On the few occasions in which the Athenians took any share in the civil wars of Rome, they were still faithful to the cause of liberty. They espoused the part of Pompey against Cxsar ; and again, on the death of Cxsar, they threw down his statues, and in their stead set up those of Brutus and Cassius, which last they placed next to those of Harmodius and Aris togiton. After the battle of Philippi,' when there remained no longer any party friendly to liberty, Athens, in the division of the empire between Oc tavius and Antony, fell to the share of the latter. The profuse and thoughtless gaiety of his character, seems even to have conciliated the affections of the people. After his last departure from Rome, he fixed his residence for some time among them, and was receiyed with all that servile flattery which they were accustomed to lavish on the favourite of the moment. By a refinement of adulation, they pro posed his marriage with Minerva, their tutelar deity ; to which Antony, with artful waggery, consented, on condition that she should bring him a portion of ten millions cf drachmas, (300,0001 Augustus pu nished this attachment to his rival, by depriving Athens of her few remaining privileges, and of the island of JEgina, which she had received from An tong.
But while Athens thus saw every trace of her po litical existence vanish, she rose to an empire, scarcely less flattering, to which Rome itself was obliged to bow. Her conquerors looked to her as to the teacher and arbiter of philosophy and science. All the most distinguished Roman youth were ambitious of literary accomplishments; and all flocked to Athens, in order to acquire them. Several even preferred its tranquil and elegant pleasures to the tumult of the capital ; and among these was Atticus, the celebrated friend of Cicero, mlo received that surname, from having fixed his residence at Athens.
The tyranny of the twelve Caesars, being exercised chiefly against the nobles and senators of Rome, did not fall very heavy on this, or the other cities of Greece. Germanicus, under Tiberius's reign, be stowed on it the valued privilege of having a lictor to precede the magistrates. Even Nero conferred a nominal liberty upon it, along withthe rest of Greece ; and it is remarkable, that this gift was revoked by Vespasian. But it was in the golden age of the Ro man empire, that Athens was destined to resume, in regard to outward appearance at least, het former splendour. Adrian, that singular character, ambi t tious to perpetuate his name by monuments of art, chose Athens as his favourite residence, and lavished treasures in adorning it. He built several temples, and, above all, he finished that of Jupiter Olympius, the work of successive kings, and one of the greatest productions of human art. He founded a splendid li brary. He bestowed also many municipal and other privileges. The ,Athenians-repaid his benefits with their accustomed profusion of gratitude. An in scription, placed on one of the gates, declared Athens to be no longer the city of Theseus, but of Adrian.
The Antonines trod in the footsteps of Adrian.
Under them, Herodes Atticus devoted an immense fortune to the embellishment of the city, and the pro motion of learning. He was at the head of a species of university, founded by Adrian, and the professors of which were increased by Marcus Aurelius to thir teen. There were two for each of the four sects of philosophy, two rhetoricians, two civilians, and a president. Handsome salaries were attached to these appointments.
Amid the accumulated calamities of the Roman empire, the taste for learning and the arts suffered a gradual decline. Yet to those, who still cherished it, Athens continued to be the centre of resort. Be ing shut out, however, from all concerns of business, or of public life, her teachers lost entirely that sound and manly character, which they once possessed, and sunk into mere pedants and sophists. A sort of mystic fraternity seems to have been formed, admis sion into which was gained by a variety of childish ceremonies; while the initiated were distinguished by a peculiar dress, in which no one else was allowed to appear. Clokes and stales, a long beard, and a book in the left hand, were everywhere to be seen ; and all the walks were full, of parties engaged in argument.
Athens was also distinguished as the last retreat of paganism. Philosophy, which had formerly been rather hostile to superstition, proved now its only support. Her pride had never brooked the humility and the absence of worldly wisdom, which charac terised that divine dispensation. Instead of acknow ledging the purity of its doctrines and precepts, she employed a preposterous ingenuity in drawing a veil over the deformities of the pagan mythology. It was at Athens that Julian was supposed to have im bibed that enmity against Christianity which distin guished his reign. As, however, the ancient religion more and more declined, the credit of Athens de clined along with it. Under the succeeding emperors, she experienced the most mortifying neglect, and at, length her schools were entirely shut by Justinian.
It was not, however, merely in the decline of learn ing, and of the ancient religion, that Athens felt the calamities of the Roman world. Already, in the first invasion of the Goths, in the middle of the third century, Athens was selected as a victim. The fleet of those barbarians anchored in the Pireus. At tempts had been made to repair the walls, which had been allowed to fall into decay. They were unable, however, to resist the impetuous attack of the Goths. Athens was taken, and plundered. Dexippus, mean while, a brave officer, having hastily collected a body of troops, unexpectedly attacked, and drove them out of the city with considerable loss. It is reported that, during this visit, the Goths, having collected all the libraries of Athens, were preparing to burn them ; but one of their number diverted them from the design, by suggesting the propriety of leaving to their enemies what appeared to be the most effectual instrument for cherishing and promoting their unwar like spirit. Serious doubts, however, are entertained as to the truth of this anecdote.