9.ā rēge Aegyptī: he was only a nominal king. Egypt was made a province by Augustus, Bk. VII, 7.11.occīdit: he caused Pompey to be inveigled into a boat, where he was murdered and his head severed from his body. His corpse was flung into the surf, where it was picked up later and burned.12.quō cōnspectō: ‘and when Caesar had seen it.’14.generī quondam suī: Pompey had married Julia, the daughter of Caesar, in 60B.C.It was her death in 54B.C.that tended to loosen the bond existing between them.Ch.22.17.victus: Caesar conquered the royal forces on the banks of the Nile.18.Alexandrīā: when Caesar set fire to the royal fleet, the flames consumed the great library of Alexandria, containing 400,000 volumes. In this fire some of the greatest literary treasures of antiquity perished.Cleopatrae: the famous queen who proved to be the ruin of Antony, Bk. VII, 6, 7.20.Pompēiō in auxilium: Eutropius seldom uses the double Dative; cf.Rōmānīs fuisset auxiliō, Bk. IV, 3.22.vīcit aciē: it was after this battle that Caesar sent to the senate the famous messagevēnī, vīdī, vīcī, ‘I came, I saw, I conquered.’Page61.Ch.23.2.eī … dictātōrī: ‘while he was dictator’;dictātōrīis in apposition witheī.6.hīc etiam: ‘he also’; as well as Caesar.7.M. Porcius Catō: he was the great-grandson of the M. Porcius Cato mentioned in Bk. IV, 23. He is known in history as Cato Uticensis, from Utica, where he committedsuicide. He was famous for the austerity of his manners and for his studied imitation of the customs of early days.9.victor fuit: in the battle of Thapsus.Ch.24.15.Cn. Pompēius: he had gone into Spain and had gathered around him adventurers of all sorts. At first Caesar had sent officers to subdue the revolt, but finding their efforts unsuccessful, he took command in person. After encountering great personal danger, he gained a complete victory. Thirty thousand of the vanquished perished. Gnaeus Pompey escaped from the field, but was afterward overtaken and slain. Sextus, the younger son of Pompey, was the only leader of the republican party left.Page62.Ch.25.1.honōrēs: ‘offices’; political honors.3.rēgia ac paene tyrannica: ‘like a king and almost like a usurper.’ Nepos defines a tyrannus as one ‘who is in perpetual power in that state which enjoyed liberty.’8.senātūs diē: ‘on the day of the senate’; on the day when the senate met.9.cūriam: Caesar was slain in the Curia in the Campus Martius.Book VIICh.1.12.partium Caesaris: ‘of Caesar’s party.’ Antony at first pretended to favor the tyrannicides; but after he had obtained possession of the papers and treasure of Caesar, he changed sides and endeavored to crush them.16.Octāviānus: he was the son of Gaius Octavius and Atia, a daughter of Julia, the sister of Caesar. After his adoption he took the name of Octavianus.19.Augustus: this was a title conferred upon him after the battle of Actium, when he refused the title of dictator.rērum potītus:potiorregularly takes the Genitive in this phrase. Cf.Alexandrīā potītus, Bk. VI, 22.quī … trēs ducēs: ‘these three leaders.’20.vīcērunt eum: in the battle of Mutina, 43B.C.Page63.1.morerentur: they were wounded in battle, but Augustus was accused of having murdered them.Ch.2.3.Lepidum: Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, Bk. VI, 1, 5, 23. He was in Gaul at this time, being governor of Gaul and Spain. After he received Antonius, they crossed the Alps at the head of a large body of troops and met Augustus in the north of Italy.6.pācem … fēcit: this was known as the ‘Second Triumvirate.’ Antony, Augustus, and Lepidus divided the Roman world among them.8.vīcēsimō annō: he was far below the legal age, 43.9.senātum prōscrīpsit: 300 senators and 2000 knights were included in the proscription. “Eachmarked his victims’ names upon the fatal list, and each consented to give up adherents of his own to the greed or hatred of his colleagues.”11.Cicero orātōr occīsus est: Augustus tried to save him, but Antony, whose hatred Cicero had incurred, demanded his death, and Augustus was forced to yield.Ch.3.17.Philippōs: the battle of Philippi was fought in November, 42B.C.Creighton, p. 82;The Roman Triumvirates, p. 210.19.Cassius: Cassius was routed and committed suicide.Brūtum: after his forces were routed, Brutus was compelled to kill himself to prevent capture.īnfīnītam nōbilitātem: ‘very many of the nobility.’21.dīvīsa est rēs pūblica: Lepidus took the province of Africa, Augustus the West, and Antony the East.23.bellum cīvīle: after the capture of Perusia, Antony threatened war, but he made a truce with Augustus, whose sister Octavia he married.Page64.Ch.4.1.Sex. Pompēiō: the son ofPompēius Māgnus, cf. Bk. VI, 24. He had collected a band of pirates and had made himself master of the Mediterranean.5.pāx postrēmō convēnit: the agreement at Misenum. In accordance with this, Pompey was to retain his command over the sea and the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica.Ch.5.6.M. Agrippa: Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa had been a fellow-student with Augustus. He was a gallant soldier and a devoted friend. It was largely by his aid that Augustus secured his power and retained it.7.Persās:i.e.the Parthians. Eutropius usedPersaefor the Parthians who claimed descent from the old Persian kings.10.Crassum occīderat: Bk. VI, 18.11.triumphum Rōmae ēgit: several of the Roman standards lost at Carrhae were restored by the Parthians, and were carried in the triumphal procession.Ch.6.12.nāvālī proeliō: at the battle of Naulochus, 36B.C.The Roman Triumvirates, p. 219. Shortly afterward Lepidus set up the standard of revolt. He was defeated by Augustus and his power was taken from him, but his life was spared.16.ipse pūgnāvit: he lacked the engines necessary for reducing the strongly fortified cities of the enemy, and besides he was very anxious to return to Alexandria.17.famē … labōrāvit: his retreat has been compared to the flight of Napoleon from Moscow.18.prō victō: ‘for conquered’ ＝ ‘as if conquered.’Ch.7.20.dum … optat＝optāns, ‘hoping.’ The world could not endure two masters. It was natural that they should disagree, and that the stronger should conquer.22.apud Actium: September 2,31B.C.Antony had collected a large naval and land force, but his ships were too large to be handled easily, and many of his land forces deserted. In the midst of the fight Cleopatra fled in her galley, and Antony basely deserted his forces and followed her. Creighton, p. 82;The Roman Triumvirates, p. 225.23.ex quā: the antecedent ofquāispūgnā.25.exstincta est: she was too proud to be carried to Rome to adorn the triumphal procession of her conqueror.Page65.Ch.8.7.duodecim annīs＝per annōsabove: the Ablative makes the limits of the time more prominent than the duration.8.prīncipātūs: ‘leadership’; afterwards the ‘sovereignty’ of the emperors; cf.prīnceps, English ‘prince.’10.morte commūnī: ‘a natural death’; cf.morbō dēcessit, Bk. I, 3. There was a report that he was poisoned by Livia, his wife.11.Ātellā: it is generally agreed that he died at Nola, near Naples.sepultus est: the ruins of his mausoleum still exist.12.ex māximā parte: ‘in very many respects.’15.cīvīlissimē: ‘in a manner most becoming a citizen’; cf.cīvīlēs, Bk. I, 9.16.ut … suō: ‘that he placed them almost on a level with his own dignity.’17.aequāret: sc.eōs.Aequāremay also takecumwith the Ablative.Page66.Ch.9.6.quod nūllī anteā: sc.dedērunt.8.Crassō victō: ‘from Crassus when he was defeated.’Ch.10.14.in honōrem ēius: the compliment was not in the founding, but in the naming.18.Dīvus appellātus:i.e.he was deified and became the object of a national worship. In the provinces he was worshiped before his death.Tiberiō: Tiberius Claudius Nero was the son of Tiberius Nero and Livia, the third wife of Augustus. He first married the daughter of Agrippa, whom he divorced at the command of the Emperor and married Julia, Augustus’ daughter and the widow of Marcus Agrippa. After the death of Gaius and Lucius Caesar, the sons of Agrippa and Julia, Tiberius was given the tribunician power and was adopted by Augustus as his successor.Ch.11.21.ingentī sōcordiā … libīdine: probably the character of Tiberius was maligned by the Roman historians. The people disliked him on account of his “dark and gloomy temper, with no grace or geniality of manner, shunning the pleasures of the people, and seldom generous or open-handed.” But we must note the many marks of bias and exaggeration in the common story, and we may well believe that the ancient writers formed too harsh an opinion of his motives in some cases, and reported scandalous gossips toolightly. Creighton, pp. 89-91;The Early Empire, Ch. II.25.Archelāum: he was summoned to Rome soon after the accession of Tiberius and accused of treason. His life was spared, but he was obliged to remain at Rome, where he died in 17A.D.Page67.1.Caesarēa: calledCaesarēa ad Argaeumto distinguish it from other cities of the same name. It was situated at the foot of Mt. Argaeus and was a place of great antiquity, its foundation having been ascribed to Mesech, the son of Japhet.Ch.12.5.C. Caesar: Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was the son of Germanicus and Agrippina. He was born in the camp, probably in Germany, and was reared among the soldiers. He received the surname of Caligula from his being arrayed in a mimic uniform and wearing a pair ofcaligaeor soldiers’ boots. At first he ruled well; but his sense of power turned his head, and the latter part of his reign was marked by excesses of all sorts. Creighton, p. 92;The Early Empire, Ch. III.Ch.13.13.Claudius: Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Caesar Germanicus was the second son of Drusus and Antonia, the brother of Germanicus, the father of Caligula. In early life he had been weak in mind and body, and had been despised or neglected. As emperor he was ruled by his wives and favorites, Narcissus and Pallas. He was poisoned by his last wife, Agrippina, who was anxious that her son Domitius Ahenobarbus by her former husband might succeed to the empire. Suetonius in his ‘Lives of the Caesars’ gives a very dark picture of the reign of Claudius. Creighton, p. 93;The Early Empire, Ch. IV.22.Britannicī: the son of Claudius and Messalina, his first wife. On the accession of Nero, Britannicus was poisoned.Page68.Ch.14.1.Nerō: Claudius Caesar, surnamed Nero, was the son of Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina. His early youth was spent in study under the philosopher Seneca, who remained his counselor for several years. During the first five years of his reign he was mild and just. The later years were filled with all sorts of excesses, and were marked by great cruelty. Creighton, p. 93;The Early Empire, Ch. V.9.urbem Rōmam incendit: it is very improbable that Nero was guilty of this crime. Rome was almost destroyed in this conflagration. Of the fourteen districts into which the city was divided, only four remained untouched by the flames. The fire raged for six days and seven nights; and, after it was thought to have been extinguished, it burst forth again, and continued for two days longer. On this occasion Nero appears to have acted with great liberality and kindness. He caused provisions to be sold at avery low price and the imperial gardens to be opened to the people, and temporary shelters to be erected for their accommodation. That he might remove suspicion from himself, Nero caused it to be reported that the Christians had set fire to the city, and a number of them was seized and put to death. This was the first persecution of the Christians by the Romans, 64A.D.Ch.15.22.