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cattle. They followed the unknown courfe CHA P. of the river, confident in their valour, and carelefs of whatever power might oppose their progrefs. The Baftarnæ and the Venedi were the first who prefented themfelves; and the flower of their youth, either from choice or compulfion, increased the Gothic army. The Baftarna dwelt on the northern fide of the Carpathian mountains; the immenfe tract of land that separated the Baftarnæ from the favages of Finland was poffeffed, or rather wafted, by the Venedi: we have fome reason to believe that the first of these nations, which diftinguished itself in the Macedonian war25, and was afterwards divided into the formidable tribes of the Peucini, the Borani, the Carpi, &c. derived its origin from the Germans. With better authority, a Sarmatian extraction may be affigned to the Venedi, who rendered themselves fo famous in the middle ages 26. But Diftinction the confufion of blood and manners on that of Germans doubtful frontier often perplexed the moft accu- tians. rate obfervers 27. As the Goths advanced near the Euxine fea, they encountered a purer race of Sarmatians, the Jazyges, the Alani, and the Roxolani; and they were probably the first Germans who saw the mouths of the Boryfthenes, and of the Tanais. If we inquire into the cha

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24 Tacit. Germania, c. 46.

25 Cluver. Germ. Antiqua, 1. iii. c. 43.

26 The Venedi, the Slavi, and the Antes, were the three great tribes of the fame people. Jornandes, c. 24.

"Tacitus moft affuredly deserves that title, and even his cautious fufpenfe is a proof of his diligent inquiries.

racteristic

and Sarma

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CHA P. racteristic marks of the people of Germany and of Sarmatia, we fhall discover that thofe two great portions of human kind were principally diftinguifhed by fixed huts or moveable tents, by a clofe drefs, or flowing garments, by the marriage of one or of feveral wives, by a military force, confifting, for the moft part, either of infantry or cavalry; and above all by the use of the Teutonic, or of the Sclavonian language; the laft of which has been diffused by conqueft, from the confines of Italy to the neighbourhood of Japan.

Description of the Ukraine.

The Goths were now in poffeffion of the Ukraine, a country of confiderable extent and uncommon fertility, interfected with navigable rivers, which from either fide discharge themselves into the Borysthenes; and interspersed with large and lofty forefts of oaks. The plenty of game and fish, the innumerable bee-hives, depofited in the hollow of old trees, and in the cavities of rocks, and forming, even in that rude age, a valuable branch of commerce, the fize of the cattle, the temperature of the air, the aptnefs of the foil for every fpecies of grain, and the luxuriancy of the vegetation, all difplayed the liberality of Nature, and tempted the industry of man 28. But the Goths withstood all these temptations, and ftill adhered to a life of idleness, of poverty, and of rapine.

23 Genealogical Hiftory of the Tartars, p. 593. Mr. Bell (Vol. ii. p. 379.) traversed the Ukraine, in his journey from Petersburgh to Conftantinople. The modern face of the country is a just representation of the ancient, fince, in the hands of the Coffacks, it ftill remains in a ftate of nature.

The

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Roman

The Scythian hords, which, towards the east, CHA P. bordered on the new fettlements of the Goths, prefented nothing to their arms, except the The Goths doubtful chance of an unprofitable victory. invade the But the profpect of the Roman territories was provinces. far more alluring; and the fields of Dacia were covered with rich harvests, fown by the hands of an industrious, and expofed to be gathered by thofe of a warlike, people. It is probable, that the conquefts of Trajan, maintained by his fucceffors, lefs for any real advantage, than for ideal dignity, had contributed to weaken the empire on that fide. The new and unfettled province of Dacia was neither ftrong enough to refift, nor rich enough to fatiate, the rapacioufnefs of the barbarians. As long as the remote banks of the Niefter were confidered as the boundary of the Roman power, the fortifications of the Lower Danube were more carelessly guarded, and the inhabitants of Mæfia lived in fupine fecurity, fondly conceiving themfelves at an inacceffible diftance from any barbarian invaders. The irruptions of the Goths, under the reign of Philip, fatally convinced them of their mistake. The king, or leader, of that fierce nation, traversed with contempt the province of Dacia, and paffed both the Niefter and the Danube without encountering any oppofition capable of retarding his progrefs. The relaxed difcipline of the Roman troops betrayed the most important pofts, where they were stationed, and the fear of deferved punishment induced great numbers of them to inlift

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CHAP. inlift under the Gothic ftandard. The various multitude of barbarians appeared, at length, under the walls of Marcianopolis, a city built by Trajan in honour of his fifter, and at that time the capital of the fecond Mafia ". The inhabitants confented to ranfom their lives and property, by the payment of a large fum of money, and the invaders retreated back into their deferts, animated rather than fatisfied, with the first fuccefs of their arms against an opulent but feeble country. Intelligence was foon tranfmitted to the Emperor Decius, that Cniva, King of the Goths, had paffed the Danube a fecond time, with more confiderable forces; that his numerous detachments fcattered devastation over the province of Mæfia, whilft the main body of the army, confifting of feventy thousand Germans and Sarmatians, a force equal to the most daring atchievements, required the prefence of the Roman monarch, and the exertion of his military power.

Various

of

events hic

the Gothic

Decius found the Goths engaged before Nicopolis, on the Jatrus, one of the many monuments of Trajan's victories 30. On his approach A.D.250. they raised the fiege, but with a defign only of marching away to a conqueft of greater import

war.

29 In the fixteenth chapter of Jornandes, instead of secundo Mæfiam, we may venture to substitute fecundam, the second Mæfia, of which Marcianopolis was certainly the capital (fee Hierocles de Provinciis, and Weffeling ad locum, p. 636. Itenerar.). It is furprifing how this palpable error of the fcribe could efcape the judicious correction of Grotius.

30 The place is ftill called Nicop. The little ftream, on whose banks it ftood, falls into the Danube. D'Anville, Geographe Ancienne, tom. i. p. 307.

ance,

H

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ance, the fiege of Philippopolis, a city of Thrace, C H A P. founded by the father of Alexander, near the foot of Mount Hæmus". Decius followed them through a difficult country, and by forced marches; but when he imagined himself at a confiderable diftance from the rear of the Goths, Cniva turned with rapid fury on his purfuers. The camp of the Romans was furprised and pillaged, and, for the first time, their Emperor fled in diforder before a troop of half-armed barbarians. After a long refiftance, Philippopolis, deftitute of fuccour, was taken by ftorm. A hundred thousand perfons are reported to have been maffacred in the fack of that great city", Many prifoners of confequence became a valua. ble acceffion to the spoil; and Prifcus, a brother of the late Emperor Philip, blushed not to affume the purple under the protection of the barba rous enemies of Rome 33. The time, however, confumed in that tedious fiege, enabled Decius to revive the courage, reftore the discipline, and recruit the numbers of his troops. He intercepted feveral parties of Carpi, and other Germans, who were haftening to share the victory of their country-men 34, intrusted the paffes of the mountains to officers of approved valour

31 Stephan. Byzant. de Urbibus, p. 740. Weffeling Itinerar. p. 136. Zonaras, by an odd mistake, afcribes the foundation of Philippopolis to the immediate predeceffor of Decius.

32 Ammian. xxxi. 5.

33 Aurel. Victor, c. 29.

34 Vi&oria Carpica, on some medals of Decius, infinuate these advantages.

and

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