Table Of Content—_
CGrgnon Sualp.
. rom,
, r . Mine i ai Sf
A
Univerfal'Hiftory,
ROM THE
Farlieft Account of Time.
VOL, XV.
“BOOK I.
The Roman Hifory.
CHAP. XIX.
The Hifory of Rome, from the Deab of Vitellius to
the Death of Domitian, the if uf the twelve Coelars,
- is whom ended the Flavian Family,
ae
HE Flavian family, now sic the highelt pitch Té de
of grandeur, was no-way confpicuous ithe: for its cen sa
» bith,
luftre or antiquity, Tits Havius, the emperor’s
\dfather, was acitizen of Reaie, now Ricti, inthe coun- 2"
fry of the Sabines ; and, in the civil wars between Cafar and 546,219
Pompey, ferved under the Jatter in quality of centurion, but cained
fowrned home after the battle of Pharfalia and, having ON yy ips 9
tained bis pardon, betook himfelf to the mean employmey
roid taxes, under the farmers of the public reve
Titus Flavius Sabinus followed the fame prof
a@iquitted himfelf in it with fuch integrity, that, by
Fal cities of A/a, where he was colle@or of te“tax called
quadrogefima, ftatues were erected to him with this infcription,
‘Zo the beneft publican. Afterwards he withliew into the
Ba country
. rom,
, r . Mine i ai Sf
A
Univerfal'Hiftory,
ROM THE
Farlieft Account of Time.
VOL, XV.
“BOOK I.
The Roman Hifory.
CHAP. XIX.
The Hifory of Rome, from the Deab of Vitellius to
the Death of Domitian, the if uf the twelve Coelars,
- is whom ended the Flavian Family,
ae
HE Flavian family, now sic the highelt pitch Té de
of grandeur, was no-way confpicuous ithe: for its cen sa
» bith,
luftre or antiquity, Tits Havius, the emperor’s
\dfather, was acitizen of Reaie, now Ricti, inthe coun- 2"
fry of the Sabines ; and, in the civil wars between Cafar and 546,219
Pompey, ferved under the Jatter in quality of centurion, but cained
fowrned home after the battle of Pharfalia and, having ON yy ips 9
tained bis pardon, betook himfelf to the mean employmey
roid taxes, under the farmers of the public reve
Titus Flavius Sabinus followed the fame prof
a@iquitted himfelf in it with fuch integrity, that, by
Fal cities of A/a, where he was colle@or of te“tax called
quadrogefima, ftatues were erected to him with this infcription,
‘Zo the beneft publican. Afterwards he withliew into the
Ba country
or
The Romy Hiftory. € ur,
of Neroand Galba, while Gu and Vitellius were contendiag
for the fovereignty, he begay to cherifh hopes of obtaining it
himfelf, relying on feveral 4rodigics, prophecies, and propi-
tious refponfes of oracles (Wf). Of the many predi@tions, that
of ‘Fofephus the hiftorian is the moft famous, who {gluted
Pefpofian with the title of emperor even in Nero's reign, and
aflured him, he fhould be foon invefted with the fovercign,
power. His predidtion is trentioned not only by bfinftlf ©,
but likewife by Suetonius 4, who tells us, that Vlas, being
hy Vefpafian's orders pitt in irong, boldly affirmed, that in a
fhoit time hefhould by {im be fet % liberty ; but that he fhould
be emperor firlt, However, that the empire was, by the duit:
laws of fate, by prediétions and proghecies, foretold and or-
dained to Vefpafian, and his fons, was, fays Tacitus, what we
believed, after we had feen them emperors &
© Josern, bell. Jad. bv. c. 12.
cir, hit. Li, ©. 86. & 1. ii, €.78.
(B) The antients take notice
of many prodigies prefaging his
future grandeur. Lafhis ground,
fays Tacitus (1), while he was in
the bloom of his age, a cyprefi-
tree, fignally all, fell faddenly 5
but the day following rofe again,
and refumed fieth growth and
verdure ; which was, according to
the concurring teftimony OF the
foothfayers, au omen of extraor-
dinary grandeur i the late 5
yet at firkt the whtle ‘prefage
feemed to have been literally ful-
filled by his being honoured with
the triumphal ornaments, which
he acquired by his conduét in
Britain 5 by his bearing the di
ity of conful ; and by his re-
a in vanquifhing the Jews.
Bul\when he had paffed through
nours, he began to be-
at the empire was the
things paged. He was con-
firmed in thi"belief by the an-
fwer returned him by Bafilides
rieft of the god Carmel, fo called
from mount Carme/, on which
(1) Toritebip 1 ii 6. 98.
4 Surr. 65. © Tae
‘
flood the altar of that deity ;
adeity, as Tacitus obferves, not
diftinguithed by anp=flatue or
temple, but only by an altar.
As Vejpafian offered facrifice
there, and was entertaining great
hopes and views, Bafilides the
prieft, having ditigently farveyed
the entrails, addreffed him thus :
“© Whatever defign it is whieh
you meditate, O Vefpafan,
“ whether to build an houfe, or
“extend your domains, or to
enlarge ‘your train of flaves,
to you is granted a mighty and
“ large fettlement,infinite bounds,
“ and multitudes of men.” Thefe
myfterions words were iinmedi-
ately fpread abroad by fame, and
by all explained as prefaging the
empire to Ve/pafian. Many re-
fponfes of oracles, and prodigies
of the like nature, are related by
Suetonius (2),and Dio Caffius (3)3
‘but we shall not trefpafs upon the
tience of our readers with @
letail of them,
“
(2) Suets in Hefpa es 5+ (3) Din, bola f 744-
Vem
y -
C. IX. Tee Boman Hifory, Po)
Vespastan, being encdvyaged by Aducianus governor of
Syria, by Tiberius Alexander governor of Egypt, and by all
his officers, not to neglect the prefent opportunity, while two
“competitors, of all mea the mioft unworthy, were contending
for the empire, “at length yielded, as we have already re-
dated 5 and was proclaimed emperor at Alexandria on the firft Lacknowe
of Fuly of the fixty-ninth year of the Chriftian sera ; on the leged em-
third of the fame month, in Fudea, where he then was ; peror in
on the fiftcenth, in Syria; and a few days after, in all the !4e Za?
