148

THE DECLINE AND FALL

chap, was considered as the immediate cause of the

__ second. The popular discontent, after it had

long circulated in whispers, broke out in theassembled circus. The people quitted their fa-vourite amusements, for the more deliciouspleasure of revenge, rushed in crowds towardsa palace in the suburbs, one of the emperor’s re-tirements, and demanded, with angry clamours,the head of the public enemy. Oleander , whocommanded the praetorian guards,' ordered abody of cavalry to sally forth and disperse theseditious multitude. The multitude fled withprecipitation towards the city; several wereslain, and many more were trampled to death:but when the cavalry entered the streets, theirpursuit was checked by a shower of stones anddarts from the roofs and windows of the houses.The foot guards/ who had been long jealousof the prerogatives and insolence of the praeto-rian cavalry, embraced the party of the people.The tumult became a regular engagement, andthreatened a general massacre. The praetori-ans at length gave way, oppressed with num-bers ; and the tide of popular fury returned

c Tuncque primum tres prsefecti praetorio fuere: inter quos liberti-mis. From some remains of modesty, Oleander declined the title, whilsthe assumed the powers of praetorian prefect. As the other frecdmenwere styled, from their several departments, a rationibus aft epUtofis,Oleander called himself a pugione, as intrusted with the defence of hismaster’s person. Salmasius and Casaubon seem to have talked veryidly upon this passage.

0 ©t tjjc 7ToX6»f tte£oi rgaricv'rcLi. Herodian, 1. i, p. 31. It is doubtfulwhether he means the praetorian infantry, or the cohortes nrbanae, abody of six thousand men, but whose rank and discipline were notequal to their numbers. Neither Tillemont nor Wotton choose to de-cide this question.