[Footnote86:Seeanexcellentdissertationontheoriginandmigrationsofnations，intheMemoiresdel'AcademiedesInscriptions，tom。xviii。p。48—71。Itisseldomthattheantiquarianandthephilosopheraresohappilyblended。]
Wars，andtheadministrationofpublicaffairs，aretheprincipalsubjectsofhistory；butthenumberofpersonsinterestedinthesebusyscenesisverydifferent，accordingtothedifferentconditionofmankind。Ingreatmonarchies，millionsofobedientsubjectspursuetheirusefuloccupationsinpeaceandobscurity。Theattentionofthewriter，aswellasofthereader，issolelyconfinedtoacourt，acapital，aregulararmy，andthedistrictswhichhappentobetheoccasionalsceneofmilitaryoperations。Butastateoffreedomandbarbarism，theseasonofcivilcommotions，orthesituationofpettyrepublics，^87raisesalmosteverymemberofthecommunityintoaction，andconsequentlyintonotice。Theirregulardivisions，andtherestlessmotions，ofthepeopleofGermany，dazzleourimagination，andseemtomultiplytheirnumbers。Theprofuseenumerationofkings，ofwarriors，ofarmiesandnations，inclinesustoforgetthatthesameobjectsarecontinuallyrepeatedunderavarietyofappellations，andthatthemostsplendidappellationshavebeenfrequentlylavishedonthemostinconsiderableobjects。
[Footnote87:ShouldwesuspectthatAthenscontainedonly21，000
citizens，andSpartanomorethan39，000?SeeHumeandWallaceonthenumberofmankindinancientandmoderntimes。
Note:Thisnumber，thoughtoopositivelystated，isprobablynotfarwrong，asanaverageestimate。OnthesubjectofAthenianpopulation，seeSt。Croix，Acad。desInscrip。xlviii。
Boeckh，PublicEconomyofAthens，i。47。EngTrans，FynesClinton，FastiHellenici，vol。i。p。381。ThelatterauthorestimatesthecitizensofSpartaat33，000—M。]
ChapterX:EmperorsDecius，Gallus，Aemilianus，ValerianAndGallienus。
PartI。
TheEmperorsDecius，Gallus，Aemilianus，Valerian，AndGallienus。
—TheGeneralIrruptionOfTheBarbariAns。—TheThirtyTyrants。
FromthegreatseculargamescelebratedbyPhilip，tothedeathoftheemperorGallienus，thereelapsedtwentyyearsofshameandmisfortune。Duringthatcalamitousperiod，everyinstantoftimewasmarked，everyprovinceoftheRomanworldwasafflicted，bybarbarousinvaders，andmilitarytyrants，andtheruinedempireseemedtoapproachthelastandfatalmomentofitsdissolution。Theconfusionofthetimes，andthescarcityofauthenticmemorials，opposeequaldifficultiestothehistorian，whoattemptstopreserveaclearandunbrokenthreadofnarration。Surroundedwithimperfectfragments，alwaysconcise，oftenobscure，andsometimescontradictory，heisreducedtocollect，tocompare，andtoconjecture:andthoughheoughtnevertoplacehisconjecturesintherankoffacts，yettheknowledgeofhumannature，andofthesureoperationofitsfierceandunrestrainedpassions，might，onsomeoccasions，supplythewantofhistoricalmaterials。
Thereisnot，forinstance，anydifficultyinconceiving，thatthesuccessivemurdersofsomanyemperorshadloosenedallthetiesofallegiancebetweentheprinceandpeople；thatallthegeneralsofPhilipweredisposedtoimitatetheexampleoftheirmaster；andthatthecapriceofarmies，longsincehabituatedtofrequentandviolentrevolutions，mighteverydayraisetothethronethemostobscureoftheirfellow—soldiers。
