The lives of the Roman emperors from Domitian, where Suetonius ends, to Constantine the Great containing those of Nerva and Trajan from Dion Cassius : a translation of the six writers of the Augustéan history and those of Dioclesian and his associates from Eusebius and others by John Bernard ...

THE* 1.1 Life and Reign OF THE EMPEROR CARUS.

BY FLAVIUS VOPISCUS.

HOW the Power of Fate reigns over the Commonwealth of Rome, and sometimes raises it to the greatest heighth, and then humbles it again, and throws it down as much the other way; the Death of the Emperor Probus is a suffici∣cient demonstration. Probus had succeeded to the Empire after Aurelian, by the joynt Voice of the Senate and the People; and

whilst the Laws and the Government were lodged in so just a Hand, we seemed secure, considering that we had now enjoyed a few good Reigns together of a continued Series of Happiness to relieve the State, after all the dif∣ferent Calamities, and after so many changes of Fortune with which it had been tossed and varied in the course of time, in that manner, that it hath suffered almost all the Events which are incident to any Man, by the Mor∣tality of his Nature.

But by a fatal Passion of the Soldiers, this so acceptable Emperor, Probus, was cut off; whose loss was so great, that we were no less struck at it, than a Man in a Fire or in a Shipwrack; and the Publick was reduced to that despair, as that every one feared the Succession of some Domitian, Vitellius or Nero in his place. It is natural at any time rather to have Fears than Hopes from the manners of an uncertain Prince: But especially well might a People do so, whose Wounds were yet green, and who not long since had had one of their Emperors (Valerian) carried into Captivity; another (Gal∣lienus) given up to Luxury, and about Thirty pretended Princes, in the mean time starting up, and rending the Empire in Pieces by a Ci∣vil War, according as every one challenged the Sovereignty to himself.

If we take a view of the Changes which the Commonwealth of Rome hath suffered from the Foundation of the City, we shall find, that never any People hath flourished more by good Fortune, nor yet laboured under worse. Ro∣mulus

to begin with him, our true Father,* 1.2 who as I may say, begat, founded, constitu∣ted, and confirmed this State, had the singu∣lar Happiness above all other Founders to leave a perfect City. Numa afterwards added Tri∣umphs to this City by his victorious Arms, and at the same time strengthened it with Laws of Religion. So we flourished to the time of Tarquin the proud; and then a Storm fell up∣on us, occasioned by the arbitrary Vices of that King, which we revenged; but it was not without much hazarding our own Ruine. From thence we passed and increased to the War of the Gauls, when we were over-run with a Flood of the Enemy, the City of Rome, excepting only the Capitol taken; and we suffered well nigh more hurt now, than we ever enjoyed good, since our very Foundation. However, our Commonwealth recovered itself from this Blow; but yet it was so plagued with the Car∣thaginian Wars, and the Terror of King Pyrrhus, that it could not be at any rest for its miserable Fears. At length, we conquered Carthage, and extended our Empire far beyond the Seas; the Sense of which Felicity was extenuated to us, by our Social Discords, and our Civil Wars, under which we spent our time, unto Augustus Caesar, who repaired the State for us anew, if we may call that yet a Reparation, which was wrought at the Expence of our Liberty. How∣ever it is, although we were sometime troubled at home, amongst foreign Nations our Name flourished; and after several ill Emperors that afflicted us, the State lifted up its Head again

under Vespasian. The Happiness of Titus was no sooner enjoyed than lost; to whom suc∣ceeded the cruel Domitian, whose Wounds went deep. Under Nerva and Trajan, and so to Marcus Antoninus, our Condition was better than ordinary; but then came the mad and cruel Commodus, and excepting in the Reign of Septimius Severus, the State received no good from all its Princes, from thence unto Severus the Son of Mammaea. It would be tedious to recount all the following History: Valerian was cast out of a Capacity of being enjoyed. Gallienus afflicted us fifteen Years. Fortune, who loves variety, and is almost always an E∣nemy to Virtue; envied Claudius a long Reign; ••nd thus Aurelian, thus Tacitus, thus Probus were ••ut off and destroyed; that we may see, there ••s nothing so grateful to Fortune, as to turn ••hings of the most publick Nature and Con∣sequence variously upside down.

