The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume 5Bell and Bradfute, Peter Hill, Silvester Doig and A. Stirling, and John Ogle., 1811 - Byzantine Empire |
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Africa afterwards Alaric Ambrose ancient Antioch Arcadius archbishop Arian arms army Augustin barbarians bishop CHAP character Christian Chrysostom church civil Claudian clergy Constantine Constantinople court danger death declared disgrace dosius East Eccles ecclesiastical edict emperor empire enemy epist eunuch Eutropius faith father favour favourite feeble fortune Gaul Gildo gold Gothic Goths Gratian Gregory Gregory Nazianzen guilt Hist historian Honorius honours imperial Italy Jerom king laws Libanius magistrate martyrs Mascezel Maximus merit Milan military ministers Nazianzen orator Orosius pagans palace palace of Constantinople passions peace perhaps pious prefect prince Priscillian provinces Radagaisus Ravenna reign religion republic revenge rival Roman Rome Rufinus ruin saints senate Serapis soldiers solemn soon sovereign Sozomen spirit Stilicho superstition Symmachus temples Theo Theodoret Theodos Theodosius throne Tillemont tion troops tyrant usurper Valentinian valour victory virtue XXIX XXVII XXXI XXXII zeal Zosimus
Popular passages
Page 116 - He aimed a vigorous stroke against the cheek of Serapis ; the cheek fell to the ground ; the thunder was still silent, and both the heavens and the earth continued to preserve their accustomed order and tranquillity. The victorious soldier repeated his blows : the hug-e idol was overthrown and broken in pieces ; and the limbs of Serapis were ignominiously dragged through the streets of Alexandria. His mangled carcass was burnt in the amphitheatre, amidst the shouts of the populace ; and many persons...
Page 72 - ... tone and language of an ambassador of Heaven, declared to his sovereign, that private contrition was not sufficient to atone for a public fault, or to appease the justice of the offended Deity. Theodosius humbly represented, that if he had contracted the guilt of homicide, David, the man after God's own heart, had been guilty, not only of murder, but of adultery. "You have imitated David in his crime, imitate then his repentance," was the reply of the undaunted Ambrose.
Page 294 - Many thousands of the inhabitants of Rome expired in their houses, or in the streets, for want of sustenance; and as the public sepulchres without the walls were in the power of the enemy the stench, which arose from so many putrid and unburied carcasses, infected the air; and the miseries of famine were succeeded and aggravated by the contagion of a pestilential disease. The...
Page 316 - The writers the best disposed to exaggerate their clemency have freely confessed that a cruel slaughter was made of the Romans, and that the streets of the city were filled with dead bodies, which remained without burial during the general consternation. The despair of the citizens was sometimes converted into fury ; and whenever the barbarians were provoked by opposition they extended the promiscuous massacre to the feeble, the innocent, and the helpless.
Page 227 - This scene of peace and plenty was suddenly changed into a desert ; and the prospect of the smoking ruins could alone distinguish the solitude of nature from the desolation of man.
Page 285 - The Egyptian granite was beautifully encrusted with the precious green marble of Numidia; the perpetual stream of hot water was poured into the capacious basins through so many wide mouths of bright and massy silver; and the meanest Roman could purchase, with a small copper...
Page 278 - The libraries which they have inherited from their fathers are secluded, like dreary sepulchres, from the light of day. But the costly instruments of the theatre, flutes, and enormous lyres, and hydraulic organs, are constructed for their use ; and the harmony of vocal and instrumental music is incessantly repeated in the palaces of Rome. In those palaces, sound is preferred to sense, and the care of the body to that of the mind.
Page 277 - Roman tables the birds, the squirrels, or the fish, which appear of an uncommon size, are contemplated with curious attention; a pair of scales is accurately applied to ascertain their real weight; and, while the more rational guests are disgusted by the vain and tedious repetition, notaries are summoned to attest by an authentic record the truth of such a marvellous event. Another method of introduction into the houses and society of the great is derived from the profession of gaming, or as it is...
Page 322 - The nations who invaded the Roman Empire had driven before them, into Italy, whole troops of hungry and affrighted provincials, less apprehensive of servitude than of famine. The calamities of Rome and Italy dispersed the inhabitants to the most lonely, the most secure, the most distant places of refuge. While the Gothic cavalry spread terror and desolation along the sea-coast of...
Page 324 - This awful catastrophe of Rome filled the astonished empire with grief and terror. So interesting a contrast of greatness and ruin disposed the fond credulity of the people to deplore, and even to exaggerate, the afflictions of the queen of cities. The clergy, who applied to recent events the lofty metaphors of Oriental prophecy, were sometimes tempted to confound the destruction of the capital and the dissolution of the globe.