Historycanonlyadd，thattherebellionagainsttheemperorPhilipbrokeoutinthesummeroftheyeartwohundredandforty—nine，amongthelegionsofMaesia；andthatasubalternofficer，^1namedMarinus，wastheobjectoftheirseditiouschoice。Philipwasalarmed。HedreadedlestthetreasonoftheMaesianarmyshouldprovethefirstsparkofageneralconflagration。Distractedwiththeconsciousnessofhisguiltandofhisdanger，hecommunicatedtheintelligencetothesenate。A
gloomysilenceprevailed，theeffectoffear，andperhapsofdisaffection；tillatlengthDecius，oneoftheassembly，assumingaspiritworthyofhisnobleextraction，venturedtodiscovermoreintrepiditythantheemperorseemedtopossess。Hetreatedthewholebusinesswithcontempt，asahastyandinconsideratetumult，andPhilip'srivalasaphantomofroyalty，whoinaveryfewdayswouldbedestroyedbythesameinconstancythathadcreatedhim。ThespeedycompletionoftheprophecyinspiredPhilipwithajustesteemforsoableacounsellor；andDeciusappearedtohimtheonlypersoncapableofrestoringpeaceanddisciplinetoanarmywhosetumultuousspiritdidnotimmediatelysubsideafterthemurderofMarinus。Decius，^2wholongresistedhisownnomination，seemstohaveinsinuatedthedangerofpresentingaleaderofmerittotheangryandapprehensivemindsofthesoldiers；andhispredictionwasagainconfirmedbytheevent。ThelegionsofMaesiaforcedtheirjudgetobecometheiraccomplice。Theylefthimonlythealternativeofdeathorthepurple。Hissubsequentconduct，afterthatdecisivemeasure，wasunavoidable。Heconducted，orfollowed，hisarmytotheconfinesofItaly，whitherPhilip，collectingallhisforcetorepeltheformidablecompetitorwhomhehadraisedup，advancedtomeethim。TheImperialtroopsweresuperiorinnumber；buttherebelsformedanarmyofveterans，commandedbyanableandexperiencedleader。Philipwaseitherkilledinthebattle，orputtodeathafewdaysafterwardsatVerona。HissonandassociateintheempirewasmassacredatRomebythePraetorianguards；andthevictoriousDecius，withmorefavorablecircumstancesthantheambitionofthatagecanusuallyplead，wasuniversallyacknowledgedbythesenateandprovinces。Itisreported，that，immediatelyafterhisreluctantacceptanceofthetitleofAugustus，hehadassuredPhilip，byaprivatemessage，ofhisinnocenceandloyalty，solemnlyprotesting，that，onhisarrivalonItaly，hewouldresigntheImperialornaments，andreturntotheconditionofanobedientsubject。Hisprofessionsmightbesincere；butinthesituationwherefortunehadplacedhim，itwasscarcelypossiblethathecouldeitherforgiveorbeforgiven。^3
[Footnote1:TheexpressionusedbyZosimusandZonarasmaysignifythatMarinuscommandedacentury，acohort，oralegion。]
[Footnote2:HisbirthatBubalia，alittlevillageinPannonia，Eutrop。ix。Victor。inCaesarib。etEpitom。，seemstocontradict，unlessitwasmerelyaccidental，hissupposeddescentfromtheDecii。SixhundredyearshadbestowednobilityontheDecii:butatthecommencementofthatperiod，theywereonlyplebeiansofmerit，andamongthefirstwhosharedtheconsulshipwiththehaughtypatricians。PlebeineDeciorumanimae，&c。
Juvenal，Sat。viii。254。SeethespiritedspeechofDecius，inLivy。x。9，10。]
[Footnote3:Zosimus，l。i。p。20，c。22。Zonaras，l。xii。p。
624，edit。Louvre。]
TheemperorDeciushademployedafewmonthsintheworksofpeaceandtheadministrationofjustice，whenhewassummonedtothebanksoftheDanubebytheinvasionoftheGoths。Thisisthefirstconsiderableoccasioninwhichhistorymentionsthatgreatpeople，whoafterwardsbroketheRomanpower，sackedtheCapitol，andreignedinGaul，Spain，andItaly。SomemorablewasthepartwhichtheyactedinthesubversionoftheWesternempire，thatthenameofGothsisfrequentlybutimproperlyusedasageneralappellationefrudeandwarlikebarbarism。
