Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-08-19
HEST03JCAA LETTERS.
To The Eaitor cfths virghiia -dryus.
DIETER Xz1I.)
The Romans.-Con,inned.

DURING the five centuries that
Rome was governed by the empernrs,
she was enSagcdin THREE wars Ola gen
eral description. 4. The wars OF E1u-
rope. against the nations ofGcpmany.
upon the Rl.ine and the Banube: e.
The wars oe Asia. against the par:l.i-
ans and the Persians, upon il.c Ecu
pirates and the T7igris: 8. 3'ilc civil
wars, occasioaed by the ambition of
particular persons, and the licentious-
ness oil the solJisry. In the wars Of
Europe Drusus pusl.cs, the Roman
arms as far-as THE El.,e, where he e.
rected q trophy Warns. with three Ic-
gions. was massacr:.; by Arminius, o
warliS,e general Of the Germans; but
Germaaicus, in two great battles, re-
paired this terrible misfortune, and
Arminius was poisoned by one Of his
friends: Iraian conqueredand united
Dacia TO the empire Marcus-Aureli-
us exeeutcda famousexpedition against
the Marcomanni: Naximinus penctra-
ted into the heart of Germany Aure-
illus was constrained. to abandon Dacia ::
The Barbafians passed tie Danube and
the Rhine, Inundated the empire, over
turned it. and estabiishedtb themselves up
oDits ruins. In the wars OF Asia, Ira
Jan undertook his famous expedition a.
gainst the Parthians, and acquired i'm
nlcnse territories, which were abandon
ed by his successor Adrian: Mesopo-
tamia was added to the empire by Sc
verus and Caracalia; War was main
tanned against Artaxerxes and Sapor,
kings OF Persia The emperor Vaieri-
an was made prisoner by Sapor: The
history Of these Asiatic wars also en-
braces the interesting fate OF Odenatus
and Zenoiiia, the Queen Of Palmyra !:
A treaty was concluded under the en-
perOr Di0cletian Sapor the second,
terrible enemy OF the Romans,
reigned in this period and Julian the
Apostate undertook his celebrated ex-
petition against Persia, in which he
lost his lie and hazar,ied that quarter
of the empire: Jovian, the successor of
Julian, was compelled to abandon Me-
sOpotamia. The revolts and civil wars
OftGe Roman imperial history. are OF
too complex nature to be deliaeatcd
In the space allotted TO these letters ::
The reader will find them SATISFACTORY
ly pourtrayed in the celebrated work
ofGibbon.
The empire Of Rome was above two
thousand miles in breadth. from the
wall OF Antoninus and the northern
limits Of Dacia. 10 mount Atlas and the
Tropic Of Cancer, and extended in
length more than three thousand miles
from the Western Ocean 10 the En-.
pirates: 1t was situated in The finest
part OF the temperate Zone. between
the twenty-fourth and iifty-sixth de-
gTees of northern latitude, and is suD-
posed to have contained above sixteen
hundred thousand square miles, loI. the
most part Of fertile and well cuItiva-
ted land. IL comprised nine prosin-
ces
4. Britain Subdividcd into Bri-
tain the first, Britain tie second, Fla
Wan esarian, Great Cesarian. and Va
lentinian. The principal cities were
York, London, Colchester, Bath, Lin
coin, Chester. Gloucester, &c. The
natives consisted of tribes OF Bpitons /:
among which were reckoned as many
rs twenty-five settlements, the inhabi-
tants OF which Fesemblcd the people
of Gaul or Of Germany their origin
is n9t fully ascertained, but It's beliey-
ed to have been Celtic: the Dlr,ids
were their priests. Tie Romans who
conquered or united Britain to the en-
pire, were Julius Cesar. who first in
vaded il ffty-aye years before Jesus
Christ Plantius, under the Emperor
Claudius, and after him Cstorius Sea
pala advanced 81 considerable way into
The subjugation OF de island they both
had to contend with tie brave Caracta-
Gus Julius Agrieoia completed the
conquest fit. When the Romans, in
tic decline Of their empire, withdrew
their Icgions from Britain, it was iu-
yadc,i by Tie Saxons and the Angles,
wIiowcre called in by theuatiyes TO de-
fend themfFO tbeirncighboFs the Picts
and The Scots, but the invaders con
auePed for themselves: The Danes
dcso!aicd the country for long time,
and iinallycsiablished themselves there.
The present Inhabitants arc the Eng
lish.