Page:1909historyofdec04gibbuoft.djvu/66

 42 THE DECLINE AND FALL [Chap, xxxvi tained with inflexible resolution the miseries of war, pestilence and famine ; and the Visigoths, relinquishing the fruitless siege, suspended the hopes of that important conquest. The youth of the province were animated by the heroic and almost incred- ible valour of Ecdicius, the son of the emperor Avitus, 103 who made a desperate sally with only eighteen horsemen, boldly at- tacked the Gothic army, and, after maintaining a flying skir- mish, retired safe and victorious within the walls of Clermont. His charity was equal to his courage : in a time of extreme scarcity four thousand poor were fed at his expense, and his private influence levied an army of Burgundians for the deliver- ance of Auvergne. From his virtues alone the faithful citizens of Gaul derived any hopes of safety or freedom ; and even such virtues were insufficient to avert the impending ruin of their country, since they were anxious to learn from his authority and example, whether they should prefer the alternative of exile or servitude. 104 The public confidence was lost ; the resources of the state were exhausted ; and the Gauls had too much reason to believe that Anthemius, who reigned in Italy, was incapable of protecting his distressed subjects beyond the Alps. The feeble emperor could only procure for their defence the service of twelve thousand British auxiliaries. Riothamus, one of the independent kings, or chieftains, of the island, was persuaded to transport his troops to the continent of Gaul ; he sailed up the Loire, and established his quarters in Berry, where the people complained of these oppressive allies, till they were destroyed, or dispersed, by the arms of the Visigoths. 105 Trial of One of the last acts of jurisdiction, which the Roman Arvandus. . . . a.d. 468 senate exercised over their subjects of Gaul, was the trial and [469] J ' 103 Sidonius, 1. iii. epist. 3, p. 65-68. Greg. Turon. 1. ii. c. 24, in torn. ii. p. 174. Jornandes, c. 45, p. 675. Perhaps Ecdicius was only the son-in-law of Avitus, his wife's son by another husband. [He was the brother of Papianilla, the wife of Sidonius, and daughter of Avitus ; see Sidon. ep. v. 16.] 104 Si nullse a republics, vires, nulla preesidia, si nulls, quantum rumor est, ADthemii principis opes, statuit, te auctore, nobilitas seu patriam dimittere seu capillos (Sidon. 1. ii. epist. 1, p. 33). The last words (Sirmond, Not. p. 25) may likewise denote the clerical tonsure, which was indeed the choice of Sidonius him- self. 106 The history of these Britons may be traced in Jornandes (c. [44 and] 45, p. 678), Sidonius (1. iii. epistol. 9 [ad Eiothamum], p. 73, 74), and Gregory of Tours (1. ii. c. 18, in torn. ii. p. 170). Sidonius (who styles these mercenary troops argutos, armatos, tumultuosos, virtute, numero, contubernio contumaces) addresses their general in a tone of friendship and familiarity. [Some think that Riothamus was a chief not in Britain but in Brittany.]