HOME. 



The prefidents were cioathed with a much greater power 

 ihan that poflefled by the proconfuls. They were military 

 officers, and had the power of life and death over the 

 army. It was to one of thefe officers that the provinces of 

 the empire were fubjected in each of the great prefectures : 

 thus, 



The prefecture of the Gauls, comprehending twenty-nine 

 provinces, was divided into three vicariats, viz. Hiipauia, 

 Gallia, and Britanny. 



I. The vicariat ot Hifpania included feven provinces, of 

 which three were under conluls, and four under prefidents. 



II. The vicariat of the Gaul; included feventeen pro- 

 vinces ; fix under conluls, and eleven under prefidents. 



III. The vicariat of Britanny compriied tive provinces ; 

 two under confuls, and three under prefidents. 



The prefecture of Italy included likewile twenty-nine 

 provinces, divided into the proconfulfhip of Africa, and 

 the vicariats of Rome, Italy, Africa, and Illyria. The 

 vicariat of Rome was under confuls, correctors, and 

 prefidents ; that of Italy was under confuls and prefidents ; 

 that of AFRICA was under confuls and prefidents ; and 

 that of ILLYRIA under one conful, one corrector, and tour 

 prefidents. 



The prefecture of Illyria included eleven provinces ; one 

 under the proconlul of Achaia ; the vicariat of Macedonia 

 comprehended live provinces, two under conluls, and 

 three under prefidents ; the vicariat of Dacia was under 

 one conful, and four prefidents. 



The prefecture of the Ealt included forty-eight pro- 

 vinces ; via. three under the proconlul of Alia; fifteen 

 under the count of the Eaft, a companion to the emperor ; 

 fix under the prefect of Egypt ; feven under the vicariat of 

 Afia ; eleven under the vicariat of Poutus ; and fix under 

 the vicariat of Thrace. 



We are now arrived to that itate of the Roman empire 

 in which it was governed by Chrillian emperors, and which 

 may be divided into three diitinct periods. The Jir/l will 

 contain the whole time that the Roman world was governed 

 by one emperor only. The Jeeond commences with the di- 

 vision of the empire, after the death of Theodofms the Great, 

 and goes dqwn to the extinction of the Wcllcrn empire 

 under Auguftulus. The third reaches from the tall ot the 

 Weftern empire to the capture of Contlantiuople, and the 

 deflru&ion of the whole empire. 



Of the Chrijiian Roman Emperors before the Divifon of the 

 Empire. — The adminiftration of Conftantine was, in the early 

 part of his reign, mild, equitable, and politic. Though 

 Ilrongly attached to the Chriflian faith, he made no great 

 innovations on the religion of the Hate. He introdu i 

 order and economy into the civil government, and reprelled 

 every lpecie\ of opprefiion and corruption. But his natural 

 temper was fevcre and cruel, and the latter part of his reign 

 was deformed by rancour and a mod fanguinary rigour. 

 From this unfavourable change of character he loll the 

 alicctions of his fubjects ; and from a feeling, probably of 

 reciprocal difgull, he removed the featoi the Roman empire 

 to Byzantium, where a new city was raifed ; from In:, name 

 it was called Constantinople; fee the article. The 

 court followed the fovereign : the opulent proprietors were 



attended by their flaves and retainers. Rome was in a few 

 years depopulated, and the new capital fwelled almoll at 

 once to an enormous magnitude. In an expeditii 

 the Peruana, Conftantine died at Nicomedia, in the 30th 

 year of his reign, A.I). 337. During this reign the Goths 

 had made feveral irruptions on the empire, and though 

 repulicd and weakened, they began gradually to encroach 

 on the provinces. 



Before we proceed with the monarch*, we may juft notice 

 fome particulars relating to the ftate of the Roman empire 

 at this period ; for which we fhall be chiefly indebted to 

 Mr. Tytler's Elements, already quoted and referred to. 



Initead of the ancient republican dillinctions, which were 

 founded chiefly on perfonal merit, a rigid fubordination of 

 rank and office now went through all the orders of the Hate. 

 The magiltrates were divided into three clafles, diltinguifhed 

 by the unmeaning titles of, I, the Illuffrious ; 2, the Re- 

 fpectable ; and 3, the Clarillimi. The epithet of Illujlrious 

 was conferred on, 1, the conluls and patricians ; 2, the prx- 

 torian prefects of Rome and Contlantiuople ; 3, the maf- 

 ters general of the cavalry and infantry; and 4, the feven 

 mini Iters of the palace. 



The confuls were created by the fole authority of the 

 emperor ; their dignity was inefficient, and their names ferved 

 only to give the legal date of the year. The dignity of 

 patrician was not hereditary, but was beltowed as a title of 

 honour by the emperor on his favourites. The prsetorian 

 prefects were the civil governors of the four departments of 

 the empire. Thefe were the Eaft, Illyria, Italy, and the 

 Gauls : to them was committed the fupreme adminiftration 

 of jullice, and of the finances. 



The Refpeclalles were the proconfuls of Afia, Achaia, and 

 Africa ; and the military comites and duces, generals of the 

 imperial armies. The Clariffimi included the inferior go- 

 vernors and magiltrates of the provinces, refponlible to the 

 prefects and their deputies. 



The iutercourfe between the court and the provinces was 

 maintained by the conftruttion of roads, and the inftitutiou 

 of regular polts or couriers ; under which denomination were 

 ranked the numbcrlefs fpies of government, whole duty was 

 to convey all kinds of intelligence to the feat ot empire. 

 Taxes were levied by the fole authority of the emperor, and 

 fublidies were exacted from all the cities, under the name of 

 free gifts, on various occafions of public concern, as the 

 acceffion of an emperor, the birth of a prince, &c. 



An impolitic diltinftion was made between the troops 

 ilationcd in diftant provinces, and thofe in the heart of the 

 empire. The latter, denominated Palatines, enjoyed a higher 

 pay, and more particular favour, and having lefs employ- 

 ment, fpent their time in idlenels and luxury ; while the 

 former, called Borderers, who, in truth, had tiie care of the 

 empire, and were expofed to perpetual hard fervice, had, 

 with an inferior reward, the mortification of feeling theis- 

 felver. regarded as of a meaner rank than their fellow-foldier?. 

 Conftantine alfo debated the body of the army by the inter- 

 mixture of Scythians, Goths, and Germans. This mafs ot 

 heterogeneous parts, which internally laboured with the feed', 

 of diflolution and corruption, was kept together for fome 

 time by the vigorous exercile of delpotic authority. 



Conftantine had divided the empire among five princes, 

 three of them his fons, and two nephews ; but Conftantiue, 



the youngeft of the Ion,, finally freed himlclf from all 

 competitors, and ruled the empire alone. During his reign, 

 the Franks, Saxons, Alemanni, and Sarmatians, laid wafte 

 all the line countries on the banks of the Rhine, and tin 

 Peruana made the moll deftruftive incurfions 0:1 the , 

 vincea of the Ealt. Conftantiua walled his time in theolo 

 cal controveriies ; but before his death, he appointed 



coulin Julian to the dignity of C.elar. lb' dud A.D. 

 361. 



Julian poflefled many heroic qualities, and his mind was 

 formed by nature for tin I ty oi a great people; but 



having been educated under the plulolophcrs at Athens, in- 

 had unfortunately conceived a rooted antipathy to the doc- 

 trines of Chrillianity. The reformation ot civil »b 



I formed 



