VI. CHAP. of Caracalla, with the bravery, the tendernefs, the elegant genius of Offian; the mercenary chiefs who, from motives of fear or intereft, ferved under the Imperial ftàndard, with the freeborn warriors who ftarted to arms at the voice of the King of Morven; if, in a word, we contemplated the untutored Caledonians, glowing with the warm virtues of nature, and the degenerate Romans, polluted with the mean vices of wealth and flavery. Ambition of Cara calla. The declining health and laft illness of Severus inflamed the wild ambition and black paffions of Caracalla's foul. Impatient of any delay or divifion of empire, he attempted, more than once, to fhorten the fmall remainder of his father's days, and endeavoured, but without fuccefs, to excite a mutiny among the troops ". The old Emperor had often cenfured the mifguided lenity of Marcus, who, by a fingle act of justice, might have faved the Romans from the tyranny of his worthlefs fon. Placed in the fame fituation, he experienced how eafily the rigour of a judge diffolves away in the tenderness of a parent. He deliberated, he threatened, but he could not punish; and this last and only inftance of mercy was more fatal to the empire Death of than a long feries of cruelty". The diforder of his mind irritated the pains of his body; he wifhed impatiently for death, and haftened the inftant of it by his impatience. He expired at Severus, and accef fion of his two fons, A.D.411. 4th Fe bruary. : 15 Dion, 1. lxxvi. p. 1282. Hift. Auguft. p. 71. Aurel. Victor. York VI. York in the fixty-fifth year of his life, and in CHAP. the eighteenth of a glorious and fuccefsful reign. In his laft moments he recommended concord to his fons, and his fons to the army. The falutary advice never reached the heart, or even the understanding, of the impetuous youths; but the more obedient troops, mindful of their oath of allegiance, and of the authority of their deceased mafter, refifted the folicitations of Caracalla, and proclaimed both brothers Em perors of Rome. The new princes foon left the Caledonians in peace, returned to the capital, celebrated their father's funeral with divine honours, and were cheerfully acknowledged as lawful fovereigns, by the fenate, the people, and the provinces. Some pre-eminence of rank feems to have been allowed to the elder brother; but they both administered the empire with equal and independent power ". and hatred of the two Such a divided form of government would Jealoufy have proved a fource of difcord between the most affectionate brothers. It was impoffible Emperors. that it could long fubfift between two implacable enemies, who neither defired nor could truft a reconciliation. It was vifible that one only could reign, and that the other muft fall; and each of them judging of his rival's defigns by his own, guarded his life with the most jealous vigilance from the repeated attacks of poifon or the fword. Their rapid journey through Gaul and Italy, during which they 17 Dion, 1. lxxvi. p. 1284. Herodian, 1. iii. p. 135. P 2 never VI. CH A P. never eat at the same table, or slept in the fame houfe, difplayed to the provinces the odious fpectacle of fraternal difcord. On their arrival at Rome, they immediately divided the vaft extent of the Imperial palace". No communication was allowed between their apartments; the doors and paffages were diligently fortified, and guards pofted and relieved with the fame ftrictness as in a befieged place. The Emperors met only in public, in the presence of their afflicted mother; and each furrounded by a numerous train of armed followers. Even on thefe occafions of ceremony, the diffimulation of courts could ill disguise the rancour of their hearts 1o. Fruitless negociation for dividing the empire between them. This latent civil war already distracted the whole government, when a scheme was fuggefted that feemed of mutual benefit to the 18 Mr. Hume is juftly surprised at a paffage of Herodian (1. iv. p. 139.), who, on this occafion, represents the Imperial palace as equal in extent to the reft of Rome. The whole region of the Palatine Mount on which it was built, occupied, at moft, a circumference of eleven or twelve thousand feet (see the Notitia and Victor, in Nardini's Roma Antica). But we fhould recollect that the opulent fenators had almost surrounded the city with their extenfive gardens and fuperb palaces, the greatest part of which had been gradually confiscated by the Emperors. If Geta refided in the gardens that bore his name on the Janiculum, and if Caracalla inhabited the gardens of Macenas on the Efqueline, the rival brothers were feparated from each other by the distance of feveral miles; and yet the intermediate space was filled by the Imperial gardens of Salluft, of Lucullus, of Agrippa, of Domitian, of Caius, &c. all skirting round the city, and all connected with each other, and with the palace, by bridges thrown over the Tiber and the streets. But this explanation of Herodian would require, though it ill deserves, a párticular differtation, illuftrated by a map of ancient Rome. 19 Herodian, 1.iv. p. 139. hoftile VI. hoftile brothers. It was propofed, that fince it CHA P. was impoffible to reconcile their minds, they fhould feparate their intereft, and divide the empire between them. The conditions of the treaty were already drawn with fome accuracy. It was agreed, that Caracalla, as the elder brother, fhould remain in poffeffion of Europe and the western Africa, and that he should relinquish the fovereignty of Afia and Egypt to Geta, who might fix his refidence at Alexandria or Antioch, cities little inferior to Rome itself in wealth and greatnefs; that numerous armies should be constantly encamped on either fide of the Thracian Bofphorus, to guard the frontiers of the rival monarchies; and that the fenators of European extraction fhould acknowledge the fovereign of Rome, whilft the natives of Afia followed the Emperor of the Eaft. The tears of the Empress Julia interrupted the negociation, the firft idea of which had filled every Roman breast with surprise and indignation. The mighty mafs of conqueft was fo intimately united by the hand of time and policy, that it required the moft forcible violence to rend it afunder. Romans had reafon to dread, that the disjointed members would foon be reduced by a civil war under the dominion of one mafter; but if the feparation was permanent, the divifion of the provinces must terminate in the diffolution of an empire whofe unity had hitherto remained inviolate 20 The CHAP. VI. Geta. AD. 212. 27th February. Had the treaty been carried into execution, the fovereign of Europe might foon have been Murder of the conqueror of Afia; but Caracalla obtained an eafier though a more guilty victory. He artfully liftened to his mother's entreaties, and confented to meet his brother in her apartment, on terms of peace and reconciliation. In the midft of their converfation, fome centurions, who had contrived to conceal themfelves, rufhed with drawn fwords upon the unfortunate Geta. His diftracted mother ftrove to protect him in her arms; but, in the unavailing ftruggle, fhe was wounded in the hand, and covered with the blood of her younger fon, while fhe faw the elder animating and affifting the fury of the affaffins. As foon as the deed was perpetrated, Caracalla, with hafty steps, and horror in his countenance, ran towards the Prætorian camp as his only refuge, and threw himself on the ground before the ftatues of the tutelar deities 2. The foldiers attempted to raise and comfort him. In broken and difordered words he informed them of his imminent danger and fortunate efcape; infinuating that he had prevented the designs of his enemy, and declared his refolution to live and die with his 21 22 Caracalla confecrated, in the temple of Serapis, the fword, with which, as he boasted, he had flain his brother Geta. Dion, 1. lxxvii. p. 1307. 22 Herodian, I. iv. p. 147. In every Roman camp there was a fmall chapel near the head quarters, in which the statues of the tutelar deities were preferved and adored; and we may remark, that the eagles, and other military enfigns, were in the first rank of these deities; an excellent inftitution, which confirmed difcipline by the fanction of religion. See Lipfius de Militiâ Romanâ, iv. 5. v. 2. faithful |