He [182]left by Fausta, the daughter of Maximianus, three children, [183]heirs of the empire, who [184]divided it amongst them. Constantine the [185]eldest had [186]Gaul, and all [187]beyond the [188]Alps. [189]Constans the [190]youngest had Rome, Italy, Africa, Sicily, and the [191]rest of the [192]islands, Illyricum, [193]Thracia, Macedonia, and [194]Greece. Constantius, the [195]second son, Asia, and the [196]East, with [197]Egypt.
But the brothers did not long [198]agree; four years after his father’s [199]death, Constantine making war upon his brother Constans, and [200]invading his [201]territories, was [202]slain near Aquileia. Constans himself was slain ten years after by [203]Magnentius’s general, Gaison, near the [204]Pyrænean mountains. Constantius was [205]engaged in a [206]dangerous war with this Magnentius. In the [207]battle [208]fought at Morsa in Pannonia, Constantius’s army was [209]worsted in the first [210]attack, but at last [211]came off [212]victorious. Two years after this, Magnentius slew himself at Lyons in [213]despair.
Gallus was [214]declared Cæsar, and [215]governor of the East; but [216]abusing his [217]authority, he was [218]sent for by Constantius, and [219]put to death in Illyricum. [220]Julian, his brother, was [221]saved by the [222]interposition of Eusebia, Constantius’s [223]wife, and sent to Athens to [224]study. He was afterwards [225]advanced to the [226]dignity of Cæsar, [227]married to the emperor’s sister [228]Helen, and was [229]made governor of [230]Gaul, where he was very [231]successful against the [232]Germans, [233]Franks, and [234]Alemans; he [235]sent the [236]king of the Alemans a [237]prisoner to Constantius at Rome, who [238]envying his [239]success, [240]endeavoured to [241]draw his soldiers from him, and [242]send them into the [243]East against the Persians. But they [244]proclaimed Julian emperor at [245]Paris, [246]whilst Constantius was [247]preparing for a war against the Persians. [248]As soon as he [249]understood this, he [250]marched against Julian, but died on the [251]road near Tarsus.
Julian, after the death of Constantius, was sole [252]master of the empire. He [253]killed, or [254]banished all the [255]friends of Constantius; [256]opened the [257]temples of the [258]idols, and [259]abjuring the [260]Christian [261]faith, was [262]consecrated [263]high-priest, [264]according to the [265]rites of the [266]pagan [267]religion. He made war against the Persians, and was [268]slain in it. They say that, when he [269]perceived his [270]wound to be [271]mortal, he [272]received the [273]blood in his [274]hand, and [275]threw it up [276]towards [277]heaven, with these [278]words: “Thou hast [279]conquered me, O [280]Galilæan!” [281]meaning [282]Christ, whose religion he had [283]abjured, and hence was called Julian the Apostate.
After the death of Julian, [284]Jovian, a [285]native of Pannonia, was [286]proclaimed emperor by the [287]soldiers. He [288]ordered the temples of the idols to be [289]shut up, and their [290]sacrifices to be [291]abolished. He made an [292]inglorious peace with Sapor, king of the Persians, for thirty years, by which he [293]yielded up Nisibis, and the greatest [294]part of Mesopotamia. He died in his [295]return to Constantinople, in the [296]confines of Galatea and Bithynia.
In the year of Christ 364, [297]Valentinian was [298]chosen emperor at Nice, and not long after [299]gave the [300]title of [301]Augustus to his brother [302]Valens; and [303]leaving him in the East, [304]came into the [305]West himself. He had a great many good [306]qualities, but was [307]particularly [308]famed for his [309]love of [310]justice. He made war against the Alemanni, [311]Saxons, Quadri, and other [312]nations. He [313]died in Pannonia, of an [314]apoplexy, in the 55th year of his [315]age, and the 12th of his [316]reign.
His brother Valens [317]suppressed Procopius, a [318]relation of [319]Julian, who had [320]assumed the [321]purple at Constantinople. After which he made war with the [322]Goths; but upon the [323]suit of their king [324]Athanaricus, [325]granted them a [326]peace, in the year 369. Ten years after this, Athanaricus with Fritigernes, were [327]driven out of their [328]country by the [329]Huns, and were [330]kindly [331]received by Valens, and [332]settled with their Goths in [333]Thrace. They afterwards excited an [334]insurrection against the Romans, and Valens being [335]wounded in a [336]battle with them, near [337]Hadrianople, was [338]burnt [339]alive by the barbarians, in a [340]cottage he [341]fled to. He reigned fourteen years and four months.
The emperor Valentinian had two sons, [342]Gratian and Valentinian. The former he [343]declared Augustus in Gaul, in the year 367; and his other son was [344]immediately after the death of his father [345]advanced to the same [346]dignity by the soldiers, in the year 375, and the 10th year of his age. Gratian had an [347]aversion to [348]public [349]business. After the death of Valens, the Goths [350]over-running Thrace, and other [351]provinces of the Roman empire, not [352]being able alone to [353]bear the [354]burthen, he [355]sent for [356]Theodosius out of [357]Spain, and made him his [358]associate, who was then in the 33rd year of his age.
Theodosius having [359]conquered the barbarians, [360]restored the public [361]peace. At last the whole [362]nation of the Goths, with their king, [363]delivered themselves up to the Romans, to whom the emperor [364]assigned [365]lands. After these things, Maximus [366]seized the [367]government in [368]Britain, in the year 382; and having [369]fixed his imperial [370]seat at Triers, [371]basely killed Gratian at Lyons, after he had been [372]forsaken by his army; but Theodosius [373]revenged his death, and [374]likewise [375]re-established Valentinian the [376]younger, who had been [377]obliged to [378]quit Italy. This [379]happened in the year 388, in which he [380]overthrew and killed Maximus near Aquileia. Theodosius had all the [381]accomplishments [382]becoming a Christian emperor: [383]inferior to none of the [384]foregoing or [385]following princes; a [386]consummate general, never [387]undertaking any war but such as was [388]necessary; of [389]singular [390]clemency and [391]humanity, yet a little [392]inclined to [393]passion.
In the year 391, Eugenius, [394]supported by the [395]power of Arbogastes, [396]set up for emperor, and in the following year, Valentinian was slain at Vienne in Gaul, by the same Arbogastes. Two years after, [397]Eugenius was [398]routed, [399]taken prisoner, and put to [400]death by Theodosius. Arbogastes was his own [401]executioner. The year following, 395, this excellent emperor died at Milan, after a reign of sixteen years.