Inthebeginningofthesixthcentury，andaftertheconquestofItaly，theGoths，inpossessionofpresentgreatness，verynaturallyindulgedthemselvesintheprospectofpastandoffutureglory。Theywishedtopreservethememoryoftheirancestors，andtotransmittoposteritytheirownachievements。
TheprincipalministerofthecourtofRavenna，thelearnedCassiodorus，gratifiedtheinclinationoftheconquerorsinaGothichistory，whichconsistedoftwelvebooks，nowreducedtotheimperfectabridgmentofJornandes。^4Thesewriterspassedwiththemostartfulconcisenessoverthemisfortunesofthenation，celebrateditssuccessfulvalor，andadornedthetriumphwithmanyAsiatictrophies，thatmoreproperlybelongedtothepeopleofScythia。Onthefaithofancientsongs，theuncertain，buttheonlymemorialsofbarbarians，theydeducedthefirstoriginoftheGothsfromthevastisland，orpeninsula，ofScandinavia。^5ThatextremecountryoftheNorthwasnotunknowntotheconquerorsofItaly:thetiesofancientconsanguinityhadbeenstrengthenedbyrecentofficesoffriendship；andaScandinaviankinghadcheerfullyabdicatedhissavagegreatness，thathemightpasstheremainderofhisdaysinthepeacefulandpolishedcourtofRavenna。^6Manyvestiges，whichcannotbeascribedtotheartsofpopularvanity，attesttheancientresidenceoftheGothsinthecountriesbeyondtheRhine。FromthetimeofthegeographerPtolemy，thesouthernpartofSwedenseemstohavecontinuedinthepossessionofthelessenterprisingremnantofthenation，andalargeterritoryisevenatpresentdividedintoeastandwestGothland。Duringthemiddleages，fromtheninthtothetwelfthcentury，whilstChristianitywasadvancingwithaslowprogressintotheNorth，theGothsandtheSwedescomposedtwodistinctandsometimeshostilemembersofthesamemonarchy。^7Thelatterofthesetwonameshasprevailedwithoutextinguishingtheformer。TheSwedes，whomightwellbesatisfiedwiththeirownfameinarms，have，ineveryage，claimedthekindredgloryoftheGoths。InamomentofdiscontentagainstthecourtofRome，CharlestheTwelfthinsinuated，thathisvictorioustroopswerenotdegeneratedfromtheirbraveancestors，whohadalreadysubduedthemistressoftheworld。^8
[Footnote4:SeetheprefacesofCassiodorusandJornandes；itissurprisingthatthelattershouldbeomittedintheexcellentedition，publishedbyGrotius，oftheGothicwriters。]
[Footnote5:OntheauthorityofAblavius，JornandesquotessomeoldGothicchroniclesinverse。DeReb。Geticis，c。4。]
[Footnote*:TheGothshaveinhabitedScandinavia，butitwasnottheiroriginalhabitation。ThisgreatnationwasancientlyoftheSuevianrace；itoccupied，inthetimeofTacitus，andlongbefore，Mecklenburgh，PomeraniaSouthernPrussiaandthenorth—westofPoland。AlittlebeforethebirthofJ。C。，andinthefirstyearsofthatcentury，theybelongedtothekingdomofMarbod，kingoftheMarcomanni:butCotwalda，ayoungGothicprince，deliveredthemfromthattyranny，andestablishedhisownpoweroverthekingdomoftheMarcomanni，alreadymuchweakenedbythevictoriesofTiberius。ThepoweroftheGothsatthattimemusthavebeengreat:itwasprobablyfromthemthattheSinusCodanustheBaltictookthisname，asitwasafterwardscalledMareSuevicum，andMareVenedicum，duringthesuperiorityoftheproperSueviandtheVenedi。TheepochinwhichtheGothspassedintoScandinaviaisunknown。SeeAdelung，Hist。ofAnc。
Germany，p。200。Gatterer，Hist。Univ。458。—G。
