Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 1.djvu/422

 398 THE DECLINE AND FALL CHAP, man sports of the amphitheatre. Disdaining to shed their blood for the amusement of the populace, they killed their keepers, broke from the place of their con- finement, and filled the streets of Rome with blood and confusion. After an obstinate resistance, they were overpowered and cut in pieces by the regular forces ; but they obtained at least an honourable death, and the satisfaction of a just revenge ''. His disci- The military discipline which reigned in the camps P me. ^^ Probus was less cruel than that of Aurelian, but it was equally rigid and exact. The latter had punished the irregularities of ihe soldiers with unrelenting seve- rity; the former prevented them by employing the legions in constant and useful labours. When Probus commanded in Egypt, he executed many considerable works for the splendour and benefit of that rich coun- try. The navigation of the Nile, so important to Rome itself, was improved ; and temples, bridges, porticoes, and palaces, were constructed by the hands of the sol- diers, who acted by turns as architects, as engineers, and as husbandmen ^ It was reported of Hannibal, that, in order to preserve his troops from the danger- ous temptations of idleness, he had obliged them to form large plantations of olive trees along the coast of Africa™. From a similar principle, Probus exercised his legions in covering with rich vineyards the hills of Gaul and Pannonia; and two considerable spots are described, which were entirely dug and planted by military labour^ One of these, known under the name of mount Almo, was situated near Sirmium, the coun- try where Probus was born, for which he ever retained a partial affection, and whose gratitude he endeavoured to secure, by converting into tillage a large and un- ^ Zosira. 1. i. p. 66. ' Hist. August, p. 236. ™ Aurel. Victor in Piob. But the policy of Hannibal, unnoticed by any more ancient writer, is irreconcileable with the history of his life. He left Africa when he was nine years old, returned to it when he was forty-five, and immediately lost his army in the decisive battle of Zama. Liv. xxx. 37. n Hist. August, p. 240; i:utrop. ix. 17; Aurel. Victor in Prob. ; Victor junior. He revoked the prohibition of Domitian, and granted a general per- mission of planting vines to the Gauls, the Britons, and the Pannonians.