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CHA P. provinces of Gaul. The detachments, however, XVIII. which were ordered either to prefs or to intercept

Laft defeat

of Mag

the flight of Magnentius, conducted themselves with the ufual imprudence of fuccefs; and allowed him, in the plains of Pavia, an opportunity of turning on his pursuers, and of gratifying his despair by the carnage of a useless victory 9.

The pride of Magnentius was reduced, by reand death peated misfortunes, to fue, and to fue in vain, for nentius, peace. He first dispatched a fenator, in whose A.D. 353 abilities he confided, and afterwards several biAugult 10.

fhops, whofe holy character might obtain a more favourable audience, with the offer of refigning the purple, and the promise of devoting the remainder of his life to the fervice of the emperor. But Conftantius, though he granted fair terms of pardon and reconciliation to all who abandoned the ftandard of rebellion ", avowed his inflexible resolution to inflict a juft punishment on the crimes of an affaffin, whom he prepared to overwhelm on every fide by the effort of his victorious arms. An imperial fleet acquired the eafy poffeffion of Africa and Spain, confirmed the wavering faith of the Moorish nations, and landed a confiderable force, which paffed the Pyrenees, and advanced towards Lyons, the laft and fatal ftation of Magnentius". The temper of the ty

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91 Zofim. 1. ii. p. 133. Victor in Epitome. The panegyrifts of

Conftantius, with their usual candour, forget to mention this accidental defeat.

92 Zonaras, tom. ii. 1. xiii. p. 17. Julian, in feveral places of the two orations, expatiates on the clemency of Constantius to the rebels.

93 Zofim, l. ii. p. 133. Julian, Orat. i, p. 40. ii. p. 74.

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rant, which was never inclined to clemency, was CHA P. urged by diftrefs to exercise every act of oppref- XVIII. fion which could extort an immediate fupply from

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the cities of Gaul 94. Their patience was at length exhaufted; and Treves, the feat of Prætorian government, gave the fignal of revolt, by fhutting her gates against Decentius, who had been raised by his brother to the rank either of Cæfar or of Auguftus ". From Treves, Decentius was obliged to retire to Sens, where he was foon furrounded by an army of Germans, whom the pernicious arts of Conftantius had introduced into the civil diffenfions of Rome 9. In the meantime, the Imperial troops forced the paffages of the Cottian Alps, and in the bloody combat of Mount Seleucus irrevocably fixed the title of rebels on the party of Magnentius 97. He was un

96

94 Ammian. xv. 6. Zofim. 1. ii. p. 123. Julian, who (Orat. i. p. 40.) inveighs against the cruel effects of the tyrant's defpair, mentions (Orat. i. p. 34.) the oppreffive edicts which were dictated by his neceffities, or by his avarice. His fubjects were compelled to purchase the Imperial demeines; a doubtful and dangerous fpecies of property, which, in cafe of a revolution, might be imputed to them as a treafonable ufurpation.

95 The medals of Magnentius celebrate the victories of the two Augufti, and of the Cæfar. The Cæfar was another brother, named Defiderius. See Tillemont, Hift. des Empereurs, tom. iv. P. 757.

96 Julian, Orat. i. p. 40. ii. p. 74. with Spanheim, p. 263. . His Commentary illuftrates the tranfactions of this civil war. Mons Seleuci was a fall place in the Cottian Alps, a few miles diftant from Vapincum, or Gap, an epifcopal city of Dauphiné. See d'Anville Notice de la Gaule, p. 464.; and Longuerue Description de la France, p. 327.

97 Zofimus, . ii. p. 134. Liban. Orat. x. p. 268, 269. The latter most vehemently arraigns this cruel and felfish policy of Con

antius.

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able

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CHAP. able to bring another army into the field; the XVIII. fidelity of his guards was corrupted; and when he appeared in public to animate them by his exhortations, he was faluted with an unanimous shout of " Long live the emperor Conftantius!" The tyrant, who perceived that they were preparing to deferve pardon and rewards by the facrifice of the moft obnoxious criminal, prevented their defign by falling on his fword 98; a death more eafy and more honourable than he could hope to obtain from the hands of an enemy, whofe revenge would have been coloured with the fpecious pretence of justice and fraternal piety. The example of fuicide was imitated by Decentius, who ftrangled himself on the news of his brother's death. author of the confpiracy, Marcellinus, had long fince difappeared in the battle of Murfa", and the public tranquillity was confirmed by the execution of the furviving leaders of a guilty and unfuccefsful faction. A fevere inquifition was extended over all who, either from choice or from compulfion, had been involved in the cause of rebellion. Paul, furnamed Catena, from his fu

The

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9 Julian, Orat. i. p. 40. Zofimus, 1. ii. p. 134. Socrates, I. ii. c. 32. Sozomen, I. iv. c. 7. The younger Victor defcribes his death with fome horrid circumftances; Transfoffo latere, ut erat vafti corporis, vulnere naribufque et ore cruorem effundens, ex. fpiravit. If we can give credit to Zonaras, the tyrant, before he expired, had the pleafure of murdering with his own hands his mother and his brother Defiderius,

99 Julian (Orat. i. p. 58, 59.) feems at a lofs to determine, whether he inflicted on himself the punishment of his crimes, whether he was drowned in the Drave, or whether he was carried by the avenging dæmons from the field of battle to his defined place of eternal tortures.

perior skill in the judicial exercise of tyranny, was C H A P. sent to explore the latent remains of the confpiracy XVIII. in the remote province of Britain. The honeft indignation expreffed by Martin, vice præfect of the ifland, was interpreted as an evidence of his own guilt; and the governor was urged to the necef fity of turning against his breast the sword with which he had been provoked to wound the Imperial minister. The most innocent fubjects of the Weft were expofed to exile and confifcation, to death and torture; and as the timid are always cruel, the mind of Conftantius was inacceffible to mercy

100

100 Ammian. xiv. 5. xxi, 16,

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CHAP.

XIX.

Power of

the eu

nuchs.

CHAP. XIX.

Conftantius fole Emperor.-Elevation and Death of
Gallus. Danger and Elevation of Julian.-Sar-
matian and Perfian Wars.-Victories of Julian in
Gaul.

THE

'HE divided provinces of the empire were again united by the victory of Constantius; but as that feeble prince was deftitute of perfonal merit, either in peace or war; as he feared his generals, and distrusted his ministers; the triumph of his arms ferved only to establish the reign of the eunuchs over the Roman world. Thofe unhappy beings, the ancient production of Oriental jealoufy and defpotifm', were introduced into Greece and Rome by the contagion of Afiatic luxury. Their progrefs was rapid; and the eunuchs, who in the time of Auguftus, had been abhorred, as the monstrous retinue of an Fgyptian queen, were gradually admitted into the fa

milies

1 Ammianus (1. xiv. c. 6.) imputes the fint practice of caftration to the cruel ingenuity of Semiramis, who is supposed to have reign. ed above nineteen hundred years before Chrift. The use of eunuchs is of high antiquity, both in Afia and Egypt. They are mentioned in the law of Mofes, Deuteron. xxiii. 1. See Goguet, Origines des Loix, &c. Part i. 1. i. c. 3.

2

Eunuchum dixti velle te;

Terent. Eunuch. act. i. scene 2.

Quia folæ utuntur his reginæ

This play is tranflated from Menander, and the original must have appeared foon after the eastern conquests of Alexander.

3

Miles.. Spadonibus

Servire rugofis poteft.

Orat, Carm. v. 9. and Dacier ad loc.

By

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