280 The Empire. H O 
posed his authority, and repeated his resolution, that no 
senator should suffer in his reign. 
The prsetorian soldiers, however, were determined to gain 
their object; and they openly avowed their design of seizing 
upon the emperor. Having assembled, therefore, in the 
streets, they marched to the palace. Terrified at their 
approach, many of the emperor’s attendants forsook him, 
while those who remained steady, urged him to fly for pro¬ 
tection to the people. He scorned this advice, and march¬ 
ing to face the rebels, and advancing in the midst of them, 
he boldly asked them if they who were bound to defend the 
emperor had come to betray him and to shed his blood ? 
Confounded with this act of personal heroism, the rebels 
began to retire, when one Thrasinus, a Tungrian, struck him 
with his lance on the breast, and exclaimed, “ the soldiers 
send you this.” The emperor, muffling his head in his robe, 
and calling upon Jupiter to avenge his death, sunk and 
expired. A.D. 193. 
Rome was now placed in the most deplorable condition. 
Her slavish population had shown their submission to any 
emperor, however detestable and cruel, provided he admi¬ 
nistered to their own pleasures; and they had now reached 
that acme of vice, at which a good man was considered 
unfit, as well as unable to govern them. It was not to be 
wondered at, therefore, that the empire was soon exposed to 
Sale by a public proclamation of the army. Only two com¬ 
petitors appeared for the sceptre of the world. Sulpicianus, 
prefect of the city, and son-in-law to Pertinax, got first to 
the camp, and made liberal promises to the soldiers. He 
was, however, soon supplanted by Didius Julianus, an 
eminent lawyer, who had amassed an enormous fortune by 
his avarice. He produced immense sums of ready money, 
and having been received into the camp by a soldier, and 
being declared the highest bidder, the empire was knocked 
down to him. Attended by the conductors of the sale, who 
amounted to about 10,000 men, Julianus entered the city. 
Although the people hissed him as he passed, and refused 
to sanction his elevation, yet the senate concurred with the 
army, and Didius was acknowledged emperor in the 57lh 
year of his age. Having acquired the imperial diadem by 
purchase, Didius resolved to use it for his pleasure. He 
gave himself no trouble about the affairs of state, but re¬ 
signed himself to indolence and repose. The soldiers, how¬ 
ever, began to discover his avarice, and to view him with 
detestation. He was loaded with curses whenever he left 
the palace, and saluted with the appellation of a thief, 
as having stolen the empire. The good natured mo¬ 
narch, however, bore all this with the greatest gentleness 
and forbearance. He bowed and smiled to those who in¬ 
sulted him, and was always ready to submit to the humours 
and caprices of the people. 
A portion of the Roman spirit, however, seems still to 
have lingered among the provinces. The governor of Syria, 
Pescennius Niger, and Septimius Severus, who commanded 
the German legions, resolved to aspire to the throne. They 
both held out Pertinax as their model; and Septimius 
Severus, an African by birth, assumed his name and 
vowed to revenge his death. Niger was proclaimed emperor 
by his troops; and the different kings and potentates in Asia 
sent ambassadors to acknowledge his title. Content with 
this homage, he made no efforts to secure the empire, but 
devoted himself to a luxurious life at Antioch. 
Septimius, however, proceeded more cautiously. Having 
assumed Albinus, who commanded in Britain, as his part- 
ne , and secured the strong-holds in Germany, he marched 
to Rome at the head of his army. At the urgent request of 
Didius, the senate proclaimed him a traitor; but all the 
attempts of the emperor were unable to organize an effective, 
force, and, perplexed with opposite counsels, he waited the 
approach of his rival. When Severus had advanced near 
to Rome, Didius, with the consent of the senate, sent am¬ 
bassadors to offer him a share in the concern; but when the 
general rejected this offer, the senate immediately assembed, 
and having passed a decree depriving Didius of the empire, 
M E. The Empire. 
they proclaimed Severus in his place. Didius was ordered 
by the senate to be slain, and, when the executioners had 
performed their office, after great remonstrances and wailing- 
on the part of Didius, they stuck up his head in the court of 
justice, where he had formerly carried on his professional 
pursuits. 
Before Severus entered Rome, he ordered the pratorian. 
soldiers who had sold the empire, to come out unarmed to 
meet him. Having no alternative but compliance, they 
marched out with laurels in their hands to welcome his ap¬ 
proach ; but the emperor, after reproaching them for their 
crimes,' ordered them to be stripped of their military equip¬ 
ments, deprived of the title and rank of soldiers, and ban¬ 
ished tq the distance of 100 miles from Rome. He then 
made his entrance into the city. The streets were strewed 
with flowers, and he senate received him with open arms, 
andgranted him every honour and title that hedesired, while 
he in return promised to govern with justice and moderation. 
In order to secure adherents, he seized all the children of 
those who occupied situations of authority in the east, and 
kept them as hostages for the good conduct of their fa¬ 
thers. He next supplied the city with corn, and hastened 
to Syria to attack Niger, who still reigned in the east under 
the title of Augustus. After many obstinate engagements 
between the rival sovereigns, a decisive battle took place on 
the plains of the Issus, in which Niger was totally defeated 
with the loss of 20,000 men. The head of Niger was cut 
off, and carried on the point of a lance to Severus, who'exer¬ 
cised the greatest severity against the adherents of his rival. 
The Parthians, and several of the neighbouring nations, had 
taken up arms in defence of Niger; but Severus defeated 
them in several decisive battles. 
Having thus established peace, and even enlarged.the em¬ 
pire, Severus resolved to get rid of Claudius Albinus, whom 
he had assumed as his partner in the empire at a time when 
he dreaded his influence and power. Under the guise of 
messengers carrying dispatches, he sent assassins into 
Britain to murder Albinus; but the general, being informed 
of their designs, assumed a warlike attitude, and proclaimed 
himself emperor. These rival leaders met each other in 
Gaul; a desperate engagement took place, which continued 
from morning till night with variable though equal success. 
The troops of Severus at last gave way; and he himself 
falling from his horse, the rival army raised the shouts of 
victory. A body of reserve, however, under Laetus, one of 
Severus’s officers, who intended to destroy both parties and 
assume the sovereignty, restored the fury of the battle, and 
enabled Severus to rally his troops, and make a desperate 
charge against Albinus. This attack was made with such 
skill and bravery, that the army of Albinus was pursued 
into, the city of Lyons, and he himself taken prisoner and 
slain. 
In order to establish himself in the power which he had 
now acquired, Severus distributed rewards and honours in 
the most profuse manner among his troops, and having 
given the charge of the government to one Plautianus, 
whose daughter his son Caracalla had married, he under¬ 
took an expedition against the Parthians. In this campaign 
he subjugated Armenia, and making himself master of 
Seleucia, Babylon, and Ctesiphon, he subdued the kingdom 
of Parthia. From Parthia he advanced to the south of Asia, 
and, after visiting the tomb of Pompey the Great, granted a 
senate to Alexandria. 
During the absence of Severus, Plautianus conceived the 
design of seizing the empire; and no sooner had Severus 
returned, than Plautianus engaged a tribune of the praetorian 
bands, whom he commanded to assassinate both Severus and 
his son Caracalla. The tribune lost no time in communicat-. 
ingthe intelligence to Severus, who treatedit as aplotdevised 
by the enemies of his favourite. The tribune at last re¬ 
quested permission to bring Plautianus to the emperor’s 
apartment, and having informed him that he had slain both 
Severus and Caracalla, Plautianus was ordered to follow him 
to the palace. Conducted at midnight to the" place of 
murder. 
