*G G T e s 
712 
their children ftiould be taken from them., and difperfed 
through the provinces of A/ia, ■■v;.Jiere they might be 
civilized by the arts of education, and ferve as lioftages 
to fecure tlte fidelity of their parents. 
A probable teftimony has fixed the niunber of thefe 
.difcomfited Gothic warnors at two liundred thoiifand 
meuj and if we may venture to add tiie juft proportion 
of women, of cltiidren, and of flaves, the whole mafs 
of people which compofed this formidable emigration, 
muft Itave amounted to near a million of perfonsof both 
.f'exes, and of all ages. The children of the Gotlis, 
tliofe at leaft of a diftinguiftied rank, were feparated 
Xrom the multitude. They were condufted, without 
delay, to the diliant feats afiigned for their_refidence and 
education ; and as the numerous train of hoftagcs or 
captives pafted through the cities, their fplendid appa¬ 
rel, and their robuft and martial figure, excited the I'ur- 
prife and curiofity of tlie provincials. But the ftipula- 
tion, the moft offenfive to the Gotlis, and tlie moft im- 
.piortant^to the Romans, was eluded. The barbarians, 
vvho coniidered their anus as tlie enfigns of honour, 
and the pledges of fafety, were difpofed to offer a price, 
W’hidi the avarice of the imperial officers was eafily 
tempted to accept. "I'lius the Goths, witli arms in tlicir 
hands, were permitted to enter the boats; and when 
their ftrength was colledted on the other fide of the ri¬ 
ver, the immenfe camp which w'as fpread over tlie 
plains and liills.of the Loever Maefia, afi'umed a tlireat- 
ening and even hoftile afpeiSf. The leaders of the Of- 
trogoths, Alatheus and Saphrax, the guardians of tlieir 
infant king, appeared foon afterwards on the northern 
banks ot the Danube ; and immediately difpatched 
tl'.eir ambafTadors to Valens, to folicit, with the fame 
profefiions of allegiance and gratitude, the fame favour 
W'liicli had been granted to the luppliant Vifigoths. 
But the abfolute refufal of Valens fiifpended their pro. 
grefs, and difeovered tlie fufpicions and thefearsof the 
imperial council. At this important crifis, the military 
government of Thrace was exercifed by Lupiciiuis and 
Maximus, in whofe venal minds the flighteft hope of 
private emolument outweighed every confideration o'f 
public advantage ; and whofe guilt was only alleviated 
by their incapacity of difeerning the pernicious eft'edfs 
of their criminal adminiftration. Inftead of obeying 
the orders of tlieir fovereign, and fatisfying the natural 
wants of the Gotiis, they levied an opprefiive tax upon 
them. The vilelt food was fold at an extravagant 
price ; and, in the room of wliolefome provifions,, the 
Tiifirkets were filled with the flefti of dogs, and of un¬ 
clean animals, who had died of difeafe. To obtain the 
acquifition of a pound of bread, the Goths refigned the 
pofreftion of a ferviceable ftave,; and a fmall quantity 
■of meat was greedily purchafed with ten pounds of 
precious metal. A Ipirit of difeontent infenlibly arofe 
in tlie camp of the barbarians, who pleaded the merit 
of their dutiful beliaviour ,; and loudly complained of 
-the inhofpitable treatment which they received from 
tlieir new allies. Tlie clamours of the multitude an¬ 
nounced the Srft fymptoms of reliftance, and alarmed 
the guilty minds of Lupicinus and Maximus. Thefe 
-crafty minilters, who fubftituted the cunning of tenipo- 
rary expedients to the faliitary counfels of general po¬ 
licy, attempted to remove the Goths from their dan¬ 
gerous ftation on the frontiers of the empire ; and to 
difperfe them in feparate quarters of cantonment, 
through the interior provinces. As they were con. 
feious how ill they had deferved the refpeft of the bar¬ 
barians, they diligently collected a military force, while 
they imprudently difarmed the ftiips and the fortifica¬ 
tions which conftituted the defence of the Danube. 
Tlie fatal overfight was obferved and improved by 
Alatheus and Saphrax, who anxioufiy watched the fa¬ 
vourable moment of efcaping from the purfuit of the 
Jfluns.- By the help of fiich rafts and veflels as could 
bp haftily procured, the leaders of the Oftrogoths tranf. 
ported, without oppofition, their king and their army I; 
and boldly fixed their hoftile camp on the territories of 
■the empire. 