M。St。Martinobserves，thattheScandinaviandescentoftheGothsrestsontheauthorityofJornandes，whoprofessedtoderiveitfromthetraditionsoftheGoths。HeissupportedbyProcopiusandPaulusDiaconus。YettheGothsareunquestionablythesamewiththeGetaeoftheearlierhistorians。St。Martin，noteonLeBeau，Hist。dubasEmpire，iii。324。TheidentityoftheGetaeandGothsisbynomeansgenerallyadmitted。Onthewhole，theyseemtobeonevastbranchoftheIndo—Teutonicrace，whospreadirregularlytowardsthenorthofEurope，andatdifferentperiods，andindifferentregions，cameincontactwiththemorecivilizednationsofthesouth。Atthisperiod，thereseemstohavebeenarefluxoftheseGothictribesfromtheNorth。
MalteBrunconsidersthattherearestronggroundsforreceivingtheIslandictraditionscommentedbytheDanishVarro，M。Suhm。Fromthese，andthevoyageofPytheas，whichMalteBrunconsidersgenuine，theGothswereinpossessionofScandinavia，Ey—Gothland，250yearsbeforeJ。C。，andofatractonthecontinentReid—GothlandbetweenthemouthsoftheVistulaandtheOder。Intheirsouthernmigration，theyfollowedthecourseoftheVistula；afterwards，oftheDnieper。MalteBrun，Geogr。
i。p。387，edit。1832。Geijer，thehistorianofSweden，ablymaintainstheScandinavianoriginoftheGoths。TheGothiclanguage，accordingtoBopp，isthelinkbetweentheSanscritandthemodernTeutonicdialects:"IthinkthatIamreadingSanscritwhenIamreadingOlphilas。"Bopp，ConjugationsSystemderSanscritSprache，preface，p。x—M。]
[Footnote6:Jornandes，c。3。]
[Footnote7:SeeintheProlegomenaofGrotiussomelargeextractsfromAdamofBremen，andSaxo—Grammaticus。Theformerwroteintheyear1077，thelatterflourishedabouttheyear1200。]
[Footnote8:Voltaire，HistoiredeCharlesXII。l。iii。WhentheAustriansdesiredtheaidofthecourtofRomeagainstGustavusAdolphus，theyalwaysrepresentedthatconquerorasthelinealsuccessorofAlaric。Harte'sHistoryofGustavus，vol。ii。p。
123。]
Tilltheendoftheeleventhcentury，acelebratedtemplesubsistedatUpsal，themostconsiderabletownoftheSwedesandGoths。ItwasenrichedwiththegoldwhichtheScandinavianshadacquiredintheirpiraticaladventures，andsanctifiedbytheuncouthrepresentationsofthethreeprincipaldeities，thegodofwar，thegoddessofgeneration，andthegodofthunder。Inthegeneralfestival，thatwassolemnizedeveryninthyear，nineanimalsofeveryspecieswithoutexceptingthehumanweresacrificed，andtheirbleedingbodiessuspendedinthesacredgroveadjacenttothetemple。^9TheonlytracesthatnowsubsistofthisbarbaricsuperstitionarecontainedintheEdda，asystemofmythology，compiledinIcelandaboutthethirteenthcentury，andstudiedbythelearnedofDenmarkandSweden，asthemostvaluableremainsoftheirancienttraditions。
[Footnote9:SeeAdamofBremeninGrotiiProlegomenis，p。105。
ThetempleofUpsalwasdestroyedbyIngo，kingofSweden，whobeganhisreignintheyear1075，andaboutfourscoreyearsafterwards，aChristiancathedralwaserectedonitsruins。SeeDalin'sHistoryofSweden，intheBibliothequeRaisonee。]
[Footnote*:TheEddashaveatlengthbeenmadeaccessibletoEuropeanscholarsbythecompletionofthepublicationoftheSaemundineEddabytheArnaMagnaeanCommission，in3vols。4to。，withacopiouslexiconofnorthernmythology。—M。]
NotwithstandingthemysteriousobscurityoftheEdda，wecaneasilydistinguishtwopersonsconfoundedunderthenameofOdin；
thegodofwar，andthegreatlegislatorofScandinavia。Thelatter，theMahometoftheNorth，institutedareligionadaptedtotheclimateandtothepeople。NumeroustribesoneithersideoftheBalticweresubduedbytheinvinciblevalorofOdin，byhispersuasiveeloquence，andbythefamewhichheacquiredofamostskilfulmagician。Thefaiththathehadpropagated，duringalongandprosperouslife，heconfirmedbyavoluntarydeath。