ā saxō: sc.Tarpēiā.23.lībertī: his name was Phaon.Salariam: theVia Salariaran north from Rome to Ancona on the Adriatic.24.interfēcit: “At last comes Phaon’s courier with the news that the senate had put a price upon his head; the tramp of the horses tells him that his pursuers are on his track, and fear gives him the nerve to put the dagger to his throat, while, true to the passion of his life, he mutters, ‘What a loss my death will be to art!’”The Early Empire, p. 127.25.Nerōniānae: the ruins of the bath may still be seen near the Pantheon.Page69.Ch.16.1.Serv. Galba: Servius Sulpicius Galba was born in the reign of Augustus of a patrician family. He was in Spain when Julius Vindex, the proconsular governor of Gaul, rose against Nero. Galba joined him, and Otho, governor of Lusitania, followed his example. He was saluted as emperor by the soldiers, and the senate was forced to ratify their choice. The emperors from this time on were set up and overthrown at the will of the army. He was very parsimonious in his dealings and so lost the good will of the soldiers, who were ready to aid any revolt against him. He ruled for only seven months. Creighton, p. 96;The Early Empire, Ch. VI.Ch.17.12.Otho: Marcus Salvius Otho was Roman emperor from January 15 to April 16, 69A.D.He was the husband of the beautiful but infamous Poppaea Sabina, whom Nero took from him and made his own. He was afterwards sent to Lusitania, where he governed with justice and moderation. Creighton, p. 96;The Early Empire, Ch. VII.14.mollis: ‘effeminate.’22.voluntāriā morte obiit: he put an end to his life at Brixellum in Cisalpine Gaul.23.nōnāgēsimō et quīntō imperiī diē: Eutropius is slightly mistaken.Page70.Ch.18.1.Vitellius: Aulus Vitellius was Roman emperor from January 2 to December 22, 69A.D.When the news of Galba’s death reached Upper Germany, where Vitellius was in command, his legions proclaimed him emperor at Cologne. He immediately sent his generals, Fabius Valens and Caecina, at the head of a large force, to Italy, and, having defeated Otho’s troops, obtained the undisputed command of all the West. He was moderate in his rule, disturbingno one in the enjoyment of what had been given by Nero, Galba, or Otho. He was a glutton and an epicure, spending enormous sums on his table. Creighton, p. 96;The Early Empire, Ch. VIII.10.id … ferret: ‘aimed so openly at this.’13.cum Capitōliō: “In the confusion of the fight the famous temple of Jupiter caught fire. All were too busy to give time or thought to stay the flames, and in a few hours only ruins were left of the greatest of the national monuments of Rome, which, full of the associations of the past, had served for ages as a sort of record office in which were treasured the memorials of ancient history, the laws, the treaties, and the proclamations of old times. The loss was one that could not be replaced.”The Early Empire, p. 146.17.in Tiberim … sepultūrā: Eutropius is mistaken. His body was recovered and buried by his wife, Galeria Fundana.Ch.19.20.Vespasiānus: Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasian. He was proclaimed emperor at Alexandria on the 1st of July, 69A.D., although it was a year before he entered Rome. He lived more like a private person than like the emperor of Rome. The many stories that are told of his avarice and his methods of raising money are probably exaggerated. Although he was frugal in his personal expenditures, he spent large sums in adorning the city. He was the first of the Flavian dynasty. The others were his two sons and successors. He died on the 24th of June, 79A.D.“His last words were characteristic of his somewhat cynical humour, ‘Methinks I am becoming a god.’” Creighton, p. 96;The Early Empire, Ch. IX.Page71.8.Hierosolyma: Vespasian was besieging Jerusalem when the war broke out between Otho and Vitellius. When he started for Rome he left Titus, his son, in charge of the war against the Jews. Titus captured the city after a stubborn siege of five months, September 8, 70A.D., and despite his efforts the Temple was burned. Thousands of Jews perished in the siege.11.ēgerant＝fuerant.Ch.20.15.coërcitor: ‘enforcer’; the word isapax legomenon.hīc … triumphāvit: in 71A.D.when Titus returned to Rome.20.genitūram … habuit: ‘he so knew the horoscope of his sons.’Ch.21.25.Titus: Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasian. His early years were spent in military service in Britain and Germany. He won great credit as a general and a soldier. When he returned to Rome after the fall of Jerusalem, he conducted himself in such a manner as to cause a fear that his rule would resemble that of Nero. But after he became emperor he changed his manner of living, and his whole reign was marked by a sincere desire for the happiness of his people. Theyear 79A.D.is memorable for the great eruption of Vesuvius, attended by the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum. He completed the Colosseum, often called the Flavian Amphitheater. When he died, after a reign of only two years, there was a suspicion that he had been poisoned by his brother Domitian. Creighton, p. 98;The Early Empire, Ch. X.26.omnium … mīrābilis: ‘remarkable for every species of virtue.’Page72.Ch.22.17.tamquam … orbitāte: ‘mourned as for a loss in their own families.’Ch.23.21.Domitiānus: Titus Flavius Domitian. Vespasian was aware of his son’s disposition and put no confidence in him. When Vespasian died, Domitian tried to arouse the soldiers against his brother Titus. After his brother became emperor, Domitian was treated with great kindness, and several offices were shared with him. At first mild and just, he soon became suspicious and cruel. In Britain alone were the Roman arms successful during his reign. In all other places defeat and disgraceful compromises with the enemy marked his campaigns. Finally his cruelty became unbearable, and a conspiracy was formed by the officers of the guard, several of his intimate friends, and even his wife Domatilla, and he was slain after a desperate struggle. Creighton, p. 98;The Early Empire, Ch. XI.27.dominum: here it has the New Testament meaning, ‘Lord.’Page73.13.Palātiō: in the Flavian Palace on the Palatine Hill. Extensive remains of this structure still exist. At first the wordPalātiumwas applied only to the hill, but from the time of Augustus it meant a ‘palace,’ especially the imperial palace of the Caesars.Book VIIICh.1.20.Nerva: Marcus Cocceius Nerva was born at Narnia in Umbria in 32A.D.He was consul with Vespasian in 71A.D.and with Domitian in 90A.D.After the assassination of Domitian he was declared emperor by the Roman people and the soldiers, and his administration restored tranquillity to the troubled state. He stopped proceedings against those accused of treason and permitted many exiles to return. Though he was virtuous and humane, he did not possess the necessary vigor for checking the many abuses that existed. He adopted as his son and successor Marcus Ulpius Traian, who was then at the head of the army in Germany. He died suddenly on the 27th of January, 98A.D.Creighton, p. 99;The Age of the Antonines, Ch. I.22.operam dante: ‘giving him aid, assisting him.’Petrōniō Secundō, Partheniō: Nerva could not prevent the Praetorian soldiers from putting them to death.Page74.3.aetātis … annō: Eutropius is mistaken. He was sixty-five years old when he died.4.inter Dīvōs relātus est: cf.Dīvus appellātus, Bk. VII, 10.Ch.2.5.Trāiānus: Marcus Ulpius Traian was born at Italica near Seville in Spain, September 18, 52A.D.He was trained to arms, and rose through the various offices to the rank of praetor. He was adopted by Nerva in 97A.D.After Nerva’s death he became emperor, being the first Roman emperor who was born out of Italy. He was a great soldier and a good administrator. Good sense, a knowledge of the world, and sound judgment characterized him. Just and sincere in his desire for the happiness of the people, he was one of the best emperors that governed Rome. He crushed the Dacians, successfully waged war against the Parthians, and brought peace and prosperity to the whole Roman world. Creighton, p. 99;The Age of the Antonines, Ch. II.13.Dāciam: Trajan conducted two campaigns against the Dacians, 101-103A.D.and 104-106A.D.On his return from the second campaign he celebrated a triumph and entertained the people with games lasting 123 days. “It is said that 11,000 animals were slaughtered during these amusements, and that 10,000 gladiators fought in the arena.”16.tenuit＝habuit.Ch.3.17.Armeniam: Trajan began this campaign in 114A.D.The winter of the same year he spent at Antioch. During the next two years he conquered the greater part of the Parthian