Archæologiæ Græcæ, or, The antiquities of Greece by John Potter ...

CHAPTER VI. Of the State of Athens, from it's Confederacy with Rome to Constantine the Great.

THE Grecians, and others that put themselves under the Roman Protection, tho' they gilded their condition with the specious Name of Liberty, yet were no farther free, than it pleas'd those in whose Power they were; they were govern'd indeed by their own Laws, and had the Privilege of electing their own Magistrates; yet their Laws were of small force, if they seem'd any way to oppose the Roman Interest

and good Pleasure; and in the election of Magistrates, and ordering publick Affairs, tho' every man might give his Voice which way he pleas'd, yet if he thwarted the Roman designs, or was cold in his Affe∣ction to them, or (which ••as all one) but warm in the Defence of the Liberties and Privileges of his Country, he was look'd upon with a jealous Eye, as a Favourer of Rebellion, and an Enemy to the Romans.

And for no other reason were a thousand of the most eminent A∣chaeans, without any charge, or so much as suspicion of Treachery, sent Prisoners to Rome, where, notwithstanding all the Testimonies of their Innocence, and the Sollicitations of their Country, which never ceas'd to importune the Senate for their Liberty, they endur'd an im∣prisonment of seventeen Years; which being expired, to the number of thirty of them were releas'd, amongst whom was Polybius, from whose impartial History you may have an account of all these proceed∣ings, which their own Historians endeavour to palliate, tho' they cannot denie them; all the rest either died in Prison, or upon attempt∣ing to make their Escape, suffer'd as Malefactours.

And by these and such like means, whilst some sought by Flattery and Compliance to ingratiate themselves into the Favour of the Romans, others out of Fear and Cowardice resolv'd to swim with the Stream, and those few that had Courage and Resolution to appear for their Coun∣trey were little regarded; every thing was carried on according to the Desire of the Romans; and if any thing happen'd contrary to it, their Agents presently made an Appeal to the Senate, which reserv'd to them∣selves a Power of receiving ••uch like complaints, and determining as they thought convenient, and they that would not submit to this Decision, were proceeded against as Enemies, and forc'd by Power of Arms into Obedience. No War was to be begun, no Peace to be concluded, nor scarce their own Countrey to be defended without the advice and con∣sent of the Senate; They were oblig'd to pay what Taxes the Senate thought fit to impose upon them; Nay, the Roman Officers sometimes took the liberty of raising Contributions of their own accord, and tho' in the Macedonian War, upon several just complaints made against them, the Senate was forc'd to put forth a Decree, that no Graecian should be oblig'd to pay any Contribution, besides such as was levyed by their Order; yet if any man refus'd to answer the Demands of any Roman Of∣ficer, he was look'd upon as an encourager of Sedition, and in the End far'd little better, than those that broke out into open Rebellion.

In this State stood the Affairs of the Athenians under the Roman Go∣vernment, and whether in consideration of the easiness of this Yoke, if compar'd with that which the Macedonians impos'd on them; or thro' meaness of Spirit contracted by being long accustom'd to Mis∣fortunes; or for want of Power to assert their Liberty; or for all these reasons, they patiently submitted themselves, seeming well satis∣fied with the enjoyment of this slavish Freedom, which in a few Ages before, they would have rejected with the greatest Indignation, and endeavour'd to deliver themselves from it, tho' their Lives, and the

remainder of their Fortunes should have been hazarded in the Enter∣prize.

And from this time till the War with Mithridates, they continu'd with∣out any remarkable alterations, but either by the perswasions of Ariston the Philosopher, or out of fear of Mithridates's Army, they had the bad Fortune to take his part, and receive Archestratus, one of his Lieutenants, within their Walls; at which Sylla being enrag'd laid Siege to the City, took it, and committed so merciless a slaughter, that the very Channels in the Streets flow'd with Blood. At this time the Piraecus, and Muny∣chia, were burn'd to the Ground, their Walls demolish'd, their Ancient Monuments destroy'd, and the whole City so defac'd, that it was never able to recover it's former Beauty, till the time of Adrian (a).

This Storm being blown over, they liv'd in Peace till the time of the Civil War between Caesar and Pompey, in which they sided with Pom∣pey, and were closely Besieg'd by Q. Fufius Calenus, Caesar's Lieutenant, who spoil'd and destroy'd all the adjacent Countrey, and seiz'd upon the Piraeeus, being at that time unfortified, and a place of little strength: But news being brought that Pompey was totally routed, they yielded themselves into the hands of the Conquerour, who according to his wonted Generosity receiv'd them into Favour, and this he did out of respect to the Glory and Virtue of their Ancestors, giving out, That he pardon'd the Living for the sake of the Dead, as Dion Cassiu•• reports (b).

But it seems they still retain'd some sparks, at least, of their old Love for Popular Government, for when Caesar was dead, they joyn'd them∣selves to Bru••us and Cassius, his Murderers, and besides other Honours done to them, plac'd their Statues next those of Harmodius and Aristo∣giton, two famous Patriots, that defended the Liberty of their Coun∣trey against the Tyranny of Pisistratus's Sons.

Brutus and Cassius being defeated, they went over to Antony, who behav'd himself very obligingly toward them, and the rest of the Gre∣cians, being fond (saith (c) Plutarch) of being stil'd a Lover of Greece, but above all in being call'd a Lover of Athens, to which City he made con∣siderable Presents; and, as others tell us, gave the Athenians the Do∣minion of the Ilands of Tenus, Aegina, Icus, Cea, Sciatlius, and Pepa∣rethus.

