chap, xxxvi] OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 17 on this occasion, within the bounds of truth. 41 Majorian derived his name from his maternal grandfather, who in the reign of the great Theodosius had commanded the troops of the Illyrian [a.d. 379] frontier. He gave his daughter in marriage to the father of Majorian, a respectable officer, who administered the revenues of Gaul with skill and integrity, and generously preferred the friendship of Aetius to the tempting offers of an insidious court. His son, the future emperor, who was educated in the profession of arms, displayed, from his early youth, intrepid courage, pre- mature wisdom, and unbounded liberality in a scanty fortune. He followed the standard of Aetius, contributed to his success, shared and sometimes eclipsed his glory, and at last excited the jealousy of the patrician, or rather of his wife, who forced him to retire from the service. 42 Majorian, after the death of Aetius, was recalled, and promoted; and his intimate connexion with count Eicimer was the immediate step by which he ascended the throne of the Western empire. During the vacancy that succeeded the abdication of Avitus, the ambitious Barbarian, whose birth excluded him from the Imperial dignity, governed Italy, with the title of Patrician ; resigned, to his friend, the conspicuous station of master-general of the cavalry and infantry ; [a.d. 457, and, after an interval of some months, consented to the unani- mous wish of the Komans, whose favour Majorian had solicited by a recent victory over the Alemanni. 43 He was invested with the purple at Eavenna, and the epistle which he addressed to [Api-m ?] the senate will best describe his situation and his sentiments. 41 The panegyric was pronounced at Lyons before the end of the year 458, while the emperor was still consul. It has more art than genius and more labour than art. The ornaments are false or trivial, the expression is feeble and prolix ; and Sidonius wants the skill to exhibit the principal figure in a strong and distinct light. The private life of Majorian ocoupies about two hundred lines, 107-305. 42 She pressed his immediate death, and was scarcely satisfied with his disgrace. It should seem that Aetius, like Belisarius and Marlborough, was governed by his wife ; whose fervent piety, though it might work miracles (Gregor. Turon. 1. ii. c. 7, p. 162), was not incompatible with base and sanguinary counsels. 4:i The Alemanni had passed the Rheetian Alps, and were defeated in the Campi Canini or Valley of Bellinzone, through which the Tesin flows, in its descent from Mount Adula to the Lago Maggiore (Cluver. Italia Antiq. torn. i. p. 100, 101). This boasted victory over nine hundred Barbarians (Panegyr. Majorian. 373, &e.) betrays the extreme weakness of Italy. [The Fasti Vind. priores (Chron. Min. i. p. 305) state that Eicimer was created patrician, and Majorian mag. mil., on Feb. 28, 457. These appointments could only be made by an emperor, and as there was no emperor in Italy at the time, they must have been made by Leo I. who had succeeded Marcian on Feb. 7. The intervention was important, as Martroye says (op. cit. 178), for it deprived Ricimer, who had been mag. mil., of the supreme command.] vol. iv. — 2
