[Footnote*:CompareGibbon,ch。xxxvi。vol。iii。p。459,&c。—
Mansoobservesthatthisdivisionwasconductednotinaviolentandirregular,butinalegalandorderly,manner。TheBarbarian,whocouldnotshowatitleofgrantfromtheofficersofTheodoricappointedforthepurpose,oraprescriptiverightofthirtyyears,incasehehadobtainedthepropertybeforetheOstrogothicconquest,wasejectedfromtheestate。Heconceivesthatestatestoosmalltobeardivisionpaidathirdoftheirproduce。—GeschichtedesOsGothischenReiches,p。82。—M。]
[Footnote26:Procopius,Gothic,l。i。c。i。Variarum,ii。MaffeiVeronaIllustrata,P。i。p。228exaggeratestheinjusticeoftheGoths,whomhehatedasanItaliannoble。TheplebeianMuratoricrouchesundertheiroppression。]
[Footnote27:Procopius,Goth。l。iii。c。421。Ennodiusdescribesp。1612,1613themilitaryartsandincreasingnumbersoftheGoths。]
[Footnote28:WhenTheodoricgavehissistertothekingoftheVandalsshesailedforAfricawithaguardof1000nobleGoths,eachofwhomwasattendedbyfivearmedfollowers,Procop。
Vandal。l。i。c。8。TheGothicnobilitymusthavebeenasnumerousasbrave。]
[Footnote*:Mansop。100quotestwopassagesfromCassiodorustoshowthattheGothswerenotexemptfromthefiscalclaims。—
Cassiodor,i。19,iv。14—M。]
[Footnote29:SeetheacknowledgmentofGothicliberty,Var。v。
30。]
[Footnote30:Procopius,Goth。l。i。c。2。TheRomanboyslearntthelanguageVar。viii。21oftheGoths。TheirgeneralignoranceisnotdestroyedbytheexceptionsofAmalasuntha,afemale,whomightstudywithoutshame,orofTheodatus,whoselearningprovokedtheindignationandcontemptofhiscountrymen。]
[Footnote31:AsayingofTheodoricwasfoundedonexperience:
"RomanusmiserimitaturGothum;ututilisdivesGothusimitaturRomanum。"SeetheFragmentandNotesofValesius,p。719。]
[Footnote32:TheviewofthemilitaryestablishmentoftheGothsinItalyiscollectedfromtheEpistlesofCassiodorusVar。i。
24,40;iii。3,24,48;iv。13,14;v。26,27;viii。3,4,25。
TheyareillustratedbythelearnedMascou,Hist。oftheGermans,l。xi。40—44,Annotationxiv。
Note:CompareManso,GeschichtedesOstGothischenReiches,p。114。—M。]
ChapterXXXIX:GothicKingdomOfItaly。
PartII。
AmongtheBarbariansoftheWest,thevictoryofTheodorichadspreadageneralalarm。Butassoonasitappearedthathewassatisfiedwithconquestanddesirousofpeace,terrorwaschangedintorespect,andtheysubmittedtoapowerfulmediation,whichwasuniformlyemployedforthebestpurposesofreconcilingtheirquarrelsandcivilizingtheirmanners。^33TheambassadorswhoresortedtoRavennafromthemostdistantcountriesofEurope,admiredhiswisdom,magnificence,^34andcourtesy;andifhesometimesacceptedeitherslavesorarms,whitehorsesorstrangeanimals,thegiftofasun—dial,awater—clock,oramusician,admonishedeventheprincesofGaulofthesuperiorartandindustryofhisItaliansubjects。Hisdomesticalliances,^35
awife,twodaughters,asister,andaniece,unitedthefamilyofTheodoricwiththekingsoftheFranks,theBurgundians,theVisigoths,theVandals,andtheThuringians,andcontributedtomaintaintheharmony,oratleastthebalance,ofthegreatrepublicoftheWest。^36ItisdifficultinthedarkforestsofGermanyandPolandtopursuetheemigrationsoftheHeruli,afiercepeoplewhodisdainedtheuseofarmor,andwhocondemnedtheirwidowsandagedparentsnottosurvivethelossoftheirhusbands,orthedecayoftheirstrength。^37ThekingofthesesavagewarriorssolicitedthefriendshipofTheodoric,andwaselevatedtotherankofhisson,accordingtothebarbaricritesofamilitaryadoption。^38FromtheshoresoftheBaltic,theAestiansorLivonianslaidtheirofferingsofnativeamber^39atthefeetofaprince,whosefamehadexcitedthemtoundertakeanunknownanddangerousjourneyoffifteenhundredmiles。Withthecountry^40fromwhencetheGothicnationderivedtheirorigin,hemaintainedafrequentandfriendlycorrespondence:theItalianswereclothedintherichsables^41ofSweden;andoneofitssovereigns,afteravoluntaryorreluctantabdication,foundahospitableretreatinthepalaceofRavenna。HehadreignedoveroneofthethirteenpopuloustribeswhocultivatedasmallportionofthegreatislandorpeninsulaofScandinavia,towhichthevagueappellationofThulehasbeensometimesapplied。
