Encyclopaedia Americana: a popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, brought down to the present time : including a copious collection of original articles in American biography : on the basis of the seventh edition of the German Conversations-Lexicon (Volume 13).

Date:: 1830-33

Credit: Encyclopaedia Americana: a popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, brought down to the present time : including a copious collection of original articles in American biography : on the basis of the seventh edition of the German Conversations-Lexicon (Volume 13). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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$ly, had he been able to restrain his pas- sions. The insinuations of the eunuch HeracUus made him suspect treacheiy in the pride of his general Aetius. He there- fore slew him with his own hand, in an altercation in the palace at Rome. He afterwards dishonored the wife of the senator Maximus. The injured husband avenged himself, and, on the 15th March, 455, Valentiniau fell on the field of Mars, with liis favorite Heraclius, under the swords of two followers of the murdered Aetius, who belonged to the emperor's body-guard. The senator and patrician Petronius Maximus was hereupon pro- claimed emperor by the senate and peo- ple. He married his son to the eldest daughter of the late emperor, and obliged Valentinian's widow, Eudoxia, to espouse liim. After three months, he fell a vic- tim to her hatred. Eudoxia, unable to obtain assistance from Constantinople, called upon king Genseric, in Carthage, to deliver her from an abhorred husband. Genseric landed in the port of Ostia. The flying Maximus was stoned in the streets of Rome, and thrown into the Tiber; but the capital, again saved, by the eloquence of Leo the Great, from fire and svv^ord, was pillaged during fourteen days. All the monuments of former times, and all the wealth collected in forty-five years, since the back of Alaric, became the prey of the conquerors, who likewise dragged to Africa, in their ships, many thousand Romans of both sexes. While these events were taking place in Rome, Avitus, a Gaul, prefect of Gaul under Valentinian, and ap- pointed by the emperor Maximus general of the army in that covmtry, a man of great tal- ents and knowledge, supported by The- odoric, king of the Visigoths, received the crown of the Western empire at Aries, Aug. 15, 455, was acknowledged by the court of Constantinople, and also, though wth secret dissatisfaction, by the senate and people of Rome. Theodoric, who went, as an ally of the Romans, to drive the Suevi from Spain, treated this country with the severity of a conqueror. Avitus rendered himseif contemptible by his sen- suality. Ricimer, one of the chief com- manders of the mercenary troops, sent for the defence of Italy, after a victory over the fleet of the Vandals, returned, and was hailed by the people as then* deliver- er, and announced to Avitus, Oct. 16, 457, that his reign was ended. Avitus, con- demned to death by the senate, fled, and perished in his flight. Majorian, formerly a soldier under Aetius, was now raised by Ricimer to the imperial dignity, which he adorned by his virtue and his wisdom. Many useful regulations, especially with regard to taxes and public morals, distin- guished his domestic administration, while, at the same time, he had the good fortune to defeat Theodoric, and also to obtain some advantages over Genseric, who had again attacked Italy. Nothing but the accidental loss of his fleet, in the year 4G0, prevented him from utterly de- stroying the power of the Vandals. But Rome was no longer worthy of such a ruler; and Majorian fell a victim to the general corruption, and the hatred of his enemies. Ricimer suddenly took from him the purple, and, five days after, his life, Aug. 7, 461, having spread the re- port that he had died of the dysenterj\ A certain Livius Severus was proclaimed emperor, but was put out of the way in 465. The supreme power, in the course of these five years and the two following, daring which the throne remained vacant, was solely in the hands of Ricimer, who did not, however, dare to take the impe- rial tide. But, being pi-essed by the Vandals, he soon saw himself obliged to ask the assistance of the emperor of the East; r.nd the court of Constantinople made a league with Rome, on condition that it should be left to the emperor Leo to name the ruler of the West. The Gre- cian patrician Antheniius was appointed, and entered the capital with great pomp, April 12, 467. He gave his daughter in marriage to Ricimer, and many interests formerly divided seemed now reunited for the welfare of Rome. But the war with the Vandals was continued with varying fortune, It cost immense sums; and, soon after, a misunderstanding took place between Anthemius and Ricimer, the latter of wliom had marched to Milan. By the mediation of Epiphanias, bishop of Pavia, a reconciliation Avas, indeed, effected be- tween them; but, shortly after, Richner, at the head of a large army, rehiforced by the Burgundians and Suevi, appeared be- fore Rome, ])roclaimed the senator Olyb- rius, son-in-law to Valentinian, emperor of the West, March 23, 472, and took Rome, which Anthemius had defended for three months with a people devoted to his cause. Anthemius was put to death by order of his son-in-law. July 11, the city was pillaged, and filled with the blood of its noblest citizens; and Olybrius was placed upon the throne. In the next month, Aug. 20, the tyrant Ricimer died, and, soon after, the new emperor, Oct. 23. Rome now saw itself exposed to the arbitrary caprice of the bai-barians, at$

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