provinces of the Eait. He was not in himftif any-way &” fro
changed by fo fudden and ‘fo migkty a turn of fortune: no Ze.
loftinefs appeared in his, afpest, nf arrogance, nor any new Not
“Behaviour, under his new chara€ér. He immediately re- changed by
warded his friends, rajfing fome to ry commands, others 4#5 new
to be governors of provinces, feveral to the rank ot fenators, dignity,
moft of them men of fignal merit and renown, and who after
wards acquired the higheft honours inthe ftate. As he thought
it below him to court the foldicrs by largefles, he promifed
them no gréater donative in the heat of the civil war, than had
been given them hy others during full peace. In the council
which he eftablithed at Berytus tor the dire€tion of all mo-
mentoug affairs, it was refolved, that Tus Mhould purfue the
war againt the Jews, and Aucianus niarch with part of the
forces againft Vitellius. But Titus undertook nothing till the
next year ; and /xtonius Primus, with the Illyrian army,
defeated the troops of /“tellius before the arrival of Aducianus
made himfelf mafter of Rome, and all /taly; and caufed the
uubappy emperor to be publicly executed as a common cti-
minal: all which tranfactions*w. have already related ac
large.
Iv the mean time /e/pfian, having fpafled fome time at
Antioch the capital of Syria, prcceeded*trom thence to Egypt,
where he received the joyful tidings of the viftory pained by
Primus at Cremona. ereupon he haftened to Alexandria,
with adefign to diftrefs Rome by famine, fince from Egypt
chiefly the city was fupphed with corn. He was at the fame
time preparing to invade Africa by fea and land, in order to
bring upon the enemy, by intercepting their provifions, the
calamity of hunger, with that of diffenfion, But in thranean Receives
time many perfons of all ranks and degrees arrived frogh Ztaly, "ems of
sto acquaint him with the fate and fall of Viteling’; which Se fate of
‘were no fooner known, than multitudes flocked trigfn all quar- Vitellsus,
ters, notwithftanding it was then winter, tow*>ait the favour
of the new emperor ; infomuach that Alexandria, the greateft
city of the empire after Rome, proved too {mall for the vuft
numbers of embaffadors, deputies, noblemen, officers, &c.
who flocked thither, Among the reft, embafladors arrived
Ba from,
¥ The Roman Elfery. Ball.
from Pologefes king of Parthia, tho offered to affift him with
forty thoufand Parthian horfe. ° ‘fpafien returned him thanks,
and, defiring he would fend wmbaffadors to the fenate, ace
quainted him, that the commpnwealth was re-eftablifhed in
peacef, The news of the defth of Vizellius made Ve/pafian
aker his meafures ; for, inflead of diftreffing the city, whjch
had aleady proclaimed him emperor, with famine, he die
{patched thither a great number of veflels laden with corn 3
which arrived very feafon bly, there not being at that*tirfe
remaining in all the public flores above ten days provifion of
grains. As the winter-{¥afon was far advanced, Pefpafian
continued fome months aq dlexandrig, waiting a fafe pailage
from the gentle weather rq-urning with the fummer, oa
Mucianus Jy the n-ean time Aluchauus anived gt Reme, according to
arrieds at Fofephush, the day ofier he death of Ferelfius,; and in a mo-
Rome. iment drew to hinifeit, as he had been invelled by Vefpafian
His cha-~ with an uncontrouled power, the whole fway. Livinins Mu-
racter- — cianus was, accotdig to the charaéter which Tacitus has
drawn of him, a man remarkable for a firange c&mbination of
good and bad qualities ; luxury and vigilance, haughtinels and
complaitance ; when unemployed, exceflively voluptuous ; of
mfinite abilities and étvity, when bufine(S required them.
Hence his equal fhafe of praife and 1eproach; as ¥ public
minifer, admired 5 as a private voluptuary, condemned. He
was a great mafter in the feverai arts of engaging, an able
orator, wel! verfed in civil affairs, prompt in forefecing events,
dextrous at concerting fchemes, mighty in credit with thofe
who were above him, under him, or in equal authority with
him ; in Short, fuch a man. could eafiler create an empe-
He bears yor, than be one. Fefpafian, as he was chiefly indebted to
aniverfal him for the empire, {pon his departure for /ta/y, invefted him
funy. with an unlimited poWer, and is even faid to have tufted him
with his fignet, as if he had been bis partner in the fovercignty.
Hence, upon his arrival at Rome, he was by all looked upon
and revered, rather as the emperor’s collegue, than as a fub-
ordinate minifter. Quite funk was the power of Antonius
Primus, and Arius Varus, whom Vefpafian had already ap~'
pointed capt:in of the prtorian guards, As Aducianus cou:
cil diflemble his animofity towards them, the city imme-
wtned her back upon her late favourites, and devoted
he new minion. To him alone court was paid,
to him all \ddrefles were made: neither was he wanting to
his own graffdee. ; for he never appeared in public but en-
compaffed with guards, and attended with an equipage be-
€ Tact. hilt. I. iv.c. 51. Josen, bel.Jud.l. iv. ¢.52. & Dro,
Vat. p. 702. Tacit, ibid, ® Josepn, bell, Jud. 1. iv.c. 42.
coming
