THE DECLINE AND FALL

268

chap, vinces. It was reserved for the virtue of Alex-

.ander to relieve them, in a great measure, from

this intolerable grievance, by reducing the tri-butes to a thirtieth part of the sum exacted atthe time of his accession/ It is impossible toconjecture the motive that engaged him to spareso trifling a remnant of the public evil; but thenoxious weed, which had not been totally era-dicated, again sprang up with the most luxuri-ant growth, and, in the succeeding age, dark-ened the Roman world with its deadly shade.In the course of this history, we shall be toooften summoned to explain the land-tax, thecapitation, and the heavy contributions of corn,wine, oil, and meat, which were exacted fromthe provinces for the use of the court, the army,and the capital.

Conse- As long as Rome and Italy were respected as

quences of . . 1 . .

the uni- the centre of government, a national spirit wasdonTof* 66 " preserved by the ancient, and insensibly imbibedRome . jjy adopted, citizens. The principal com-mands of the army were filled by men who hadreceived a liberal education, were well instruct-ed in the advantages of laws and letters, andwho had risen, by ecjual steps, through theregular succession of civil and military honours.”To their influence and example we may partlyascribe the modest obedience of the legions

y He who paid ten aurei, the usual tribute, was charged with no morethan the third part of an aureus, and proportional pieces of gold werecoined by Alexander’s order. Hist. August, p. 127, with the commen-tary of Salmasius.

1 See the lives of Agricola, Vespasian, Trajan , Severus, and his threecompetitors, and indeed of all the eminent men of those times.