empire, taking the capital city Ctesiphon.Page75.Ch.4.3.amīcōs … frequentāns: ‘going often to his friends to salute them.’4.fēstōs diēs habuissent: ‘they were celebrating feast days.’indiscrēta: ‘with no distinction of rank.’6.nihil … agēns: his finances were prosperous, partly owing to good management, and partly from the success of certain mining operations in Dacia.9.per orbem … multa: “He constructed several good roads in the provinces and Italy; among them was the road across the Pomptine Marshes. At Ostia he built a large new basin. At Rome he constructed the aqueduct called by his name, built a theater in the Campus Martius, and, above all, made the Forum Traianum, with its basilicas and libraries, and his column in the center.”10.nihil nōn: the figure of Litotes, affirming a thing by denying its contrary; cf.nōn compāruisset, Bk. I, 2.Ch.5.19.bellī domīque: H. 484, 2 (426, 2); M. 242, 2; A. & G. 258,d; G. 411, 2; B. 232, 2.20.Seleuciam: it is generally stated that he lived to reach Selinus in Cilicia, where he died in August, 117A.D.23.sōlus … sepultus est: he was the only one of the emperors who was buried within the city.This privilege was enjoyed by the Vestal Virgins.24.in forō: theForum Trāiānumwas probably the most magnificent of all the Roman fora. It occupied a large space between the Capitoline and the Quirinal Hills, the latter of which was cut away to make room for it. Among the many buildings it contained were two libraries, one for Latin and the other for Greek manuscripts. It contained also the famous Column of Trajan. This column, composed of huge drums of white marble, is pierced within. A bas-relief of the chief events of the Dacian war winds round the shaft. It is still standing.25.CXLIV pedēs: this was the height of the Quirinal Hill that was cut away.26.habet＝est.hūius … dēlātum est: ‘so much respect has been paid to his memory.’Page76.Ch.6.3.Aelius Hadriānus: Publius Aelius Hadrian was with Trajan when the latter died. With the consent of the Syrian army he assumed the reins of government and his act was ratified by the senate. Although he lost some of the territory that Trajan had added to the Empire, he strengthened and united the remainder. He was, in general, a just and able ruler; yet at times he showed himself revengeful, suspicious, and cruel. He died of dropsy at Baiae, 138A.D., in the sixty-third year of his life. Creighton, p. 100;The Age of the Antonines, Ch. III.7.glōriae invidēns: more probably he saw that the Empire had become too large to be governed successfully.Ch.7.17.orbem Rōmānum circumiit: he visited every province in the Empire, correcting abuses, and examining the administration of government.18.multa aedificāvit: among other famous buildings the Mausoleum of Hadrian, now called the Castle of St. Angelo.Ch.8.27.T. Antōnīnus: his full name was Titus Aurelius Fulvius Boionius Antoninus, called Pius because he persuaded the senate to grant to his adopted father Hadrian the apotheosis and other honors usually paid to deceased emperors. “His reign is almost a blank in history—a blank caused by a suspension for a time of war, violence, and crime.” Although he waged no war for conquest, he defended the provinces with vigor, warring against the Moors and Britons, and the untamed races of the Rhine and the Danube. Creighton, p. 101;The Age of the Antonines, Ch. IV.Page77.6.bonīs honōrem habēns: ‘paying respect to the good.’14.Lorium: in Etruria on theVia Aurelia.Ch.9.18.M. Antōnīnus Vērus: he is generally known as Marcus Aurelius. He was the adopted son of Antoninus Pius. When onlytwelve years old he assumed the philosophic mantle and gave himself up to the study of philosophy, attaching himself to the Stoic school. After he became emperor he associated Lucius Antoninus Verus, his brother, with him in the government. Although they were entirely different in character, they reigned conjointly with no disagreement. His ‘Meditations’ have survived. Creighton, p. 101;The Age of the Antonines, Ch. V.23.singulōs … Augustōs: ‘one Augustus (emperor) at a time.’Ch.10.28.contrā Parthōs: Lucius Verus nominally had the guidance of the war, but it was carried on by his lieutenants while he lingered in Antioch.Page78.Ch.12.21.Apollōnium Chalcēdōnium: called Apollonius Dyscolus. “He is the father of scientific Grammar, being the first to reduce it to a systematic form.”24.Frontō: Marcus Cornelius Fronto. He acquired great reputation as a rhetorician and grammarian at Rome in the reign of Hadrian. Some of his letters to his pupils, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, were found in the present century.hīc … ēgit: ‘he treated all at Rome with equality.’26.prōvinciās … trāctāvit: he did not visit the provinces, but kept himself thoroughly informed of the details of their administration.Page79.1.eō prīncipe: ‘during his reign’; cf.hīs rēgnantibus, Bk. I, 2.bellum … Marcomannicum: the Marcomanni, ‘men of the marshes,’ were a German tribe that threatened destruction to the Roman Empire. For thirteen years Marcus Aurelius with difficulty held them in check. He built many fortresses and a great wall to restrain them.2.quantum … fuit: ‘it was greater than any in the memory of man’;i.e.there had been no war with the Germans equally formidable.5.pestilentiae: the plague broke out in 167A.D.and lasted for several years, despite all efforts to check its ravages. It was probably brought to Rome by the soldiers returning from the expedition against the Parthians.Ch.13.10.Quādī: a powerful people who dwelt in the southeastern part of Germany. They had been taken under the protection of Rome by Tiberius. In 174A.D.Marcus Aurelius defeated them in a fierce battle. They appear again during the reign of Gallienus (Bk. IX, 8). Towards the end of the fourth century they disappear from history.The Age of the Antonines, pp. 106-108.Vandalī: a confederacy of German peoples, who dwelt originally on the northern coast of Germany. Later they settled north of the Marcomanni, whom they joined. They invaded Spain, and later Africa. Under their king Genseric they invaded Italy, and took and plundered Rome, 455A.D.Suēvī: an important confederacy of German tribes. Their name survives in the modern Suabia.13.Caesarem fēcerat: the title of Caesar was now given to the person next in rank to the emperor, and who was intended to succeed him.15.indīcere … aliquid: ‘to make any demands on the provinces or the senate.’16.īnstrumentum rēgiī cultūs: ‘royal furniture.’22.comparāta: ‘their purchases.’Ch.14.28.obiit: he died at Vindobona, now Vienna.29.vītae LXI: it is generally said that he died in the fifty-ninth year of his life.Page80.Ch.15.1.L. Antōnīnus Commodus: he was the son of Marcus Aurelius, but like him in no respect. After concluding a disgraceful treaty with the Germans, he hastened to Rome, where he gave himself up to the grossest vices. Creighton, p. 102.6.in amphitheātrō: he was the conqueror in 735 combats. Nothing delighted him more than to be called the ‘Hercules of Rome.’7.strangulātus vel venēnō: he was poisoned and afterwards strangled by his favorite Marcia.Ch.16.11.Pertināx: Creighton, p. 103.Ch.17.18.perpetuum composuit ēdictum: this was a digest of the mass of edicts that had been issued by the praetors and the provincial governors. It was the basis of theCorpus Iūris Cīvīlisof Justinian.19.Mulvium pontem: about two miles north of Rome, on theVia Flaminia. Here the ambassadors of the Allobroges, that had been tampered with by the fellow-conspirators of Catiline, were arrested, 63B.C.The foundations of this bridge still remain and are built into the Ponte Mollo at the same place.Ch.18.21.Septimius Sevērus: Lucius Septimius Severus was commander in chief of the army in Pannonia and Illyria at the death of Pertinax, 193A.D.He was proclaimed emperor by the army. For nearly a hundred years the emperors were made and unmade at the will of the soldiers. Creighton, p. 104.23.omnī memoriā: ‘in all time.’24.fiscī advocātus: a Roman officer appointed to look after the interests of the imperial treasury.Page81.Ch.19.16.vāllum … dēdūxit: the celebrated wall of Severus, extending from the Solway Firth to the mouth of the Tyne. It was erected to prevent incursions of the Caledonians.17.Eborācī: the modern York.22.Geta … periit: he was murdered by order of Caracalla.Ch.20.23.Caracalla: the name of Caracalla was derived from a species of Gallic cassock he introduced at Rome.24.mōrum … fuit: his whole life was only one series of crueltiesand acts of extravagant folly. Creighton, p. 105.25.thermae Antōnīniānae: these accommodated about 1600 persons at once. The ruins are still to be seen.Page82.Ch.22.9.M. Aurēlius Antōnīnus: known in history as Heliogabalus. He was the grandson of Maesa, sister-in-law of Septimius Severus, and the son of Symiasera. He was priest in the temple of the Sun at Emesa in Syria when Caracalla died. Through the instrumentality of his grandmother he was proclaimed emperor by the soldiers and acknowledged by the senate. He was the most profligate of the Roman emperors.Ch.23.16.Aurēlius Alexander: Marcus Aurelius Alexander, generally known as Alexander Severus. He had been adopted by Heliogabalus and had been created Caesar. “He was distinguished by justice, wisdom, and clemency in all public transactions, and by the simplicity and purity of his private life.” Creighton, p. 106.20.adsessōrem: ‘legal adviser.’21.Ulpiānum: Domitius Ulpianus was one of the most celebrated Roman lawyers. His works are often quoted in theCorpus Iūris Cīvīlisof Justinian. He was assassinated in a mutiny of the soldiers caused by his strict discipline.Book IXPage83.Ch.1.1.Māximīnus: his full name was Gaius Iulius Verus Maximinus. He was born of barbaric parentage, his father being a Goth and his mother a German. He was famous for his gigantic size and his marvelous feats of strength. His government was characterized by oppression and excesses.Ch.2.9.Gordiānus: Marcus Antonius Gordianus was the grandson of the elder Gordianus. He was a mere boy, probably not more than twelve years old, when he was proclaimed emperor by the soldiers.Page84.Ch.3.1.Philippī: Marcus Iulius Philippus I was an Arabian by birth. After the death of Misithus, the father-in-law of Gordianus, he became praetorian praefect, and caused the soldiers to revolt, to slay Gordianus, and to proclaim himself emperor. He proclaimed his son of the same name Caesar, though he was only seven years old.3.mīllēsimus annus: this anniversary was marked by the celebration of the Saecular Games with unusual magnificence, 248A.D.Ch.4.8.Decius: his full name was Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius. He was sent by Philippus to Moesia to crush an insurrection, and was compelled by the soldiers to proclaim himself emperor. His reign was occupied chiefly with warring against the Goths. He persecuted the Christians with great severity.Ch.6.21.exstinctus est: he was slain by the soldiers.Ch.7.23.Galliēnus: the son of Valerianus.Page85.5.superātus est: at first Valerianus was successful; but he followed the enemy too rashly. He was captured near Edessa. After his death his skin was stuffed and long preserved as a trophy in the chief temple of the nation.Ch.9.22.Postumus: this period is known as the ‘Rule of the Thirty Tyrants.’ These men, who revolted from Gallienus and set up separate governments for themselves, were noted in the main for their courage. They repelled the invaders and established governments that gave peace and security to their provinces.28.vīlissimus opifex: he is said to have been a smith,ferrī opifex.Page86.3.mātrimōnia: here has a concrete meaning, ‘wives.’Ch.10.10.Odenāthum: he was the ruler of Palmyra. He checked the incursions of the Persians and drove Sapor out of Syria. In return for these services Gallienus honored him with the title of Augustus.Ch.11.16.occīsus est: he was slain by his soldiers while besieging Milan.18.Gothōs … vīcit: he conquered the Goths at Naisus in Dardania and received the surname Gothicus in consequence.Page87.Ch.13.3.Aurēliānus: his reign presents a succession of brilliant exploits, and it seemed for a time that he would restore Rome to her former position. The Goths, Vandals, and the Alemanni were conquered. Zenobia, who had succeeded her husband as ruler of Palmyra, was captured and carried to Rome. Tetricus was crushed near Catalauni. Aurelian commenced many works of public utility, including a new city wall. He was on his way to chastise the Persians when he was killed by some of his officers, a conspiracy having been formed against him. Creighton, p. 109.11. ‘Ēripe mē’:Aeneid, VI, 365.12.Zēnobiam: she was not content with the power she had, but tried to extend her sway over all Syria, Asia, and Egypt. Aurelian captured Palmyra in 273A.D., and took her prisoner. After adorning his triumphal procession, her life was spared and she lived near Tibur for several years.occīsō Odenāthō: it is said that he was assassinated and that Zenobia had a hand in it.Page88.Ch.15.2.Dāciam … intermīsit: he made the Danube the boundary of the empire, as Augustus had done.8.servī: the private secretary of the emperor. He is generally said to have been a freedman.13.mors … fuit: Tacitus had the assassins put to death soon after the beginning of his reign.Ch.17.21.Probus: his full name was Marcus Aurelius Probus. He was as just and virtuous as hewas warlike, and is deservedly regarded as one of the greatest and best of the Roman emperors.27.apud Sirmium: it was his birthplace.Page89.4.tumultū mīlitārī: the soldiers mutinied because he had employed them in laborious public works.Ch.18.14.oculōrum dolōre correptus: ‘affected with a disease of the eye.’Ch.19.24.mātrimōnia: cf.mātrimōnia, Ch. 9.Page90.4.Dioclētiānum: he was born near Salona in Dalmatia. He rose in the army from one position to another until on the assassination of Numerianus he was chosen emperor. He made a great change in the system of government. In 286A.D.he associated Maximianus with himself as a colleague and gave him the title of Augustus. Six years later, 292A.D., Constantius Chlorus and Galerius were proclaimed Caesars, and the government of the Roman world was divided among four men, Diocletian taking the East, with Nicomedia as his residence; Maximianus taking Italy and Africa, with Milan as his residence; Constantius taking Britain, Gaul, and Spain, with Treves as his residence; Galerius taking Illyricum and the whole line of the Danube, with Sirmium as his residence. This division was natural and possessed many advantages. It was the only way that the falling empire could be preserved, and a semblance of union retained. Creighton, p. 109.Ch.21.22.strēnuae mīlitiae ōrdine: ‘by a course of active service.’24.accēpisset: sc.imperium.29.Britanniās occupāvit: in 287A.D.Page91.Ch.22.5.Cōnstantium: surnamed Chlorus, ‘the pale.’6.nepōs Claudī: ‘the grandnephew of Claudius.’ He was the son of Eutropius, a Dardanian noble, and Claudia, daughter of Chrispus, the brother of Claudius.14.pāx convēnit: Carausius was recognized as a colleague.Page92.Ch.25.18.extrīnsecus＝praetereā, a late usage.Ch.26.28.rēgiae cōnsuētūdinis fōrmam: Diocletian introduced the customs of an Oriental monarch. He wore the diadem, the robes of silk and gold, and replaced the republican form of salutation by the adoring prostration of the East.Ch.27.9.ingravēscente aevō: he was sixty years old, being born in 245A.D., and abdicating in 305A.D.17.pompā ferculōrum inlūstrī: ‘with a famous succession of pictures.’Ferculaare representations of cities, rivers, and other objects in the conquered countries, carried in procession at a triumph.Ch.28.24.post nātōs hominēs: ‘since men were created.’Book XPage94.Ch.1.11.adeō … modicī: ‘of so modest a mode of living.’13.argentō: ‘silver plate.’trīclīnia: properly a couch for three persons reclining at meals. Here it means the table, which was square, and surrounded on three sides by one-armed couches, while the fourth side remained open for convenience in serving. Each couch accommodated three persons, who reclined upon the left arm.14.Gallīs: he had reserved Gaul for his peculiar province.17.Eborācī: he was on an expedition against the Picts.Page95.Ch.2.1.Cōnstantīnus: known in history as Constantine the Great. The most important change he introduced was the adoption of Christianity as the state religion. The story is told that while marching from Gaul at the head of his legions, he saw in the heavens a luminous cross with this inscription, ‘By this conquer.’ In 313A.D.he issued the famous Milan decree that gave imperial sanction to the religion of the Christians. Although he openly acknowledged Christianity, his religion was a strange mixture of Christianity and Paganism. Creighton, p. 112.6.in vīllā pūblicā: a building in the Campus Martius, intended for a lodging house or hotel for foreign ambassadors.11.quās … habuit: ‘which he utterly disregarded.’Ch.3.18.nūdāre: ‘to deprive of his power.’Page96.Ch.4.1.Licinius: his full name was Publius Flavius Galerius Valerius Licinianus Licinius. By birth he was a Dacian peasant, and an early friend and companion of the Emperor Galerius. He was invested with the command of the Illyrian province in 307A.D.After the death of Galerius he concluded an arrangement with Maximinus, by which the Hellespont and the Bosporus were to form the boundary of the two empires. After his marriage with the sister of Constantine, he and Constantine strove with each other for the undivided sovereignty of the Roman world.Ch.5.20.apud Cibalās: this was in the great battle of Adrianople, July, 323A.D., and was followed by the reduction of Byzantium.Ch.6.25.apud Nicomediam: this victory, September, 323A.D., made Constantine the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. Licinius was made a prisoner, and although his life was spared for a time, Constantine had him put to death in 324A.D.27.tribus Caesaribus: they were the sons of Constantine the Great, Constantine, Constans, and Constantius.Page97.Ch.8.20.urbem nōminis: Constantinople, a city which he built on the site of ancient Byzantium. This he aimed to make his capital city. Here he had a second senate, a praefect of the city, regiones, and even largesses; all of which showed that the supremacy of Rome was at an end.24.in vīllā pūblicā: a buildingsimilar in character to the one at Rome, Ch. 2.Page98.Ch.10.15.Cōnstantī: he ruled from 337 to 361A.D.He was the third son of Constantine the Great. Under him the whole empire again became subject to one ruler. But in 355A.D.he was compelled to make Julian Caesar and to send him into Gaul to oppose the barbarians.Page99.Ch.14.24.Iūliānum: called the Apostate, because, although he had been brought up a Christian, later he rejected Christianity and returned to Paganism. He was a brave soldier and a good general. Forced by his soldiers to assume the purple, he hesitated to begin a civil war, but was relieved of the necessity by the opportune death of Constantius in 361A.D.“Julian was an extraordinary character. As a monarch, he was indefatigable in his attention to business, upright in his administration, and comprehensive in his views; as a man, he was virtuous in the midst of a profligate age, and did not yield to the luxurious temptations to which he was exposed.” Many of his literary works are extant. Creighton, p. 116.Page100.Ch.16.21.cuī … interfuī: what part Eutropius took in this expedition is not known.24.remeāns victor: in the last battle fought on the 26th of June, Julian was mortally wounded by an arrow and died the same day.Page101.Ch.17.15.Ioviānus: his full name was Flavius Claudius Jovian. His short reign is remarkable only for the disgraceful peace he made with the Persians. Although he was a Christian, he protected the pagans.20.fīnibus: he agreed that the Romans would surrender their conquests beyond the Tigris and would give up several fortresses in Mesopotamia.24.Pontium Telesīnum: it is generally stated that Gavius Pontius was the leader of the Samnites in the battle of Caudine Forks. Perhaps Eutropius confuses him with Pontius Telesinus, the leader of the Samnites in the Social war.Page102.Ch.18.8.nimiā crūditāte: ‘violent indigestion.’21.quam … reservāmus: whether he ever fulfilled his intention and wrote another book is unknown.
