470 GERMAN Y. 
the Catti on tlie Rhine. On this occafion alfo he made 
a canal, called after Iris name, Fojj’a Drufiana, to convey 
the waters of the Rhine into the Sala or Sale. It extend¬ 
ed eight miles; ami tvas very convenient for conveying 
the Roman troops by w. ter to the countries of the Frifii 
and Chauci, which was the object of the undertaking. 
After the death of Drufus, Tiberius over-ran all thofe 
countries wliich Drufus had conquered the preceding 
fummer; and carried on, in a languid manner, a preda¬ 
tory war for upwards of eighteen years. During this 
period, fome of the German nations had quitted their 
forclts, and begun to live in a civilized manner under 
tlie protection of the Roman laws ; but Quintilius Varus 
being now font to command the Roman forces, he fo 
provoked tire inliabitants by his extortions, that not 
only thofe who dill held out refufed to fubmit, but 
even the nations that had fubmitted were feized with an 
anxious defire of tlirowing o!f the yoke. Among them 
was a young German named Arminius. He was the fon 
of Sigimer, o:ie of the mod powerful lords among tire 
Catti, iiad ferved with repiitation in the Reman armies, 
and been honoured by Augultus with the privileges of 
a Roman citizen; but the love of his country prevail¬ 
ing over Ids gratitude, he refolved to improve tlie gene¬ 
ral difeontent, to deliver his country from tlie bondage 
of a foreign dominion. In order to put Varus off his 
guard, he advifed him to lliow Idmfeif amicably to the 
inhabitants of die didant provinces, wliicli, lie faid, 
■would more effectually fubdue them than the perils of 
the Roman b-. ord. As Varus was a man of a peaceable 
temper, he readily confented to this propofal; and, leav¬ 
ing the iieighboiu hood of the Rhine, marched into the 
couirtry of the Clicrufci. Upon which Arminius and 
the Germans rofe up in arms, and prepared to drive the 
invaders from the utmoil boundaries of their country. 
On the fil'd neivs of this revolt. Varus turned againd 
the enemy with three legions and fix cohorts; hut being 
attacked by the Germans as he defiled ihrougii a wood, 
his army was totally cut olf, while he liimfelf and mod 
of his officers fell by their own hands. 
About the year 15 of the Chridian era, Germanicus 
the fon o;' Drufus, lo named on account of his exploits 
in Germany, entered that country -with a powerful army, 
and commenced an arduous and bloody war with Armi- 
iiius. Having built with, great difpatcii, during the win¬ 
ter, one thoufand veffeis of different I’orts, he ordered 
them, early in the Ipriiig of the year 16, to fall down the 
Rliiiie, and appointed the ifiaiid of the Batavians for the 
general rendezvous of his forces. Here the fleet arrived, 
and the provifions and warlike engines were put on-board, 
and the vvhole army being embarked, the fleet entered 
the canal formerly cut by Drufus. Hence he failed to 
tlie mouth of the Ems; vvh.ere, having landed his troops, 
he marched dire6f-iy to the Wefer, where he found Ar¬ 
minius encamped on the oppofite bank, ready to difpute 
Ids paffage. The next day Arnnnius drew out his troops 
in order of battle : but Germanicus, not thinking it ad- 
vifable to attack them, ordered the Itorfe to ford over 
under the command of Stcrtiniiis and Emilias ; who, to 
illvide tlie enemy’s forces, crolfed the river in two dif¬ 
ferent places. At the fame time Cariovalda, the leader 
of the Batavian auxiliaries, croffed tne river where it 
was tnofi: rapid : but, being drawn into an ambufeade, 
he was killed, together wiiii mofi: of the Batavian nobi¬ 
lity ; and the reft wo'uld liave been totally’cut off, had 
not Stertinius and Emilius haftened to their affiftance. 
Germanicus in the mean time paifed his main army over 
the river without moleftation. A battle enfued, in whidi 
the Germans were defeated with fo great a fiaughter, 
that the ground was covered with arms and dead bodies 
for more than ten miles round. In memory of this fig- 
nai vi'ifory Gernianicus raifed a mount, upon which he 
placed as trophies the arms of the enemy, and inferibed 
imderucath the names of the conquered nations. Alter 
H 
this vidtory he returned to Rome, was hono'ured with a 
triumph, and took the furname of Germanicus Ctefar. 
