[82]Ælius Hadrianus, Trajan’s [83]cousin and [84]countryman, [85]obtained the empire after him, by the [86]favour of Plotina, Trajan’s wife; a man very [87]fickle in his [88]temper and [89]genius, [90]equally [91]formed for virtue and [92]vice. He [93]went through all the [94]provinces of the empire, so that nobody had ever [95]travelled over so much of the [96]world as he. After the death of Trajan, he [97]abandoned Armenia, Syria, and Mesopotamia, to the Parthians, and [98]intended likewise to [99]leave Dacia, had he not been [100]apprehensive of [101]ruining the many thousands of Romans that were there.
He [102]rebuilt Jerusalem, which he [103]called Ælia Capitolina, and [104]settled a colony there; and in the same place where the [105]temple had [106]stood, [107]built another in [108]honour of [109]Jupiter; which so [110]provoked the Jews, that, [111]taking up arms, they [112]carried on the war with more [113]fury than ever, under the [114]conduct of Barchochebas; against whom, amongst other [115]skilful generals that he [116]employed, Hadrian [117]sent for Julius Severus out of [118]Britain, by whom the Jews were by [119]degrees [120]suppressed and utterly [121]destroyed; there being no less than 50,000 slain in that war, besides an [122]innumerable [123]multitude that were [124]consumed by [125]famine, [126]pestilence, and [127]fire; so that [128]Palestine became almost a [129]wilderness. After that time, the Jews were [130]forbidden, [131]under pain of death, to come to Jerusalem, unless one day in a year to [132]lament their [133]misery.
At last Hadrian [134]growing old and [135]infirm, having no [136]children of his own, [137]adopted [138]Arrius Antoninus, who was afterwards [139]surnamed [140]Pius, [141]upon condition that he should adopt Annius Verus, son of Ælius Verus, and [142]M. Aurelius Antoninus. After which he died at Baiæ, in the year of Christ 138, having lived sixty-two years, and reigned twenty-one and eleven months.
Antoninus Pius, adopted by Hadrian, [143]governed the Roman empire with so much virtue and [144]goodness, that he [145]surpassed all [146]example; for he [147]managed the [148]commonwealth rather with the [149]affection of a father, than with the authority of a prince, and [150]kept the world in [151]peace during his whole reign, for which [152]reason he was [153]compared to Numa. [154]Foreign and [155]remote princes and [156]nations [157]feared him to that degree, that they [158]referred the [159]decision of their [160]controversies to him. He [161]forbade any [162]scrutiny to be made after those, who had [163]entered into a [164]plot against his [165]life. He died in the seventieth year of his age, and twenty-fourth of his reign.
After him reigned M. Antonius Verus, [166]son-in-law of Pius; for he had married his daughter Valeria Faustina. He had from [167]his youth been [168]educated as well in the [169]knowledge of other [170]arts as the [171]studies of [172]wisdom, which he [173]made appear no less in his life and [174]conduct, than his [175]words and [176]professions. In the [177]beginning of his reign, he made L. Ælius Verus his [178]partner of the empire, to whom he married his daughter Lucilla. They reigned together eleven years, being of very [179]different [180]inclinations; for Verus was of a [181]listless, [182]luxurious, and [183]morose temper, but was [184]kept within [185]bounds through the [186]respect he had for his father-in-law; by whom he was [187]sent against the Parthians, and [188]carried on the war [189]successfully for four years, by his lieutenants; wherefore they both [190]triumphed over the Parthians. Afterwards they [191]undertook an [192]expedition against the Marcomanni, but upon their [193]march, Verus was [194]seized with an [195]apoplexy, between Concordia and [196]Altinum, and died. M. Aurelius carried on the war for three years against the Marcomanni, to whom the Quadi, [197]Vandals, [198]Sarmatians, and Suevi, [199]joined themselves. His army in [200]want [201]of water, was [202]relieved by a [203]legion of [204]Christians that was in it, who, by their [205]prayers [206]procured [207]rain from [208]heaven, according to [209]Eusebius. The [210]exchequer being quite [211]exhausted by the great [212]expense of the war, that he might not [213]burthen the people with [214]taxes, he [215]produced all the imperial [216]furniture and [217]sold it; and after the victory [218]restored the [219]price to those [220]purchasers who [221]were willing to [222]part with what they had [223]bought. Avidius Cassius, upon [224]false advice that he was [225]dead, [226]seized the [227]government, and was slain three months after. M. Aurelius died at Vienna, after a reign of nineteen years, and eleven months.
He was [228]succeeded by his [229]wicked son Aurelius Commodus Antoninus, who [230]resembled Nero for [231]cruelty, [232]lust, [233]avarice, and such practices as are [234]scandalous in an emperor. Having [235]settled his affairs with the [236]Germans, he triumphed at Rome. He put to death his sister Lucilla, who, with [237]several others, had [238]conspired against his life. He [239]used to [240]fight among the [241]gladiators in the [242]public games. He was at last, after an [243]infamous life, [244]slain by the [245]contrivance of a [246]mistress, and the captain-general of his [247]life-guards, whom he had [248]determined to [249]put to death. He reigned twelve years, nine months, and fourteen days.
After Commodus was [250]killed in the year of Christ 193, P. [251]Helvius Pertinax, was [252]declared emperor, by those who had [253]dispatched Commodus, who [254]endeavouring to [255]reduce the [256]commonwealth into better [257]order, and to [258]curb the [259]licentiousness of the [260]soldiery, was, within eighty days after his coming to the empire, [261]murdered by his own guards. The empire after this, was by the soldiers [262]exposed to [263]sale, and Didius Julianus [264]coming up to their [265]terms, was [266]accepted of, and [267]proclaimed emperor accordingly. But [268]not being able to [269]make up the [270]promised donative, he was [271]forsaken by them, and slain by [272]order of Septimius Severus, after he had reigned two months and five days.
This Severus, a [273]native of Africa, was at that time lieutenant of Pannonia, and [274]took upon him the government, under the [275]pretence of [276]revenging Pertinax’s death. He first of all [277]disbanded the guards for that [278]abominable [279]murder. Then he [280]fell upon Pescennius Niger, lieutenant of Syria, and Clodius Albinus of [281]Britain, his [282]competitor for the empire. Niger was [283]conquered, and Antioch, into which he [284]threw himself, was taken; after which, [285]flying towards the [286]river Euphrates, he was [287]taken and slain. After the [288]taking off of Niger, Severus [289]took [290]Byzantium, which had [291]declared for him, after a [292]siege of three years.
[293]Matters being [294]brought to a [295]peaceable [296]settlement in the [297]East, he [298]turned his arms [299]westward against Clodius Albinus, and [300]engaged him at [301]Lyons in [302]France; where many being slain on both [303]sides, and amongst others, Albinus, he was [304]left sole [305]possessor of the empire. The city was [306]plundered and [307]burnt, Albinus’s [308]head [309]sent to Rome, and a [310]dreadful [311]havoc made among those who had been his [312]favourers and [313]friends.