Thatnorthernregionwaspeopled,orhadbeenexplored,ashighasthesixty—eighthdegreeoflatitude,wherethenativesofthepolarcircleenjoyandlosethepresenceofthesunateachsummerandwintersolsticeduringanequalperiodoffortydays。
^42Thelongnightofhisabsenceordeathwasthemournfulseasonofdistressandanxiety,tillthemessengers,whohadbeensenttothemountaintops,descriedthefirstraysofreturninglight,andproclaimedtotheplainbelowthefestivalofhisresurrection。^43
[Footnote33:SeetheclearnessandvigorofhisnegotiationsinEnnodius,p。1607,andCassiodorus,Var。iii。1,2,3,4;iv。
13;v。43,44,whogivesthedifferentstylesoffriendship,counselexpostulation,&c。]
[Footnote34:EvenofhistableVar。vi。9andpalace,vii。
5。Theadmirationofstrangersisrepresentedasthemostrationalmotivetojustifythesevainexpenses,andtostimulatethediligenceoftheofficerstowhomtheseprovinceswereintrusted。]
[Footnote35:SeethepublicandprivatealliancesoftheGothicmonarch,withtheBurgundians,Var。i。45,46,withtheFranks,ii。40,withtheThuringians,iv。1,andwiththeVandals,v。1;eachoftheseepistlesaffordssomecuriousknowledgeofthepolicyandmannersoftheBarbarians。]
[Footnote36:HispoliticalsystemmaybeobservedinCassiodorus,Var。iv。lix。l,Jornandes,c。58,p。698,699,
andtheValesianFragment,p。720,721。Peace,honorablepeace,wastheconstantaimofTheodoric。]
[Footnote37:ThecuriousreadermaycontemplatetheHeruliofProcopius,Goth。l。ii。c。14,andthepatientreadermayplungeintothedarkandminuteresearchesofM。deBuat,Hist。
desPeuplesAnciens,tom。ix。p。348—396。
Note:CompareManso,OstGothischeReich。Beylage,vi。
Malte—BrunbringsthemfromScandinavia:theirnames,theonlyremainsoftheirlanguage,areGothic。"Theyfoughtalmostnaked,liketheIcelandicBerserkirstheirbraverywaslikemadness:fewinnumber,theyweremostlyofroyalblood。Whatferocity,whatunrestrainedlicense,sulliedtheirvictories!
TheGothrespectsthechurch,thepriests,thesenate;theHerulimangleallinageneralmassacre:thereisnopityforage,norefugeforchastity。Amongthemselvesthereisthesameferocity:thesickandtheagedareputtodeath。attheirownrequest,duringasolemnfestival;thewidowendsherdaysbyhangingherselfuponthetreewhichshadowsherhusband'stomb。
Allthesecircumstances,sostrikingtoamindfamiliarwithScandinavianhistory,leadustodiscoveramongtheHerulinotsomuchanationasaconfederacyofprincesandnobles,boundbyanoathtoliveanddietogetherwiththeirarmsintheirhands。
Theirname,sometimeswrittenHeruliorEruli。sometimesAeruli,signified,accordingtoanancientauthor,Isid。Hispal。ingloss。p。24,adcalc。Lex。Philolog。Martini,ll,nobles,andappearstocorrespondbetterwiththeScandinavianwordiarlorearl,thanwithanyofthosenumerousderivationsproposedbyetymologists。"Malte—Brun,vol。i。p。400,edit。1831。OfalltheBarbarianswhothrewthemselvesontheruinsoftheRomanempire,itismostdifficulttotracetheoriginoftheHeruli。
Theyseemnevertohavebeenverypowerfulasanation,andbranchesofthemarefoundincountriesveryremotefromeachother。InmyopiniontheybelongtotheGothicrace,andhaveacloseaffinitywiththeScyrriorHirri。Theywere,possibly,adivisionofthatnation。TheyareoftenmingledandconfoundedwiththeAlani。Thoughbraveandformidable。theywerenevernumerous。nordidtheyfoundanystate。—St。Martin,vol。vi。p。
