Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 1.djvu/412

 S88 THE DECLINE AND FALL CHAP, father of his country, the right of making in the same ^^^' day three motions in the senate '^j the office of pontifex maximus, the tribunitian power, and the proconsular command ; a mode of investiture which, though it seemed to multiply the authority of the emperor, ex- ^ pressed the constitution of the ancient republic. The reign of Probus corresponded with this fair beginning. The senate was permitted to direct the civil administra- tion of the empire. Their faithful general asserted the honour of the Roman arms, and often laid at their feet crowns of gold and barbaric trophies, the fruits of his numerous victories ^. Yet, whilst he gratified their vanity, he must secretly have despised their indolence and weakness. Though it was every moment in their power to repeal the disgraceful edict of Gallienus, the proud successors of the Scipios patiently acquiesced in their exclusion from all military employments. They soon experienced, that those who refuse the sword, must renounce the sceptre. Victories of Xhe strength of Aurelian had crushed on every side the barba- t^^ enemies of Rome. After his death they seemed to nans. revive with an increase of fury and of numbers. They were again vanquished by the active vigour of Probus, who, in a short reign of about six years ^, equalled the fame of ancient heroes, and restored peace and order to every province of the Roman world. The dan- gerous frontier of Rhaetia he so firmly secured, that he left it without the suspicion of an enemy. He broke the wandering power of the Sarmatian tribes, and by the terror of his arms compelled those barbarians to relinquish their spoil. The Gothic nation courted the «* Hist. August, p. 238. It is odd that the senate should treat Probus less favourably than Marcus Antoninus. That prince had received, even be- fore the death of Pius, Jus quintae relationis. See Capitolin. in Hist. Au- gust, p. 24. ^ See the dutiful letter of Probus to the senate, after his German victories. Hist. August, p. 239. f The date and duration of the reign of Probus are very correctly ascer- tained by cardinal Norris, in his learned work, De Epochis Syro-Mace- donum, p. 96 — 105. A passage of Eusebius connects the second year of Probus with the eras of several of the Syrian cities.