cule

VII.

CHAP. VII.

The Elevation and Tyranny of Maximin. — Rebellion in Africa and Italy, under the Authority of the Senate. - Civil Wars and Seditions.Violent Deaths of Maximin and his Son, of Maximus and Balbinus, and of the three Gordians. Ufurpation and fecular Games of Philip.

CHAP. OF the various forms of government, which have prevailed in the world, an hereditary The appa- monarchy feems to prefent the faireft fcope for rent ridi- ridicule. Is it poffible to relate, without an indignant fmile, that on the father's decease, the property of a nation, like that of a drove of oxen, defcends to his infant fon, as yet unknown to mankind and to himself; and that the bravest warriors and the wifeft ftatefmen, relinquifhing their natural right to empire, approach the royal cradle with bended knees and protestations of inviolable fidelity? Satire and declamation may paint these obvious topics in the most dazzling colours, but our more ferious thoughts will refpect a useful prejudice, that establishes a rule of fucceffion, independent of the paffions of mankind; and we shall cheerfully acquiefce in any expedient which deprives the multitude of the dangerous, and indeed the ideal, power of giving themselves a master.

and folid

In the cool fhade of retirement, we may easily advantages devife imaginary forms of government, in which

ceffion.

the fceptre shall be conftantly beftowed on the CHAP. moft worthy, by the free and incorrupt fuffrage VII. of the whole community. Experience overturns of heredithese airy fabrics, and teaches us, that in a large tary fuc fociety, the election of a monarch can never devolve to the wifeft, or to the moft numerous, part of the people. The army is the only order of men fufficiently united to concur in the fame fentiments, and powerful enough to impose them on the reft of their fellow-citizens: but the temper of foldiers, habituated at once to violence and to flavery, renders them very unfit guardians of a legal, or even a civil conftitution. Justice, humanity or political wisdom, are qualities they are too little acquainted with in themfelves, to appreciate them in others. Valour will acquire their efteem, and liberality will purchase their fuffrage; but the firft of these merits is often lodged in the moft favage breafts; the latter can only exert itself at the expence of the public; and both may be turned against the poffeffor of the throne, by the ambition of a daring rival.

Want of i

in the Ro

man em

pire pro

calamities

The fuperior prerogative of birth, when it has obtained the fanction of time and popular opinion, is the plaineft and leaft invidious of all distinctions among mankind. The acknowledged ductive of the greateft right extinguishes the hopes of faction, and the confcious fecurity difarms the cruelty of the monarch. To the firm establishment of this idea, we owe the peaceful fucceffion, and mild adminiftration, of European monarchies. To the defect of it, we must attribute the frequent civil

wars,

CHAP. wars, through which an Afiatic defpot is obliged VII. to cut his way to the throne of his fathers. Yet

even in the Eaft, the fphere of contention is ufually limited to the princes of the reigning houfe, and as foon as the more fortunate competitor has removed his brethren, by the fword and the bow-string, he no longer entertains any jea loufy of his meaner fubjects. But the Roman empire, after the authority of the fenate had funk into contempt, was a vast scene of confufion. The royal, and even noble, families of the provinces, had long fince been led in triumph before the car of the haughty republicans. The ancient families of Rome had fucceffively fallen beneath the tyranny of the Cæfars; and whilft those princes were shackled by the forms of a commonwealth, and disappointed by the repeated failure of their pofterity, it was impoffible that any idea of hereditary fucceffion fhould have taken root in the minds of their fubjects. The right to the throne, which none could claim from birth, every one affumed from merit. The daring hopes of ambition were fet loose from the falutary restraints of law and prejudice; and the meanest of mankind might, without folly, entertain a hope of being raised by valour and fortune to a rank in the army, in which a fingle crime would enable him to wreft the fceptre of the world from his feeble and unpopular master. After the mur

There had been no example of three fucceffive generations on the throne; only three inftances of fons who fucceeded their fathers. The marriages of the Cæfars (notwithstanding the permiffion, and the frequent practice of divorces) were generally unfruitful.

VII.

der of Alexander Severus, and the elevation of CHA P. Maximin, no emperor could think himself fafe upon the throne, and every barbarian peafant of the frontier might aspire to that auguft, but dangerous ftation.

fortunes of

About thirty-two years before that event, the Birth and Emperor Severus, returning from an eastern ex- Maximin. pedition, halted in Thrace, to celebrate, with military games, the birth-day of his younger fon, Geta. The country flocked in crowds to behold their fovereign, and a young barbarian of gigantic ftature, earnestly folicited, in his rude dialect, that he might be allowed to contend for the prize of wrestling. As the pride of difcipline would have been difgraced in the overthrow of a Roman foldier by a Thracian peafant, he was matched with the ftouteft followers of the camp, fixteen of whom he fucceffively laid on the ground. His victory was rewarded by fome trifling gifts, and a permiffion to inlift in the troops. The next day, the happy barbarian was diftinguished above a crowd of recruits, dancing and exulting after the fashion of his country. As foon as he perceived that he had attracted the Emperor's notice, he inftantly ran up to his horfe, and followed him on foot, without the least appearance of fatigue, in a long and rapid career. "cian," faid Severus with astonishment, 66 "thou difpofed to wrestle after thy race?" Moft willingly, Sir, replied the unwearied youth; and, almost in a breath, overthrew feven of the ftrongest foldiers in the army. A gold collar was the prize of his matchlefs vigour and activity, and

VOL. I.

T

"Thra

art

VII.

CHAP. and he was immediately appointed to ferve in the horfe-guards who always attended on the perfon of the fovereign'.

His military service

and ho

nours.

Maximin, for that was his name, though born on the territories of the empire, defcended from a mixed race of barbarians. His father was a Goth, and his mother of the nation of the Alani. He displayed, on every occafion, a valour equal to his ftrength; and his native fiercenefs was foon tempered or difguifed by the knowledge of the world. Under the reign of Severus and his fon, he obtained the rank of centurion, with the favour and efteem of both thofe princes, the former of whom was an excellent judge of merit. Gratitude forbade Maximin to ferve under the affaffin of Caracalla. Honour taught him to decline the effeminate infults of Elagabalus. On the acceffion of Alexander he returned to court, and was placed by that prince in a ftation ufeful to the fervice and honourable to himself. The fourth legion, to which he was appointed tribune, foon became, under his care, the beft difciplined of the whole army. With the general applause of the foldiers, who bestowed on their favourite hero the names of Ajax and Hercules, he was fucceffively promoted to the first military command ;

2 Hift. Auguft. p. 138.

and

3 Hift. Auguft. p. 140. Herodian, 1. vi. p. 223. Aurelius Victor. By comparing these authors, it should feem that Maximin had the particular command of the Triballian horse, with the general commiffion of difciplining the recruits of the whole army. His biographer ought to have marked, with more care, his exploits, and the fucceffive fteps of his military promotions.

had