418
THE DECLINE AND FALL
chap. This warlike people of Germans had been asto-
_' nished by the immense preparations of Alexander
invade Severus; they were dismayed by the arms of hisiuly, and successor, a barbarian equal in valour and fierce-ness tc themselves. But still hovering on thefrontiers of the empire, they increased the generaldisorder that ensued after the death of Decius .They inflicted severe wounds on the rich pro-vinces of Gaul ; they were the first who removedthe veil that covered the feeble majesty of Italy .A numerous body of the Alemanni penetratedacross the Danube , and through the RhsetianAlps, into the plains of Lombardy , advanced asfar as Ravenna, and displayed the victoriousbanners of barbarians almost in sight of Rome .' 1The insult and the danger rekindled in the sc-are repui- na te some sparks of their ancient virtue. Both
scd from 1 ,
Home by the emperors were engaged m far distant wars;aru/peo- 6 Valerian in the East, and Gallienus on the Rhine .,,le * All the hopes and resources of the Romans werein themselves. In this emergency, the senatorsresumed the defence of the republic, drew outthe praetorian guards, who had been left to gar-rison the capital, and filled up their numbers,by inlisting into the public service the stoutestand most willing of the plebeians. The Ale-manni , astonished with the sudden appearanceof an army more numerous than their own, re-tired into Germany , laden with spoil; and theirretreat was esteemed as a victory by the unwar-like Romans. 1