twice without a victory, he resolved to take the surname of German'icus, for his conquests over a people with whom he never contended. 8. In proportion as the ridicule increased against him, his pride seemed every day to demand greater homage. He would permit his statues to be made only of gold and silver; he assumed to himself divine honours: and ordered that all men should address him by the same appellations which they gave to the Divinity. 9. His cruelty was not inferior to his arrogance; he caused numbers of the most illustrious senators, and others, to be put to death, upon the most trifling pretences. One lius La'ma' was condemned and executed only for jesting, though there was neither novelty nor poignancy in his humour. Occea'nus was murdered only for celebrating the nativity of O'tho. Pomposia'nus shared the same fate, because it was foretold by an astrologer that he should be emperor. Sallustius Lucullus, his lieutenant in Britain, was destroyed only for having given his name to a new sort of lances of his own invention. Junius Rus'ticus died for publishing a book, in which he commended Thra'sea and Priscus, two philosophers who opposed Vespa'sian's coming to the throne. 10. Lucius Antonius, governor of Upper Germany, knowing how much the emperor was detested at home, resolved upon striking for the throne; and accordingly assumed the ensigns of imperial dignity. 11. As he was at the head of a formidable army, his success remained a long time doubtful; but a sudden overflow of the Rhine dividing his army, he was set upon at that juncture by Norman'dus, the emperor's general, and totally routed. The news of this victory, we are told, was brought to Rome by supernatural means, on the same day that the battle was fought. 12. Domi'tian's severity was greatly increased by this short-lived success. In order to discover the accomplices of the adverse party, he invented new tortures: sometimes cutting off the hands, at other times thrusting fire into the bodies of those whom he suspected of being his enemies. 13. In the midst of these severities, he aggravated his guilt by hypocrisy, never pronouncing a sentence without a preamble full of gen 1 Domi'tian had previously taken from him his wife Domitia, and married her himself; the jest for which he suffered was an allusion to this. tleness and mercy. The night before he crucified the comptroller of his household, he treated him with the most flattering marks of friendship, and ordered hin a dish of meat from his own table. He carried Areti'nus Cle'mens with him in his own litter the day he resolved upon his death. 14. He was particularly terrible to the senate and nobility; the whole body of whom he frequently threatened to extirpate entirely. At one time he surrounded the senate-house with his troops, to the great consternation of the senators. At another, he resolved to amuse himself with their terrors in a different manner. 15. Having invited them to a public entertainment, he received them all very formally at the entrance of his palace, and conducted them into a spacious hall, hung round with black, and illuminated by a few melancholy lamps, that diffused no more light than was just suf ficient to show the horrors of the place. All around were to be seen coffins, with the name of each of the senators written upon them, together with other objects of terror, and instruments of execution. 16. While the company beheld all these preparations with silent agony, several men, having their bodies blackened, each with a drawn sword in one hand, and a flaming torch in the other, entered the hall, and danced round them. 17. After some time, when, from their knowledge of Domitian's capricious cruelty, the guests expected nothing less than instant death, the doors were set open, and one of the servants came to inform them, that the emperor gave the company leave to withdraw. all 18. His cruelties were rendered still more odious by his lust and avarice. Frequently after presiding at an execution, he would retire with the lewdest prostitutes, and use the same baths which they did. 19. The last part of the tyrant's reign was more insupportable than any of the preceding. Ne'ro exercised his cruelties without being a spectator; but a principal part of the Roman miseries, during Domi'tian's reign, was to see and to be seen; to behold the stern air and fiery visage of the tyrant, which he had armed against sensibility by continued intemperance, directing the tortures, and maliciously pleased with adding poignance to every agony. 20. But a period was soon to be put to this monster's cruelties. Among the numbers of those whom he at once caressed and suspected, was his wife Domi'tia, whom he had taken from 'lius La'ma, her former husband. 21. It was the tyrant's method to put down the names of all such as he intended to destroy in his tablets, which he kept about him with great circumspection. Domi'tia, fortunately happening to get a sight of them', was struck at finding her own name in the catalogue of those destined to destruction. 22. She showed the fatal list to Norba'nus and Petronius, præfects of the prætorian bands, who found themselves among the number of devoted victims; as likewise to Steph'anus, the comptroller of the household, who came into the conspiracy with alacrity. They fixed upon the eighteenth day of September for the completion of their great attempt. 