A U R 



noment's deliberation, he turned his face towards Syria, 

 and foon arrived to extciitc vengeance on the revolted city, 

 which for three days was delivered to the unrellrained rage 

 and rapiiie of the foldiers. Women, children, and fervants, 

 were involved in this dreadful execution, which ought to 

 have been confined to armed rebellion ; and although the 



A U R 



with a generous clemency-, which was feldom exercifed by 

 the ancient conquerors. Princes who, without fuccefs, 

 had defended their throne or freedom, were frequently 

 ftrangled in prifon, as foon as the triumphal pomp 

 afcended the Capitol. Thefe ufurpers, whom their defeat 

 had convifted of the crime of treafon, were permitted to 



emoeror's principal concern feems to have been directed to fpcnd their lives in affluence and honourable rcpofe. The 

 , ' „ f,.^ '^ r . , r ■ ,- 1 TT 1 '_ _ r„..j ry t,:. ..'^i, .! ,1. ..;n.. „. t:u,.- 



the re-ellabli(hment of a temple of the Sun, he difcovered 

 feme pity for the remnant of the Palmyrcnians, to whom 

 he granted the permiffion of rebuilding and inhabiting their 

 city. See Palmyra. 



Aurelian, having thus completely reduced Palmyra, and 

 having alfo fuppi-elfcd a rebellion in Egypt, excited by 

 Firmus, a wealthy merchant, and a friend and ally of 

 Odenathus and Zenobia, who had taken pofTcffion of Alex- 

 andria, and affumed the purple, and whom he firll tor- 

 tured and then put to death ; returned to Rome ; congratu- 

 lating the fenate, himfelf, and the people, that in little 

 lefs tlian three years he had reftored univerfal peace and order 

 to the Roman world. 



Since the foundation of Rome, no general had more nobly 

 deferved a triumph than Aurelian ; nor was any triumph ever 

 celebrated with fuperior pride and magnificence. It is thusde- 

 fcribed by Gibbon : " The pomp was opened by twenty ele- 

 phants, four royal tigers, and above two hundred of the moll 

 curious animals from every climate of the North, the Eaft,and 

 the South. They were followed by i6oo gladiators, devoted 

 to the cruel amufement of the amphitheatre. The wealth of 

 Afia, the arms and enfigns of fo many conquered nations, and 

 the magnificent plate and wardrobe of the Syrian queen, 

 were dilpofed in exaft fymmetry or artful diforder. The am- 



cmperor prefentcd Zenobia with an elegant villa at Tibur, 

 or Tivoli, about twenty miles fi'om th.^ capital : the Syrian 

 queen infenfibly funk into a Roman matron, her daughters 

 married into noble families, and her race was not yet extinft 

 in the fifth centui7. Tetricus and his fons were re-inilated 

 in their rank and fortunes. They erected on the Cselian hill a 

 magnificent palace, and as foon as it was finilhed, invited 

 Aurelian to fuppcr. On his entrance, he was agreeably 

 furprifed with a pifture which reprefcnted their fingular 

 hiftory. They were delineated offering to the emperor a 

 civic crown and the fceptre of Gaul, and again receiving at 

 his hands the ornaments of the fenatoriij dignity. The 

 father was afterwards invefted with the government of Lu- 

 cania ; and Aurelian, who foon admitted the abdicated 

 monarch to his friendfhip and converfation, familiarly allied 

 him, Whether it were not more delirable to adminifter a pro- 

 vince of Italy, than to reign beyond the Alps ? The fon long 

 continued a refpeftable member of the fenate ; nor was there 

 any one of the Roman nobility more efteemed by Aure- 

 lian, as well as by his fucceflbrs. 



