200

CHAP.

V.

The officeof praeto-rian pre-fect.

THE DECLINE AND FALL

though dangerous, institution of guards, was, soon restored on a new model by Severus, andincreased to four times the ancient number."Formerly these troops had been recruited inItaly ; and as the adjacent provinces graduallyimbibed the softer manners of Rome , the levieswere extended to Macedonia, Noricum , andSpain . In the room of these elegant troops,better adapted to the pomp of courts than tothe uses of war, it was established by Severus,that from all the legions of the frontiers, the sol-diers most distinguished for strength, valour,and fidelity, should be occasionally draughted;and promoted, as an honour and reward, intothe more eligible service of the guards . 11 Bythis new institution, the Italian youth were di-verted from the exercise of arms, and the capi-tal was terrified by the strange aspect and man-ners of a multitude of barbarians. But Seve-rus flattered himself, that the legions wouldconsider these chosen praetorians as the repre-sentatives of the whole military order; and thatthe present aid of fifty thousand men, superiorin arms and appointments to any force thatcould be brought into the field against them,would for ever crush the hopes of rebellion, andsecure the empire to himself and his posterity.

The command of these favoured and formi-dable troops soon became the first office of theempire. As the government degenerated intomilitary despotism, the praetorian prefect, who

u Hcrodian, 1. iii, p. 131.* Dion, 1. Ixxiv, p. 1243.