9.ā rēge Aegyptī: he was only a nominal king. Egypt was made a province by Augustus, Bk. VII, 7.
11.occīdit: he caused Pompey to be inveigled into a boat, where he was murdered and his head severed from his body. His corpse was flung into the surf, where it was picked up later and burned.
12.quō cōnspectō: ‘and when Caesar had seen it.’
14.generī quondam suī: Pompey had married Julia, the daughter of Caesar, in 60B.C.It was her death in 54B.C.that tended to loosen the bond existing between them.
17.victus: Caesar conquered the royal forces on the banks of the Nile.
18.Alexandrīā: when Caesar set fire to the royal fleet, the flames consumed the great library of Alexandria, containing 400,000 volumes. In this fire some of the greatest literary treasures of antiquity perished.
Cleopatrae: the famous queen who proved to be the ruin of Antony, Bk. VII, 6, 7.
20.Pompēiō in auxilium: Eutropius seldom uses the double Dative; cf.Rōmānīs fuisset auxiliō, Bk. IV, 3.
22.vīcit aciē: it was after this battle that Caesar sent to the senate the famous messagevēnī, vīdī, vīcī, ‘I came, I saw, I conquered.’
2.eī … dictātōrī: ‘while he was dictator’;dictātōrīis in apposition witheī.
6.hīc etiam: ‘he also’; as well as Caesar.
7.M. Porcius Catō: he was the great-grandson of the M. Porcius Cato mentioned in Bk. IV, 23. He is known in history as Cato Uticensis, from Utica, where he committedsuicide. He was famous for the austerity of his manners and for his studied imitation of the customs of early days.
9.victor fuit: in the battle of Thapsus.
15.Cn. Pompēius: he had gone into Spain and had gathered around him adventurers of all sorts. At first Caesar had sent officers to subdue the revolt, but finding their efforts unsuccessful, he took command in person. After encountering great personal danger, he gained a complete victory. Thirty thousand of the vanquished perished. Gnaeus Pompey escaped from the field, but was afterward overtaken and slain. Sextus, the younger son of Pompey, was the only leader of the republican party left.
1.honōrēs: ‘offices’; political honors.
3.rēgia ac paene tyrannica: ‘like a king and almost like a usurper.’ Nepos defines a tyrannus as one ‘who is in perpetual power in that state which enjoyed liberty.’
8.senātūs diē: ‘on the day of the senate’; on the day when the senate met.
9.cūriam: Caesar was slain in the Curia in the Campus Martius.
12.partium Caesaris: ‘of Caesar’s party.’ Antony at first pretended to favor the tyrannicides; but after he had obtained possession of the papers and treasure of Caesar, he changed sides and endeavored to crush them.
16.Octāviānus: he was the son of Gaius Octavius and Atia, a daughter of Julia, the sister of Caesar. After his adoption he took the name of Octavianus.
19.Augustus: this was a title conferred upon him after the battle of Actium, when he refused the title of dictator.
rērum potītus:potiorregularly takes the Genitive in this phrase. Cf.Alexandrīā potītus, Bk. VI, 22.
quī … trēs ducēs: ‘these three leaders.’
20.vīcērunt eum: in the battle of Mutina, 43B.C.
1.morerentur: they were wounded in battle, but Augustus was accused of having murdered them.
3.Lepidum: Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, Bk. VI, 1, 5, 23. He was in Gaul at this time, being governor of Gaul and Spain. After he received Antonius, they crossed the Alps at the head of a large body of troops and met Augustus in the north of Italy.
6.pācem … fēcit: this was known as the ‘Second Triumvirate.’ Antony, Augustus, and Lepidus divided the Roman world among them.
8.vīcēsimō annō: he was far below the legal age, 43.
9.senātum prōscrīpsit: 300 senators and 2000 knights were included in the proscription. “Eachmarked his victims’ names upon the fatal list, and each consented to give up adherents of his own to the greed or hatred of his colleagues.”
11.Cicero orātōr occīsus est: Augustus tried to save him, but Antony, whose hatred Cicero had incurred, demanded his death, and Augustus was forced to yield.
17.Philippōs: the battle of Philippi was fought in November, 42B.C.Creighton, p. 82;The Roman Triumvirates, p. 210.
19.Cassius: Cassius was routed and committed suicide.
Brūtum: after his forces were routed, Brutus was compelled to kill himself to prevent capture.
īnfīnītam nōbilitātem: ‘very many of the nobility.’
21.dīvīsa est rēs pūblica: Lepidus took the province of Africa, Augustus the West, and Antony the East.
23.bellum cīvīle: after the capture of Perusia, Antony threatened war, but he made a truce with Augustus, whose sister Octavia he married.
1.Sex. Pompēiō: the son ofPompēius Māgnus, cf. Bk. VI, 24. He had collected a band of pirates and had made himself master of the Mediterranean.
5.pāx postrēmō convēnit: the agreement at Misenum. In accordance with this, Pompey was to retain his command over the sea and the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica.
6.M. Agrippa: Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa had been a fellow-student with Augustus. He was a gallant soldier and a devoted friend. It was largely by his aid that Augustus secured his power and retained it.
7.Persās:i.e.the Parthians. Eutropius usedPersaefor the Parthians who claimed descent from the old Persian kings.
10.Crassum occīderat: Bk. VI, 18.
11.triumphum Rōmae ēgit: several of the Roman standards lost at Carrhae were restored by the Parthians, and were carried in the triumphal procession.
12.nāvālī proeliō: at the battle of Naulochus, 36B.C.The Roman Triumvirates, p. 219. Shortly afterward Lepidus set up the standard of revolt. He was defeated by Augustus and his power was taken from him, but his life was spared.
16.ipse pūgnāvit: he lacked the engines necessary for reducing the strongly fortified cities of the enemy, and besides he was very anxious to return to Alexandria.
17.famē … labōrāvit: his retreat has been compared to the flight of Napoleon from Moscow.
18.prō victō: ‘for conquered’ ＝ ‘as if conquered.’
20.dum … optat＝optāns, ‘hoping.’ The world could not endure two masters. It was natural that they should disagree, and that the stronger should conquer.
22.apud Actium: September 2,31B.C.Antony had collected a large naval and land force, but his ships were too large to be handled easily, and many of his land forces deserted. In the midst of the fight Cleopatra fled in her galley, and Antony basely deserted his forces and followed her. Creighton, p. 82;The Roman Triumvirates, p. 225.
23.ex quā: the antecedent ofquāispūgnā.
25.exstincta est: she was too proud to be carried to Rome to adorn the triumphal procession of her conqueror.
7.duodecim annīs＝per annōsabove: the Ablative makes the limits of the time more prominent than the duration.
8.prīncipātūs: ‘leadership’; afterwards the ‘sovereignty’ of the emperors; cf.prīnceps, English ‘prince.’
10.morte commūnī: ‘a natural death’; cf.morbō dēcessit, Bk. I, 3. There was a report that he was poisoned by Livia, his wife.
11.Ātellā: it is generally agreed that he died at Nola, near Naples.
sepultus est: the ruins of his mausoleum still exist.
12.ex māximā parte: ‘in very many respects.’
15.cīvīlissimē: ‘in a manner most becoming a citizen’; cf.cīvīlēs, Bk. I, 9.
16.ut … suō: ‘that he placed them almost on a level with his own dignity.’
17.aequāret: sc.eōs.Aequāremay also takecumwith the Ablative.
6.quod nūllī anteā: sc.dedērunt.
8.Crassō victō: ‘from Crassus when he was defeated.’
14.in honōrem ēius: the compliment was not in the founding, but in the naming.
18.Dīvus appellātus:i.e.he was deified and became the object of a national worship. In the provinces he was worshiped before his death.
Tiberiō: Tiberius Claudius Nero was the son of Tiberius Nero and Livia, the third wife of Augustus. He first married the daughter of Agrippa, whom he divorced at the command of the Emperor and married Julia, Augustus’ daughter and the widow of Marcus Agrippa. After the death of Gaius and Lucius Caesar, the sons of Agrippa and Julia, Tiberius was given the tribunician power and was adopted by Augustus as his successor.
21.ingentī sōcordiā … libīdine: probably the character of Tiberius was maligned by the Roman historians. The people disliked him on account of his “dark and gloomy temper, with no grace or geniality of manner, shunning the pleasures of the people, and seldom generous or open-handed.” But we must note the many marks of bias and exaggeration in the common story, and we may well believe that the ancient writers formed too harsh an opinion of his motives in some cases, and reported scandalous gossips toolightly. Creighton, pp. 89-91;The Early Empire, Ch. II.
25.Archelāum: he was summoned to Rome soon after the accession of Tiberius and accused of treason. His life was spared, but he was obliged to remain at Rome, where he died in 17A.D.
1.Caesarēa: calledCaesarēa ad Argaeumto distinguish it from other cities of the same name. It was situated at the foot of Mt. Argaeus and was a place of great antiquity, its foundation having been ascribed to Mesech, the son of Japhet.