" The feftival was protrafted by theatrical reprefentations, 

 the games of the circus, the hunting of wild hearts, com- 

 bats of gladiators, and naval engagements. Liberal dona- 

 tives were diilributed to the army and people ; and feveral 



bafladors of the mod remote parts of the earth, of JEthio- inftitutions, agreeable or beneficial to the city, contributed 

 ' ' ~ " _ - - - -. . „. . .. ^^ perpetuate the glory of Aurelian. A confiderable por- 



tion of his oriental fpoils was confecrated to the gods of Rome; 

 the Capitol, and every other temple, glittered with the 

 offerings of his oftentatious piety ; and the temple of the 



ticularly a great number of crowns of gold, the offerings of fun alone received above 15,000 pounds of gold." 



pia, Arabia, Perfia, Baftriana, India, and China, all re- 

 markable by their rich or fingular dreffes, difplayed the 

 fame and power of the Roman emperor, who expofed like- 

 wife to the public view the prefents he had received, and par- 



grateful cities. The viftories of Aurelian were attefted by the 

 long train of captives who reluftantly attended his triumph; 

 Goths, Vandals, Sarmatians, Alemanni, Franks, Gauls, 

 Syrians, and Egyptians. Each people was diftinguiflied by 

 its pccuhar infcription ; and the title of Amazons was be- 

 ftovved on ten martial heroines of the Gothic nation, who 

 had been taken in arms. But every eye, difregarding the 

 crowd of captives, was fixed on the emperor Tetricus, and 

 the 'queen of the Eaft. The former, as well as his fon, 

 whom he had created Auguftus, was dreffed in Gallic 

 trowfers, a faffion tunic, and a robe of purple. The beau- 

 teous figure of Zenobia was confined by fetters of gold ; 

 a flave iupported the gold chain which encircled her neck. 



The arms of Aurelian vanquiflied the foreign and domef- 

 tic foes of the republic ; and we are affured, that by his 

 falutary rigour, crimes and faftions, mifchievous arts and 

 pernicious connivance, the luxuriant growth of a feeble and 

 oppreffive government, were eradicated through the Roman 

 world. Neverthelefs, a few fhort intervals of peace were 

 infuflicient for the arduous work of reformation ; and even 

 his attempt to reilore the integrity of the coin was oppofed 

 by a formidable infurredlion, which originated with the 

 workmen of the mint, and terminated by a bloody battle, 

 in which the emperor loft 7000 of his troops. Of this in- 

 furreftion, the real caufe was difguifed, and the reformation 

 of the coin furniihed merely a feigned pretence to a party 



and ihe almoll fainted under the intolerable weight of already powerful and difcontented. The emperor, who was 



jewels. She preceded on foot the magnificent chi.viot, in 

 which fhe once hoped to enter the gates of Rome. It 

 was followed by two other chariots, Tcill more fumptuous, 

 of Odenatlius, and of the Perfian monarch. The triumphal 

 car of Aurelian (it had formerly been ufed by a Gothic 

 king) was drawn, on this memorable occafion, either by 

 four flags or by four elephants. The moft. iUuftrious of the 

 fenate, the people, and the army, clofed the folemn pro- 

 ceffion. Unfeigned joy, wonder, and gratitude, fwelled 

 the acclamations of the multitude ; but the fatisfaftion of 

 the fenate was clouded by the appearance of Tetricus ; 

 nor could they fupprefs a rifing murmur, that the haughty 



himfelf a plebeian, and who always exprcifed a peculiar 

 fondnefs for this order, had excited the jealoufy and in- 

 curred the hatred and oppofition of the fenate, the equef- 

 trian order, and the Prastorian guards ; and it was a con- 

 fpiracy of thefe feveral orders that procured a ftrength 

 capable of contending in battle with the veteran legions of 

 the Danube. The rebellion, however, was fupprellcd, and 

 Aurelian ufed his viftory with unrelenting rigour. The 

 nobleft families of the capital were involved in the guilt 

 or fufpicion of this dark conlpiracy ; and it was punilhed 

 with a fpirit of revenge that produced the moll langulnary 

 effeifls. The executioners, fays Calphurnius a contera- 



emperor fliould thus expofe to pubhc ignominy theperfonof porary poet, were fatigued; the prifons were crowded; and 

 a Roman and a magiftrate. the unhappy fenate lamented the death or abfeuce of its 



" But, however, in the treatment of his unfortunate rivals, moll illuilrious members. 

 Aurelian might indulge his pride, he behaved towards them Some of the concluding months of Aurelian's reign were 



occupied 



