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Not long after this Re-eftablishment, they quarrel'd with Philip, King of Macedon, who reduc'd them to great Extremities, laid waste their Country, pull'd down all the Temples in the Villages around Athens, deftroy'd all their stately Edifices, and caus'd his Soldiers to break in pieces the very Stones, that they might not be serviceable in the Reparation of them; all which Loffes with a great many Aggravations are elegantly fet forth in an Oration of the Athenian Ambafladors to the Etolians, in Livy. But the Romans coming to their Affiftance, Philip was forc'd to forfake his Enterprize, and being afterwards entirely defeated, left the Grecians in a full Poffeffion of their Liberty, which, at least fome Shew of it, they enjoy'd many Years, under the Roman Protection.

CHA P. VI.

Of the State of Athens, from its Confederacy with Rome,

T

to Conftantine the Great.

HE Grecians, and others that put themselves under the Roman Protection, tho' they gilded their Condition with the fpecious Name of Liberty, yet were no farther free, than it pleas'd thofe in whofe Power they were; they were govern'd indeed by their own Laws, and had the Privilege of electing their own Magiftrates; yet their Laws were of fmall Force, if they feem'd any way to oppofe the Roman Intereft and good Pleasure; and in the Election of Magiftrates, and ordering publick Affairs, tho' every Man might give his Voice which way he pleas'd, yet if he thwarted the Roman Defigns, or was cold in his Affection to them, or (which was all one) but warm in the Defence of the Liberties and Privileges of his Country, he was look'd upon with a jealous Eye, as a Favourer of Rebellion, and an Enemy to the Romans.

And for no other Reafon a thoufand of the most eminent Achaans, without any Charge, or fo much as Sufpicion of Treachery, were fent Prifoners to Rome; where, notwithstanding all the Teftimonies of their Innocence, and the Solicitations of their Country, which never ceased to importune the Senate for their Liberty, they endur'd an Imprisonment of seventeen Years; which being expir'd, to the Number of thirty of them were releas'd, amongst whom was Polybus, from whofe impartial History we have an Account of all thefe Proceedings, which their own Hiftorians endeavour to palliate, tho' they cannot deny them; all the reft either died in Prison, or upon attempting to make their Escape, fuffer'd as Malefactors.

And by these and fuch like Means, whilft fome fought by Flattery and Compliance to infinuate themselves into the Favour of the Romans, others out of Fear and Cowardice, refolv'd to swim with the Stream, and those few that had Courage and Refolution to appear for their Country, were little regarded; every thing was carry'd on according Lib. XXX. cap. XXXI.

to the Defire of the Romans; and if any thing happen'd contrary to it, their Agents presently made an Appeal to the Senate, which referv'd to themfelves a Power of receiving fuch like Complaints, and determining as they thought convenient; and they that would not submit to this Decifion, were proceeded against as Enemies, and forc'd by Power of Arms into Obedience. No War was to be begun, no Peace to be concluded, nor fcarce their own Country to be defended without the Advice and Confent of the Senate; they were oblig'd to pay what Taxes the Senate thought fit to impofe upon them; nay, the Roman Officers fometimes took the Liberty of railing Contributions of their own Accord: And tho' in the Macedonian War, upon feveral juft Complaints made against them, the Senate was forc'd to put forth a Decree, that no Grecian fhould be oblig'd to pay any Contribution, besides fuch as was levied by their Order; yet if any Man refus'd to answer the Demands of any Roman Officer, he was look'd upon as an Encourager of Sedition, and in the End far'd little better than thofe that broke out into open Rebellion.

In this State ftood the Affairs of the Athenians under the Roman Government: And whether in Confideration of the Eatiness of this Yoke, if compar'd with that which the Macedonians impos'd on them; or thro' Meannefs of Spirit contracted by being long accuftom'd to Misfortunes; or for want of Power to affert their Liberty; or for all these Reasons, they patiently fubmitted themfelves, feeming well fatisfy'd with the Enjoyment of this flavish Freedom, which in a few Ages before, they would have rejected with the greateft Indignation, and endeavour'd to deliver themselves from it, tho' their Lives, and the remainder of their Fortunes fhould have been hazarded in the Enterprize.

And from this time till the War with Mithridates, they continu'd without any remarkable Alterations; but either by the Perfuafions of Arifton the Philofopher, or out of Fear of Mithridates's Army, they had the bad Fortune to take his Part, and receive Archeftratus, one of his Lieutenants, within their Walls; at which Sylla being enrag'd laid Siege to the City, took it, and committed fo mercilefs a Slaughter, that the very Channels in the Streets flow'd with Blood. At this time the Piracus and Munychia were burn'd to the Ground, their Walls demolish'd, their ancient Monuments.deftroy'd, and the whole City fo defac'd, that it was never able to recover its former Beauty, till the time of

Adrian °.