23. Upon the emperor's preparing to go to the bath on the morning of that day, Petronius his chamberlain came to inform him that Steph'anus desired to speak upon an affair of the utmost importance. The emperor, having given orders that his attendants should retire, Steph'anus entered with his hand in a scarf, which he had worn thus for some days, the better to conceal a dagger, as none were permitted to approach the emperor with arms. 24. He began by giving information of a pretended conspiracy, and exhibited a paper, in which the particulars were specified. While Domi'tian was reading the contents with eager curiosity, Steph'anus drew his dagger and struck him with much violence; but the wound not being mortal, Domi'tian caught hold of the assassin and threw him upon the ground, calling out for assistance. But Parthe'nius, with his freedman, a gladiator, and two subaltern officers, now coming in, they ran furiously upon the emperor, and despatched him: Steph'anus, however, was slain by the guards, but the other conspirators escaped in the tumult. 25. It is rather incredible what some writers relate concerning Apollo'nius Tyane'us, who was then at Ephesus. This person, whom some call a magician, and some a philosopher, but who more probably was only an impostor, was, just at the minute in which Domi'tian was slain, lecturing in one of the public gardens of the city; but stopping short, on a sudden he cried out, "Courage, Steph' 1 The manner in which she obtained these tablets was as follows: a young child, with whom Domi'tian frequently amused himself, happening one day to enter his chamber while he was asleep, took the tablets from under his pillow; but being soon after met by the empress she desired to see them, and thus became acquainted with the fate destined for her and many others. anus, strike the tyrant!" then, after a pause, Rejoice, my friends, the tyrant dies this day;-this day do I say?the very moment in which I kept silence he suffered for his crimes! he dies!" 26. Many prodigies are said to have portended his death; and if the Roman historians are to be credited, more preternatural appearances and predictions announced this event, than its importance deserved. The truth seems to be, that a belief in omens and prodigies was again become prevalent, as the people were evidently relapsing into pristine barbarity, ignorance being ever the proper soil for a harvest of imposture1. Questions for Examination. 1. What advantages did Agricola gain in Britain? 2. How did Domitian receive the account of Agricola's success? 3. In what way did the emperor treat him? 4. To whom did Agricola surrender up his province ? 5. What nations afterwards made irruptions into the Roman provinces ? 6. By what means were the barbarians at length repelled? 7. What surname did Domitian assume? 8. To what extravagance did his pride lead him? 9. What trifling pretexts were made use of by Domitian to put to death some of the most illustrious Romans? 10. Who now assumed the ensigns of the imperial dignity? 11. By what general was Lucius Antonius defeated? 12. What new cruelties were resorted to by the emperor ? 13. By what hypocritical conduct was he distinguished? 14. To whom was he particularly terrible? 15, 16, 17. What terrific ceremonies did he invent on one occasion ? 18. Was the result fatal to them? 19. Did not his cruelties become still more insupportable at the latter part of his reign? 20. Who was among the number that he at the same time caressed and suspected? 21. Whose name did Domitia discover among his list of victims ? 22. To whom did she show the fatal list, and what was resolved on? 23. What means were used by Stephanus to assassinate the emperor? 24. Relate the particulars of the assassination. 25. What exclamation is Apollonius Tyaneus said to have made at Ephesus, at the time of Domitian's death? 26. Did not the Romans relapse into their ristine state of barbarity about this period? 1 In the reign of Domi'tian, a violent persecution raged against the Christians. During this persecution St. John was confined to the Isle of Patmos, in the Archipelago, where he wrote the Apocalypse, or Re velation. CHAPTER XXIII. SECT. I. THE FIVE GOOD EMPERORS OF ROME. These slaves, whom I have nurtur'd, pamper'd, fed, 1. Ob'sequies, s. rites, ceremonies. 12. Ignomin'ious, a. disgraceful. Co'horts, s. subdivisions of the legions, a body of soldiers. 17. Panegy'ric, s. praise. 20. Vas'sal, s. dependent. BYRON. 23. Ar'chitects, s. (pron. arkitects), builders. 1 2 1. WHEN it was publicly known that Domi'tian 1 was slain, the senate began to load his memory with every reproach. His statues were commanded to be taken down, and a decree was made, that all his inscriptions should be erased his name struck out of the registers of fame, and his funeral obsequies omitted. 2. The people, who now took but little part in the affairs of government, looked on his death with indifference; the soldiers alone, whom he had loaded with favours, and enriched by largesses, sincerely regretted their benefactor. 3. The senate, therefore, resolved to provide a successor before the army could have an opportunity of taking the appointment upon itself, and Cocce'ius Ner'va was chosen to the empire the same day on which the tyrant was slain. 4. He is said to have been of an illustrious family in Spain, and above sixty-five years old when he was called to the throne, an elevation which he owed solely to his virtues, moderation, respect to the laws, and the blameless tenor of his life. 1 Domi'tian was the last of those emperors commonly called the Twelve Cæsars. 2 Some ancient inscriptions, with the name of Domi'tian erased, remain to this day. 3 This is a mistake; his family was originally of Crete, now called Candia. |