TtfE Empire. 
R O 
Commanding the golden statue of fortune, which was 
always in the chamber of the emperors, to be removed 
to that of his successor, he expired, in the seventy-fifth 
year of his age, after a prosperous reign of twenty-two 
years and almost eight months, during which he had rather 
studied to defend the Roman empire than to enlarge its 
boundaries, to render his people happy than to make them 
feared. 
The loss of such an emperor may naturally be supposed to 
have excited universal sorrow. His adopted son, Marcus Au¬ 
relius, pronounced his funeral eulogy ; and, though left sole 
successor to the throne, admitted Lucius Verus as his 
associate and equal. Thus Rome, for the first time, saw 
itself governed by two sovereigns, of equal power, but of very 
different merit and pretensions. Aurelius was the son of 
Annius Verus, of an ancient and illustrious family, which 
claimed its origin from Numa. Lucius Verus was the son 
of Commodus, who had been adopted by Adrian, but died 
before he succeeded to the throne. Aurelius was as remark¬ 
able for his virtues and accomplishments, as his partner in 
the empire was for his ungovernable passions and debauched 
morals. The one was an example of the greatest wisdom; 
the other, of ignorance, indolence, and dissipation. 
Scarcely were the two emperors settled on the throne, 
when the empire was attacked on every side by the barbari¬ 
ans. The Catti invaded Germany and Rhaetia, ravaging all 
with fire and sword; but were, after some time, repelled by 
Victorinus. 
The Britons likewise revolted, but were repressed by 
Califurnius: but the Parthians, under their king Vologesus, 
made an irruption more dreadful than either of the former; 
destroying the Roman legions in Armenia; then entering 
Syria, and driving out the Roman governor. In order to 
stop the progress of this barbarous invasion, Verus, in person, 
took the command of the army. 
Upon his entering Antioch, he resolved to give an in¬ 
dulgence to every appetite, without attending to the fatigues 
of war. There, in one of its beautiful suburbs, called Daphne, 
he rioted in excesses unknown even to the voluptuous Greeks; 
leaving all the glory of the field to his lieutenants, who were 
sent to repress the enemy. These, however, fought with 
great success: Statius Priscus took Artazata; Martius put 
Vologesus to flight, took Seleucia, plundered and burnt 
Babylon and Ctesiphon, and demolished the magnificent 
palace of the kings of Parthia. In a course of four years, 
during .which the war continued, the Romans penetrated far 
into the Parthian country, and entirely subdued it; but upon 
their return, their army was dreadfully reduced by pestilence 
and famine. Verus, however, resolved to enjoy the honours 
of a triumph, so hardly earned by others. Wherefore, 
having appointed a king over the Armenians, and finding the 
Parthians entirely subdued, he assumed the title of Armenicus 
and Parthicus; and then returned to Rome in the greatest 
pomp and splendour. 
During the course of this long expedition, Aurelius was 
sedulously intent upon distributing justice and happiness to 
Isis subjects at home. He first applied himself to the regula¬ 
tion of public affairs, and to the correcting of such faults as 
he found in the laws and policy of the state. In this endea¬ 
vour, he shewed such singular respect for the senate, that the 
commonwealth seemed in a manner once more revived under 
his equitable administration. While thus gloriously occupied, 
he was daily mortified with accounts of the enormities of his 
colleague. The return of Verus was still more fatal to the 
empire; for his army carried back the plague from Parthia, 
and disseminated the infection into all the provinces through 
which it passed; while all the barbarous nations surrounding 
the empire, the Germans, the Sarmatians, the Quadi, and 
Marcomanni, taking advantage of its various calamities, 
made irruptions even into Italy. 
• Aurelius began his endeavours by marching against the 
Marcomanni and Quadi, taking Verus with him, who 
reluctantly left the sensual delights of Rome for the fatigues 
, Vol. XXII. No. 1500. 
M E. The Empire. ", 277 
of a camp. They came up with the Marcomanni near the 
city of Aquileia, and, after a furious engagement, routed their 
whole army; then pursuing the fugitives across the Alps, 
overcame them in several contests, and at last, entirely 
defeating them, returned into Italy without any considerable 
loss. 
As the winter was far advanced, Verus was determined 
upon going from Aquileia to Rome: in this journey he was 
seized with an apoplexy which put an end to his life, at the 
age of thirty-nine years, having reigned nine in conjunction 
with Aurelius. A. D. 171. 
Aurelius, who had hitherto felt the fatigues of governing 
not only an empire, but of controlling his unworthy colleague, 
being now left to himself, began to act with greater diligence 
and success than ever. He left Rome to finish the war 
against the Marcomanni, who joining with the Quadi, the 
Sarmatians, the Vandals, and other barbarous nations, renew¬ 
ed hostilities with unusual rage and devastation. They had 
some time before attacked Vindex, praefect of the praetorian 
bands, and in a general battle near the Danube, destroyed 
no less than twenty thousand of his men. They even pur¬ 
sued the Romans as far as Aquileia, and would have taken 
the city, had not the emperor led his troops in person to 
oppose them. Aurelius having repulsed the enemy, conti¬ 
nued his endeavours to prevent them from making future 
inroads. He spent in this laborious undertaking no less than 
five years, supporting the most dreadful fatigues, and sup¬ 
plying, by the excess of his courage, the defects of a delicate 
constitution. The stoic philosophy in which he was imbued, 
had taught him a simplicity of living, and a contempt of ■ 
danger, which served as an example to the whole army. At 
length Aurelius so wearied out the enemy with repeated 
attacks, that he constrained them to accept of such terms of 
peace as he thought fit to propose, and thus returned in 
triumph to Rome. 
This business being settled, he resumed his usual endea¬ 
vours to benefit mankind by a further reformation of the 
internal policy of the state. He ordered that no inquiry 
should be made after the fortune of deceased persons who had 
been dead five years. He moderated the public expences, 
and lessened the number of shows and sports which were 
exhibited on the amphitheatre. He particularly took the 
poor under his protection; and found such pleasure in re¬ 
lieving their wants, that he considered his ability to supply 
the dictates of his compassion, as one of the greatest happi¬ 
nesses of his life. He laboured incessantly to restrain the 
luxuries of the great, prohibiting the use of chariots and 
litters to persons of inferior station, and endeavouring 
by all means to correct the disorders of women. 
But his laudable endeavours were soon interrupted by a 
renewal of the former wars. The barbarians no sooner per¬ 
ceived his army withdrawn, than they took up arms once 
more, and renewed their ravages with greater fury than 
before. They had now drawn over to their side all the > 
nations from Illyricum, to the furthest parts of Gaul. Au¬ 
relius, therefore, again saw himself surrounded with difficul¬ 
ties; his army had before been wasted by the plague, and 
frequent engagements, and his treasures entirely exhausted. 
In order to remedy these inconveniences, he increased his 
forces by enlisting slaves, gladiators, and the banditti of- 
Dalmatia. 
To raise money, he sold all the' moveables belonging to 
the empire, and all the rich furniture which had been°de- 
posited in the cabinets of Adrian. This sale, which con¬ 
tinued for two months, produced so considerable a sum, as to 
defray all the expenses of the war. His next effort was to 
march forward, and cross the Danube by a bridge of boats. 
He then attacked the enemy, gained several advafitages, burnt 
their houses and magazines of com, and received the sub¬ 
missions of such as had inconsiderately joined in the 
invasion. 
The detail of his campaigns is little interesting, but one battle 
deserves to be particularised. It was begun by the enemy’s 
4 B slingers 
