History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 3Gibbon, Edward
History
History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 3
Gibbon, Edward
Byzantine Empire -- History -- To 527; Rome -- History -- Empire, 30 B.C.-476 A.D.
Stilicho; and obtained, after a warm debate, the reluctant
approbation of the senate. The tumult of virtue and freedom
subsided; and the sum of four thousand pounds of gold was
granted, under the name of a subsidy, to secure the peace of
Italy, and to conciliate the friendship of the king of the Goths.
Lampadius alone, one of the most illustrious members of the
assembly, still persisted in his dissent; exclaimed, with a loud
voice, “This is not a treaty of peace, but of servitude;” 103 and
escaped the danger of such bold opposition by immediately
retiring to the sanctuary of a Christian church. [See Palace Of
The Caesars]
103 (return) [ Zosimus, l. v. p. 338, 339. He repeats the words
of Lampadius, as they were spoke in Latin, “Non est ista pax, sed
pactio servi tutis,” and then translates them into Greek for the
benefit of his readers. * Note: From Cicero’s XIIth Philippic,
14.—M.]
But the reign of Stilicho drew towards its end; and the proud
minister might perceive the symptoms of his approaching disgrace.
The generous boldness of Lampadius had been applauded; and the
senate, so patiently resigned to a long servitude, rejected with
disdain the offer of invidious and imaginary freedom. The troops,
who still assumed the name and prerogatives of the Roman legions,
were exasperated by the partial affection of Stilicho for the
Barbarians: and the people imputed to the mischievous policy of
the minister the public misfortunes, which were the natural
consequence of their own degeneracy. Yet Stilicho might have
continued to brave the clamors of the people, and even of the
soldiers, if he could have maintained his dominion over the
feeble mind of his pupil. But the respectful attachment of
Honorius was converted into fear, suspicion, and hatred. The
crafty Olympius, 104 who concealed his vices under the mask of
Christian piety, had secretly undermined the benefactor, by whose
favor he was promoted to the honorable offices of the Imperial
palace. Olympius revealed to the unsuspecting emperor, who had
attained the twenty-fifth year of his age, that he was without
weight, or authority, in his own government; and artfully alarmed
his timid and indolent disposition by a lively picture of the
designs of Stilicho, who already meditated the death of his
sovereign, with the ambitious hope of placing the diadem on the
head of his son Eucherius. The emperor was instigated, by his new
favorite, to assume the tone of independent dignity; and the
minister was astonished to find, that secret resolutions were
formed in the court and council, which were repugnant to his
interest, or to his intentions. Instead of residing in the palace
of Rome, Honorius declared that it was his pleasure to return to
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