Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1827) Vol 2.djvu/377

 OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 359 at Milan. In this rapid journey, the profound respect CHAP. which was due to the brother and colleague of Con- 1_ stantius, was insensibly changed into rude familiarity ; and Gallus, who discovered in the countenances of the attendants that they already considered themselves as his guards, and might soon be employed as his execu- tioners, began to accuse his fatal rashness, and to recol- lect with terror and remorse the conduct by which he had provoked his fate. The dissimulation which had hitherto been preserved, was laid aside at Petovio in Pannonia. lie was conducted to a palace in the sub- urbs, where the general Barbatio, with a select band of soldiers, who could neither be moved by pity nor corrupted by rewards, expected the arrival of his illus- trious victim. In the close of the evening he was ar- rested, ignominiously stripped of the ensigns of Caesar, and hurried away to Pola in Istria, a sequestered pri- son, which had been so recently polluted with royal blood. The horror which he felt was soon increased by the appearance of his implacable enemy the eunuch Eusebius, who, with the assistance of a notary and a tribune, proceeded to interrogate him concerning the administration of the east. The Ceesar sunk under the weight of shame and guilt, confessed all the criminal actions, and all the treasonable designs with which he was charged ; and by imputing them to the advice of his wife, exasperated the indignation of Constantius, who reviewed with partial prejudice the minutes of the examination. The emperor was easily convinced, that his own safety was incompatible with the life of his cousin : the sentence of death was signed, despatched, and executed ; and the nephew of Constantine, with his hands tied behind his back, was beheaded in prison like the vilest malefactor *. Those who are inclined to palliate the cruelties of Constantius, assert that he soon " See the complete narrative of the journey and death of Gallus in Am- miaaus, I. xiv. c. 1 1. Julian complains that his brother was put to death without a trial ; attempts to justify, or at least to excuse, the cruel revenge which he had inflicted on iiis enemies; but seems at last to acknowledge that he might justly have been deprived of the purple.