From this time partial invafions, and predatory wars; 
were frequently carried on, in wliich the Germans loft 
an incredible number of their troops, and the Romans 
gained nothing but hard blows, and v-ery little glory. 
At length the gallant Probus, purfiiing his Gaulic vic¬ 
tories, pafl'ed the Rhine into Germany, A. D. 277, and 
difplayed his invincible eagles on the banks of tlie Elbe 
and the Necker. He was fully convinced, that nothing 
could reconcile the minds of the'Germans to peace, un- 
lefs they experienced in their own country the calami¬ 
ties of war. Germany, liaving been exhaufted by re¬ 
peated emigration, was as much unprepared for his at¬ 
tack, as aftoniflied by liis prefence. Nine of the moft 
confiderable princes repaired to his camp, and fell pro- 
ftrate at his feet ; and fuch a treaty was gladly received 
by the Germans, as it pleafed the conqueror to diclate. 
He exadled a ftnet reftitiition of the effedfs and captives 
which in tlieir predatory wars they had carried away 
from the provinces; and obliged their own magiftrates 
to piuiifli the more oblliiiate foldiers, who prefumed to 
detain any part of the fpoil. A confiderable tribute of 
corn, cattle, and horles, was at tlie fame time referved 
for the ul'e of the garrifoiis wliich Probus eftablifhed on 
the limits of their territory. He even entertained fome 
tlioiights of cotupelliiig the Genii'ans to relinquifii the 
exercife of arms, and to truft entirely to the juftice and 
power of Rome. To accomplilh tliefe ends, the con- 
ftant refidcnce of an imperial governor, fupported by a 
numerous army, would have been requifite. Probus 
therefore judged it more expedient to defer the execu¬ 
tion of fo great a defign ; which was indeed rather of 
fpecious than folid utility. Inftead, therefore, of re¬ 
ducing the warlike natives of Germany to the condition 
of fulijeCts, Probus contented liimfelf with the humble 
expedient of raifing a bulwark agaiiift their inroads. 
The country, which afterwards formed the circle of 
Swabia, had been left defect in the age of Auguftus, by 
tlie emigration of its ancient inhabitants. The fertility 
of the I'oil foon attrafted a new colony from the adja¬ 
cent provinces of Gaul. Crowds of adventurers, of a 
roving temper and of defperate fortunes, occupied the 
doubtful poffelfion, and acknowledged, by the payment 
of tythes, the majefty of the Roman empire. To protecl 
tliefe new fubjedis, a line of frontier garriibns was gra- , 
dually extended from the Rhine to the Danube. About 
the reign of Adrian, when that mode of defence began 
to be pradtifed, tliefe garrifons were connedled and co¬ 
vered by a ftrong intrencliment of trees and palifades. 
In the place of fo rude a bulwark, the emperor Probus 
confiruCted a ftonC-wall of a confiderable height, and 
ftrengthened it by towers at convenient diltances. From 
the iieiglibourhood of Newftadt and Ratifbon on the Da- 
iiiibe, it ftretched acrofs hills, valleys, rivers, and mo- 
raffes, as far as Winipfen on the Necker, and at length 
terminated on the banks of tlie Rhine, after a winding 
courfe of near two luuidred miles. This important bar¬ 
rier, uniting the two grand ftreams that protected the 
provinces ot Europe, leemed to fill up the vacant fpace 
through which the barbarians, and particularly the Ale- 
manni, could penetrate with the greateft facility into the 
heart of the empire. But the experience of the world, 
from China to Britain, has expofed the vain attempt of 
fortifying any extenfive tradf of country. An adtive 
enemy, who can lelcdt and vary his points of attack, 
miift, in the end, difeover fome feeble fpot, or fome 
unguarded moment. The ftrength, as well as the at¬ 
tention, of the defenders is divided ; and fuch are the 
blind eifeets of terror on the firmeft troops, that a line 
once broken in a fingle place, is almoft iiiftaiitly defected. 
The fate of .the wall whicli Probus ere£ted, may con¬ 
firm the general obfervation. Within a few years after 
his death, it was overthrown by the Alemanni. Its 
fcattered 
