OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

407

or the gratitude of the Romans; and whilst pre-sents and subsidies were liberally distributedamong friends and suppliants, they were sternlyrefused to such as claimed them as a debt/But this stipulation of an annual payment to avictorious enemy, appeared without disguise inthe light of an ignominious tribute; the mindsof the Romans were not yet accustomed to ac-cept such unequal laws from a tribe of barba-rians ; and the prince, who by a necessary con-cession had probably saved his country, becamethe object of the general contempt and aversion.The death of Hostilianus , though it happenedin the midst of a raging pestilence, was inter-preted as the personal crime of Gallus ; h andeven the defeat of the late emperor was ascribedby the voice of suspicion to the perfidious coun-sels of his hated successor . 1 The tranquillitywhich the empire enjoyed during the first year ofhis administration 11 served rather to inflame thanto appease the public discontent; and, as soonas the apprehensions of war were removed, theinfamy of the peace was more deeply and moresensibly felt.

/

E See the firmness of a Roman general so late as the time of Alexan-der Severus , in the Excerpta Legationum, p. 25, edit. Louvre.

h For the plague, see Jornandes, c. 19, and Victor in Caesari-bus.

‘ These improbable accusations are alleged by Zosimus , 1, i, p. 23,24.

k Jornandes, c. 19. The Gothic writer at least observed the peacewhich his victorious countrymen had sworn to Gallus.

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