Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 2.djvu/246

 CHAPTER XVII. FOUNDATION OF CONSTANTINOPLE. — POLITICAL SYSTEM OF CONSTANTINE AND HIS SUCCESSORS. — MILITARY DIS- CIPLINE. — THE PALACE. — THE FINANCES. 1 HE unfortunate Licinius was the last rival who op- posed the greatness, and the last captive who adorned the triumph, of Constantine. After a tranquil and prosperous- reign, the conqueror bequeathed to his family the inheritance of the Roman empire ; a new capital, a new policy, and a new religion ; and the in- novations which he established have been embraced and consecrated by succeeding generations. The age of the great Constantine and his sons is filled with im- portant events; but the historian must be oppressed by their number and variety, unless he diligently separates from each other the scenes which are connected only by the order of time. He will describe the political institutions that gave strength and stability to the em- pire, before he proceeds to relate the wars and revolu- tions which hastened its decline. He will adopt the division, unknown to the ancients, of civil and eccle- siastical affairs : the victory of the christians, and their intestine discord, will supply copious and distinct ma- terials both for edification and for scandal. Design of a After the defeat and abdication of Licinius, his vic- A.D. 324. torious rival proceeded to lay the foundations of a city, destined to reign, in future times, the mistress of the east, and to survive the empire and religion of Con- stantine. The motives, whether of pride or of policy, which first induced Diocletian to withdraw himself from the ancient seat of government, had acquired ad- ditional weight by the example of his successors, and the habits of forty years. Rome was insensibly con- founded with the dependent kingdoms which had once acknowledged her supremacy ; and the country of the