V. and Dalmatia. CHAP. The country of Pannonia and Dalmatia, which occupied the space between the Danube and the Pannonia Hadriatic, was one of the laft and most difficult conquefts of the Romans. In the defence of national freedom, two hundred thoufand of thefe barbarians had once appeared in the field, alarmed the declining age of Auguftus, and exercifed the vigilant prudence of Tiberius at the head of the collected force of the empire 26. The Pannonians yielded at length to the arms and inftitutions of Rome. Their recent fubjection, however, the neighbourhood, and even the mixture, of the unconquered tribes, and perhaps the climate, adapted, as it has been obferved, to the production of great bodies and flow minds, all contributed to preserve fome remains of their original ferocity, and under the tame and uniform countenance of Roman provincials, the hardy features of the natives were ftill to be difcerned. Their warlike youth afforded an inexhauftible fupply of recruits to the legions ftationed on the banks of the Danube, and which, from a perpetual warfare against the Germans and Sarmatians, were defervedly efteemed the best troops in the fervice. Septimius The Pannonian army was at this time commanded by Septimius Severus, a native of Africa, who, in the gradual afcent of private honours, had concealed his daring ambition, which was 25 See an account of that memorable war in Velleius Paterculus, ii. 110, &c. who served in the army of Tiberius. 27 Such is the reflection of Herodian, l. ii. p. 74. Will the modern Auftrians allow the influence? 28 V. never diverted from its fteady courfe by the CHA P. allurements of pleasure, the apprehenfion of danger, or the feelings of humanity 29. On the firft news of the murder of Pertinax, he affembled his troops, painted in the most lively colours the crime, the infolence, and the weakness of the Prætorian guards, and animated the legions to arms and to revenge. He concluded (and the peroration was thought extremely eloquent) with promifing every foldier about four hundred pounds; an honourable donative, double in value to the infamous bribe with which Julian had purchased the empire 29. The acclamations of declared the army immediately faluted Severus with the Emperor names of Auguftus, Pertinax, and Emperor; nonian and he thus attained the lofty ftation to which legions, he was invited, by confcious merit and a long April 13. train of dreams and omens, the fruitful offspring either of his fuperftition or policy 30. The new candidate for empire faw and improved the peculiar advantage of his fituation. His province extended to the Julian Alps, which 23 In the letter to Albinus, already mentioned, Commodus accuses Severus, as one of the ambitious generals who cenfured his conduct, and wished to occupy his place. Hift. Auguft. p. 80. 29 Pannonia was too poor to supply such a fum. It was probably promised in the camp, and paid at Rome, after the victory. In fixing the fum, I have adopted the conjecture of Cafaubon. See Hift. Auguft. 66. Comment. p. 115. p. 35 Herodian, l.ii. p. 78. Severus was declared Emperor on the banks of the Danube, either at Carnuntum, according to Spartianus (Hift. Auguft. p. 65.), or else at Sabaria according to Victor. Mr. Hume, in fuppofing that the birth and dignity of Severus were too much inferior to the Imperial crown, and that he marched in Italy as general only, has not confidered this tranfaction with his ufual accuracy (Effay on the original contract). by the Pan A.D. 193. CHA P. gave an eafy accefs into Italy; and he remembered the faying of Auguftus, That a Pannonian V. Marches army might in ten days appear in fight of Rome". By a celerity proportioned to the greatnefs of into Italy. the occafion, he might reasonably hope to revenge Pertinax, punish Julian, and receive the homage of the fenate and people, as their lawful Emperor, before his competitors, feparated from Italy by an immense tract of fea and land, were apprised of his fuccefs, or even of his elec tion, During the whole expedition he fcarcely allowed himself any moments for fleep or food; marching on foot, and in complete armour, at the head of his columns, he infinuated himself into the confidence and affection of his troops, preffed their diligence, revived their fpirits, animated their hopes, and was well fatisfied to fhare the hardships of the meaneft foldier, whilst he kept in view the infinite fuperiority of his reward. Advances towards Rome. The wretched Julian had expected, and thought himself prepared to dispute the empire with the governor of Syria; but in the invin, cible and rapid approach of the Pannonian legions, he faw his inevitable ruin. The hafty arrival of every meffenger increased his juft apprehenfions. He was fucceffively informed, that Severus had paffed the Alps; that the Italian cities, unwilling or unable to oppofe his progrefs, had received him with the warmest 31 Velleius Paterculus, 1. ii. c. 3. We muft reckon the march from the nearest verge of Pannonia, and extend the fight of the city as far as two hundred miles. profeffions V. profeffions of joy and duty; that the important CHAP. place of Ravenna had furrendered without refiftance, and that the Hadriatic fleet was in the hands of the conqueror. The enemy was now within two hundred and fifty miles of Rome; and every moment diminished the narrow span of life and empire allotted to Julian. He attempted, however, to prevent, or at least Distress of to protract, his ruin. He implored the venal Julian. faith of the Prætorians, filled the city with unavailing preparations for war, drew lines round the fuburbs, and even ftrengthened the fortifications of the palace; as if those last intrenchments could be defended without hope of relief against a victorious invader. Fear and shame prevented the guards from deferting his standard; but they trembled at the name of the Pannonian legions, commanded by an experienced general, and accuftomed to vanquish the barbarians on the frozen Danube 32. They quitted, with a figh, the pleafures of the baths and theatres, to put on arms, whofe ufe they had almoft forgotten, and beneath the weight of which they were oppreffed. The unpractifed elephants, whofe uncouth appearance, it was hoped, would ftrike terror into the army of the north, threw their unskilful riders; and the awkward evolutions of the marines, drawn from the fleet of Mifenum, were an object of ridicule to the populace; whilft the fenate 32 This is not a puerile figure of rhetoric, but an allufion to a real fact recorded by Dion, 1. lxxi. p. 1181. It probably happened more than once. CHAP. enjoyed, with fecret pleasure, the diftrefs and weakness of the ufurper 33. V. His uncertain con duct. Is deferted torians ; Every motion of Julian betrayed his trembling perplexity. He infifted that Severus fhould be declared a public enemy by the fenate. He intreated that the Pannonian general might be affociated to the empire. He fent public ambaffadors of confular rank to negociate with his rival; he dispatched private affaffins to take away his life. He defigned that the Vestal virgins, and all the colleges of pricfts, in their facerdotal habits, and bearing before them the facred pledges of the Roman religion, fhould advance, in folemn proceffion, to meet the Pannonian legions; and, at the fame time, he vainly tried to interrogate, or to appeafe, the fates, by magic ceremonies, and unlawful facrifices 34. Severus, who dreaded neither his arms nor his by the Præ- enchantments, guarded himself from the only danger of fecret confpiracy, by the faithful attendance of fix hundred chofen men, who never quitted his perfon or their cuiraffes, either by night or by day, during the whole march. Adyancing with a steady and rapid course, he paffed, without difficulty, the defiles of the Appenine, received into his party the troops and ambaffa. dors fent to retard his progrefs, and made a fhort halt at Interamnia, about feventy miles from There is no 33 Dion, 1. lxxiii. p. 1233. Herodian, 1. ii. p. 81. furer proof of the military skill of the Romans, than their firft furmounting the idle terror, and afterwards disdaining the dangerous use of elephants in war. 34 Hift. Auguft, p. 62, 63. 16 Rome, |