"same thing, before him; but I chose rather to quote Adrian to you, because maxims, though true, lose their weight in the mouth of tyrants. "Let us, therefore, not trouble ourselves with Avi"dius's conduct and his projects, since in other respects he is an able and brave general, and necessary to the republic; for, as to what you say "of putting him to death to secure the lives of my "children, may my children die if Avidius deserves to be loved better than they, and if the

good of the commonwealth requires that he "should live rather than the children of Aurelius."

This is what I have called extravagant heroism, which passes all bounds. Besides, Aurelius acted with regard to Avidius as if he had no mistrust of him; he continued to employ him in the war of the East, in Sarmatia, and against the rebels of Egypt, who are called in history Bucoli or shepherds, and who were reduced to obedience by this active and able general. Avidius did not conquer them by force, till he had first artfully raised divisions among them; and so he dispersed a faction which had been powerful enough to endanger even the city of Alexandria.

It was not till after all these exploits, and in the fifteenth year of Aurelius's reign, that Avidius at last executed the project which he had thought of all his life, and caused himself to be proclaimed He causes

emperor.

himself to beproclaim.

It is said that he was encouraged to revolt by ed emperor. Faustina, who, observing Aurelius's health always uncertain, and his son Commodus still very young, and of a disposition which promised but little, was afraid that, if she lost her husband, she and all her family would be destroyed, and for that reason encouraged Avidius's ambition, who engaged to marry her. This detestable suspicion has nothing in it repugnant to Faustina's manners, and her well-known wickedness; but it is perhaps difficult to reconcile

The

it with some letters, wherein she earnestly presses the emperor her husband to take vengeance, without mercy, upon Avidius's children, and all the accomplices of the rebellion; unless it is said she did this in order to conceal the part she had in it. However this be, it appears that Avidius made use of the opportunity which Aurelius's sickness gave him of spreading a report of his death, not expecting without this device to be able to withdraw the soldiers and the people from the love of so good a prince. At the same time, undoubtedly in concert with him, a report was spread that the army in Pannonia, where Aurelius was supposed to have died, had chosen Avidius in his room. legions of Syria which he commanded, prepossess ed with these false opinions, proclaimed him emperor, and one of the principal officers clothed him with the ornaments of sovereignty; and, as a recompence, received from him the office of pretòrian prefect. Avidius, careful to play his part, affected a great regard for Aurelius, and, supposing him dead, ranked him among the gods. All the Dio. ap. Val. East acknowledged the new emperor; Antioch declared for him with great forwardness; Egypt and Alexandria, then under the government of Flavius Calvisius, submitted to his authority; and he sent Mecianus thither to secure the obedience of that great province.

Though Avidius showed great regard for Aurelius's personal virtue, he did not forbear, however, in the style of all rebels, to decry the government of a prince, against whom he had taken up arms, and to promise a reformation of all abuses. We may judge of the discourses which he held, by a letter to his son-in-law, where, taking off the mask, and no longer building upon the false report of Aurelius's death, he explains himself thus: "That "the republic is miserable by suffering vultures to "devour it, whom no prey can satisfy. Aurelius

"is undoubtedly a good man; but, to make his "clemency praised, he suffers men whom he knows "deserving of death to live. Where is the an"cient Cassius, whose name till now I bear in vain? "Where is the severity of Cato the censor? What "is become of the discipline of our ancestors? It "has long been lost; at present it is neither "thought of nor regretted. The emperor professes "the business of a philosopher; he employs him"self in discussions of what is just and unjust;

upon the nature of the soul; upon clemency; " and takes not' to heart the concerns of the re"public. You see the necessity of making many "examples of severity, and to take off many heads, "in order to establish the government in its an"cient splendour. What do not these worthless governors of provinces deserve? Can I consider "those as proconsuls or propretors, who fancy "themselves placed at the head of provinces, by. "the senate or by the emperor, for no other purpose "than to live in pleasure, and to get rich You "know the pretorian prefect of our philosopher; "three days before he was appointed to that office "he had not bread, and now, behold him on a "sudden worth millions. By what way, I pray you? Is it not at the expense of the goods of "the republic, and the spoils of the provinces? "Let them be rich, I grant it; let them even swim "in opulence; their forfeitures will fill the public "treasury, which is exhausted. May the gods on"ly be favourable to the honest party! I will act "the true Cassius, and restore to the republic its "ancient authority."