This Storm being blown over, they liv'd in Peace till the time of the Civil War between Cafar and Pompey, in which they fided with Pompey, and were closely befieg'd by Q, Fufius Calenus, Cafar's Lieutenant, who fpoil'd and deftroy'd all the adjacent Country, and feiz'd upon the Piraeus, being at that time unfortified, and a Place of little Strength; But News being brought that Pompey was totally routed, they yielded themselves into the Hands of the Conqueror, who according to his wonted Generolity receiv'd them into Favour; and this he did out of Respect to the Glory and Virtue of their Ancestors, giving

• Plutarch. Syll. Strabo. 1. IX. Lucius Florus 1. III. c. V. Appianus in Mithridatico.

out,

out, that he pardon'd the living for the fake of the dead, as Dion Caffius reports P.

But it seems they still retained fome Sparks, at least, of their old Love for popular Government; for when Cafar was dead, they joyn'd themselves to Brutus and Caffius his Murderers, and befides other Honours done to them, plac'd their Statues next those of Harmodius and Ariftogiton, two famous Patriots, that defended the Liberty of their Country against the Tyranny of Pififtratus's Sons.

q

Brutus and Caffius being defeated, they went over to Antony, who behav'd himself very obligingly towards them and the rest of the Grecians, being fond (faith Plutarch) of being ftyl'd a Lover of Greece, but above all, in being call'd a Lover of Athens, to which City he made confiderable Presents; and as others tell us, gave the Athenians the Dominion of the Islands of Tenus, Ægina, Icus, Cea, Sciathus, and Peparethus.

Auguftus having overcome Antony, handled them a little more feverely for their Ingratitude to his Father, and befides fome other Privileges, as that of felling the Freedom of the City, took from them the Ifle of Egina. Towards the latter End of his Reign, they began to revolt, but were eafily reduc'd to their former Obedience; and notwithstanding all the Cruelties, Ravages, and other Misfortunes they had fuffer'd, Strabo, who flourish'd in the Reign of Tiberius Cafar, tells us they enjoy'd many Privileges, retain'd their ancient Form of Government, and liv'd in a flourishing Condition in his Days. And Germanicus, the adopted Son of Tiberius, making a Journey that way, honour'd them with the Privilege of having a Lictor, who was an Officer that attended upon the chief Magiftrates at Rome, and was accounted a Mark of Sovereign Power.

In this Condition they remain'd with little Alteration till the Reign of Vefpafian, who reduc'd Attica and all Achaia to be a Roman Province, exacting Tribute of them, and compelling them to be governed by the Roman Laws.

Under Nerva fome Shadow, at least, of Liberty was restor❜d them; but they were ftill under the Government of a Proconful, and receiv'd most of their Laws from the Emperor, who alfo nominated the Profeffors in their publick Schools, and appointed them Archons; and hence it came to pafs, that Adrian before his Advancement to the Empire, was invested in that Office. In the fame State they continu'd in Trajan's time, as appears from an Epiftle of Pliny to Maximus, who was fent to govern Achaia, wherein he advis'd him to use his Power with Moderation, and tells him in particular of the Athenians, that it would be a barbarous piece of Inhumanity, to deprive them of that Shadow and Name of Liberty, which was all that remain'd to them '.

But notwithstanding the Peace and Privileges they enjoy'd under thefe and other Emperors of Rome, they were never able to repair thofe vaft Loffes they had fuffer'd under Sylla, till the Reign of Adrian, who in the time of his being Archon, took a particular Affection to this City, and when he was promoted to be Emperor, granted them

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very large Privileges, gave them juft and moderate Laws, beftow'd on them a large Donative of Money, and annual Provilions of Corn, and the whole Island of Cephalenia; repair'd their old decay'd Cafties, and restor❜d them to their ancient Splendor, and added one whole Region of new Buildings at his own Charge, which he call'd Adrianopolis; and New Athens, as appears as well from other Records, as alfo from an Infcription upon an Aquaduct, begun by this Emperor, and finifhed by his Succeffor Antoninus.

IMP. CÆSAR. T. ÆLIUS. HADRIANUS. ANTONINUS.
AUG. PIUS. COS. III. TRIB. POT. II. P. P.

AQUÆDUCTUM. IN. NOVIS. ATHENIS. COEPTUM. A.
DIVO.

ADRIANO. PATRE. SUO. CONSUMMAVIT. DEDICAVITQUE ".