375。—M。SchafarckconsidersthemdescendantsoftheHirri。ofwhichHeruliisadiminutive,—SlawischeAlterthinner—M。
1845。]
[Footnote38:Variarum,iv。2。ThespiritandformsofthismartialinstitutionarenoticedbyCassiodorus;butheseemstohaveonlytranslatedthesentimentsoftheGothickingintothelanguageofRomaneloquence。]
[Footnote39:Cassiodorus,whoquotesTacitustotheAestians,theunletteredsavagesoftheBaltic,Var。v。2,describestheamberforwhichtheirshoreshaveeverbeenfamous,asthegumofatree,hardenedbythesun,andpurifiedandwaftedbythewaves。Whenthatsingularsubstanceisanalyzedbythechemists,ityieldsavegetableoilandamineralacid。]
[Footnote40:Scanzia,orThule,isdescribedbyJornandesc。3,p。610—613andProcopius,Goth。l。ii。c。15。NeithertheGothnortheGreekhadvisitedthecountry:bothhadconversedwiththenativesintheirexileatRavennaorConstantinople。]
[Footnote41:Sapherinaspelles。InthetimeofJornandestheyinhabitedSuethans,theproperSweden;butthatbeautifulraceofanimalshasgraduallybeendrivenintotheeasternpartsofSiberia。SeeBuffon,Hist。Nat。tom。xiii。p。309—313,quartoedition;Pennant,SystemofQuadrupeds,vol。i。p。322—328;
Gmelin,Hist。Gendes。Voyages,tom。xviii。p。257,258;andLevesque,Hist。deRussie,tom。v。p。165,166,514,515。]
[Footnote42:InthesystemorromanceofMr。Bailly,LettressurlesSciencesetsurl'Atlantide,tom。i。p。249—256,tom。
ii。p。114—139,thephoenixoftheEdda,andtheannualdeathandrevivalofAdonisandOsiris,aretheallegoricalsymbolsoftheabsenceandreturnofthesunintheArcticregions。ThisingeniouswriterisaworthydiscipleofthegreatBuffon;norisiteasyforthecoldestreasontowithstandthemagicoftheirphilosophy。]
[Footnote43:SaysProcopius。AtpresentarudeManicheismgenerousenoughprevailsamongtheSamoyedesinGreenlandandinLapland,Hist。desVoyages,tom。xviii。p。508,509,tom。
xix。p。105,106,527,528;yet,accordingtoOrotiusSamojutaecoelumatqueastraadorant,numinahaudaliisiniquiora,deRebusBelgicis,l。iv。p。338,folioeditionasentencewhichTacituswouldnothavedisowned。]
ThelifeofTheodoricrepresentstherareandmeritoriousexampleofaBarbarian,whosheathedhisswordintheprideofvictoryandthevigorofhisage。Areignofthreeandthirtyyearswasconsecratedtothedutiesofcivilgovernment,andthehostilities,inwhichhewassometimesinvolved,werespeedilyterminatedbytheconductofhislieutenants,thedisciplineofhistroops,thearmsofhisallies,andevenbytheterrorofhisname。Hereduced,underastrongandregulargovernment,theunprofitablecountriesofRhaetia,Noricum,Dalmatia,andPannonia,fromthesourceoftheDanubeandtheterritoryoftheBavarians,^44tothepettykingdomerectedbytheGepidaeontheruinsofSirmium。HisprudencecouldnotsafelyintrustthebulwarkofItalytosuchfeebleandturbulentneighbors;andhisjusticemightclaimthelandswhichtheyoppressed,eitherasapartofhiskingdom,orastheinheritanceofhisfather。Thegreatnessofaservant,whowasnamedperfidiousbecausehewassuccessful,awakenedthejealousyoftheemperorAnastasius;andawarwaskindledontheDacianfrontier,bytheprotectionwhichtheGothicking,inthevicissitudeofhumanaffairs,hadgrantedtooneofthedescendantsofAttila。Sabinian,ageneralillustriousbyhisownandfather'smerit,advancedattheheadoftenthousandRomans;andtheprovisionsandarms,whichfilledalongtrainofwagons,weredistributedtothefiercestoftheBulgariantribes。