Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 3 (1897).djvu/34

 14 THE DECLINE AND FALL [JovU et vlctores] and the Ciotliic jirinces consciiled to supply the sovereign of Constantinople with the fonniclal)le strength of several thousand auxiliaries. His generals pa.ssed the Bosphorus, and subdued, [Nov., Dec] without an effort, the unarmed but wealthy provinces of Bithy- iiia and Asia. After an honourable defence, the city and island of Cyzicus yielded to his power ; the renowned legions of the Joviansand Herculians embraced the cause of the usurper whom they were ordered to crush ; and, as the veterans were con- tinually augmented with new levies, he soon appeared at the Iiead of an army whose valour, as well as numbers, were not un- equal to the greatness of the contest. The son of Hormisdas,^^ a youth of spirit and ability, condescended to draw his sword against the lawful emperor of the E,ast ; and the Persian prince was immediately invested with the ancient and extraordinary powers of a Roman Proconsul. The alliance of Faustina, the widow of the emperor Constantius, who intrusted herself and her daughter to the hands of the usurper, added dignity and reputation to his cause. The princess Constantia, who was then about five years of age, accompanied in a litter the march of the army. She was shewn to the multitude in the arms of her adopted father ; and, as often as she passed tlu'ough the ranks, the tenderness of the soldiers was inflamed into martial furj' : ^° they recollected the glories of the house of G)nstantine, and they declared, with loyal acclamation, that they would shed the last drop of their blood in the defence of the royal infant.^i In the meanwhile, Valentinian was alarmed and perplexed by the doubtful intelligence of the revolt of the East. The difficulties of a German wjir forced him to confine his immediate care to the safety of his own dominions ; and, as every channel of communication was stopt or corrupted, he listened, with doubtful anxiety, to the rumours which were industriously spread, that the defeat and death of A'alens had left Procopius Hla defeat and death. A.D.366, Hay 2 8 [teff. 27] 39 Homiisdas maturo juveni, Hormisdae regalis illius filio, potestateni Procon- sulis detulit ; et civilia, more veterum, et bella reciuro. Ammian. xxvi. 8. The Persian prince escaped with honour and safety, and was aftervards (a.d. 380) restored to the same extraordinary office of proconsul of Bithynia (Tillemont, Hist, des Empereurs, torn. v. p. 204). I am ignorant whether the race of Sassan was propagated. I find (A.D. 514) a pope Hormisdas ; but he was a native of Frusino, in Italy (Pagi, Brev. Pontific. torn. i. p. 247). died young and childless. See Ducange, Fani. Byzantin. p. 48, 59. -ii Sequimini culminis summi prosapiam was the language of Procopius, who ^ ected to despise the obscure birth and fortuitous election of the upstart Pan- '^°"*ian. Animian. xxvi. 7.
 * The infant rebel was aftervards the wife of the Emperor Gratian ; but she