Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 3 (1897).djvu/86

 m THE DECLINE AND FALL blood-vessel suddenly burst in his body; and Valentinian fell speechless into the arms of his attendants. Their pious care im- mediately concealed his situation from the crowd ; but, in a few and death, of minutcs, the Euipcror of the West expired in an af^ony of pain, retainintr his senses till the last, and struggling, without success, to declare his intentions to the generals and ministers who A.D. 375, surrounded the royal coucli. Valentinian was about fifty-four «ovemb«ri7 ^^^^.g of age ; and he wanted only one hundred days to accom- plish the twelve years of his reign.^*^^ Tiie emperors Tlic polygamy of Valentinian is seriously attested by an vSentiniL ecclesiastical historian.!^- "The empress Severa (I relate the °* fable) admitted into her familiar society the lovely Justina, the daughter of an Italian governor ; her admiration of those naked charms which she had often seen in the bath was expressed with such lavish and imprudent praise that the emperor was tempted to introduce a second wife into his bed ; and his public edict extended to all the subjects of the empire the same domestic privilege which he had assumed for himself." But we may be assured, from the evidence of reason as well as history, that the two marriages of Valentinian, with Severa, and with Justina, were successively contracted ; and that he used the ancient per- [A.D 368] mission of divorce, which was still allowed by the laws, though it was condemned by the church. Severa was the mother of Gratian, who seemed to unite every claim which could entitle him to the undoubted succession of the Western empire. He was the eldest son of a monarch, whose glorious reign had con- firmed the free and honourable choice of his fellow-soldiers. Before he had attained the ninth year of his age, the royal youth received from the hands of his indulgent father the [A.D. 367, purple robe and diadem, with the title of Augustus : the election was solemnly ratified by the consent and applause of the armies of Gaul ; ^"^ and the name of Gratian was added to 161 See, on the death of Valentiuian, Ammianus (xxx. 6), Zosimus (1. iv. p. 221 [c. 17]), Victor (in Epitom. [45!), Socrates (1. iv. c. 31). and Jerom (in Chron. p. 187, and torn. i. p. 26, ad He'liodor.). There is much variety of circumstances among them, and Ammianus is so eloquent that he writes nonsense. 1*2 Socrates (1. iv. c. 31) is the only original witness of this foolish story, so re- pugnant to the laws and manners of the Romans that it scarcely deserves the formal and elaborate dissertation of M. Bonamy (M^m. de TAcad^mie, tonn. xxx. p. 394-405). Vet I would preserve the natural circumstance of the bath, instead of following Zosimus, who represents Justina as an old woman, the widow of Magnentius. [For the divorce of Valeria Severa Marina, and marriage with Aviana Justina, cp. Richter, Das west-romische Reich, p. 278.] 163 Ammianus (xxviL 6) describes the form of this military election and august investitiu-e. Valentinian does not appear to have consulted, or even informed, the senate of Rome. [Date : Idatius, Fast. Cons.] Ang. 24]