The Goths having invaded the empire, Marinus, the lieutenant of Philip, was sent against them with a powerful army. This ambitious general, however, betrayed his trust, and was declared emperor by his troops; but in a short time the very persons who con ferred upon him this dignity, took it from him and put him to death. Deeius, whom Philip had appoint ed to succeed Marinus in Pannonia, was now offered the imperial dignity by his soldiers; but he appeared to assume the honour with reluctance, and wrote to Philip that he took the title merely to secure it to its rightful possessor, to whom he waited only for a fa vourable opportunity of resigning it. Distrusting these professiOns, Philip marched with the forces which he was able to collect; but when his army had arrived at Verona, a general revolt took place in favour of De cius. A sentinel attacked the emperor in person, and cleft his head in two by one cut of his sword. Philip who had reached the forty-fifth year of his ago, and had reigned about five years, was succeeded by Decius.
Cneius 1\Ietius Decius was universally acknow ledged emperor by the senate and the people. The senate held him in such high estimation, that they gave him the title of Trajanus; and in the opinion of historians, he seems to have merited this exalted sur name. He permitted the office of censor to be revived; and Valerian, a man of the strictest morals, was ele vated to that office. Decius endeavoured to watch over the interests of the inferior classes of the people, while he guarded the dignity of the Patrician orders; but Rome had now arrived at such a state, that no in dividual talents, and no high example of virtue, could save her from destruction. The rapid spread of the Christian religion, and the constant disputes which were carried on between the Christian and the Pagan inhabitants, created divisions at home, while the grow ing insolence and audacity of the barbarian hordes of the north, threatened the destruction of the empire from without. The persecution of the Christians, which arose from the first of these causes, was carried on with unrelenting hatred. Thousands were put to death; and every species of cruelty was resorted to in order to reduce their numbers and their influence. An irruption of the Goths into Thrace and Mmsia, seemed to follow as a punishment for this persecution. Decius went at the head of a powerful army to oppose them; and, after an obstinate engagement, he succeed ed in destroying 30,000 of the barbarians. In follow ing up his success, he was led into a defile by the treason of his own general, Gallus, where the king of the Goths had been instructed to assail him. In this po sition of danger, the brave emperor, after seeing his son fall by an arrow, and the whole of his army routed, resolved to die on the field of battle which he had lost. Spurring on his horse, he plunged into a marsh, where he was instantly swallowed up, and his body never more seen. This event happened in the fiftieth year of his age and the third of his reign.
The remnant of the Roman army which had surviv ed this disgraceful battle, proclaimed Gallus Hostilius the successor of Decius. Though descended from an honourable family, he seems to have been as destitute of military courage as he was of private honour. In
stead of arraying the strength of Rome against the in vaders, he purchased peace by an ignominious tribute to the Goths, and returned to the capital to devote himself to indolence and licentiousness. The Goths, however, whose friendship lie had bought, soon for got their bargain, and rushed in upon the eastern pro vinces. The Persians and Scythians were encouraged by their example, and spread their desolating armies over Syria and Mesopotamia. While the distant mem bers of the empire were thus wasted and plundered, disorders equally fatal were raging at its heart. The Christians were persecuted with new malignity; a frightful pestilence, which seems to have been widely extended, scourged the empire for several years; and a civil war now added its horrors to these already ex isting evils.
After conquering the Goths, Rmilianus, the Roman general, was proclaimed emperor by his troops. Gal lus marched into the east to oppose him; and in a battle which took place in Mcesia, Gallus, and along with him his son Volusian, was slain in the 47th year of his age, and the third of his reign.
ife.milianns now expected to be acknowledged em peror by the senate; but they refused to confer upon him this honour, and, when their refusal was made known, the army stationed in Rhxtia proclaimed their general, Valerian, emperor. The prospect of a civil war between these two competitors, induced the army of Emilianus to put their own commander to death, and to concur in the general attachment to Valerian.
Publius Licinius Valerian was raised to the empire at the age of 78, and united the suffrages of all classes of the Roman people. That moderation, however, and those virtues which had distinguished him in private life, did not display themselves to great advantage when he came to the supreme power. He wanted courage in his military operations, and, though he affected to be the patron of science, yet he does not seem to have bestowed any essential favours on true genius or merit. Valerian, however, made many good attempts to reform the abuses of government; but he left a blot upon the character of his reign, by his malevolent persecution of the harmless Christians. The incursions of the northern hordes called Valerian into the field against the Goths and Scythians; but the invasion of Syria by Sapor, king of Persia, compelled him to undertake an expedition for its relief. His arms, however, were unsuccessful in Mesopotamia; and when he wished to have a private conference with Sapor, he was treacherously taken prisoner, and car ried in triumph to the capital. Here he exposed him in public to the insults of the people. He loaded him with ridicule and indignities of every kind, and he used the captive monarch as a footstool whenever he mounted on horseback. After a captivity of seven years, Sapor at last put out his eyes, and ordered him to be flayed alive, and salt to be thrown over his man gled body, till he perished in the greatest torment. His skin is said to have been afterwards tanned and painted red, and nailed up in one of the temples of Persia as a warning to the future emperors of Rome.