G O T H 3. 
fu'bdiie'the undaunted fpirit of the Goths. A gene- 
'ral conflagration blazed out at the fame time in every 
diftridt of Greece.. Thebes and Argos, Corintli and 
Sparta, which had formerly waged fucli memorable 
wars againtf each other, were now unable to bring an 
.army into the field, or even to defend their ruined forti- 
ifications. The rage of war, both by land and by fen, 
/[‘.read from the eadern point of Sunium to the wefiern 
coalt of Epirus. The Goths had already advanced 
within fight of Italy, when the approach of Inch immi¬ 
nent danger awakened Gallienus from his unaccounta¬ 
ble lethargy. The emperor appeared in arms ; and his 
prefence feems to have checked the ardour, and to have 
divided the ftrength, of the enemy. Great numbers of 
•the Goths, difgulted with the perils and hardfiiips of a 
tedious voyage, broke into Maefia, witli a defign of forc¬ 
ing their way over the Danube to their fettlements in 
the Ukraine. The wild attempt would have proved 
inevitable deftrudtion, if the difcord of the Roman ge¬ 
nerals had not opened to the barbarians th.e means of an 
efcape. The fmall remainder of this deftroying hofi: re¬ 
turned on-board tlieir veflels ; and meafur.ing back their 
way through the Kellefpont and the Bofphorus, ravaged 
iirtheir palfage even the fliores of Troy. As foon as 
'they found themfelves in fafety within th.e bafon of the 
, Eiixine, they landed at Anchialtis in Thrace, near the 
dbot of Mount Hiemus: and, after all their toils, in- 
dtilged themfelves in the ufe of thofe falutary baths. 
What remained of tlie voyage was a fliort and eafy na¬ 
vigation. Such was the various fate of tliis third and 
.and greateft of their naval enterprifes. It may feem 
difficult to conceive, how' the original body of fifteen 
thoufand warriors could fuflain the lolfes and divifions 
of fo bold an adventure. But as their numbers were 
gradually wafled by the fword, by fhipwrecks, and by 
the influence of a warm climate, they were perpettially 
renewed by troops of banditti and deferters, who flocked 
to the flandard of plunder, and by a crov.'d of fugitive 
Haves, often of German or Sarmatian e.xtradtion, w'ho 
eagerly feized the opportunity of fieedom and revenge. 
In thefe expeditions, the Gothic nation claimed a fupe- 
rior fhare of honour and danger ; but the tribes that 
fotight and the Gothic banners are fometimes diffin- 
guLlhed and fometimes confounded in the imperfect hif- 
ories of that age ^ and as the barbarian fleets feeined to 
ifl’tie from the mouth of the Tanais, the vague but fami¬ 
liar appellation of Scythians was frequently bellowed on 
the mixed multitude. 
We mult not forget that the temple of Diana at 
Epheftis, that facred and exalted llrudlure, after having 
rilen w ith increafing fplendour from f'even repeated mif- 
fortunes, was finally burnt by the Goths in their third 
•naval invalion. And we are told that in the lack of 
Atiiens the Goths had colledted all the libraries, and 
were on the point ot letting fire to this funeral pile of 
Grecian learning, had not one of their chiefs, of more 
. refined policy than his brethren, dilRiaded them from 
>thedelign; by the grave obfervaiion, that as long as 
the Greeks were addicted to the Itudy of books, they 
would never apply themlelves to the exercile of arms. 
This fagacious cotinfellor reafoned like an ignorant bar¬ 
barian ; for in the moll polite and powerful nations, the 
age of know ledge and Icience has generally been the age 
.ef military virtue and renown. 
Perlifting Itill in their rooted animofity with the Ro¬ 
mans, the ferocious tribes of Germany and Sarmatia 
who fought under the Gothic Itandard, colledted an ar- 
mament in 269, more formidable than any which had 
yet ili'ued from the ftrong holds of the Euxine, or the 
iflaflds of the Baltic. On the banks of the Nieller they 
conltrutted a fleet of two ihouland, or even of fix 
thouiai d, velfels ; numbers which, however incredible 
they may feem, would have been infuflicient to tranf- 
port their army of three hundred and twenty thoufand 
men ; which, liowever, the Augullau hiltory, and Zo- 
■yoL. Vlli. No. 538, 
709 
naras, have held in difpute. But whatever might be 
the real ftrength of the Goths, the vigour and luccefs 
of the expedition were not. adequate to the greatnefs of 
the preparations. In their palfage tiirough the Bofi. 
phorus, the unlkilfal pilots were overpowered by the 
violence of the current; and while the multitude of 
their fltips were crowded in a narrow channel, many 
were dallied againfl: each other, or againft the fliore. 
