Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 1.djvu/366

 34S THE DECLINE AND FALL CHAP, lonica, the wealthy capital of all the Macedonian pro- ' vinces. Their attacks, in which they displayed a fierce but artless bravery, were soon interrupted by the rapid approach of Claudius, hastening to a scene of action that deserved the presence of a warlike prince at the head of the remaining powers of the empire. Impa- tient for battle, the Goths immediately broke up their camp, relinquished the siege of Thessalonica, left their navy at the foot of mount Athos, traversed the hills of Macedonia, and pressed forwards to engage the last defence of Italy. Distress We still possess an original letter addressed by Clau- and firm- ^^^^ ^^ ^^le senate and people on this memorable occa- ness of ^. Claudius, sion. " Conscript fathers," says the emperor, '* know that three hundred and twenty thousand Gothis have invaded the Roman territory. If I vanquish them, your gratitude will reward my services. Should I fall, re- member that I am the successor of Gallienus. The whole republic is fatigued and exhausted. We shall fight after Valerian, after Ingenuus, Regillianus, Lolli- anus, Posthumus, Celsus, and a thousand others, whom a just contempt for Gallienus provoked into rebellion. We are in want of darts, of spears, and of shields. The strength of the empire, Gaul and Spain, are usurped by Tetricus; and we blush to acknowledge that the archers of the east serve under the banners of Ze- nobia. Whatever we shall perform, will be sufficiently great™." The melancholy firmness of this epistle an- nounces a hero careless of his fate, conscious of his danger, but still deriving a well-grounded hope from the resources of his own mind. His victory The event surpassed his own expectations and those Goths. of the world. By the most signal victories he delivered the empire from this host of barbarians, and was dis- tinguished by posterity under the glorious appellation of the Gothic Claudius. The imperfect historians of an irregular war" do not enable us to describe the order ™ Trebell. Pollio in Hist. August, p. 204. " Hist. August, in Claud. Aureliau. et Prob, ; Zosimus, 1. i. p. 38 — 42 ; Zonaras, 1. xii. p. 638 ; Aurel. Victor in Epitom. ; Victor junior in Caesar, j Eutrop. ix. 11 ; Euseb. in Chron.