250
UNHAPPINESS OF M. AUBELIUS.
not happy, owing to the burdens that lay upon him, but an
evil fate seemed to hover over him in all his relations. Symp-
toms of the misfortunes of the times already began to be
visible. The long period of peace had destroyed the military
discipline and the vigorous energy of the armies, and the whole
of the Roman world had sunk into a state of languor. Sensuality,
love of pleasure and idleness, were rapidly gaining the upper
hand. The German nations wore compelled by Slavonic tribes
either to seek the protection of Rome, in case of her armies on
the frontiers being strong enough, or to take refuge in her
dominions. Such was the case with the Marcomanni,
Quadi, Victovali, and various other tribes, which now-
crossed the Danube. In another part of the empire, the
Parthians invaded Armenia, which was properly in a feudal
relation both to Romans and to Parthians, took possession
of the country, and thence made their attacks upon the Roman
dominions. The legate Severianus, who was sent against the
Parthians at the commencement of the reign of M. Aurelius,
was cut off with one or two legions. At the outbreak of this
war, M. Aurelius sent his adoptive brother, L. Verus, to the
East, perhaps merely from the desire to afford him an opportu-
nity of rendering a service to the state. But Verus remained
at Antioch, and crossed the Euphrates only once. The Parthian
war was, however, brought to a close, after four campaigns, by
Statius Priscus, Avidius Cassius, and Martius Verus. Thelast
three campaigns were very successful ; and Cassius who pene-
trated deep into Asia, took Seleucia. A peace was then
granted to the Parthians, the terms of which, however, we do
not know.
Another sourceofM. Aurelius’ unhappiness Washisadoptive
brother, L. Verus, who was as different from him as possible.
Tie lived in luxury and dissoluteness, while Marcus observed
towards himself an almost monastic severity. Verus was a true
pendant to Caligula and Nero, with this difference, that he had
no opportunity of shewing his cruel nature, for Marcus kept
him in check as well as he could.
M. Aurelius was also unhappy with his wife Annia Faustina,
the daughter of Antoninus Pius. He was more unhappy with
her than he himself could know or see ; but he loved her ten-
derly as the mother of his children. She was in no way
worthy of such a husband; and the conduct of the best of men,
INFLUENCE OF PLAGUES. 251
produced no effect upon her mind. He was, perhaps, fortu-
nate enough to be under a delusion respecting her throughout
his life ; and he may have seen her in the light in which he
wished to see her. It is, however, not impossible that her
conduct may be described in our authorities in blacker colours
than it really deserved, though her bad disposition cannot be
denied.
At the time when Verus returned from Asia, after the con-
quest of Seleucia5 Europe was visited by a pestilence, a cala-
mity from which it had been free for centuries ; for the last
plague that had occurred, was that of the year U. C. 461; all
that is mentioned in the interval refers to common epidemics.12
But in A. D., 167. the real oriental plague was carried into
Europe by the army returning from the Parthian war, and
spread all over the western world, Asia Minor, Greece, Italy,
Gaul, etc. : Africa alone was perhaps not reached by it. This
pestilence must have raged with incredible fury; and it carried
off innumerable victims.13 As the reign of M. Aurelius forms
a turning point in so many things, and above all in literature
and art, I have no doubt that this crisis was brought about by
that plague. The plague at Athens in the beginning of the
Peloponnesian war forms a similar turning point in the history
of Attica, and a pestilence, in general, always draws a strong
line of demarcation between the periods on the boundaries of
which it occurs. The black death, for example, which raged
in Germany in the year 1348, put a complete stop to our early
literature, and the literature of Florence was manifestly affected
in the same way. After the black death, the arts were for
years at a perfect stand still. The ancient world never re-
covered from the blow inflicted upon it by the plague which
visited it in the reign of M. Aurelius,
LECTURE CXXII.
The happiness of the reign of M. Aurelius was thus disturbed
by the plague, which was carried into Europe from the East,
12 See vol. iii. p. 407, foil.
13 Eutropius, viii. 12; Jul. Capitolin. Verus, 8;M. Anfonin, 13.