162

HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

No subsequent mention is made of any naval equipment carried on underthe auspices of the Roman emperors till the year 387, in the midst of that civilwar which had taken place between Maximus and Theodosius, as the protectorof Valentinian and his mother. But the bare record that a fleet was equippedin the ports of Greece and Epirus, with the intent of forcing a passage intoItaly for the empress and her son, is the only point which can convince themodern enquirer, that maritime pursuits, and the art of naval war, were nottotally neglected. The contest was concluded within the short space of twomonths, by the total defeat of the army, and the death of Maximus himself,ere sufficient time had elapsed so as to permit the naval preparations to be fullycompleted, or carried into effect.

In the year 398, the whole of that armament destined to attempt the reco-very of Africa, which had been wrested from the dominion of Rome by therevolt of Gildo, amounted to no more than a few gallies, having as manyvessels under their convoy as sufficed to transport from Pisa in Tuscany toAfrica a military force, for it certainly did not merit the appellation of an army,amounting to no more than five thousand men. Soon after this, the terrificirruption of the Goths, under the command of their renowned leader Alaric,appeared to hold forth only one alternative to the Romans, whose protection,from the pursuit of the Huns, their enemies, these barbarians had only a fewyears before solicited, and rather in humble terms. It was, that the empire mustbe totally abandoned to the mercy of the invaders, or every energetic measuremust be speedily carried into execution, to avert or soften, if possible, thehorrors of the impending tempest. Its fleet, reported in the language of historyto have been numerous and formidable, but whose force is mentioned only inthe most vague and indefinite terms, was accordingly equipped in the ports of

-adoption of the above term. “ I am justified,” says he, “ by reason and example, in applying thisIndian + name to the Movo£t/Xa of the barbarians, the single trees hollowed into the shape of a boat,wXr;0ti /a,evo£i/X&iv Ep./3tpaastvTEf.” Zosimus, 1. tv. p- 253.

I

Ausi Danubium quondam tranare GruthungiIn Lintres fregere nemus: ter mille ruebantPer fluvium plena cuneis immanibus alni.

' Claudian in IV. Cons. Hon. 623.

■f A farther testimony ar.d a highly respectable one, that the idea, thrown out in page 107, is far from being vague and romantic.

Italy,