188 ACCUMULATED TREASURE CHAP. VIII. 



of the troops of Obodas, king of the Nabathaean 

 Arabs. The latter were commanded by Syllseus, 

 the chief minister of that king, who undertook 

 to act as guide to the expedition. Either from 

 treachery or from ignorance, he led the whole 

 a march of six months to the south, where, 

 under a scorching sun and amidst oceans of 

 shifting sands, almost the whole body perished 

 miserably from hunger, thirst, and disease. 



The provinces of Asia added their tribute to 

 the wealth of the capital of Augustus. The 

 territories of Asia Minor, Armenia, Syria, and 

 Judea, with a part of Mesopotamia and Media, 

 were at that time rich and populous ; their soil 

 was fertile, the climate genial, and their pros- 

 perity had increased by the tranquillity they 

 had recently enjoyed. Their supplies, therefore, 

 could augment the general tribute of the em- 

 pire, of which they formed a part, without 

 greatly oppressing or degrading the inhabitants. 

 When the description given of Asia by Gibbon 

 is contemplated, we cease to wonder at the re- 

 moval of the seat of empire to Byzantium by 

 Constantine, as it was natural to found it in the 

 vicinity of those parts of the dominions which 

 could most easily administer to the demands of 

 the treasury. 



" The provinces of the east," says Gibbon, 

 " present the contrast of Roman magnificence 

 with Turkish barbarism. The ruins of antiquity 



