OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

object of the utmost importance to both armies.The Rhaetian usurper, after receiving a total de-feat and a dangerous wound, retired into Milan .The siege of that great city was immediatelyformed; the walls were battered with everyengine in use among the ancients; and Aure-olus, doubtful of his internal strength, and hope-less of foreign succours, already anticipated thefatal consequences of unsuccessful rebellion.

His last resource was an attempt to seduce theloyalty of the beseigers. He scattered libelsthrough their camp, inviting the troops to desertan unworthy master, who sacrificed the publichappiness to his luxury, and the lives of his mostvaluable subjects to the slightestsuspicions. Thearts of Aureolus diffused fears and discontentamong the principal officers of his rival. A con-spiracy was formed by Heraclianus, the praetorianprefect, by Marcian, a general of rank and re-putation, and by Cecrops , who commanded a nu-merous body of Dalmatian guards. The deathof Gallienus was resolved; and notwithstandingtheir desire of first terminating the siege of Mi-lan , the extreme danger which accompanied everymoment’s delay, obliged them to hasten the exe-cution of their daring purpose. At a late hour ofthe night, but while the emperor still protractedthe pleasures of the table, an alarm was suddenlygiven, that Aureolus, at the head of all his forces,had made a desperate sally from the town: Gal-lienus , who was never deficient in personal bra-very, started from his silken couch, and without

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CHA1».

XI.