A.D.

PERIOD XX.

FROM THEODOSIUS II. TO JUSTINIAN I.

[CENT. V.]

REMARKABLE FACTS, EVENTS, AND DISCOVERIES.

400 Bells invented by Bishop Paulinus, of Campagnia. 401 Europe overrun by the Goths under Alaric.

404 Another irruption of the Goths. The kingdom of Caledonia or Scotland revives under Fergus II.

406 Third irruption of the Goths. The Vandals, Alans, Suevi, spread into France and Spain, by a concession of Honorius.

408 The Christian religion propagated in Persia.

409 Rome taken and plundered by the Goths, August 24th.

412 The Vandals begin their kingdom in Spain.

413 The kingdom of Burgundy begun in Alsace.

414 The kingdom of Thoulouse founded by the Visigoths.

417 The Alans extirpated by the Goths.

420 The kingdom of France begins upon the Lower Rhine, under Phara

mond.

421 The Salique law promulgated.

426 The Romans, reduced to extremities at home, withdraw their troops from Britain.

432 The Gospel preached in Ireland by St. Patrick.

444 Europe ravaged by the Huns.

446 The Britons, greatly harassed by the Scots and Picts, complain to the Romans, but receive no assistance.

447 Attila and his Huns ravage the Roman empire.

449 Vortigern, king of the Saxon Britons, invites the Saxons into Britain, against the Scots and Picts.

452 The city of Venice founded.

455 The Saxons having repulsed the Scots and Picts, establish themselves in Kent, under Hengist.

476 The western empire ended under Augustulus. Upon its ruins, several new states arise in Italy and elsewhere, consisting of Goths Vandals, Huns, and other barbarians, who extinguish literature, and destroy the works of the learned.

493 Italy reduced by Theodoric, king of the Goths.

496 Clovis, king of France, baptized, and Christianity established.

THIS period exhibits a most unfavourable view of the western part of the world. The Romans, from the height of grandeur, sunk to the lowest slavery, and were, in many places, almost exterminated; the provinces they formerly governed, inhabited by human beings scarcely a degree above the brutes; every art and science lost; and even the savage conquerors in danger of starving for want of a sufficient knowVOL. II.

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ledge of agriculture, having now no means of supplying themselves by plunder and robbery as before. South Britain, having long been abandoned to the mercy of the Scots and Picts, in 450 the inhabitants had called in the Saxons to their assistance, whom they soon found to be worse enemies than those against whom they had implored their aid. Spain was held by the Goths and Suevians; Africa, that is, Barbary and Bilegulgerid, by the Vandals; the Burgundians, Goths, Franks, and Alans, had erected several small states in Gaul; and Italy was subjected to the Heruli under Odoacer, who had assumed the title of king of Italy. In the east, indeed, matters wore an aspect somewhat more agreeable. The Roman empire continued to live in that of Constantinople, which was still very extensive. It comprehended all Asia Minor and Syria, as far as Persia; in Africa, the kingdom of Egypt; and Greece in Europe. The Persians were powerful, and rivalled the emperors of Constantinople; and beyond them lay the Indians, Chinese, and other nations, who, unheard of by the inhabitants of the more western parts, enjoyed peace and liberty. The Constantinopolitan empire, however, gradually declined, by reason of its continual wars with the Persians, Bulgarians, and other barbarous nations; to which also superstition and relaxation of military discipline largely contributed. The Persian empire also declined from the same causes, together with the intestine broils, from which it was seldom free, more than that of Constantinople. The history of the eastern part of the world during this period, therefore, consists only of the wars between these two great empires, which were productive of no other consequence, but that of weakening them both, and making them a more easy prey to those enemies, who were now, as it were, in embryo, but shortly about to erect an empire almost as extensive as that of the Greeks and Romans.

Among the western nations, revolutions, as might be expected from the character of the people, succeeded one another with rapidity. The Heruli, under Odoacer, were driven out by the Goths, under Theodoric. The Goths were expelled by the Romans; and while the two parties were contending, both were attacked by the Franks, who carried off an immense booty. The Romans were, in their turn, expelled by the Goths; the Franks again invaded Italy, and made themselves masters of the province of Venetia.

In France, a considerable revolution also took place in 487, Clovis, the founder of the French monarchy, possessed himself of all the countries lying between the Rhine and the Loire. By force or treachery, he conquered all the petty kingdoms which had been erected in that country. In Spain, the Visigoths erected a kingdom ten years before the conquest of Rome by the Heruli. This kingdom they had extended eastward, about the same time that Clovis was extending his conquests to the west; so that the two kingdoms met at the river Loire. The consequence of this approach of such barbarous conquerors towards each other, was an immediate war. Clovis proved victorious, and subdued great part of the country of the Visigoths, which put a final stop to their conquests on that side.

Another kingdom had been founded in the western parts of Spain by the Suevi, a considerable time before the Romans were finally ex

pelled from that country. In 409, this kingdom was entirely subverted by Theodoric, king of the Goths; and the Suevi were so pent up in a small district of Lusitania and Galicia, that it seemed impossible for them to recover themselves. During the above mentioned period, however, while the attention of the Goths was turned another way, they had again erected themselves into an independent state, and became masters of considerably extended territories. But this success proved of short duration.

GOVERNMENT.

ROME.

