CHAPTER VI.
“Augusta Trevirorum” of the Romans, “Trier” of the Germans, and “Trèves” to English, is, or at any rate claims to be, the most ancient city of Europe; according to the legend it was founded by a Prince Trebeta, who was driven out of his Asiatic possessions by Semiramis. He is described as having been a wise and strong prince, who built a magnificent palace of vast strength on the heights over the Moselle, opposite to the town, which he called after his own name: these things he did 1300 years before the foundation of Rome; and on the “Rothen Haus” in Trèves are still the words, “Ante Romam Treviris stetit annis mille trecentis.” A picture, said to represent this Prince Trebeta, is in the Town-hall: he is sitting on his father’s lap, with the spires of the Cathedral in his hand.
Very interesting is Trèves; and if we cannot place confidence in Prince Trebeta and his days, we must turn to that surer period when it was the capital of the Roman dominions beyond the Alps, and received the name of Augusta of the Trevii; these Trevii being the German tribe residing around this part of the Moselle.
Under its Roman name Trèves rose to the height of its glory; it was then celebrated for the number of its magnificent temples, its splendid palaces, its amphitheatre and baths. Remnants of this past splendour still exist; such as portions of the baths and amphitheatre, the bridge, and especially the Porta Nigra, which is one of the finest Roman ruins extant.
Porta Nigra.
Trèves was frequently the residence of the Roman Emperors, and its inhabitants had all the privileges of Roman citizenship. In the last half of the third century Galienus held his court here; and here Maximian was attacked by the Franks, whom he defeated. Here Constantine the Great, when celebrating a victory that he had gained over the Franks, caused two of the captive princes to be thrown to wild beasts in the arena. They met their death with smiles, and shortly after the whole of the German nation rose to avenge them. Constantine disguised himself, and entering the hostile camp, gave the enemy false information, which led to their total defeat, A.D. 310. The simple-minded Germans were no match for the Romans in fraud; they deemed any ambuscade, or advantage taken against an enemy, dishonourable, and we even find them sending messages to their opponents of the day and hour upon which they intended to attack them.
The cruelty of throwing captives to wild beasts, however, we find surpassed by a German named Magnentius, who, having become a Roman soldier, set himself up for Emperor in opposition to Constantius. This Magnentius, on the eve of the great battle of Marsa, sacrificed a maiden, and mixing her blood with wine, gave his army to drink, and invoked his gods, pouring a libation of this fiendish drink in their honour. He was totally defeated, and killed himself.
The Western Empire of the Romans fell, and Germans walked the streets of Rome, supplanting with their fresh vigour the worn-out strength of that wonderful empire, on the ruins of which their leaders planted their feet, which at first slipped and stumbled, but eventually found a firm basis, on which was erected what we call Modern History.
Many legends are given us by the German poets connected with Trèves; the following are the most remarkable:—