Augustus having overcome Antony, handled them a little more se∣verely for their ingratitude to his Father, and besides some other Privi∣leges, as that of Selling the Freedom of the City, took from them the Isle of Aegina (d). Towards the latter End of his Reign, they began to revolt, but were easily reduc'd to their former obedience; and not∣withstanding all the Cruelties, Ravages, and other Misfortunes they had suffer'd, Strabo, who flourish'd in the Reign of Tiberius Caesar, tells us they enjoy'd many Privileges, retain'd their Ancient form of Go∣vernment, and liv'd in a flourishing Condition in his Days (e). And

Germanicus, the adopted Son of Tiberius, making a Journey that way, Honour'd them with the Privilege of having a Lictor, which was an Officer, that attended upon the chief Magistrates at Rome, and was accounted a mark of Sovereign Power.

In this condition they remain'd with little alteration till the Reign of Vespasian, who reduc'd Aitica, and all Achaia to be a Roman Pro∣vince, exacting Tribute of them, and compelling them to be govern'd by the Roman Laws.

Under Nerva some Shadow, at least, of Liberty was restor'd them, but they were still under the Government of a Proconsul, and receiv'd most of their Laws from the Emperour, who also nominated the Profes∣sours in their publick Schools, and appointed them Archons; and hence it came to pass, that Adrian before his advancement to the Em∣pire, was invested in that Office. In the same State they continu'd in Trajan's time, as appears from an Epistle of Pliny to Maximus, who was sent to Govern Achaia, wherein he advis'd him to use his Power with moderation, and tells him in particular of the Athenians, that it would be a Barbarous piece of Inhumanity, to deprive them of that Shadow, and Name of Liberty, which was all that remain'd to them (a).

But notwithstanding the Peace and Privileges they enjoy'd under these, and other Emperours of Rome, they were never able to repair those vast Losses they had Suffer'd under Sylla, till the reign of Adrian, who in the time of his being Archon, took a Particular Affection to this City, and when he was promoted to be Emperour, granted them very large Privileges, gave them Just and Moderate Laws, bestow'd on them a large Donative of Money, and annual Provisions of Corn, and the whole Iland of Cephalenia; repair'd their old decay'd Castles, and re∣stor'd them to their ancient Splendor, and added one whole Region of new Buildings at his own charge, which he call'd Adrianopolis; and, in short, so Beautified the whole City, that it was call'd New-Athens, as appears as well from other Records, as also from an Inscription upon an Aquae-duct, begun by this Emperour, and finished by his Succes∣sor Antoninus,

IMP. CAESAR. T. AELIUS. HADRIANUS. ANTONINUS. AUG. PIUS. COS. III. TRIB. POT. II. P. P. AQUAEDUCTUM. IN. NOVIS. ATHENIS. COEPTUM. A. DIVO. ADRIANO. PATRE. SUO. CONSUMMAVIT. DEDICAVIT∣QUE (b).

The meaning of which is, that Antoninus had finish'd the Aquae-duct in New-Athens, that had been begun by his Father, and Predecessor Ha∣drian. And from another of Gruter's Inscriptions, it appears that they acknowledg'd him to be the second Founder of their City,

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (a).

The Substance of which is, that Athens was formerly the City of The∣seus, but do's now belong to Adrian. Many other Privileges this Em∣perour grant••d them, which were continu'd and enlarg'd by his Suc∣cessors M. Antoninus Pius, and M. Antoninus the Philosopher, the latter of which allow'd them stipends for the maintenance of Publick Pro∣fessors in all the Arts and Sciences, and was himself initiated amongst them.

But Severus, having receiv'd some Affront from them, when he was a Private Person, and Studied in Athens, was resolv'd to pay them Home, as soon as he was Emperour, and for no other reason, as 'tis thought, depriv'd them of a great part of their Privileges (b).

Valerian was more Favourable to them, and permitted them to re∣build their City-Walls, which had lain in Rubbish between Three and Four-hundred Years, from the time that Sylla dismantled them (c).

But these Fortifications could not Protect them from the Fury of the Goths, who under Gallienus, as Zosimus, or Claudius, as Cedrenus re∣ports, made themselves Masters of it; but were soon driven out of their new Conquest, by Cleodemus, who having escap'd the Fury of those Barbarians, and got together a considerable Number of Men, and Ships, defeated part of them in a Sea-Fight, and forc'd the rest to quit the City, and provide for their Safety by an early Flight (d). One thing remarkable Cedrenus reports of the Goths, That when they had Plun∣der'd the City, and heap'd up an Infinite number of Books, with a Design to Burn them, they desisted from that purpose for this reason, viz. That the Greeks by employing their time upon them, might be diverted from Martial Affairs.

Notes

• (a)

  Plutarch. Syll. Strabo l. IX. Lucius Florus l. III. ••. V. Appianus in Mi••hri∣datic••.
• (b)

  L.XI.II.
• (c)

  A••tonio.
• (d)

  Dion Cassiu••.
• (e)

  Geogr. l. IX.
• (a)

  Plin. l. VIII. Epist. XXIV.
• (b)

  Gruter. p. CLXXVII.
• (a)

  Gruter. pag. MLXXVIII.
• (b)

  Spartianus.
• (c)

  Zosimus.
• (d)

  Zonarae.