5.C. Caesar: Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was the son of Germanicus and Agrippina. He was born in the camp, probably in Germany, and was reared among the soldiers. He received the surname of Caligula from his being arrayed in a mimic uniform and wearing a pair ofcaligaeor soldiers’ boots. At first he ruled well; but his sense of power turned his head, and the latter part of his reign was marked by excesses of all sorts. Creighton, p. 92;The Early Empire, Ch. III.
13.Claudius: Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Caesar Germanicus was the second son of Drusus and Antonia, the brother of Germanicus, the father of Caligula. In early life he had been weak in mind and body, and had been despised or neglected. As emperor he was ruled by his wives and favorites, Narcissus and Pallas. He was poisoned by his last wife, Agrippina, who was anxious that her son Domitius Ahenobarbus by her former husband might succeed to the empire. Suetonius in his ‘Lives of the Caesars’ gives a very dark picture of the reign of Claudius. Creighton, p. 93;The Early Empire, Ch. IV.
22.Britannicī: the son of Claudius and Messalina, his first wife. On the accession of Nero, Britannicus was poisoned.
1.Nerō: Claudius Caesar, surnamed Nero, was the son of Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina. His early youth was spent in study under the philosopher Seneca, who remained his counselor for several years. During the first five years of his reign he was mild and just. The later years were filled with all sorts of excesses, and were marked by great cruelty. Creighton, p. 93;The Early Empire, Ch. V.
9.urbem Rōmam incendit: it is very improbable that Nero was guilty of this crime. Rome was almost destroyed in this conflagration. Of the fourteen districts into which the city was divided, only four remained untouched by the flames. The fire raged for six days and seven nights; and, after it was thought to have been extinguished, it burst forth again, and continued for two days longer. On this occasion Nero appears to have acted with great liberality and kindness. He caused provisions to be sold at avery low price and the imperial gardens to be opened to the people, and temporary shelters to be erected for their accommodation. That he might remove suspicion from himself, Nero caused it to be reported that the Christians had set fire to the city, and a number of them was seized and put to death. This was the first persecution of the Christians by the Romans, 64A.D.
22.ā saxō: sc.Tarpēiā.
23.lībertī: his name was Phaon.
Salariam: theVia Salariaran north from Rome to Ancona on the Adriatic.
24.interfēcit: “At last comes Phaon’s courier with the news that the senate had put a price upon his head; the tramp of the horses tells him that his pursuers are on his track, and fear gives him the nerve to put the dagger to his throat, while, true to the passion of his life, he mutters, ‘What a loss my death will be to art!’”The Early Empire, p. 127.
25.Nerōniānae: the ruins of the bath may still be seen near the Pantheon.
1.Serv. Galba: Servius Sulpicius Galba was born in the reign of Augustus of a patrician family. He was in Spain when Julius Vindex, the proconsular governor of Gaul, rose against Nero. Galba joined him, and Otho, governor of Lusitania, followed his example. He was saluted as emperor by the soldiers, and the senate was forced to ratify their choice. The emperors from this time on were set up and overthrown at the will of the army. He was very parsimonious in his dealings and so lost the good will of the soldiers, who were ready to aid any revolt against him. He ruled for only seven months. Creighton, p. 96;The Early Empire, Ch. VI.
12.Otho: Marcus Salvius Otho was Roman emperor from January 15 to April 16, 69A.D.He was the husband of the beautiful but infamous Poppaea Sabina, whom Nero took from him and made his own. He was afterwards sent to Lusitania, where he governed with justice and moderation. Creighton, p. 96;The Early Empire, Ch. VII.
14.mollis: ‘effeminate.’
22.voluntāriā morte obiit: he put an end to his life at Brixellum in Cisalpine Gaul.
23.nōnāgēsimō et quīntō imperiī diē: Eutropius is slightly mistaken.
1.Vitellius: Aulus Vitellius was Roman emperor from January 2 to December 22, 69A.D.When the news of Galba’s death reached Upper Germany, where Vitellius was in command, his legions proclaimed him emperor at Cologne. He immediately sent his generals, Fabius Valens and Caecina, at the head of a large force, to Italy, and, having defeated Otho’s troops, obtained the undisputed command of all the West. He was moderate in his rule, disturbingno one in the enjoyment of what had been given by Nero, Galba, or Otho. He was a glutton and an epicure, spending enormous sums on his table. Creighton, p. 96;The Early Empire, Ch. VIII.
10.id … ferret: ‘aimed so openly at this.’
13.cum Capitōliō: “In the confusion of the fight the famous temple of Jupiter caught fire. All were too busy to give time or thought to stay the flames, and in a few hours only ruins were left of the greatest of the national monuments of Rome, which, full of the associations of the past, had served for ages as a sort of record office in which were treasured the memorials of ancient history, the laws, the treaties, and the proclamations of old times. The loss was one that could not be replaced.”The Early Empire, p. 146.
17.in Tiberim … sepultūrā: Eutropius is mistaken. His body was recovered and buried by his wife, Galeria Fundana.
20.Vespasiānus: Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasian. He was proclaimed emperor at Alexandria on the 1st of July, 69A.D., although it was a year before he entered Rome. He lived more like a private person than like the emperor of Rome. The many stories that are told of his avarice and his methods of raising money are probably exaggerated. Although he was frugal in his personal expenditures, he spent large sums in adorning the city. He was the first of the Flavian dynasty. The others were his two sons and successors. He died on the 24th of June, 79A.D.“His last words were characteristic of his somewhat cynical humour, ‘Methinks I am becoming a god.’” Creighton, p. 96;The Early Empire, Ch. IX.
8.Hierosolyma: Vespasian was besieging Jerusalem when the war broke out between Otho and Vitellius. When he started for Rome he left Titus, his son, in charge of the war against the Jews. Titus captured the city after a stubborn siege of five months, September 8, 70A.D., and despite his efforts the Temple was burned. Thousands of Jews perished in the siege.
11.ēgerant＝fuerant.
15.coërcitor: ‘enforcer’; the word isapax legomenon.
hīc … triumphāvit: in 71A.D.when Titus returned to Rome.
20.genitūram … habuit: ‘he so knew the horoscope of his sons.’
25.Titus: Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasian. His early years were spent in military service in Britain and Germany. He won great credit as a general and a soldier. When he returned to Rome after the fall of Jerusalem, he conducted himself in such a manner as to cause a fear that his rule would resemble that of Nero. But after he became emperor he changed his manner of living, and his whole reign was marked by a sincere desire for the happiness of his people. Theyear 79A.D.is memorable for the great eruption of Vesuvius, attended by the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum. He completed the Colosseum, often called the Flavian Amphitheater. When he died, after a reign of only two years, there was a suspicion that he had been poisoned by his brother Domitian. Creighton, p. 98;The Early Empire, Ch. X.
26.omnium … mīrābilis: ‘remarkable for every species of virtue.’
17.tamquam … orbitāte: ‘mourned as for a loss in their own families.’
21.Domitiānus: Titus Flavius Domitian. Vespasian was aware of his son’s disposition and put no confidence in him. When Vespasian died, Domitian tried to arouse the soldiers against his brother Titus. After his brother became emperor, Domitian was treated with great kindness, and several offices were shared with him. At first mild and just, he soon became suspicious and cruel. In Britain alone were the Roman arms successful during his reign. In all other places defeat and disgraceful compromises with the enemy marked his campaigns. Finally his cruelty became unbearable, and a conspiracy was formed by the officers of the guard, several of his intimate friends, and even his wife Domatilla, and he was slain after a desperate struggle. Creighton, p. 98;The Early Empire, Ch. XI.
27.dominum: here it has the New Testament meaning, ‘Lord.’
13.Palātiō: in the Flavian Palace on the Palatine Hill. Extensive remains of this structure still exist. At first the wordPalātiumwas applied only to the hill, but from the time of Augustus it meant a ‘palace,’ especially the imperial palace of the Caesars.
20.Nerva: Marcus Cocceius Nerva was born at Narnia in Umbria in 32A.D.He was consul with Vespasian in 71A.D.and with Domitian in 90A.D.After the assassination of Domitian he was declared emperor by the Roman people and the soldiers, and his administration restored tranquillity to the troubled state. He stopped proceedings against those accused of treason and permitted many exiles to return. Though he was virtuous and humane, he did not possess the necessary vigor for checking the many abuses that existed. He adopted as his son and successor Marcus Ulpius Traian, who was then at the head of the army in Germany. He died suddenly on the 27th of January, 98A.D.Creighton, p. 99;The Age of the Antonines, Ch. I.
22.operam dante: ‘giving him aid, assisting him.’
Petrōniō Secundō, Partheniō: Nerva could not prevent the Praetorian soldiers from putting them to death.
3.aetātis … annō: Eutropius is mistaken. He was sixty-five years old when he died.
4.inter Dīvōs relātus est: cf.Dīvus appellātus, Bk. VII, 10.
5.Trāiānus: Marcus Ulpius Traian was born at Italica near Seville in Spain, September 18, 52A.D.He was trained to arms, and rose through the various offices to the rank of praetor. He was adopted by Nerva in 97A.D.After Nerva’s death he became emperor, being the first Roman emperor who was born out of Italy. He was a great soldier and a good administrator. Good sense, a knowledge of the world, and sound judgment characterized him. Just and sincere in his desire for the happiness of the people, he was one of the best emperors that governed Rome. He crushed the Dacians, successfully waged war against the Parthians, and brought peace and prosperity to the whole Roman world. Creighton, p. 99;The Age of the Antonines, Ch. II.