Apprehensiveoftheignominiousapproachofdiseaseandinfirmity，heresolvedtoexpireasbecameawarrior。InasolemnassemblyoftheSwedesandGoths，hewoundedhimselfinninemortalplaces，hasteningawayasheassertedwithhisdyingvoicetopreparethefeastofheroesinthepalaceoftheGodofwar。^10
[Footnote10:Mallet，Introductional'HistoireduDannemarc。]
ThenativeandproperhabitationofOdinisdistinguishedbytheappellationofAs—gard。ThehappyresemblanceofthatnamewithAs—burg，orAs—of，^11wordsofasimilarsignification，hasgivenrisetoanhistoricalsystemofsopleasingacontexture，thatwecouldalmostwishtopersuadeourselvesofitstruth。ItissupposedthatOdinwasthechiefofatribeofbarbarianswhichdweltonthebanksoftheLakeMaeotis，tillthefallofMithridatesandthearmsofPompeymenacedtheNorthwithservitude。ThatOdin，yieldingwithindignantfurytoapowerwhichhewasunabletoresist，conductedhistribefromthefrontiersoftheAsiaticSarmatiaintoSweden，withthegreatdesignofforming，inthatinaccessibleretreatoffreedom，areligionandapeople，which，insomeremoteage，mightbesubservienttohisimmortalrevenge；whenhisinvincibleGoths，armedwithmartialfanaticism，shouldissueinnumerousswarmsfromtheneighborhoodofthePolarcircle，tochastisetheoppressorsofmankind。^12
[Footnote11:Mallet，c。iv。p。55，hascollectedfromStrabo，Pliny，Ptolemy，andStephanusByzantinus，thevestigesofsuchacityandpeople。]
[Footnote12:ThiswonderfulexpeditionofOdin，which，bydeductingtheenmityoftheGothsandRomansfromsomemorableacause，mightsupplythenoblegroundworkofanepicpoem，cannotsafelybereceivedasauthentichistory。AccordingtotheobvioussenseoftheEdda，andtheinterpretationofthemostskilfulcritics，As—gard，insteadofdenotingarealcityoftheAsiaticSarmatia，isthefictitiousappellationofthemysticabodeofthegods，theOlympusofScandinavia；fromwhencetheprophetwassupposedtodescend，whenheannouncedhisnewreligiontotheGothicnations，whowerealreadyseatedinthesouthernpartsofSweden。
Note:AcuriouslettermaybeconsultedonthissubjectfromtheSwede，IhrecounsellorintheChanceryofUpsal，printedatUpsalbyEdman，in1772andtranslatedintoGermanbyM。
Schlozer。Gottingen，printedforDietericht，1779。—G。
Gibbon，atalaterperiodofhiswork，recantedhisopinionofthetruthofthisexpeditionofOdin。TheAsiaticoriginoftheGothsisalmostcertainfromtheaffinityoftheirlanguagetotheSanscritandPersian；buttheirnorthernwriters，whenallmythologywasreducedtoheroworship。—M。]
IfsomanysuccessivegenerationsofGothswerecapableofpreservingafainttraditionoftheirScandinavianorigin，wemustnotexpect，fromsuchunletteredbarbarians，anydistinctaccountofthetimeandcircumstancesoftheiremigration。TocrosstheBalticwasaneasyandnaturalattempt。TheinhabitantsofSwedenweremastersofasufficientnumberoflargevessels，withoars，^13andthedistanceislittlemorethanonehundredmilesfromCarlscroontothenearestportsofPomeraniaandPrussia。Here，atlength，welandonfirmandhistoricground。AtleastasearlyastheChristianaera，^14
andaslateastheageoftheAntonines，^15theGothswereestablishedtowardsthemouthoftheVistula，andinthatfertileprovincewherethecommercialcitiesofThorn，Elbing，Koningsberg，andDantzick，werelongafterwardsfounded。^16