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—_ 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 refponfes 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