13.Dāciam: Trajan conducted two campaigns against the Dacians, 101-103A.D.and 104-106A.D.On his return from the second campaign he celebrated a triumph and entertained the people with games lasting 123 days. “It is said that 11,000 animals were slaughtered during these amusements, and that 10,000 gladiators fought in the arena.”
16.tenuit＝habuit.
17.Armeniam: Trajan began this campaign in 114A.D.The winter of the same year he spent at Antioch. During the next two years he conquered the greater part of the Parthian empire, taking the capital city Ctesiphon.
3.amīcōs … frequentāns: ‘going often to his friends to salute them.’
4.fēstōs diēs habuissent: ‘they were celebrating feast days.’
indiscrēta: ‘with no distinction of rank.’
6.nihil … agēns: his finances were prosperous, partly owing to good management, and partly from the success of certain mining operations in Dacia.
9.per orbem … multa: “He constructed several good roads in the provinces and Italy; among them was the road across the Pomptine Marshes. At Ostia he built a large new basin. At Rome he constructed the aqueduct called by his name, built a theater in the Campus Martius, and, above all, made the Forum Traianum, with its basilicas and libraries, and his column in the center.”
10.nihil nōn: the figure of Litotes, affirming a thing by denying its contrary; cf.nōn compāruisset, Bk. I, 2.
19.bellī domīque: H. 484, 2 (426, 2); M. 242, 2; A. & G. 258,d; G. 411, 2; B. 232, 2.
20.Seleuciam: it is generally stated that he lived to reach Selinus in Cilicia, where he died in August, 117A.D.
23.sōlus … sepultus est: he was the only one of the emperors who was buried within the city.This privilege was enjoyed by the Vestal Virgins.
24.in forō: theForum Trāiānumwas probably the most magnificent of all the Roman fora. It occupied a large space between the Capitoline and the Quirinal Hills, the latter of which was cut away to make room for it. Among the many buildings it contained were two libraries, one for Latin and the other for Greek manuscripts. It contained also the famous Column of Trajan. This column, composed of huge drums of white marble, is pierced within. A bas-relief of the chief events of the Dacian war winds round the shaft. It is still standing.
25.CXLIV pedēs: this was the height of the Quirinal Hill that was cut away.
26.habet＝est.
hūius … dēlātum est: ‘so much respect has been paid to his memory.’
3.Aelius Hadriānus: Publius Aelius Hadrian was with Trajan when the latter died. With the consent of the Syrian army he assumed the reins of government and his act was ratified by the senate. Although he lost some of the territory that Trajan had added to the Empire, he strengthened and united the remainder. He was, in general, a just and able ruler; yet at times he showed himself revengeful, suspicious, and cruel. He died of dropsy at Baiae, 138A.D., in the sixty-third year of his life. Creighton, p. 100;The Age of the Antonines, Ch. III.
7.glōriae invidēns: more probably he saw that the Empire had become too large to be governed successfully.
17.orbem Rōmānum circumiit: he visited every province in the Empire, correcting abuses, and examining the administration of government.
18.multa aedificāvit: among other famous buildings the Mausoleum of Hadrian, now called the Castle of St. Angelo.
27.T. Antōnīnus: his full name was Titus Aurelius Fulvius Boionius Antoninus, called Pius because he persuaded the senate to grant to his adopted father Hadrian the apotheosis and other honors usually paid to deceased emperors. “His reign is almost a blank in history—a blank caused by a suspension for a time of war, violence, and crime.” Although he waged no war for conquest, he defended the provinces with vigor, warring against the Moors and Britons, and the untamed races of the Rhine and the Danube. Creighton, p. 101;The Age of the Antonines, Ch. IV.
6.bonīs honōrem habēns: ‘paying respect to the good.’
14.Lorium: in Etruria on theVia Aurelia.
18.M. Antōnīnus Vērus: he is generally known as Marcus Aurelius. He was the adopted son of Antoninus Pius. When onlytwelve years old he assumed the philosophic mantle and gave himself up to the study of philosophy, attaching himself to the Stoic school. After he became emperor he associated Lucius Antoninus Verus, his brother, with him in the government. Although they were entirely different in character, they reigned conjointly with no disagreement. His ‘Meditations’ have survived. Creighton, p. 101;The Age of the Antonines, Ch. V.
23.singulōs … Augustōs: ‘one Augustus (emperor) at a time.’
28.contrā Parthōs: Lucius Verus nominally had the guidance of the war, but it was carried on by his lieutenants while he lingered in Antioch.
21.Apollōnium Chalcēdōnium: called Apollonius Dyscolus. “He is the father of scientific Grammar, being the first to reduce it to a systematic form.”
24.Frontō: Marcus Cornelius Fronto. He acquired great reputation as a rhetorician and grammarian at Rome in the reign of Hadrian. Some of his letters to his pupils, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, were found in the present century.
hīc … ēgit: ‘he treated all at Rome with equality.’
26.prōvinciās … trāctāvit: he did not visit the provinces, but kept himself thoroughly informed of the details of their administration.
1.eō prīncipe: ‘during his reign’; cf.hīs rēgnantibus, Bk. I, 2.
bellum … Marcomannicum: the Marcomanni, ‘men of the marshes,’ were a German tribe that threatened destruction to the Roman Empire. For thirteen years Marcus Aurelius with difficulty held them in check. He built many fortresses and a great wall to restrain them.
2.quantum … fuit: ‘it was greater than any in the memory of man’;i.e.there had been no war with the Germans equally formidable.
5.pestilentiae: the plague broke out in 167A.D.and lasted for several years, despite all efforts to check its ravages. It was probably brought to Rome by the soldiers returning from the expedition against the Parthians.
10.Quādī: a powerful people who dwelt in the southeastern part of Germany. They had been taken under the protection of Rome by Tiberius. In 174A.D.Marcus Aurelius defeated them in a fierce battle. They appear again during the reign of Gallienus (Bk. IX, 8). Towards the end of the fourth century they disappear from history.The Age of the Antonines, pp. 106-108.
Vandalī: a confederacy of German peoples, who dwelt originally on the northern coast of Germany. Later they settled north of the Marcomanni, whom they joined. They invaded Spain, and later Africa. Under their king Genseric they invaded Italy, and took and plundered Rome, 455A.D.
Suēvī: an important confederacy of German tribes. Their name survives in the modern Suabia.
13.Caesarem fēcerat: the title of Caesar was now given to the person next in rank to the emperor, and who was intended to succeed him.
15.indīcere … aliquid: ‘to make any demands on the provinces or the senate.’
16.īnstrumentum rēgiī cultūs: ‘royal furniture.’
22.comparāta: ‘their purchases.’
28.obiit: he died at Vindobona, now Vienna.
29.vītae LXI: it is generally said that he died in the fifty-ninth year of his life.
1.L. Antōnīnus Commodus: he was the son of Marcus Aurelius, but like him in no respect. After concluding a disgraceful treaty with the Germans, he hastened to Rome, where he gave himself up to the grossest vices. Creighton, p. 102.
6.in amphitheātrō: he was the conqueror in 735 combats. Nothing delighted him more than to be called the ‘Hercules of Rome.’
7.strangulātus vel venēnō: he was poisoned and afterwards strangled by his favorite Marcia.
11.Pertināx: Creighton, p. 103.
18.perpetuum composuit ēdictum: this was a digest of the mass of edicts that had been issued by the praetors and the provincial governors. It was the basis of theCorpus Iūris Cīvīlisof Justinian.
19.Mulvium pontem: about two miles north of Rome, on theVia Flaminia. Here the ambassadors of the Allobroges, that had been tampered with by the fellow-conspirators of Catiline, were arrested, 63B.C.The foundations of this bridge still remain and are built into the Ponte Mollo at the same place.
21.Septimius Sevērus: Lucius Septimius Severus was commander in chief of the army in Pannonia and Illyria at the death of Pertinax, 193A.D.He was proclaimed emperor by the army. For nearly a hundred years the emperors were made and unmade at the will of the soldiers. Creighton, p. 104.
23.omnī memoriā: ‘in all time.’
24.fiscī advocātus: a Roman officer appointed to look after the interests of the imperial treasury.
16.vāllum … dēdūxit: the celebrated wall of Severus, extending from the Solway Firth to the mouth of the Tyne. It was erected to prevent incursions of the Caledonians.
17.Eborācī: the modern York.
22.Geta … periit: he was murdered by order of Caracalla.
23.Caracalla: the name of Caracalla was derived from a species of Gallic cassock he introduced at Rome.
24.mōrum … fuit: his whole life was only one series of crueltiesand acts of extravagant folly. Creighton, p. 105.
25.thermae Antōnīniānae: these accommodated about 1600 persons at once. The ruins are still to be seen.
9.M. Aurēlius Antōnīnus: known in history as Heliogabalus. He was the grandson of Maesa, sister-in-law of Septimius Severus, and the son of Symiasera. He was priest in the temple of the Sun at Emesa in Syria when Caracalla died. Through the instrumentality of his grandmother he was proclaimed emperor by the soldiers and acknowledged by the senate. He was the most profligate of the Roman emperors.
16.Aurēlius Alexander: Marcus Aurelius Alexander, generally known as Alexander Severus. He had been adopted by Heliogabalus and had been created Caesar. “He was distinguished by justice, wisdom, and clemency in all public transactions, and by the simplicity and purity of his private life.” Creighton, p. 106.
20.adsessōrem: ‘legal adviser.’
21.Ulpiānum: Domitius Ulpianus was one of the most celebrated Roman lawyers. His works are often quoted in theCorpus Iūris Cīvīlisof Justinian. He was assassinated in a mutiny of the soldiers caused by his strict discipline.
