AFTER CHRIST, YRS. MNTS. 1 Augustus 14 Tiberius 22 37 Caligula 54 Nero 14 68 Galba 69 Otho 69 Vitellius 8 70 Vespasian 80 Titus 82 Domitian 15 96 Nerva. LIST OF THE ROMAN EMPERORS UNTIL THE PERIOD 41 Claudius 98 Trajan 117 Adrian 138 Antoninus Pius 161 {Marcus Aurelius Lucius Verus AFTER CHRIST. 0235 Maximinus 238 Pupienus and Balbi nus 0 239 Gordian III. 3 251 Gallus & Volusianus 0 244 Philip 254 Gallienus & Valerian 261 Gallienus alone 268 Claudius the 2nd 0 271 Aurelian 0 275 Tacitus 0 275 Florian 276 Aurelius Probus 282 Carus and his son 180 Commodus 13 193 Pertinax 193 Dedius Julianus 193 Niger 194 Septimus Severus 18 212 Caracalla, 5 217 Macrinus. 284 Diocletian & Maxi- 0305 Constantius Chlorus 2 312 Constantine; younger, Constans, and Constantius. 24 0 361 Julian 25 the 218 Heliogabalus 4 0363 Jovian, 000 222 Alexander Severus, 13 0 Seven days after the death of Jovian, the army conferred 364 the imperial title on Valentinian, a native of Pannonia, who from the rank of a simple soldier had risen to the highest posts in the army. On the 28th of the ensuing March, he associated his brother Valens with himself in the government, and then repaired in person to the West, where he defeated the Germans at Sultz, on the Necker. The emperor fell ill, and conferred upon his son Gratian 367 the title of Augustus. The ensuing year, Valens re-commenced hostilities against the Goths, over whom he gained several advantages, while Valentinian defeated the Germans. Valentinian, having appointed Theodosius, one of the 368 wisest men and greatest generals of that age, to command in Britain, and repel the continued and daring invasions of the Picts, Scots, and Saxons, the latter repaired thither, and found the enemy had already penetrated as far as London, • From the period of the battle of Actium. A.C. then called Augusta, where they had collected immense booty, as well as multitudes of men, women, and children, as prisoners. Theodosius then fell upon the barbarians, whom he compelled to fly, and abandon all their plunder and captives. He then set all the prisoners at liberty, bestowed that portion of the spoils whose owners could not be found upon his soldiers, and restored the residue to their legal claimants. 373 375 Theodosius, having re-established order and tranquillity in the South, took the field in the spring, and marched northward, when he recovered the whole territory southward of Severus's wall, and shortly after drove the enemy beyond the wall of Antoninus Pius, which he repaired, and once more established as the boundary of the Roman possessions in Britain; while he brought the whole country to a state of perfect order, happiness, and security. These signal benefits conferred on the native Britons, produced such an effect, that when Theodosius was subsequently recalled to fill one of the highest dignities of the empire, he was escorted to the sea-shore by countless multitudes, who loaded him with blessings and fervent wishes for his unfading prosperity. Firmus, the tyrant of Africa, was defeated. The emperor Valens persecuted the Catholics, and ordered the monks to join the army. Valentinian made preparations to attack the Sarmatæ, but he died of apoplexy. Some authors state that he expired of an indigestion; while others attribute his end to suffocation, from the fumes of burning charcoal, that had been kindled in his bed-room; while others ascribe his sudden decease to the effects of poison. Valentinian died at the age of 51, having reigned 11 years, when he was succeeded by Gratian, conjointly with his brother Valentinian the younger, who was proclaimed emperor by the army. The ensuing year the emperor Valens commanded the subjects of the Roman empire to receive the Goths who had been expulsed the territories which they had occupied beyond the Danube, by the Huns. Thrace was, in consequence, assigned them; and three years after, those very Goths, indignant at the treatment experienced by their wives and daughters, as well as the trap laid to ensnare their king, whom it was intended to have poisoned during a feast, The great empire of the ancient Huns, who occupied nearly the whole of Tartary, was destroyed by the Chinese, in the year 93; part of the Huns, in consequence, sought refuge on the banks of the Wolga, from whence they afterwards penetrated into Europe, together with his leading chiefs, rose in a general revolt against A.C. the Romans. Valens, instead of waiting for the supplies which Gratian had announced as marching to his assistance, gave battle to the Goths, when his army was completely destroyed, and he lost his life, at the age of 50, having reigned 14 years. Gratian caused the noble and valiant Theodosius to be put to death, at Carthage, notwithstanding all his grand exploits in Britain and Africa; upon which his son Theodosius retired into Spain, where he confined himself to a private life until summoned to rule the empire. The Lombards, who subsequently conquered Italy, made their first appearance from Scandinavia, and defeated the Vandals. The following year, Gratian recognised Theodosius for emperor, to whom he apportioned the empire of the East, keeping that of the West for himself. Theodosius soon after obtained a complete victory over the Goths. This division of the empire gradually decreased the strength of the Romans, who became more and more unable to resist the inroads of the countless barbarians with whom they had to contend, and the decline of their glory might be dated from that