Under the name of judges, Alavivus and Frifigern 
were ftill tlie leaders of the Vifigoths; and the,autho¬ 
rity which they derived from their birth, was ratified 
by the will of the nation, In a feaf^n of tranquillity, 
their power niiglit be equal, as well as tlieir rank ; but, 
as foon as tlieir countrymen were exafperated by hun¬ 
ger and oppreftion, tlie fuperior abilities of Fritigern 
atnimed the military command, which he was well qua¬ 
lified to exercife for the public welfare.. Senfible of 
tlie benefits whicii would refult from an union of all 
tlie Gothic powers under the fame ftandard, he fecretly 
cultivated the friendftiip of the Oftrogoths; and wliile 
he profefTed an implicit obedience to the orders of the 
Roman generals, he proceeded by flow marches towards 
Marcianopolis, the capital of the Lower Mtefta, about 
feventy miles from the banks of the Danube. On tliat 
fatal fpot, the flames of difeord luddeiily burft forth 
into a dreadful conflagration. Lupicinus had invited 
the Gothic chiefs to a fplendid entertaininent; and tlieir 
martial train remaitied under arms at the entrance of 
the p.ilace. But the gates of tlie city were ftriftly 
guarded ; and the barbarians were fternly excluded 
from the ufe of a plentiful market, to which tliey af. 
lerted their equal claim, as fuhjedls and allies . Tlieir 
lolicitations were rejedled with derifion ; and as their 
patience became exhaufted, the towiifmen, tlie foldiers, 
and the Goths, were foon involved in a conflidl of paf- 
fionate altercation and angry reproaches. A blow was 
involuntarily given ; a fword was haftily drawn ; and' 
the firft blood that was fpilt in tliis accidental quarrel, 
became tlie lignal of a long and deftruftive war. la 
the midft of noife and intemperance, Lupicinus was in¬ 
formed tliat many of his foldiers were flain, and de- 
fpoiled of their arms ; and as lie was higlily inflamed 
by wine, lie iffued a rafti command, that their death 
ftiould be revenged by the inafiTacre of the guards of 
Fritigern and Alavivus. The clamorous ftiouts and 
dying groans apprifed Fritigern of his extreme danger: 
and, as he polfefted the calm and intrepid fpirit of a 
hero, lie law that he was loft if he allowed a moment of 
deliberation to tlie man who had fo deeply injured him. 
“A trifling difpute, (faid the Gothic leader, with a 
firm tone,) appears to have arifen between the two na¬ 
tions ; but it may be produftive of the moft dangerous 
confequences, unlefs the tumult is immediately pacified 
by the alTurance of our fafety, and the aiitiiority of our 
prefence.” At thefe words, Fritigern and his compa¬ 
nions drew their fwords, opened tlieir palfage through 
the crowd which filled the ftreets of Marcianopolis, 
and, mounting their liorfes, haftily vaniftied from the 
eyes of the aftoniflied Romans.- The generals of the 
Goths were fainted by the joyful acclamations of tlieir 
•camp : war was inftantly refolved on, and the refolution 
was executed witliout delay ; the banners of the Gotliic 
nation were difplayed according to the cuftoni of their 
anceftors; and tlie air refounded with the harfii mufic 
of the barbarian trumpet. The weak and guilty Lupi¬ 
cinus, who ftill defpifed thefe formidable people, 
marched again!! the Goths, at the head of fucii a mili¬ 
tary force as could be colledled on this fuddeii emer¬ 
gency. The barbarians expebled liis approach about 
nine miles from Marcianopolis ; and on this occafion 
the valour of the Goths was fo ably directed by the 
genius of Fritigern, that they broke, by a clofe and vi¬ 
gorous attack, the ranks of the Roman legions. Lupi¬ 
cinus left his arms and ftandards, iiis tribunes and his 
braveft foldiers, on the field of battle; and faved him- 
felf by an ignominious flight. That memorable day 
put an end to tlie diftrefs of the barbarians ; from that 
day they renounced the precarious condition of ftrangers 
and exiles, affiimed the charatter of citizens and mal- 
ters, claimed an abfolute dominion over the polTeirors 
