OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

441

women of the great king; who was at last ob-liged to repass the Euphrates with some marks,of haste and confusion. 1 " By this exploit, Ode-nathus laid the foundations of his future fameand fortunes. The majesty of Rome , oppressedby a Persian, was protected by a Syrian or Arab of Palmyra.

The voice of history, which is often littlemore than the organ of hatred or flattery, re-proaches Sapor with a proud abuse of the rightsof conquest. We are told that Valerian, inchains, but invested with the imperial purple,was exposed to the multitude, a constant spec-tacle of fallen greatness; and that whenever thePersian monarch mounted on horseback, heplaced his foot on the neck of a Roman empe-ror. Notwithstanding all the remonstrances ofhis allies, who repeatedly advised him to re-member the vicissitudes of fortune, to dread thereturning power of Rome , and to make his il-lustrious captive the pledge of peace, not theobject of insult, Sapor still remained inflexible.When Valerian sunk under the weight of shameand grief, his skin stuffed with straw, and form-ed into the likeness of a human figure, was pre-served for ages in the most celebrated temple ofPersia ; a more real monument of triumph, thanthe fancied trophies of brass and marble so oftenerected by Roman vanity . 1 The tale is moral

k Peter Patricius, p. 25.

* The pagan writers lament, the Christians insult, the misfortunesof Valerian. Their various testimonies are accurately collected by

Tillemont,

CHAP.

X.

Treat-ment ofValerian.