period, had it not been for the energy and superior genius of Theodosius, surnamed the Great. Instead of encountering the hostile tribes in any decisive battle, he cut off and defeated them in separate detachments; he strengthened the fortifications of the towns; revived discipline in his army, and thus insensibly restored confidence to the Roman legions. Theodosius fell dangerously ill at Thessalonica, where he 380 was baptized, and passed several edicts in favour of the Christians. Having recovered from his malady, he made his public entrance into Constantinople. Artaxerxes, supposed to have been fourth son of Sapor the Second, succeeded him in Persia, and maintained the peace formerly ratified with the Romans, during the four years of his reign. The ensuing year, Athanaric, king of the Goths, (they had then made peace with Gratian,) was driven out by his subjects, upon which he fled for protection to Theodosius, at Constantinople, where he died shortly after. A.C. 383 385 SECOND ECUMENICAL OR GENERAL COUNCIL. During the same year, (381,) the Second Ecumenical Council was convened at Constantinople, being composed of 150 bishops; who condemned the errors of Macedonius, who had attacked the divinity of the Holy Ghost. During the sittings of this assembly, the symbols of that of Nice were renewed with some additions, and on the bishop of Constantinople was conferred the highest ecclesiastical rank, after that of the bishop of Rome, &c. Theodosius ordered that all the churches possessed by the Arians should be surrendered up to the Catholic bishops. Mag. Clem. Maximus, a Briton by birth, and the general who commanded for the Romans in Britain, caused himself to be proclaimed emperor, associating his son Victor with himself in the empire, when he carried over all the youth of Britain to Gaul, as well as the Roman forces, whereby Britain was exposed to the incursions of the Scots and Picts. On arriving in Gaul, Maximus met the army commanded by Gratian, near Paris, when the troops of the latter, dissatisfied, owing to the preference which he gave to the Franks, abandoned him, and joined the standard of the usurper, after which, Gratian, although disguised, was murdered while endeavouring to escape. · Arcadius was honoured with the title of Augustus, at Constantinople. The usurper Maximus made an irruption into Italy, upon which Valentinian had recourse to Theodosius, when the latter marched with all expedition to Italy, to oppose the tyrant, who had re-established the pagan worship, and raised an altar in honour of victory. The following year Maximus was beaten and put to death, near Aquilea; after which his son Victor was killed by the Gauls. Theodosius then attributed to Valentinian all the conquests which he had achieved over Maximus. Marcomir, Sanno, and Genebaude, kings, or generals, of the Franks, traversed the Rhine, ravaged Gaul, and then returned to their territories laden with rich spoils. Quintus, governor of the Roman militia, attacked them, but was completely beaten. Symmachus pleaded the cause of Paganism against Saint Ambrose, in the Roman senate. Sapor the Third succeeded Artaxerxes to the throne of Persia. The ensuing year, Theodosius made his public entry into A.C. Rome, accompanied by his son Honorius. Syricius was nominated to the papal chair. The inhabitants of Thessalonica put to death Botericus, 390 prefect of Illyria; when Theodosius, exasperated at the crime, caused the whole population of that place to be butchered. Saint Ambrose, bishop of Milan, in consequence of that deed, prohibited the emperor from entering the church, and subjected him to do penance. Sapor the Third, king of Persia, died, and was succeeded by Varenes, who reigned 13 years. Two years after, the younger Valentinian, who had been mortally wounded by Argobastus, died at Vienne, in Dauphiny, at the age of 26, of which he had governed 16 years and some months. Theodosius, who had just honoured his son Honorius 393 with the title of Augustus, marched with him against Arbogastus and Eugenius, who had caused himself to be declared Emperor of the West. After having experienced a slight check they obtained a most signal victory, when the usurper, Eugenius, was captured and put to death, while Arbogastus terminated his own existence. The emperor Theodosius died, at the age of 60, having 895 reigned 16 years; when he was succeeded by his sons Arcadius and Honorius, the former in the East, and the latter in the West, from which period the two empires were uniformly separated. Previously, although several emperors had ruled at the same time, they had acted as colleagues, and associated in the government. The administration of Theodosius was rendered as respectable to his enemies as it had been beneficial to the Roman people. He subdued the Arian heresy, and abolished idols; but the massacre he commanded at Antioch was a stain to his glory. Towards the termination of this emperor's reign, the progressive effeminacy of the troops led them to cast aside the defensive body armour which the Romans had uniformly worn from the first foundation of their city, and by thus exposing their persons to the weapons of the barbarians, they ensured their own defeat, and thus precipitated the fate of the Roman empire, the prosperity of which expired with the life of Theodosius. Arcadius espoused Eudoxia, daughter of Count Bauto, a Salii Frank. Stiticho, of Vandal origin, and allied to the imperial family, had made peace with the Sicambri and the Franks. |