CHAP. ber. The legions were deftined to ferve against II. Roman monuments. ed at pri vate ex the public enemy, and the civil magiftrate feldom required the aid of a military force. In this state of general fecurity, the leisure as well as opulence both of the prince and people, were devoted to improve and to adorn the Roman empire. Among the innumerable monuments of architecture conftructed by the Romans, how many have escaped the notice of hiftory, how few have refifted the ravages of time and barbarifm! And yet even the majestic ruins that are still scattered over Italy and the provinces, would be fufficient to prove that thofe countries were once the feat of a polite and powerful empire. Their greatnefs alone, or their beauty might deserve our attention: but they are rendered more interefting, by two important circumftances, which connect the agreeable history of the arts, with the more ufeful hiftory of human manners. Many of thofe works were erected at private expence, and almost all were intended for public benefit. Many of It is natural to fuppofe that the greatest numthem erect- ber, as well as the moft confiderable of the Roman edifices were raised by the emperors, who poffeffed fo unbounded a command both of men and money. Auguftus was accustomed to boast that he had found his capital of brick, and that he had left it of marble 64. The strict ceconomy pence. of *3 Jofeph. de Bell. Judaico, l. ii. c. 16. The oration of Agrippa, or rather of the hiftorian, is a fine picture of the Roman empire. 64 Sueton. in Auguft. c. 28. Auguftus built in Rome, the temple and forum of Mars the Avenger; the temple of Jupiter Tonans in the Capitol ; II. of Vefpafian was the fource of his magnificence. c H A P. The works of Trajan bear the ftamp of his genius. The public monuments with which Hadrian adorned every province of the empire, were executed not only by his orders, but under his immediate inspection. He was himself an artist; and he loved the arts as they conduced to the glory of the monarch. They were encouraged by the Antonines, as they contributed to the happiness of the people. But if the emperors were the first, they were not the only architects of their dominions. Their example was univerfally imitated by their principal fubjects, who were not afraid of declaring to the world that they had spirit to conceive, and wealth to accom plish, the nobleft undertakings. Scarcely had the proud ftructure of the Coliseum been dedicated at Rome, before the edifices, of a fimaller scale indeed, but of the fame defign and materials, were erected for the ufe, and at the expence, of the cities of Capua and Verona "s. The infcription of the ftupendous bridge of Alcantara, attefts that it was thrown over the Tagus by the contribution of a few Lufitanian communities. When Pliny was intrufted with the government of Bithynia and Pontus, provinces by no means the richest or moft confiderable of the empire, he found the cities within his jurifdiction ftriving Capitol; that of Apollo Palatine, with public libraries; the portico and bafilica of Caius and Lucius; the porticos of Livia and Octavia; and the theatre of Marcellus. The example of the fovereign was imitated by his ministers and generals; and his friend Agrippa left behind him the immortal monument of the Pantheon. 65 See Maffei, Verona illuftrata, l. iv. p. 68. II. CHAP. with each other in every useful and ornamental work, that might deserve the curiofity of ftrangers, or the gratitude of their citizens. It was the duty of the Proconful to fupply their deficiences, to direct their tafte, and fometimes to moderate their emulation 6. The opulent fenators of Rome and the provinces efteemed it an honour, and almost an obligation, to adorn the fplendor of their age and country; and the influence of fashion very frequently supplied the want of taste or generofity. Among a crowd of thefe private benefactors, we may felect Herodes Atticus, an Athenian citizen, who lived in the age of the Antonines. Whatever might be the motive of his conduct, his magnificence would have been worthy of the greatest kings. Example of Herodes Atticus. The family of Herod, at least after it had been favoured by fortune, was lineally defcended from Cimon and Miltiades, Thefeus and Cecrops, acus and Jupiter. But the pofterity of fo many gods and heroes was fallen into the most abject ftate. His grandfather had suffered by the hands of justice, and Julius Atticus, his father, must have ended his life in poverty and contempt, had he not difcovered an immenfe treafure buried under an old houfe, the laft remains of his patrimony. According to the rigour of law, the emperor might have afferted his claim, and the (6 See the xth book of Pliny's Epiftles. He mentions the following works, carried on at the expence of the cities. At Nicomedia, a new forum, an aqueduct, and a canal, left unfinished by a king; at Nice, a Gymnafium, and a theatre which had already coft near ninety thousand pounds; baths at Prufa and Claudiopolis; and an aqueduct of fixteen miles in length, for the use of Sinope. II. prudent Atticus prevented, by a frank confef- CHA P. fion, the officioufnefs of informers. But the equitable Nerva, who then filled the throne, refufed to accept any part of it, and commanded him to use, without fcruple, the prefent of fortune. The cautious Athenian ftill infifted, that the treasure was too confiderable for a fubject, and that he knew not how to use it. Abufe it, then, replied the monarch, with a good-natured peevishness; for it is your own 67. Many will be of opinion, that Atticus literally obeyed the emperor's last instructions; fince he expended the greatest part of his fortune, which was much increased by an advantageous marriage, in the fervice of the Public. He had obtained for his fon Herod, the prefecture of the free cities of Afia; and the young magiftrate, obferving that the town of Troas was indifferently- fupplied with water, obtained from the munificence of Hadrian, three hundred myriads of drachms (about a hundred thousand pounds) for the conftruction of a new aqueduct. But in the execution of the work, the charge amounted to more than double the estimate, and the officers of the revenue, began to murmur, till the generous Atticus filenced their complaints, by requefting that he might be permitted to take upon himself the whole additional expence 68. 67 Hadrian afterwards made a very equitable regulation, which divided all treasure-trove between the right of property and that of discovery. Hift. August. p. 9. 68 Philoftrat. in Vit. Sophift. 1. ii. p. 548. The CHAP. II. His reputation. The ableft preceptors of Greece and Afia had been invited by liberal rewards to direct the education of young Herod. Their pupil foon became a celebrated orator, according to the ufelefs rhetoric of that age, which, confining itself to the schools, difdained to vifit either the Forum or the Senate. He was honoured with the confulfhip at Rome; but the greateft part of his life was spent in a philofophic retirement at Athens, and his adjacent villas; perpetually furrounded by fophifts, who acknowledged, without reluctance, the fuperiority of a rich and generous rival 69. The monuments of his genius have perished; fome confiderable ruins ftill preferve the fame of his taste and munificence: modern travellers have measured the remains of the ftadium which he conftructed at Athens. It was fix hundred feet in length, built intirely of white marble, capable of admitting the whole body of the people, and finifhed in four years, whilft Herod was prefident of the Athenian games. To the memory of his wife Regilla, he dedicated a theatre, fcarcely to be paralleled in the empire: no wood except cedar, very curiously carved, was employed in any part of the building. The Odeum, defigned by Pericles for mufical performances, and the rehearsal of new tragedies, had been a trophy of the victory of the arts over Barbaric greatnefs: as the timbers employed in the conftruction confifted chiefly of the mafts of the Perfian veffels. Notwith 69 Aulus Gellius, in Noct. Attic. i. 2. ix. 2. xviii. 10. xix. 12. Philoftrat. p. 564. ftanding |