1.Māximīnus: his full name was Gaius Iulius Verus Maximinus. He was born of barbaric parentage, his father being a Goth and his mother a German. He was famous for his gigantic size and his marvelous feats of strength. His government was characterized by oppression and excesses.
9.Gordiānus: Marcus Antonius Gordianus was the grandson of the elder Gordianus. He was a mere boy, probably not more than twelve years old, when he was proclaimed emperor by the soldiers.
1.Philippī: Marcus Iulius Philippus I was an Arabian by birth. After the death of Misithus, the father-in-law of Gordianus, he became praetorian praefect, and caused the soldiers to revolt, to slay Gordianus, and to proclaim himself emperor. He proclaimed his son of the same name Caesar, though he was only seven years old.
3.mīllēsimus annus: this anniversary was marked by the celebration of the Saecular Games with unusual magnificence, 248A.D.
8.Decius: his full name was Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius. He was sent by Philippus to Moesia to crush an insurrection, and was compelled by the soldiers to proclaim himself emperor. His reign was occupied chiefly with warring against the Goths. He persecuted the Christians with great severity.
21.exstinctus est: he was slain by the soldiers.
23.Galliēnus: the son of Valerianus.
5.superātus est: at first Valerianus was successful; but he followed the enemy too rashly. He was captured near Edessa. After his death his skin was stuffed and long preserved as a trophy in the chief temple of the nation.
22.Postumus: this period is known as the ‘Rule of the Thirty Tyrants.’ These men, who revolted from Gallienus and set up separate governments for themselves, were noted in the main for their courage. They repelled the invaders and established governments that gave peace and security to their provinces.
28.vīlissimus opifex: he is said to have been a smith,ferrī opifex.
3.mātrimōnia: here has a concrete meaning, ‘wives.’
10.Odenāthum: he was the ruler of Palmyra. He checked the incursions of the Persians and drove Sapor out of Syria. In return for these services Gallienus honored him with the title of Augustus.
16.occīsus est: he was slain by his soldiers while besieging Milan.
18.Gothōs … vīcit: he conquered the Goths at Naisus in Dardania and received the surname Gothicus in consequence.
3.Aurēliānus: his reign presents a succession of brilliant exploits, and it seemed for a time that he would restore Rome to her former position. The Goths, Vandals, and the Alemanni were conquered. Zenobia, who had succeeded her husband as ruler of Palmyra, was captured and carried to Rome. Tetricus was crushed near Catalauni. Aurelian commenced many works of public utility, including a new city wall. He was on his way to chastise the Persians when he was killed by some of his officers, a conspiracy having been formed against him. Creighton, p. 109.
11. ‘Ēripe mē’:Aeneid, VI, 365.
12.Zēnobiam: she was not content with the power she had, but tried to extend her sway over all Syria, Asia, and Egypt. Aurelian captured Palmyra in 273A.D., and took her prisoner. After adorning his triumphal procession, her life was spared and she lived near Tibur for several years.
occīsō Odenāthō: it is said that he was assassinated and that Zenobia had a hand in it.
2.Dāciam … intermīsit: he made the Danube the boundary of the empire, as Augustus had done.
8.servī: the private secretary of the emperor. He is generally said to have been a freedman.
13.mors … fuit: Tacitus had the assassins put to death soon after the beginning of his reign.
21.Probus: his full name was Marcus Aurelius Probus. He was as just and virtuous as hewas warlike, and is deservedly regarded as one of the greatest and best of the Roman emperors.
27.apud Sirmium: it was his birthplace.
4.tumultū mīlitārī: the soldiers mutinied because he had employed them in laborious public works.
14.oculōrum dolōre correptus: ‘affected with a disease of the eye.’
24.mātrimōnia: cf.mātrimōnia, Ch. 9.
4.Dioclētiānum: he was born near Salona in Dalmatia. He rose in the army from one position to another until on the assassination of Numerianus he was chosen emperor. He made a great change in the system of government. In 286A.D.he associated Maximianus with himself as a colleague and gave him the title of Augustus. Six years later, 292A.D., Constantius Chlorus and Galerius were proclaimed Caesars, and the government of the Roman world was divided among four men, Diocletian taking the East, with Nicomedia as his residence; Maximianus taking Italy and Africa, with Milan as his residence; Constantius taking Britain, Gaul, and Spain, with Treves as his residence; Galerius taking Illyricum and the whole line of the Danube, with Sirmium as his residence. This division was natural and possessed many advantages. It was the only way that the falling empire could be preserved, and a semblance of union retained. Creighton, p. 109.
22.strēnuae mīlitiae ōrdine: ‘by a course of active service.’
24.accēpisset: sc.imperium.
29.Britanniās occupāvit: in 287A.D.
5.Cōnstantium: surnamed Chlorus, ‘the pale.’
6.nepōs Claudī: ‘the grandnephew of Claudius.’ He was the son of Eutropius, a Dardanian noble, and Claudia, daughter of Chrispus, the brother of Claudius.
14.pāx convēnit: Carausius was recognized as a colleague.
18.extrīnsecus＝praetereā, a late usage.
28.rēgiae cōnsuētūdinis fōrmam: Diocletian introduced the customs of an Oriental monarch. He wore the diadem, the robes of silk and gold, and replaced the republican form of salutation by the adoring prostration of the East.
9.ingravēscente aevō: he was sixty years old, being born in 245A.D., and abdicating in 305A.D.
17.pompā ferculōrum inlūstrī: ‘with a famous succession of pictures.’Ferculaare representations of cities, rivers, and other objects in the conquered countries, carried in procession at a triumph.
24.post nātōs hominēs: ‘since men were created.’
11.adeō … modicī: ‘of so modest a mode of living.’
13.argentō: ‘silver plate.’
trīclīnia: properly a couch for three persons reclining at meals. Here it means the table, which was square, and surrounded on three sides by one-armed couches, while the fourth side remained open for convenience in serving. Each couch accommodated three persons, who reclined upon the left arm.
14.Gallīs: he had reserved Gaul for his peculiar province.
17.Eborācī: he was on an expedition against the Picts.
1.Cōnstantīnus: known in history as Constantine the Great. The most important change he introduced was the adoption of Christianity as the state religion. The story is told that while marching from Gaul at the head of his legions, he saw in the heavens a luminous cross with this inscription, ‘By this conquer.’ In 313A.D.he issued the famous Milan decree that gave imperial sanction to the religion of the Christians. Although he openly acknowledged Christianity, his religion was a strange mixture of Christianity and Paganism. Creighton, p. 112.
6.in vīllā pūblicā: a building in the Campus Martius, intended for a lodging house or hotel for foreign ambassadors.
11.quās … habuit: ‘which he utterly disregarded.’
18.nūdāre: ‘to deprive of his power.’
1.Licinius: his full name was Publius Flavius Galerius Valerius Licinianus Licinius. By birth he was a Dacian peasant, and an early friend and companion of the Emperor Galerius. He was invested with the command of the Illyrian province in 307A.D.After the death of Galerius he concluded an arrangement with Maximinus, by which the Hellespont and the Bosporus were to form the boundary of the two empires. After his marriage with the sister of Constantine, he and Constantine strove with each other for the undivided sovereignty of the Roman world.
20.apud Cibalās: this was in the great battle of Adrianople, July, 323A.D., and was followed by the reduction of Byzantium.
25.apud Nicomediam: this victory, September, 323A.D., made Constantine the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. Licinius was made a prisoner, and although his life was spared for a time, Constantine had him put to death in 324A.D.
27.tribus Caesaribus: they were the sons of Constantine the Great, Constantine, Constans, and Constantius.
20.urbem nōminis: Constantinople, a city which he built on the site of ancient Byzantium. This he aimed to make his capital city. Here he had a second senate, a praefect of the city, regiones, and even largesses; all of which showed that the supremacy of Rome was at an end.
24.in vīllā pūblicā: a buildingsimilar in character to the one at Rome, Ch. 2.
15.Cōnstantī: he ruled from 337 to 361A.D.He was the third son of Constantine the Great. Under him the whole empire again became subject to one ruler. But in 355A.D.he was compelled to make Julian Caesar and to send him into Gaul to oppose the barbarians.
24.Iūliānum: called the Apostate, because, although he had been brought up a Christian, later he rejected Christianity and returned to Paganism. He was a brave soldier and a good general. Forced by his soldiers to assume the purple, he hesitated to begin a civil war, but was relieved of the necessity by the opportune death of Constantius in 361A.D.“Julian was an extraordinary character. As a monarch, he was indefatigable in his attention to business, upright in his administration, and comprehensive in his views; as a man, he was virtuous in the midst of a profligate age, and did not yield to the luxurious temptations to which he was exposed.” Many of his literary works are extant. Creighton, p. 116.
21.cuī … interfuī: what part Eutropius took in this expedition is not known.
24.remeāns victor: in the last battle fought on the 26th of June, Julian was mortally wounded by an arrow and died the same day.
15.Ioviānus: his full name was Flavius Claudius Jovian. His short reign is remarkable only for the disgraceful peace he made with the Persians. Although he was a Christian, he protected the pagans.
20.fīnibus: he agreed that the Romans would surrender their conquests beyond the Tigris and would give up several fortresses in Mesopotamia.
24.Pontium Telesīnum: it is generally stated that Gavius Pontius was the leader of the Samnites in the battle of Caudine Forks. Perhaps Eutropius confuses him with Pontius Telesinus, the leader of the Samnites in the Social war.
8.nimiā crūditāte: ‘violent indigestion.’
21.quam … reservāmus: whether he ever fulfilled his intention and wrote another book is unknown.