VII. CHAP. barians, attacked a faithful, but unwarlike province. The younger Gordian fallied out to meet the enemy at the head of a few guards, and a numerous undifciplined multitude, educated in the peaceful luxury of Carthage. His ufelefs valour ferved only to procure him an honourable death in the field of battle. His aged father, whofe reign had not exceeded thirty-fix days, put an end to his life on the first news of the defeat. Carthage, deftitute of defence, opened her gates to the conqueror, and Africa was expofed to the rapacious cruelty of a flave, obliged to fatisfy his unrelenting mafter with a large account of blood and treasure 26. Election of and Balbi fenate, 9th July. The fate of the Gordians filled Rome with juft, Maximus but unexpected terror. The fenate convoked in nus by the the temple of Concord, affected to tranfact the common bufinefs of the day; and feemed to decline with trembling anxiety, the confideration of their own, and the public danger. A filent confternation prevailed on the affembly, till a fenator, of the name and family of Trajan, awakened his brethren from their fatal lethargy. He reprefented to them, that the choice of cautious dilatory measures had been long fince out of their power; that Maximin, implacable by - 160. 25 Herodian, 1. vii. p. 254. Hift. Auguft. p. 150We may observe, that one month and fix days, for the reign of Gordian, is a juft correction of Cafaubon and Panvinius, instead of the absurd reading of one year and fix months. See Commentar. p. 193. Zofimus relates, 1. i. p. 17. that the two Gordians perished by a tempest in the midst of their navigation. A ftrange ignorance of history, or a ftrange abufe of metaphors ! VII. nature, and exafperated by injuries, was advanc- CHA P. ing towards Italy, at the head of the military force of the empire; and that their only remaining alternative, was either to meet him bravely in the field, or tamely to expect the tortures and ignominious death referved for unfuccefsful rebellion. "We have loft," continued he, "two excellent princes; but unless we defert "ourselves, the hopes of the republic have not "perished with the Gordians. Many are the "fenators, whofe virtues have deferved, and "whofe abilities would fuftain, the Imperial dignity. Let us elect two emperors, one of whom 66 66 may conduct the war against the public enemy, "whilft his colleague remains at Rome to direct “the civil adminiftration. I cheerfully expofe "myself to the danger and envy of the nomina tion, and give my vote in favour of Maximus "and Balbinus. Ratify my choice, confcript fathers, or appoint, in their place, others more "worthy of the empire." The general apprehenfion filenced the whispers of jealoufy; the merit of the candidates was univerfally acknowledged; and the houfe refounded with the fincere acclamations, of "long life and victory to the "Emperors Maximus and Balbinus. You are "happy in the judgment of the fenate; may the "republic be happy under your adminiftra❝tion 27 !" 27 See the Auguftan Hiftory, p. 166, from the registers of the fenate; the date is confeffedly faulty, but the. coincidence of the Apollinarian games enables us to correct it. CHAP. racters. The virtues and the reputation of the new Emperors juftified the moft fanguine hopes of the Their cha Romans. The various nature of their talents feemed to appropriate to each his peculiar department of peace and war, without leaving room for jealous emulation. Balbinus was an admired orator, a poet of diftinguished fame, and a wife magiftrate, who had exercifed with innocence and applause the civil jurifdiction in almost all the interior provinces of the empire. His birth was noble 28, his fortune affluent, his manners liberal and affable. In him the love of pleasure was corrected by a fenfe of dignity, nor had the habits of eafe deprived him of a capacity for bufinefs. The mind of Maximus was formed in a rougher mould. By his valour and abilities he had raised himself from the meaneft origin to the first employments of the state and army. His victories over the Sarmatians and the Germans, the aufterity of his life, and the rigid impartiality of his justice, whilft he was Præfect of the city, commanded the esteem of a people, whose affections were engaged in favour of the more amiable Balbinus. The two colleagues had both been 28 He was defcended from Cornelius Balbus, a noble Spaniard, and the adopted fon of Theophanes the Greek hiftorian. Balbus obtained the freedom of Rome by the favour of Pompey, and preserved it by the eloquence of Cicero (see Orat. pro Cornel. Balbo). The friendship of Cæfar (to whom he rendered the most important fecret services in the civil war) raised him to the confulfhip and the pontificate, honours never yet poffeffed by a stranger. The nephew of this Balbus triumphed over the Garamantes. See Dictionnaire de Bayle, au mot Balbus, where he distinguishes the several persons of that name, and rectifies, with his usual accuracy, the mistakes of former writers concerning them. confuls VII. confuls (Balbinus had twice enjoyed that honour- CHA P. able office), both had been named among the twenty lieutenants of the fenate; and fince the one was fixty and the other feventy-four years old 29, they had both attained the full maturity of age and experience. 30 The youn ger Gor clared After the fenate had conferred on Maximus Tumult at and Balbinus an equal portion of the confular Rome. and tribunitian power, the title of Fathers of their country, and the joint office of Supreme dian is dePontiff, they afcended to the Capitol, to return Cæfar. thanks to the gods, protectors of Rome 3°. The folemn rites of facrifice were disturbed by a fedition of the people. The licentious multitude neither loved the rigid Maximus, nor did they fufficiently fear the mild and humane Balbinus. Their increasing numbers furrounded the temple of Jupiter; with obftinate clamours they afferted their inherent right of confenting to the election of their fovereign; and demanded, with an apparent moderation, that, befides the two Emperors chofen by the senate, a third should be added of the family of the Gordians, as a juft return of gratitude to thofe princes who had facrificed their lives for the republic. At the head of the city-guards, and the youth of the equeftrian 29 Zonaras, 1. xii. p. 622. But little dependance is to be had on the authority of a modern Greek, fo grofsly ignorant of the history of the third century, that he creates several imaginary emperors, and confounds those who really exifted. 30 Herodian, 1. vii. p. 256, supposes that the fenate was at first convoked in the Capitol, and is very eloquent on the occafion. The Auguftan History, p. 116. feems much more authentic. VII. CHA P. order, Maximus and Balbinus attempted to cut their way through the feditious multitude. The multitude armed with flicks and ftones, drove them back into the Capitol. It is prudent to yield when the conteft, whatever may be the issue of it, must be fatal to both parties. A boy, only thirteen years of age, the grandfon of the elder, and nephew of the younger, Gordian, was produced to the people, invefted with the ornaments and title of Cæfar. The tumult was appeafed by this eafy condefcenfion; and the two Emperors, as foon as they had been peaceably acknowledged in Rome, prepared to defend Italy against the common enemy. Maximin prepares to attack the fenate and their Em 、perors. Whilft in Rome and Africa revolutions fucceeded each other with fuch amazing rapidity, the mind of Maximin was agitated by the most furious paffions. He is faid to have received the news of the rebellion of the Gordians, and of the decree of the fenate againft him, not with the temper of a man, but the rage of a wild beaft; which, as it could not difcharge itself on the dif tant fenate, threatened the life of his fon, of his friends, and of all who ventured to approach his perfon. The grateful intelligence of the death of the Gordians was quickly followed by the affurance that the fenate, laying afide all hopes of pardon or accommodation, had fubftituted in their room two Emperors, with whofe merit he could not be unacquainted. Revenge was the only confolation left to Maximin, and revenge could only be obtained by arms. The ftrength of the legions had been affembled by Alexander from |