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 Chap, xliii] OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 455 and Persia. The seven schools* 9 or companies, of the guards or domestic troops had been augmented to the nmnber of five thousand five hundred men, whose ordinary station was in the peaceful cities of Asia. But the places of the brave Armenians were insensibly supplied by lazy citizens, who purchased an exemption from the duties of civil life, without being exposed to the dangers of military service. Of such soldiers, few could be tempted to sally from the gates ; and none could be persuaded to remain in the field, unless they wanted strength and speed to escape from the Bulgarians. The report of the fugitives exaggerated the numbers and fierceness of an enemy who had polluted holy virgins and abandoned new-born infants to the dogs and vultures ; a crowd of rustics, imploring food and pro- tection, increased the consternation of the city ; and the tents of Zabergan were pitched at the distance of twenty miles, 100 on the banks of a small river, which encircles Melanthias, and afterwards falls into the Propontis. 101 Justinian trembled ; and those who had only seen the emperor in his old age were pleased to suppose that he had lost the alacrity and vigour of his youth. By his command the vessels of gold and silver were removed from the churches in the neighbourhood, and even the suburbs, of Constantinople ; the ramparts were lined with trembling spec- tators ; the golden gate was crowded with useless generals and tribunes, and the senate shared the fatigues and the appre- hensions of the populace. But the eyes of the prince and people were directed to a Last vic- feeble veteran, who was compelled by the public danger toBensarius resume the armour in which he had entered Carthage and defended Bonie. The horses of the royal stables, of private citizens, and even of the circus, were hastily collected; the 99 In the decay of these military schools, the satire of Procopius (Anecdot. c. 24. Aleman. p. 102, 103) is confirmed and illustrated by Agathias (1. v. p. 159 [c. 15]), who cannot be rejected as an hostile witness. ioo The distance from Constantinople to Melanthias, Villa Caesariana (Ammian. Marcellin. xxx. [leg. xxxi.] 11), is variously fixed at 102 or 140 stadia (Suidas, torn, ii. p. 522, 523 ; Agathias, 1. v. p. 158 [c. 14]), or xviii. or xix. miles (Itineraria, p. 138, 230, 323, 332, and Wesseling's Observations). The first xii. miles, as far as Rhegium, were paved by Justinian, who built a bridge over a morass or gullet between a lake and the sea (Procop. de Mdat. 1. iv. c. 8). [Melantias (Buyuk Tschekmadge, " Great Bridge ") is 18 miles from Constantinople on the road to Hadrianople.] 101 The Atyras (Pompon. Mela, 1. ii. c. 2, p. 169, edit. Voss.). At the river's mouth, a town or castle of the same name was fortified by Justinian (Procop. de M&it. 1. iv. c. 2 ; Itinerar. p. 570, and Wesseling).