But why do I complain of these Matters ••ere, and delay my self upon such inconstan∣••ies of the times? I come to the Emp••ror Carus, who was a Prince, as I may say, of a middle Character; but rather to be placed ••mong the Good, than the ill ones; and he ••ould have been much better, if he had not ••eft such an Heir as Carinus.

The Country of the Nativity of Carus is* 1.3 〈…〉〈…〉 ambiguously reported by a great many, that •• cannot be precise to determine, on whose 〈…〉〈…〉de the Truth lies. Onesimus, who hath writ∣••en the Life of Probus very carefully, says, 〈…〉〈…〉at he was both born, and brought up to Let∣ters

at Rome; but that his Parents were of the Province of Illyricum. Fabius Cyrillianus, who hath taken no less Pains about the History of the times of Carus, Numerianus, and Carinus says, that he was not born at Rome, but in Illy∣ricum; and not there of Illyrian, but of Car∣thaginian Parents. Now I remember I have seen in some Journal, that he was a Milanese born; but by his Grandfather incorporated into the City of Aquileia. Himself, it cannot be denied, pretended as if he was of Roman Blood, as the following Letter shews, which when he was a Proconsul, he writ to his Lieu∣tenant, re-minding him of his Duty.

Marcus Aurelius Carus the Proconsul of Cilicia, to Junius his Lieute∣nant.

OUR Ancestors, the great Men amongst the Romans, have observed a Custom in the creating their Lieutenants, to give the World a Specimen of their own Manners by those of whom they make Choice to act under them in the Ser∣vice of the Government. But yet if this Custom had not been, I had done no otherwise than I have in my Choice of you. At the same time, I have observed this Custom too, unless you deceive me. You will please to take care, that you do not make us different from our Roman Ancestors.

His Speech which he first sent to the Se∣nate, after he was created Emperor, signi∣fies the same thing. A part if it was thus.

IT may be a Matter of some Joy to you, Fa∣thers of the Senate, that one out of your own Order, and also of your own Original is preferred to be Emperor. It shall not be by my means, that Strangers and Foreigners shall make better Princes, than those who are chosen out of you.

Through the several degrees of Offices in the Army and the Civil List; this Person came (as the Titles upon his Statues shew) to be the Captain of the Guards to the Emperor Probus; in which Post, he gained himself so much the Hearts of the Soldiers, that after Probus was killed, they thought him the Man the most worthy of the Succession. Not that I am in∣sensible, that several have suspected, that Pro∣bus was killed by an Intrigue of Carus. But, as Carus did constantly and severely revenge ••he Death of that Prince, so neither the Man∣ners of Carus, nor the Obligations which were ••aid upon him by his Master, will suffer me to give Credit to such a Suspicion. The Ho∣nours which Probus did him, and the Opinion which he had of him, you may read in this Letter to the Senate.

The Emperor Probus to his entirely beloved Senate wisheth Health.

AMongst other things, he says, happy would it be for our Empire, if we had many more such Persons to execute the publick Offices, as Carus is, or as a great many also of you. I desire that his Statue, if you please, may be set up on Horse∣back, to the Honour of a Man who is compa∣rable to the Antients; and also that a House may be built for him at the publick Charge; the Mar∣ble whereof shall be provided by me. It is fit, that we should so reward the Integrity of such a Person. And so he goes on.

