, and Magnentius, who had retired for a few moments, returned into the apartment, invefted with the diadem and purple. The confpirators inftantly faluted him with the titles of Auguftus and Emperor. The furprife, the ter ror, the intoxication, the ambitious hopes, and the mutual ignorance of the reft of the affembly, prompted them to join their voices to the general acclamation. The guards haftened to take the oath of fidelity; the gates of the town were fhut; and before the dawn of day, Magnentius became master of the troops and treasure of the palace and city of Autun. By his fecrecy and diligence he entertained |