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The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 07 : $b the history of the later Roman Empire

History

The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 07 : $b the history of the later Roman Empire

World history

Now in the senate, the capital, and the provinces, the statues of
Eutropius were erected in brass or marble, decorated with the symbols
of his civil and military virtues, and inscribed with the pompous
title of the third founder of Constantinople. He was promoted to the
rank of patrician, which began to signify, in a popular and even legal
acceptation, the father of the emperor; and the last year of the fourth
century was polluted by the consulship of a eunuch and a slave.

The bold and vigorous mind of Rufinus seems to have been actuated by a
more sanguinary and revengeful spirit; but the avarice of the eunuch was
not less insatiate than that of the prefect. As long as he despoiled the
oppressors, who had enriched themselves with the plunder of the people,
Eutropius might gratify his covetous disposition without much envy or
injustice; but the progress of his rapine soon invaded the wealth which
had been acquired by lawful inheritance or laudable industry.

Among the generals and consuls of the East, Abundantius had reason to
dread the first effects of the resentment of Eutropius. He had been
guilty of the unpardonable crime of introducing that abject slave to the
palace of Constantinople; and some degree of praise must be allowed to
a powerful and ungrateful favourite who was satisfied with the disgrace
of his benefactor. Abundantius was stripped of his ample fortunes by
an imperial rescript, and banished to Pityus, on the Euxine, the last
frontier of the Roman world, where he subsisted by the precarious mercy
of the barbarians, till he could obtain, after the fall of Eutropius, a
milder exile at Sidon in Phœnicia.

The destruction of Timasius required a more serious and regular mode
of attack. That great officer, the master-general of the armies of
Theodosius, had signalised his valour by a decisive victory which he
obtained over the Goths of Thessaly; but he was too prone, after the
example of his sovereign, to enjoy the luxury of peace and to abandon
his confidence to wicked and designing flatterers. Timasius had despised
the public clamour, by promoting an infamous dependent to the command
of a cohort; and he deserved to feel the ingratitude of Bargus, who
was secretly instigated by the favourite to accuse his patron of a
treasonable conspiracy.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 07 : $b the history of the later Roman Empire

World history

Now in the senate, the capital, and the provinces, the statues of
Eutropius were erected in brass or marble, decorated with the symbols
of his civil and military virtues, and inscribed with the pompous
title of the third founder of Constantinople. He was promoted to the
rank of patrician, which began to signify, in a popular and even legal
acceptation, the father of the emperor; and the last year of the fourth
century was polluted by the consulship of a eunuch and a slave.

The bold and vigorous mind of Rufinus seems to have been actuated by a
more sanguinary and revengeful spirit; but the avarice of the eunuch was
not less insatiate than that of the prefect. As long as he despoiled the
oppressors, who had enriched themselves with the plunder of the people,
Eutropius might gratify his covetous disposition without much envy or
injustice; but the progress of his rapine soon invaded the wealth which
had been acquired by lawful inheritance or laudable industry.

Among the generals and consuls of the East, Abundantius had reason to
dread the first effects of the resentment of Eutropius. He had been
guilty of the unpardonable crime of introducing that abject slave to the
palace of Constantinople; and some degree of praise must be allowed to
a powerful and ungrateful favourite who was satisfied with the disgrace
of his benefactor. Abundantius was stripped of his ample fortunes by
an imperial rescript, and banished to Pityus, on the Euxine, the last
frontier of the Roman world, where he subsisted by the precarious mercy
of the barbarians, till he could obtain, after the fall of Eutropius, a
milder exile at Sidon in Phœnicia.

The destruction of Timasius required a more serious and regular mode
of attack. That great officer, the master-general of the armies of
Theodosius, had signalised his valour by a decisive victory which he
obtained over the Goths of Thessaly; but he was too prone, after the
example of his sovereign, to enjoy the luxury of peace and to abandon
his confidence to wicked and designing flatterers. Timasius had despised
the public clamour, by promoting an infamous dependent to the command
of a cohort; and he deserved to feel the ingratitude of Bargus, who
was secretly instigated by the favourite to accuse his patron of a
treasonable conspiracy.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 07 : $b the history of the later Roman Empire

The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 07 : $b the history of the later Roman Empire

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