V.

Rome. His victory was already fecure; but the CHA P. defpair of the Prætorians might have rendered it bloody; and Severus had the laudable ambition of afcending the throne without drawing the fword 35. His emiffaries, difperfed in the capital, affured the guards, that provided they would abandon their worthlefs prince, and the perpetrators of the murder of Pertinax, to the justice of the conqueror, he would no longer confider that melancholy event as the act of the whole body. The faithlefs Prætorians, whofe refiftance was fupported only by fullen obftinacy, gladly 'complied with the eafy conditions, seized the greatest part of the affaffins, and fignified to the fenate, that they no longer defended the caufe of Julian. That affembly, convoked by the conful, unanimously acknowledged Severus as lawful Emperor, decreed divine honours to Pertinax, and pronounced a fentence of depofition and and condeath against his unfortunate fucceffor. Julian and executwas conducted into a private apartment of the ed by order baths of the palace, and beheaded as a common nate, criminal, after having purchased, with an im- A. D. 193. mense treasure, an anxious and precarious reign June 2. of only fixty-fix days 36. The almoft incredible expedition of Severus, who, in so short a space of time, conducted a numerous army from the banks of the Danube to those of the Tyber,

35 Victor and Eutropius, viii. 17. mention a combat near the Milvian bridge, the Ponte Molle, unknown to the better and more ancient writers.

36 Dion, 1. lxxiii. p. 1240. Herodian, l. ii. p. 83. Hift. Auguft. p. 63.

demned

of the fe

proves

V.

CHA P. proves at once the plenty of provifions produced by agriculture and commerce, the goodness of the roads, the difcipline of the legions, and the indolent fubdued temper of the provinces 37.

Difgrace of The firft cares of Severus were beftowed on the Præto- two meafures, the one dictated by policy, the rianguards. other by decency; the revenge, and the honours, due to the memory of Pertinax. Before the new Emperor entered Rome, he iffued his commands to the Prætorian guards, directing them to wait his arrival on a large plain near the city, without arms, but in the habits of ceremony in which they were accuftomed to attend their fovereign. He was obeyed by thofe haughty troops, whofe contrition was the effect of their juft terrors. A chofen part of the Illyrian army encompaffed them with levelled fpears. Incapable of flight or resistance, they expected their fate in filent confternation. Severus mounted the tribunal, fternly reproached them with perfidy and cowardice, difmiffed them with ignominy from the trust which they had betrayed, defpoiled them of their fplendid ornaments, and banished them, on pain of death, to the distance of an hundred miles from the capital. During the tranfaction,

37 From these fixty-fix days, we must first deduct sixteen, as Pertinax was murdered on the 28th of March, and Severus most probably elected on the 13th of April (see Hist. August. p. 65. and Tillemont, Hift des Empereurs, tom. iii. p. 393. Note 7.). We cannot allow less than ten days after his election, to put a numerous army in motion. Forty days remain for this rapid march; and as we may compute about eight hundred miles from Rome to the neighbourhood of Vienna, the army of Severus marched twenty miles every day, without halt or intermiffion.

another

V.

another detachment had been fent to feize their C HA P. arms, occupy their camp, and prevent the hafty confequences of their defpair 3.

38

theofis of

The funeral and confecration of Pertinax was Funeral next folemnized with every circumftance of fad and apomagnificence 39. The fenate, with a melancholy Pertinax. pleasure, performed the laft rites to that excellent prince, whom they had loved, and ftill regretted. The concern of his fucceffor was probably lefs fincere. He efteemed the virtues of Pertinax, but thofe virtues would for ever have confined his ambition to a private ftation. Severus pronounced his funeral oration with ftudied eloquence, inward fatisfaction, and well-acted forrow; and by this pious regard to his memory, convinced the credulous multitude that he alone was worthy to fupply his place. Senfible, however, that arms, not ceremonies, muft affert his claim to the empire, he left Rome at the end of thirty days, and without fuffering himfelf to be elated by this eafy victory, prepared to encounter his more formidable rivals.

against Ni

ger, and

The uncommon abilities and fortune of Se- Succefs of verus have induced an elegant hiftorian to com- Severus pare him with the firft and greateft of the Cæfars. The parallel is, at least, imperfect. against AlWhere fhall we find, in the character of Severus, the commanding fuperiority of foul, the generous clemency, and the various genius, which could

39 Dion, 1. lxxiv. p. 1241. Herodian, 1. ii. p. 84.

39 Dion (1. lxxiv. p. 1244.), who affifted at the ceremony as a fenator, gives a most pompous description of it.

40 Herodian, 1. iii. p. 112.

binus.

reconcile

A.D.

CHAP. reconcile and unite the love of pleasure, the V. thirst of knowledge, and the fire of ambition 41? In one inftance only, they may be compared, with fome degree of propriety, in the celerity of their motions, and their civil victories. In lefs than four years*, Severus fubdued the riches 193-197. of the eaft, and the valour of the weft. He vanquished two competitors of reputation and ability, and defeated numerous armies, provided with weapons and difcipline equal to his own. In that age, the art of fortification, and the principles of tactics, were well understood by all the Roman generals; and the conftant fuperiority of Severus was that of an artist, who ufes the fame inftruments with more skill and industry than his rivals. I fhall not, however, enter into a minute narrative of these military operations; but as the two civil wars against Niger and against Albinus were almost the fame in their conduct, event, and confequences, I fhall collect into one point of view, the most ftriking circumftances, tending to develope the character of the conqueror, and the state of the empire.

Conduct of

the two

civil wars.

Falfehood and infincerity, unfuitable as they feem to the dignity of public tranfactions, offend

4 Though it is not, moft affuredly, the intention of Lucan to exalt the character of Cæfar, yet the idea he gives of that hero, in the tenth book of the Pharfalia, where he defcribes him, at the same time, making love to Cleopatra, sustaining a fiege against the power of Egypt, and converfing with the sages of the country, is, in reality, the nobleft panegyric.

42

Reckoning from his election, April 13, 193, to the death of Albinus, February 19, 197. See Tillemont's Chronology.

us

V.

us with a lefs degrading idea of meannefs, than CHA P. when they are found in the intercourfe of private life. In the latter, they difcover a want of courage; in the other, only a defect of power: and, as it is impoffible for the moft able ftatefiman to fubdue millions of followers and enemies by their ewn perfonal ftrength, the world, under the name of policy, feems to have granted them a very liberal indulgence of craft and diffimulation. Yet the arts of Severus cannot be juftified by Arts of the most ample privileges of ftate reafon. He Severus promised only to betray, he flattered only to ruin; and however he might occasionally bind himself by oaths and treaties, his confcience, obfequious to his intereft, always releafed him from the inconvenient obligation 43.

If his two competitors, reconciled by their towards common danger, had advanced upon him with- Niger; out delay, perhaps Severus would have funk under their united effort. Had they even attacked him, at the fame time, with separate views and feparate armies, the conteft might have been long and doubtful. But they fell, fingly and fucceffively, an easy prey to the arts as well as arms of their fubtle enemy, lulled into fecurity by the moderation of his profeffions, and overwhelmed by the rapidity of his action. He firft marched against Niger, whofe reputation and power he the most dreaded: but he declined any hoftile declarations, fuppreffed the name of his antagonist, and only fignified to the fenate and people

43 Herodian, 1. ii. p. 85.