In short, not to multiply things of lesser mo∣ment, and such as are to be found elsewhere, as soon as Carus had entred upon the Empire, he with the Consent of all the Army prosecu∣ted the Design of the Persian War, which had been enterprised by Probus. To his two Sons Numerianus and Carinus, he gave the Title and Power of Caesars; the latter of which, he sent with chosen Persons to the Government of Gallia. The former, who was a very sweet and ingenious Youth, he took along with himself. He often afterwards repented of sending Carinus into Gallia; and he would much rather have sent Numerianus, only he was not of an Age sufficient, because it is a place which especially requires a steady Gover∣nour;

for he was displeased with the Manners of Carinus, and complains of him in a Letter to the Captain of the Guards, insomuch that he really had it sometimes in his mind, what Onesimus says, to depose him for his ill deserts, from his Caesarean Dignity again.

Carus served himself of the great Preparati∣ons and all the Force of Probus for the Wars, which he had before him. He dispatched first in great part, that with the Sarmatians; and then marching against the Persians, without any op∣position, he took the Country of Mesopotamia, and came as far as to the City of Ctesiphon; whilst the Persians were engaged at home with their do∣mestick Seditions. This gave him the Title of Conquerour of the Persians. He was in himself greedy of Glory, but his Captain of the Guards spurred him further on to it, seeking the De∣struction both of him and his Son, because he coveted to succeed in the Empire after them. So being for extending the progress of his Arms even beyond Ctesiphon, he marched and died presently after; some say of Sickness, o∣thers,* 4.1 that he was struck dead with Thunder and Lightning. It is true, that at that time, there arose on a sudden such a vast Tempest with dreadful Lightning and more dreadful Thunder, that several were almost killed with only the Fright. But as for the real manner of the Death of Carus, the Letter following of Junius Calphurnius, one of his Secretaries, writ∣ten to the Governour of the City of Rome, gives this Account of it.

AS Carus, says he, our truly dear Prince lay sick in his Tent, on a sudden there arose such a Hurricane and a Strom, that all things darkened, and we could not discern one another. Then follow∣ed Thunder and Lightning, like the continued falling of fiery Meteors from Heaven, which astonished us so, that we did not know what we did, nor where we were. However, on a sudden, it was cryed, the Emperor was dead, which happened just after the greatest clap of Thunder, that had fright∣ned all. The Servants of the Emperor's Bed-Chamber, in grief for his Death, set Fire to his Tent. The Flame whereof joyned with the Light∣ning, occasioned a Discourse, that he was killed with the Lightning. But as much as I know of the matter, I think it is certain, that it was of his illness, that he died.

I have the rather inserted this Letter, because it is often said, that by a certain Power of Fate, the Roman Emperors are restrained from pas∣sing beyond the City of Ctesiphon; and that Carus was for that Reason destroyed by Light∣ning, because he offered to transgress that li∣mit. But let timidity cover it self under what Arts it pleases, the Brave will despise them. The most excellent Caesar, Maximian, does not, nor will ever think it unpermitted to him to conquer the Persians, and to penetrate beyond them too; which I am of Opinion, he will ef∣fect, if we be not wanting ourselves to the pro∣mised Favour of the Gods.

There are many things which speak Carus a good Prince, and amongst the rest this; that presently after he was possessed of the Empire, the Sarmatians who were grown so insolent up∣on the Death of Probus, as to menace not only Illyricum, but Thrace and Italy with an Inva∣sion, these Men he so dereated; and broke chiefly by his Policy, that in a few days he set∣tled the Security of Pannonia, killed sixteen Thousand of the Enemy, and took twenty Thousand more of both Sexes Prisoners.

This I presume, may be enough to say as to Carus.

Let us pass on next to Numerianus: For tho' Carinus was both the elder Brother, and the el∣der Caesar, yet it is necessary to discourse of Numerianus the first, in asmuch as he was the nearest at that time to his Father, and followed his Death; and his Story also is something the more admirable, because of his Father-in-Law Aper. After him will follow that of Carinus, with whom the Emperor Dioclesian fought se∣veral Battels, and had the Fortune at last to kill him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A. Christi Cclxxxiii.
• * 1.2

  Various Fortune of Rome un∣der diffe∣rent Prin∣ces.
• * 1.3

  Birth∣place of Carus un∣certain,
• * 4.1

  Death of Carus.