After this, he [314]marched [315]eastward again, and [316]conquered the Parthians, the [317]Adiabenians, and Arabians, whilst Plotianus, in the mean time, [318]governed all at Rome. Plotilla, this man’s daughter, was [319]contracted to Antoninus, Severus’s son, and the [320]nuptials were [321]celebrated in the tenth year of Severus’s reign. But not long after, Plotianus being [322]engaged in a [323]plot against the emperor, was slain by his [324]son-in-law, and a great many that had been in his [325]interest, killed after him.
Severus [326]undertook an [327]expedition into Britain, with his two sons, in the 15th year of his reign, where he [328]continued three years; being very [329]successful, he [330]drew a [331]wall [332]across the [333]island for its [334]security. He died at York, after he had reigned seventeen years eight months and three days.
[335]Antoninus Caracalla and Geta, the two sons of Severus, were after him [336]advanced to the empire, in the year of Christ 211. But the [337]difference of their [338]humour and [339]manners was such, that they were [340]perpetually at [341]variance. Geta was of a [342]mild and civil [343]temper, the other [344]cruel and [345]boisterous, who, in the second year of his reign, [346]slew his brother in his [347]mother’s [348]bosom. After him, a great many of his friends and [349]favourers were [350]put to death, amongst whom the [351]famous [352]lawyer [353]Papinian, because he would not [354]justify his [355]parricide. After this, he [356]marched into the [357]East. At Alexandria he made a [358]shocking [359]massacre of the [360]inhabitants, for having some time before made some [361]jests upon him. He then [362]invaded [363]Artabanus, king of the Parthians, and [364]laid waste his [365]dominions. He was [366]killed by the [367]contrivance of Opilius Macrinus after he had reigned six years and two months.
Macrinus [368]enjoyed the empire but a short time; for he and his sons were slain by the [369]soldiers within a year and two months after he obtained it: and was [370]succeeded by [371]Antoninus Heliogabalus, [372]supposed, but [373]falsely, to be the son of Caracalla. He was the [374]vilest [375]wretch that ever lived, [376]given up to all manner of [377]vice. Wherefore, after a reign of three years, and nine months, he was slain by the [378]soldiery, with his mother Julia, or Semiamira.
After this, [379]M. Aurelius Alexander [380]mounted the throne, having been [381]created Cæsar the year before; an [382]extraordinary prince, and well [383]instructed in all the [384]arts of [385]peace and war. He [386]carried a strict hand over the [387]judges, and was very [388]severe upon all those that by [389]favour or [390]bribery [391]transgressed the [392]bounds of [393]justice. He [394]banished from his [395]person all [396]flatterers, [397]buffoons, and such as are a [398]scandal to the [399]court. He [400]forbade the [401]sale of [402]offices, saying, that what was [403]bought would be [404]sold again. He [405]allowed the [406]deputies of the [407]provinces all their [408]furniture out of the [409]exchequer, that they might not be [410]burdensome to the people. He was [411]successful against the Persians, but at last slain in a [412]sedition of his army.
In the fifth year of his reign, [413]Artaxerxes, [414]the Persian, having [415]defeated the Parthians in three [416]battles, and slain their king Artabanus, [417]raised again the empire of the Persians in the East. He also made an [418]excursion into the Roman [419]territories, but was defeated by Alexander. After this, he [420]undertook an [421]expedition against the Germans, in which he was slain by Maximinus, together with his mother, after a reign of thirteen years.
Maximinus was made emperor after the [422]murder of Alexander, and [423]put a happy end to the German war. In the mean time he made a [424]dreadful [425]havoc at Rome, by his governor there, and killed a great many of the [426]nobility. During this, the two [427]Gordians, father and son, while at [428]Carthage, [429]laid claim to the empire. The Romans, being [430]headed by the senate, [431]declared against Maximinus; and [432]persons were [433]dispatched away to [434]secure the provinces for the senate. At home, twenty [435]commissioners were [436]nominated for the [437]management of public [438]affairs. The Gordians being [439]killed in Africa, after a year and a few days, by [440]Capelian, Maximinus’s general, [441]Balbinus and [442]Maximus Pupienus, two of the [443]twenty [444]commissioners, were [445]advanced to the empire by the senate in the year of Christ 237; in which Maximinus, as he was [446]besieging Aquileia, was slain by the [447]soldiers with his son, who was but a [448]boy, after a reign of two years and ten months.
Balbinus and Pupienus, with Gordian ([449]a boy, who, as will be seen [450]hereafter, [451]perished in Africa), reigned together for a year. But afterwards being [452]desirous to [453]get rid of Gordian, who was more in [454]favour than themselves, they were slain by the soldiers in the year of Christ 238; from which time Gordian [455]enjoyed the empire by himself, a [456]youth of an [457]extraordinary [458]genius, and [459]prone to all manner of virtue; which was [460]improved by the [461]prudence of Misitheus, a very [462]learned and [463]eloquent man, whose daughter he [464]married; with whom he [465]marched at the [466]head of the great army against the Persians, and [467]recovered from them [468]Carræ, [469]Nisibis, and other towns, and [470]forced them back into their own [471]country. The year [472]following, Misitheus being [473]murdered by the [474]contrivance of [475]Philip the Arabian, Gordian himself was soon after slain in a [476]tumult, which the same Philip [477]raised by the [478]help of some soldiers he had [479]corrupted, after he had reigned six years, in whose [480]place the [481]parricide [482]succeeded.
In the fourth year of Philip’s reign, the [483]Secular games were [484]celebrated at Rome, in the [485]thousandth year of the city. He was [486]at last [487]slain at Verona, by the soldiers, in the sixth year of his [488]reign.