A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

AURELIANUS.
Cisalpine Gaul. When at length overtaken near
Placentia, they avoided a battle and sought shelter
in a thick forest. Issuing from thence under cloud
of night, they attacked and dispersed the Romans
with great slaughter, and, advancing into Umbria,
threatened the dissolution of the empire. Aurelian,
however, having rallied his army, defeated the invaders near Fano, and in two subsequent engagements.
During the panic caused by the first alarm of
this inroad, a formidable sedition had arisen in the
city. Aurelian, upon his return from the pursuit,
giving way to his natural violence of temper, executed bloody vengeance upon the authors of the
plot, and upon all to whom the slightest suspicion
attached. Numbers suffered death, and many noble senators were sacrificed upon the most frivolous
charges. Ammianus distinctly asserts, that the
wealthiest were selected as victims, in order that
their confiscated fortunes might replenish an exhausted treasury.
Aurelian next turned his arms against the farfamed Zenobia [ZENOBIA], queen of Palmyra, the
widow of Odenathus [ODENATHUS], who had been
permitted by Gallienus to participate in the title of
Augustus, and had extended his sway over a large
portion of Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt. The
Romans on their march vanquished various barbarous tribes on the Thracian border, who opposed
their progress. Passing over the Bosporus, they
continued their triumphant course through Bithynia, which yielded without resistance, stormed
Tyana, which had closed its gates at their approach, and at length encountered the forces of
Zenobia on the banks of the Orontes, not far from
Antioch. The Palmyrenians,being driven from their
position, retreated to Emesa, where they were a second time overpowered in a bloody battle and forced
to retire upon their capital. Aurelian pursued them
across the desert, which he passed in safety, although harassed by the constant attacks of the
Bedouins, and proceeded at once to invest Palmyra,
which surrendered after a long and obstinate defence, the queen herself having been previously
captured in an attempt to effect her escape to Persia. A profound sensation was produced by these
events, and embassies poured in from all the most
powerful nations beyond the Euphrates, bearing
gifts and seeking friendship. The affairs of these
regions having been fully arranged, the emperor set
out on his return to Italy. At Byzantium he was
overtaken by the intelligence that the inhabitants
of Palmyra had revolted, had murdered the governor and Roman garrison, and proclaimed a relation
of Zenobia Augustus. He immediately turned
back, marched direct to Palmyra, which he entered
unopposed, massacred the whole population, and
razed the city to the ground, leaving orders, however, to restore the temple of the Sun, which had
been pillaged by the soldiers. While yet in Mesopotamia, it became known that Egypt had risen
in rebellion, and acknowledged a certain Firmus as
their prince. Aurelian instantly hurried to Alexandria, put to death the usurper, and then returned
to Rome.
But Aurelian's labours were not yet over. All the
provinces of the East, Greece, Italy, Illyria, and
Thrace, now owned his sway; but Gaul, Britain,
and Spain were still in the hands of Tetricus [TETRICUS], who had been declared emperor a short
time before the death of Gallienus, and had been left

AURELIANUS. 437
in undisturbed possession by Claudius, who was fully
occupied in resisting the Germans and Goths on the
Upper and Lower Danube. Tetricus, however,
finding that disaffection prevailed among his legions,
is said to have privately entered into negotiations
with Aurelian. A battle was fought near Chalons,
during the heat of which Tetricus surrendered
himself, and his soldiers, being then left without a
commander, were cut to pieces. Thus the Roman
empire, which had been dismembered for more than
thirteen years, was now once more restored to its
former integrity. In honour of the long series of
victories by which this result had been obtained, a
magnificent triumph was celebrated at Rome, such
as had never been witnessed since the days of
Pompey and Julius Caesar. Among the long procession of captives which defiled along the Sacred
Way, three might be seen, who engrossed the attention of all-Zenobia, Tetricus, and his sona queen, an Augustus, and a Caesar.
For a brief period, the emperor was enabled to
devote his attention to domestic improvements and
reforms. Several laws were passed to restrain profusion and luxury. The poor were relieved by a
liberal distribution of the necessaries of life; quays
were erected along the river, and many works of
public utility commenced. The most important of
all was the erection of a new line of strongly fortified walls, embracing a much more ample circuit
than the old ones, which had long since fallen into
ruin; but this vast plan was not completed until
the reign of Probus.
About this time, a formidable disturbance arose
among the persons entrusted with the management
of the mint, who had been detected in extensive
frauds, and, to escape the punishment of their
crimes, had incited to insurrection a great multitude.
So fierce was the outbreak, that seven thousand soldiers are said to have been slain in a fight upon the
Coelian hill; but the riot, which almost deserves the
name of a civil war, was at length suppressed.
After a short residence in the city, Aurelian repaired to Gaul, and then visited in succession the
provinces on the Danube, checking by his presence
the threatened aggressions of the restless tribes who
were ever ready to renew their attacks. He at this
time carried into effect a measure which, although
offensive to the vanity of his countrymen, was dictated by the wisest policy. Dacia, which had been
first conquered by Trajan, but for a long series of
years had been the seat of constant war, was entirely abandoned, and the garrisons transported to
the south bank of the Danube, which was henceforward, as in the time of Augustus, considered
the boundary of the empire.
A large force was now collected in Thrace in
preparation for an expedition against the Persians.
But the career of the warlike prince was drawing
to a close. A certain Mnestheus, his freedman
and private secretary, had betrayed his trust, and,
conscious of guilt, contrived by means of forged
documents to organise a conspiracy among some of
the chief leaders of the army. While Aurelian
was on the march between Heracleia and Byzantium, he was suddenly assailed, and fell by the
hands of an officer of high rank, named Mucapor.
The treachery of Mnestheus was discovered when
it was too late. He was seized and condemned to
be cast to wild beasts.
It will be seen from the above sketch that Aurelian was a soldier of fortune; that he possessed