OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

181

never diverted from its steady course by the al- chap.

lurements of pleasure, the apprehension of dan-_'

ger, or the feelings of humanity.* On the firstnews of the murder of Pertinax , he assembledhis troops, painted in the most lively coloursthe crime, the insolence, and the weakness ofthe praetorian guards, and animated the legionsto arms and to revenge. He concluded (andthe peroration was thought extremely eloquent)with promising every soldier about four hundredpounds; an honourable donative, doublein valueto the infamous bribe with which Julian hadpurchased the empire/ The acclamations of Declaredthe army immediately saluted Severus with thenames of Augustus, Pertinax , and emperor; P g" 0 n n u " ianand he thus attained the lofty station to which a. d. i’93,he was invited, by conscious merit and a long Apnl 13 ‘train of dreams and omens, the fruitful offspringeither of his superstition or policy.®

The new candidate for empire saw and im-proved the peculiar advantage of his situation.

His province extended to the Julian Alps , which

e In the letter to Albums, already mentioned, Commodus accusesSeverus, as one of the ambitious generals who censured his conduct, andwished to occupy his place. Hist. August, p. 80.

f Pannonia was too poor to supply such a sum. It was probably pro-mised in the camp, and paid at Rome , after the victory. In fixing thesum, I have adopted the conjecture of Causabon. See Hist. August, p.66. Comment, p. 115.

8 Herodian , 1. ii, p. 78. Severus was declared emperor on the banksof the Danube , either at Carnuntum, according to Spartianus (Hist.August, p. 65), or else at Sabaria, according to Victor. Mr. Hume, insupposing that the birth and dignity of Severus were too much inferiorto the imperial crown, and that he marched into Italy as general only,has not considered this transaction with his usual accuracy (Essay onthe original contract.)