ButinthefieldsofMargus,theeasternpowersweredefeatedbytheinferiorforcesoftheGothsandHuns;theflowerandeventhehopeoftheRomanarmieswasirretrievablydestroyed;andsuchwasthetemperancewithwhichTheodorichadinspiredhisvictorioustroops,that,astheirleaderhadnotgiventhesignalofpillage,therichspoilsoftheenemylayuntouchedattheirfeet。^45Exasperatedbythisdisgrace,theByzantinecourtdespatchedtwohundredshipsandeightthousandmentoplunderthesea—coastofCalabriaandApulia:theyassaultedtheancientcityofTarentum,interruptedthetradeandagricultureofahappycountry,andsailedbacktotheHellespont,proudoftheirpiraticalvictoryoverapeoplewhomtheystillpresumedtoconsiderastheirRomanbrethren。^46
TheirretreatwaspossiblyhastenedbytheactivityofTheodoric;
Italywascoveredbyafleetofathousandlightvessels,^47
whichheconstructedwithincredibledespatch;andhisfirmmoderationwassoonrewardedbyasolidandhonorablepeace。Hemaintained,withapowerfulhand,thebalanceoftheWest,tillitwasatlengthoverthrownbytheambitionofClovis;andalthoughunabletoassisthisrashandunfortunatekinsman,thekingoftheVisigoths,hesavedtheremainsofhisfamilyandpeople,andcheckedtheFranksinthemidstoftheirvictoriouscareer。Iamnotdesiroustoprolongorrepeat^48thisnarrativeofmilitaryevents,theleastinterestingofthereignofTheodoric;andshallbecontenttoadd,thattheAlemanniwereprotected,^49thataninroadoftheBurgundianswasseverelychastised,andthattheconquestofArlesandMarseillesopenedafreecommunicationwiththeVisigoths,whoreveredhimastheirnationalprotector,andastheguardianofhisgrandchild,theinfantsonofAlaric。Underthisrespectablecharacter,thekingofItalyrestoredthepraetorianpraefectureoftheGauls,reformedsomeabusesinthecivilgovernmentofSpain,andacceptedtheannualtributeandapparentsubmissionofitsmilitarygovernor,whowiselyrefusedtotrusthispersoninthepalaceofRavenna。^50TheGothicsovereigntywasestablishedfromSicilytotheDanube,fromSirmiumorBelgradetotheAtlanticOcean;andtheGreeksthemselveshaveacknowledgedthatTheodoricreignedoverthefairestportionoftheWesternempire。
^51
[Footnote44:SeetheHist。desPeuplesAnciens,&c。,tom。ix。p。
255—273,396—501。ThecountdeBuatwasFrenchministeratthecourtofBavaria:aliberalcuriositypromptedhisinquiriesintotheantiquitiesofthecountry,andthatcuriositywasthegermoftwelverespectablevolumes。]
[Footnote45:SeetheGothictransactionsontheDanubeandtheIllyricum,inJornandes,c。58,p。699;Ennodius,p。1607—
1610;MarcellmusinChron。p。44,47,48;andCassiodorus,ininChronandVar。iii。2950,iv。13,vii。424,viii。9,10,11,21,ix。8,9。]
[Footnote46:IcannotforbeartranscribingtheliberalandclassicstyleofCountMarcellinus:Romanuscomesdomesticorum,etRusticuscomesscholariorumcumcentumarmatisnavibus,totidemquedromonibus,octomilliamilitumarmatorumsecumferentibus,addevastandaItaliaelittoraprocesserunt,utusqueadTarentumantiquissimamcivitatemaggressisunt;remensoquemariinhonestamvictoriamquampiraticoausuRomaniexRomanisrapuerunt,AnastasioCaesarireportarunt,inChron。p。48。SeeVariar。i。16,ii。38。]
[Footnote47:Seetheroyalordersandinstructions,Var。iv。
15,v。16—20。ThesearmedboatsshouldbestillsmallerthanthethousandvesselsofAgamemnonatthesiegeofTroy。Manso,p。121。]
[Footnote48:Vol。iii。p。581—585。]
[Footnote49:Ennodiusp。1610andCassiodorus,intheroyalname,Var。ii41,recordhissalutaryprotectionoftheAlemanni。]
[Footnote50:TheGothictransactionsinGaulandSpainarerepresentedwithsomeperplexityinCassiodorus,Var。iii。32,38,41,43,44,v。39。Jornandes,c。58,p。698,699,andProcopius,Goth。l。i。c。12。IwillneitherhearnorreconcilethelongandcontradictoryargumentsoftheAbbeDubosandtheCountdeBuat,aboutthewarsofBurgundy。]
[Footnote51:Theophanes,p。113。]