VI. To this temple, as to the common centre of c HAP. religious worship, the Imperial fanatic attempted to remove the Ancilia, the Palladium 54, and all the facred pledges of the faith of Numa. A crowd of inferior deities attended in various ftations the majesty of the god of Emefa; but his court was still imperfect, till a female of diftinguished rank was admitted to his bed. Pallas had been first chofen for his confort; but as it was dreaded left her warlike terrors might affright the foft delicacy of a Syrian deity, the Moon, adored by the Africans under the name of Aftarte, was deemed a more suitable companion for the Sun. Her image, with the rich offerings of her temple as a marriage portion, was tranfported with folemn pomp from Carthage to Rome, and the day of these mystic nuptials was a general festival in the capital and throughout the empire ss. effeminate A rational voluptuary adheres with invariable His proflirespect to the temperate dictates of nature, and gate and improves the gratifications of fenfe by focial in- luxury. tercourse, endearing connections, and the foft colouring of taste and the imagination. But Elagabalus (I speak of the Emperor of that name), 54 He broke into the fanctuary of Vesta, and carried away a ftatue, which he supposed to be the Palladium; but the vestals boasted, that, by a pious fraud, they had imposed a counterfeit image on the profane intruder. Hift. Auguft. p. 103. 55 Dion, 1. lxxix. p. 1360. Herodian, l. v. p. 193. The fubjects of the empire were obliged to make liberal presents to the newmarried couple; and whatever they had promised during the life of Elagabalus, was carefully exacted under the adminiftration of Mamaa. corrupted VI. 56 CHA P. corrupted by his youth, his country, and his fortune, abandoned himself to the groffeft pleafures with ungoverned fury, and foon found difguft and fatiety in the midft of his enjoyments. The inflammatory powers of art were fummoned to his aid the confufed multitude of women, of wines, and of dishes, and the ftudied variety of attitudes and fauces, ferved to revive his languid appetites. New terms and new inventions in thefe fciences, the only ones cultivated and patronised by the monarch 5, fignalized his reign, and tranfmitted his infamy to fucceeding times. A capricious prodigality fupplied the want of tafte and elegance; and whilft Elagabalus lavished away the treasures of his people in the wildeft extravagance, his own voice and that of his flatterers applauded a spirit and magnificence unknown to the tamenefs of his predeceffors, To confound the order of feafons and climates ", to sport with the paffions and prejudices of his fubjects, and to fubvert every law of nature and decency, were in the number of his moft delicious amufements. A long train of concubines, and a rapid fucceffion of wives, among whom was a veftal virgin, ravished by force from her 56 The invention of a new fauce was liberally rewarded; but if it was not relished, the inventor was confined to eat of nothing else, till he had discovered another more agreeable to the Imperial palate. Hift. Auguft. p. III. 57 He never would eat fea-fish except at a great diftance from the fea; he then would diftribute vaft quantities of the rareft forts, brought at an immenfe expence, to the peasants of the inland country. Hift. Aug. p. 109. facred 237 VI. facred afylum s, were infufficient to fatisfy the CHAP. impotence of his paffions. The master of the Roman world affected to copy the drefs and manners of the female fex, preferred the diftaff to the fceptre, and dishonoured the principal dignities of the empire by diftributing them among his numerous lovers; one of whom was publickly invested with the title and authority of the Emperor's, or as he more properly ftyled himself, of the Emprefs's husband 59. Contempt which dif tyrants. It may feem probable, the vices and follies of Elagabalus have been adorned by fancy, and of decency blackened by prejudice. Yet confining our- tinguished felves to the public fcenes difplayed before the the Roman Roman people, and attefted by grave and contemporary hiftorians, their inexpreffible infamy furpaffes that of any other age or country. The licence of an eastern monarch is fecluded from the eye of curiofity by the inacceffible walls of his feraglio. The fentiments of honour and gallantry have introduced a refinement of pleafure, a regard for decency, and a refpect for the public opinion, into the modern courts of Europe; but the corrupt and opulent nobles of 59 Dion. 1. lxxix. p. 1358. Herodian, I. v. p. 192. 59 Hierocles enjoyed that honour; but he would have been fupplanted by one Zoticus, had he not contrived, by a potion, to ener vate the powers of his rival, who being found on trial unequal to his reputation, was driven with ignominy from the palace. Dion, l.lxxix. p. 1363, 1364. A dancer was made præfect of the city, a charioteer præfect of the watch, a barber præfect of the provifions. These three minifters, with many inferior officers, were all recommended, enormitate membrorum. Hift. Auguft. p. 105. 60 Even the credulous compiler of his life, in the Auguftan Hiftory (p. 111.), is inclined to fufpect that his vices may have been exaggerated. Rome VI. CHAP. Rome gratified every vice that could be collected from the mighty conflux of nations and manners. Secure of impunity, carelefs of cen fure, they lived without restraint in the patient and humble fociety of their flaves and parafites. The Emperor, in his turn, viewing every rank of his fubjects with the fame contemptuous indifference, afferted without control his fovereign privilege of luft and luxury. Difcon tents of the army. The moft worthlefs of mankind are not afraid to condemn in others the fame diforders which they allow in themfelves; and can readily difcover fome nice difference of age, character, or ftation, to juftify the partial diftinction. The licentious foldiers, who had raised to the throne the diffolute fon of Caracalla, blushed at their ignominious choice, and turned with difguft from that monster, to contemplate with pleasure the opening virtues of his coufin Alexander the fon of Mamaa. The crafty Mæsa, sensible that her grandfon Elagabalus must inevitably destroy himfelf by his own vices, had provided another and furer fupport of her family. Embracing a favourable moment of fondness and devotion, she had perfuaded the young Emperor to adopt AlexAlexander ander, and to invest him with the title of Cæfar, Severus that his own divine occupations might be no longer interrupted by the care of the earth. In the fecond rank that amiable prince foon acquired the affections of the public, and excited the tyrant's jealoufy, who refolved to terminate the dangerous competition, either by corrupting the manners, or by taking away the life, of his rival. declared Cæfar. A.D. 221. VI. His arts proved unfuccefsful; his vain defigns CHA P. were conftantly discovered by his own loquacious folly, and disappointed by thofe virtuous and faithful fervants whom the prudence of Mamaa had placed about the perfon of her fon. In a hafty fally of paffion, Elagabalus refolved to execute by force what he had been unable to compafs by fraud, and by a defpotic fentence degraded his coufin from the rank and honours of Cæfar. The meffage was received in the senate with filence, and in the camp with fury. The Prætorian guards fwore to protect Alexander, and to revenge the dishonoured majefty of the throne. The tears and promifes of the trembling Elagabalus, who only begged them to fpare his life, and to leave him in the poffeffion of his beloved Hierocles, diverted their juft indignation; and they contented themselves with empowering their præfects to watch over the fafety of Alexander, and the conduct of the Emperor"1. It was impoffible that fuch a reconciliation Sedition of fhould laft, or that even the mean foul of Elagabalus could hold an empire on fuch humiliating terms of dependence. He foon attempted, by a gabalus, dangerous experiment, to try the temper of the March 10. foldiers. The report of the death of Alexander, and the natural fufpicion that he had been murdered, inflamed their paffions into fury, and the tempeft of the camp could only be appeafed by 61 Dion, 1. lxxix. p. 1365. Herodian, 1. v. p. 195–201. Hift. Auguft. p. 105. The laft of the three hiftorians feems to have fol lowed the beft authors in his account of the revolution. the the guards and mur der of Ela A.D. 222. |