HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

139

CHAPTER THE NINTH.

Cursory Remarks on the rapid Improvement of Marine Architecture among manyof the ancient Nations—State of tt with respect to the Romans during the Reignof the twelve Caesars—Account given of its Force by Mr. Gibbon—its Historycontinued down to the Reign of Dioclesian—State of the Roman Commerce —the Civil Wars between Severus, Niger, and Albinus—the first Irruption ofthe Goths—the Origin of that People-^-their Distinctions and Tribes — Confe-deracy between the Goths and Vandals—Description of the Vessels employed inthe Navigation of the Euxine—Successes of the Goths—the Death of Gallienus—the Goths defeated by Claudius—Naval Enterprise of the Franks — Usurpa-tion of Carausius—his Assassination by Alectus—the Dominion of Britainrecovered by Constantius—War between Licinius and Constantine the Great —the Fleet of Licinius defeated by Crispus—War with Sapor the Persian —Spain and Africa subdued by the Fleet of Constantius—Removal of the Obeliskerected before the Temple of the Sun at Heliopolis in Egypt to Rome—shortEnquiry into the Nature and Form of the Vessel which conveyed it—Inactivityof the Romans with respect to Nautical Affairs during the Reign of Julian,and some of his Successors—the Causes of it—Decline of the Port of Ostia —Revolt of Heraclianus, and Account of the Fleet equipped by him in Defence ofhis newly erected Authority—extravagant Attempt of the Goths to pass theHellespont—Remarks on the Decline of the Roman Navy with respect to theVessels which composed it—the Irruption of the Vandals into Spain—theirPassage from thence into Africa , and the Capture of Carthage.

I T is certainly worthy of remark, and at the same time not a little wonder-ful, that the science of Marine Architecture, as practised by the ancients,seems to have reached its utmost limits of perfection, in the space of a very fewyears, speaking comparatively, at least, with the progress made by the modernnations of Europe, and other quarters of the world, after what may fairly becalled the resuscitation of the art. States which had previously neglected ordespised maritime pursuits, frequently burst forth as by the impulse of themoment, and raised themselves as well in the art of‘navigating, as of con-structing vessels, to a perfect equality, in point of knowlege, with the greatestadepts and oldest practitioners, in a space of time so short, as to strike the

T 2 modern