The meaning of which is, that Antoninus had finifh'd the Aquaduct in New Athens, that had been begun by his Father and Predeceffor Hadrian. And from another of Gruter's Infcriptions, it appears that they acknowledg'd him to be the second Founder of their City.

ΑΙ Δ ΕΙΣ ΑΘΗΝΑΙ ΘΗΣΕΩΣ Η ΠΡΙΝ ΠΟΛΙΣ

ΑΙ Δ ΕΙΣ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΥ Κ ΟΥΧΙ ΘΗΣΕΩΣ ΠΟΛΙΣ ".

The Subftance of which is, that Athens was formerly the City of Thefeus, but New Athens belongs to Adrian. Many other Privileges this Emperor granted them, which were continu'd and enlarg'd by his Succeffors M. Antoninus Pius, and M. Antoninus the Philofopher, the latter of which allow'd them Stipends for the Maintenance of publick Profeffors in all Arts and Sciences, and was himself initiated amongst them.

But Severus, having receiv'd fome Affront from them, when he was a private Person, and studied in Athens, was refolv'd to pay them home, as foon as he was Emperor, and for no other Reason, as 'tis thought, depriv'd them of a great Part of their Privileges *.

Valerian was more favourable to them, and permitted them to rebuild their City Walls, which had lain in Rubbish between three and four hundred Years, from the time that Sylla dismantled them,

But thefe Fortifications could not protect them from the Fury of the Goths, who under Gallienus, as Zofimus; or Claudius, as Cedrenus reports, made themselves Masters of it; but were foon driven out of their new Conqueft, by Cleodemus, who having escap'd the Fury of thofe Barbarians, and got together a confiderable Number of Men and Ships, defeated Part of them in a Sea Fight, and forc'd the reft to quit the City, and provide for their Safety by an early Flight. One thing remarkable Cedrenus reports of the Goths, that when they had plunder'd the City, and heap'd up an infinite Number of Books, with a

u Grater P. 177. Zonaras.

"Gruter. p. 178.

* Spartianus.

Y Zofimus.

Design

Defign to burn them, they defifted from that Purpofe for this Reafon, viz. That the Greeks by employing their time upon them, might be diverted from Martial Affairs.

CHAP. VII.

Of the State of Athens from Conftantine the Great.

T

Owards the Declination of the Roman Greatnefs, the chief Magi

ftrate of Athens was call'd by the Name of Exgalayos, i. e. Duke; buc Conftantine the Great, befides many other Privileges granted to the City, honour'd him with the Title of Mifas Ergalyos, or Grand-Duke". Conftantius, at the Requeft of Proarefius, enlarg'd their Dominions, by a Grant of feveral Islands in the Archipelago.

Under Arcadius and Honorius, Alarick, King of the Goths, made an Incursion into Greece, pillag'd and destroy'd all before him; but as Zofimus reports, was diverted from his Defign upon Athens, by a Vifion, wherein the Tutelar Goddess of that City appear'd to him in Armour, and in the Form of thofe Statues which are dedicated to Minerva the Protectrefs, and Achilles in the fame manner that Homer reprefents him, when being enrag'd for the Death of Patroclus, he fell with his utmost Fury upon the Trojans. But the Writers of thofe Times make no mention of any fuch thing: on the contrary they tell us, that Athens fuffer'd the common Fate of the reft of Greece; and fo Claudian reports,

Si tunc his animis acies collata fuiffet,

Prodita non tantas vidiffet Græcia clades,
Oppida femoto Pelopeïa Marte vigerent;
Starent Arcadia, ftarent Lacedæmonis arces;
Non mare flagraffet geminum flagrante Corintho;
Nec fera Cecropias traxiffent vincula matres .

Had thus th' embattl'd Gracians dar'd to oppofe
With Rage and Pow'r Divine their barbarous Foes,
Ne'er had their Land of Strength and Help bereft
T'infulting Conquerors a Prey been left.
The Spartan Land had ne'er fuch Havock seen,

Its Splendor ne'er eclips'd, or Pow'r deprefs'd had been.
Arcadian Flocks had graz'd untainted Food,
And free from Plunder Pelops Ile had stood.
Corinth's proud Structures ne'er had felt the Flames,
Nor griping Chains enflav'd th' Athenian Dames.

J. A.

And Synefius, who liv'd in the fame Age, tells us, there was nothing left in it fplendid, or remarkable, nothing to be admired, befides the famous Names of ancient Ruins; and that, as in a Sacrifice, when

Julian. Orat. I. Nicephorus Gregoras Hift. Rom. 1. VII.
Claudian, in Ruffinum 1. II.

Zofimus 1. V. the

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