THEODOSIUS II., emperor of the east, grandson of Theodosius I., and son of the emperor Arcadius, was born in 401. Naturally of a weak character, the royal education which he received only fitted him for the pageantry of a throne, and for a perpetual pupilage. "He was taught," says Gibbon, " to maintain a grave and majestic deportment; to walk, to hold his robes, to seat himself on his throne, in a manner worthy of a great prince; to abstain from laughter; to listen with condescension; to return suitable answers; to assume, by turns, a serious or placid countenance; in a word, to represent with grace and dignity the external figure of a Roman emperor." Of his occupations, hunting was the only active pursuit that could tempt his indolence. He delighted in painting and carving, and transcribed religious books with singular elegance. He sung psalms, fasted, devoutly credited the miracles and doctrines presented to his faith, and paid due reverence to all the dead and living saints of the Catholic church. He was gentle and kind in his disposition, without vices, but did not rise to virtues. He succeeded his father in 408, under the guardianship of his sister Pulcheria. She caused him to marry Athenais, daughter of Leontius the philosopher, who being baptized, took the name of Eudocia. Theodosius defeated the Persians with great slaughter, of which no less than 100,000 were lost in the waters of the Euphrates. He raised the siege of Nisibis, where his operations failed of success, and he averted the fury of the Huns and Vandals by bribes and promises. He restored the western empire to its heir, Valentinian III., who afterwards was united in marriage with his daughter Lieinia Eudocia.

Theodosius was so careless that he signed all the papers that were brought to him without ever opening them; his sister Pulcheria, however, rendered him more careful and diligent by the following stratagem. She caused him to sign a paper, in

which he delivered into her hands Eudocia, his wife, as a slave and menial servant. The principal merit of this emperor was the publication, in 438, of the code named Theodosian.

ÆLIA PULCHERIA, born in 399, was the daughter of Arcadius, emperor of the east, reigned with her brother Theodosius, a mild but feeble prince, who held the reigns of government with a negligent hand. The public, however, was benefited by the vigorous wisdom of his sister, who, only two years older, maintained, by meekness and discretion, that ascendancy over him, which superior capacity always gives. She had devoted herself to a life of virginity before she was quite fifteen, and persuaded her two younger sisters to do the same. At sixteen, she took the name of Augusta; and, as she had always the prudence to preserve her brother's honour, she governed in his name with much success; for she was the only descendant of the great Theodosius who possessed any eminence of character. She was sincerely religious, and gave him the honour of completing the destruction of idolatrous temples and worship, which was due to the spirit, firmness, and yet wise lenity of her measures. That prudence, which in others is the fruit of experience, was in Pulcheria the gift of nature. At one view, which was as sure as it was penetrating, she saw immediately how she ought to act, and executed her purposes with promptitude; she spoke and wrote elegantly in Greek and Latin. Adorned with all the graces of beauty, she resolved to consecrate herself to the service of God and the state, and divided her time between prayer, works of charity, and the affairs of the empire.

The eastern empire was agitated by factions, when first she stood at its helm; but it soon enjoyed a perfect peace under her wise administration; she taught her brother to respect the rights of property; inspiring him with this noble maxim, "the more princes abstained from touching the wealth of their people, the greater would be their resources in the wants of the state."

Weak and irresolute, Theodosius suffering himself to be guided by his eunuchs, neglected to consult her, and the empire but too soon felt how different a hand held the reins of its government. But he died in his fiftieth year, leaving only a daughter, married to Valentinian III. Pulcheria now remained sole mistress of the eastern empire, and gave herself in marriage, for political reasons, to Marcian, an old officer in the army, whom she made emperor. She lived two years after, maintaining the same excellent and dignified character, nor does it appear that her religious virtues suffered any diminution till her death, which happened in 444.

Her loss was deeply regretted. She alone had sustained the imperial dignity, under the reign of her weak and imbecile

brother; and after his death, had placed the crown on a head worthy to wear it. When her counsels were attended to, the state was happy, and the church triumphant. During her life she was a mother to the poor, and left them her possessions at her death.

EUDOSIA, EUDOCIA, or EUDOXIA, a celebrated lady, the daughter of Leontius, a philosopher of Athens; who gave her such a learned education, that at his death he left her only a small legacy, saying that she was capable of making her own fortune. Pleading at Athens against her two brothers, for a share in her father's estate, she carried the cause personally by appeal to Constantinople, recommended herself to Pulcheria, the sister of the emperor Theodosius II., embraced Christianity, was baptized by the name of Eudosia, her original name being Athenais, and, soon after, was married to the emperor. Their union lasted a considerable time; but a difference at last taking place, on account of the emperor's jealousy, excited by Chrysapius the eunuch, she retired to Jerusalem, where she spent many years in building and adorning churches, and in relieving the poor. Dupin says, that she did not return thence till after the emperor's death; but Cave tells us, that she was reconciled to him, returned to Constantinople, and continued with him till his death; after which she went again to Palestine, where she spent the remainder of her life in pious works. She died A.D. 459 or 460. Cave says, that on her death-bed she took a solemn oath, by which she declared herself entirely free from any stain of unchastity. She wrote a paraphrase on the first eight books of the Old Testament in heroic verse; another, in prose, on Daniel and Zecharias, a history of St. Cyprian and Justina, and a life of Christ, in heroics, with many other poems, which are lost.

VALENTINIAN III., the son of Constantius, by Placidia, daughter of Arcadius; succeeded A.D.423, to the western empire, in his sixth year, and prospered while his mother governed; but afterwards became a tyrant, and disgraced himself by violence, oppression, and incontinence. He murdered the brave Ætius, one of his best generals, jealous of his growing reputation. He sent for, under a false pretence, the chaste and beautiful wife of Petronius Maximus, a wealthy senator; he had her conducted to a secret chamber, and brutally violated her. Maximus vowed revenge; and stabbed the tyrant to the heart, in the midst of Rome, and in the sight of all his train. This happened in March 455. Valentinian was the last emperor of the race of Theodosius, and had all the weakness, with none of the virtues, of that line.

BONIFACE, count of the Roman empire, was a valiant commander. He relieved Marseilles, when besieged by Ataulphus, and afterwards defended Africa with great bravery against

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