These last words of Cassius's letter were, undoubtedly, a language very different from his true sentiments; but his threatenings to shed a great deal of blood are agreeable to his character; and had his projects succeeded, he probably would have put them in practice.

Aurelius

M. Aurelius

in Pannonia

revolt of Cassius.

Aurelius received in Pannonia intelligence of hears of the Avidius's revolt. He was informed of it by Martius Verus, governor of Cappadocia, a man of singular merit, and who had distinguished himself in the war against the Parthians. Avidius's reputation was great, and the very thoughts of carrying on war against him at first raised a dread in Aurelius's troops. At Rome the terror was so great, that they imagined they saw him at the gates of the city.

His speech to the soldiers,

Aurelius seeing the confusion spread among the soldiers, assembled them, and made the following speech, which I shall relate after Dion, as being ex tremely well calculated to make the character of this philosophical prince still better known, and as it furnishes a very singular, perhaps the only, example of moderation in such circumstances: "My brave companions," says he, "I am not going to deliver myself over to sentiments of indignation; is it permitted to a mortal man to be angry with the "decrees of fate, which disposes of every thing "with sovereign power? But my situation entitles "me to complain. Is it not, indeed, a hard case, "not to have one moment to breathe in peace, but

66

to be hurried continually from one war to an"other? Is not a civil war an evil I had no reason "to expect? What is still more cruel, is to see "there is no faith among men; to see myself at"tacked by a friend loaded with favours, and, "without being guilty of any injustice, to be obli"ged to fight for my throne and my life. After "these sufferings of mine, what virtue can be se"cure? What friendship can be relied on? Besides, "was I only in danger, I should take it patiently, knowing I was not born immortal; but this is a common danger, which concerns the whole empire, and all the citizens; war spares nobody. "There is a very easy way of ending the quarrel, "and I would willingly embrace it were it possible.

66

66

"I am very ready, on my part, to propose to Cas"sius an interview, and to justify myself in regard "to him, either before you or the senate, and I "will resign the government to him without draw"ing the sword, if it is deemed for the good of "the public; for it is for the service of the state "I endure so much fatigue; that I expose myself "to so many dangers; that in an advanced age, "and with tender health, I continue here so many years at a distance from Italy, without ever enjoying sound sleep, or making a meal without "being disturbed; but I cannot expect that Cas"sius will come to an agreement. How can he "trust me after his own infidelity? There is a ne

I

cessity to come to arms, and the event is not "what troubles me. Can you, my companions, "doubt of victory? The Cilicians, the Syrians, "the Jews, the Egyptians, have never been able "to stand before you, nor never will, even though "they should exceed you in numbers as much as they are your inferiors in this respect. With "such soldiers the greatest general can no more "conquer than an eagle with a flock of jays, or a "lion at the head of a herd of timorous deer. "know Cassius is a soldier, and that he has acqui", red a great name in the Parthian war; but it was "with you he gained those victories which made " him so illustrious. Here he will not be seconded; "and, besides, Martius Verus, who continues faith"ful to us, is a general very capable to counter"balance him. Perhaps Cassius repents already of "his rash proceeding, since he knows I am alive; "for it was only upon the report of my death that "he dared to revolt; but should he persist, at least "it is certain that, upon our approach, the dread "of our valour, and the shame of having injured "me, cannot fail to confound him, and make him "abandon all his mad projects. All I fear (I will ftell you frankly) is, lest despair should cause him