Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 1.djvu/380

 356 THE DECLINE AND FALL CHAP, or even to those of love ^. He was slain at Cologne, by a conspiracy of jealous husbands, whose revenge would have appeared more justifiable, had they spared the innocence of his son. After the murder of so many valiant princes, it is somewhat remarkable, that a female for a long time controlled the fierce legions of Gaul, and still more singular, that she was the mother of the unfortunate Victorinus. The arts and treasures of Victoria enabled her successively to place Marius and Tetricus on the throne, and to reign with a manly vigour under the name of those dependent emperors. Money of copper, of silver, and of gold, was coined in her name; she assumed the titles of Augusta and mother of the camps : her power ended only with her life ; but her life was perhaps shortened by the ingrati- tude of Tetricus ^ The reign When, at the instigation of his ambitious patroness, ofTetricus Tetricus assumed the ensigns of royalty, he was go- vernor of the peaceful province of Aquitaine, an em- ployment suited to his character and education. He reigned four or five years over Gaul, Spain, and Bri- tain, the slave and sovereign of a licentious army, whom he dreaded, and by whom he was despised. The valour and fortune of Aurelian at length opened the prospect of a deliverance. He ventured to disclose his melan- choly situation, and conjured the emperor to hasten to A.D. 271. the relief of his unhappy rival. Had this secret cor- respondence reached the ears of the soldiers, it would most probably have cost Tetricus his life; nor could he resign the sceptre of the west, without committing an act of treason against himself. He affected the ap- pearances of a civil war, led his forces into the field against Aurehan, posted them in the most disadvan- tageous manner, betrayed his own counsels to the enemy, and with a few chosen friends deserted in the beginning of the action. The rebel legions, though '' He ravished the wife of Attitianus, an actuary, or army agent. Hist. August, p. 186 ; Aurel. Victor in Aurelian. ' Pollio assigns her an article among the thirty tyrants. Hist. Aug. p. 200. Summer.