The baiburi.ms made feveral defceiits on the coafis both 
of Europe and ^fia ; but the open country had been 
already plundered, and they were repulfcd with fhame 
and lofs from the fortified cities which they afiaulted. 
A fpirit of difeouragement and divlTion arofe in the 
fleet, and fome of their chiefs failed away towards the 
iflands of Crete and Cyprtis ; but the main body pur- 
fuing a more Heady courfe, anchored at length near the 
foot of mount Athos, and afiaulted the city of I'heflTa- 
Ibnica, the vi'calthy capital of the Macedonian pro¬ 
vinces. Their attacks, in which they difpl ;yed a fierce 
but artlefs bravery, were foon reprelfed by the iiafiy 
approach of Claudius, who reiiaircd to a feene of ac¬ 
tion that called for the jirefence of a warlike prince, at 
the head of the legions of tlie Roman empire. Impa¬ 
tient for battle, the Gotlis immediately broke up their 
camp, relinquilhed the liege of TheiTalonica, left their 
navy at tlie foot of mount Athos, travelled the hills of 
Macedonia, and prelfcd forwards to engage the anny of 
Italy. Meanwhile Claudius, confeious of his danger, 
but ftill deriving a well-grounded hope from the re- 
fources of his own mind, prepared to cut fhort the pro- 
grefs of thefe undifciplined barbarians. 
The event furpalfed his owm expectations and thofe 
of tlie world. By the molt fignal of victories he deli¬ 
vered the empire from this holt of invaders, and was on 
this account diftinguiflied by pollerity under tlie appel¬ 
lation of the Gotliic Claudius. The decifive battle 
was fought near Naiflus, a city of Dardaiiia. Tlie Ro¬ 
mans at firfl: gave way, opprelled by numbers, and dif- 
mayed by misfortunes. Their ruin was inevitable, had 
not the abilities of their emperor prepared a fealoiiable 
relief. A large detachment riling out of the fecret and 
diificult palfes of the mountains, wliich, by his order, 
they had occupied, fuddenly all'.iiled the rear of the 
Goths. The favourable inftant was improved by the 
ailivity of Claudius. He revived th.e drooping courage 
01 his troops, rellored their ranks, and prelfed the bar. 
barians on every lide. Fifty thouiand men are reported 
to have been ilain in the battle of Naifl'us. Several 
large bodies of tlie Gotlis, covering their retreat with a 
moveable fortification of waggons, Retired, or rather 
efcaped, from the field of llaughter. The waiTiad been 
difiufed over the provinces of Mtefia, Thrace, and Ma¬ 
cedonia, and its operations drawn ocit into a variety of 
marches, furprifes, and tumultuary engagements, as 
well by fea as by land. Tlie immenle booty which had 
been collected by the Goths, confifted for the .greater 
part of cattle and flaves. A I’eleCt body ol the Gothic 
youth v/as on tliis occafion incorporated among the im¬ 
perial troops; the remainder was fold into fervitude ; 
and fo confiderable was the number ot female captives, 
that every toldier obtained to liis fliare two or tliree 
women. A circumftance from which it has been con¬ 
cluded, tltat the invaders entertained fome defigns of a 
fettlemeiit as well as of plunder lince even in a naval 
expedition they were accompanied by their families. 
The lofs of their fleet, which had been either taken or 
funk, prevented the retreat of the Goths ; and a vaft 
circle of Roman polls, dillributed with flcill, and gra¬ 
dually clofiiig towards a common centre, forced the bar- 
barians into the niofl inaccelTible parts of mount Heenuis, 
where they took refuge, but on a very foaiity fublifl- 
ence. During the courfe of a rigorous winter, in which 
they were belieged by the emperor’s troops, famine and 
peftilence, del'erticn and the fword, continually dimi- 
nidied the fugitive multitude. On the return of fpring, 
8 S nothing 
