The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1863-06-12
BEL AIR. MD. FRIDAY MORNING,


emperor was naughty and overbearing to
the highest degree, he was exceedingly
complaisant and sycophantic to the troops.
Caracalla was very religious man in
accordance with Pagan worship. Very
devoutly he engaged in the services of the
idol temples. One of the emperor's lead
ing officers by accident ascertaiued that
Caracalla was about to strike him dead
There was no escape for him but to anti
cipate the blow by striking the emperor.
There was but little difficulty in those
days in engaging the services of an assas-
sin. Caracalla was one day journeying to
the celebrated temple of the Moon, at
Carrhae, for some religious ceremony, &C.
companied by body of cavalry. He
|alighted for moment from his horse on
the way, when the assassin approached
him, under the pretence of duty, land stab
bed him to the heart. A Scythian archer
instantly buried an arrow 10 the bosom of
the murderer, and he also fell dead. The
soldiers, who had been loaded with lar
gesses by their emperor, caring nothing
for his vices, and remembering only the
prodigality Of his beuefactions, compelled
the Senate to give the wretch place
among the Gods. His reign had lasted
for six years. j-i-..e na C. s-o. .....
For three days Rome was without
master. The Pretorian Guard could not
agree among themselves upon whom they
would confer the imperial purple. But
Macrinus, who had employed the assassin
to rid the world of Caracalla, succeeded,
with offers of large rewards, in securing
their sufrages. The senate, overawed by
the cleaning swords of the soldiery, were
compelled to ratify their choice The sem
ate, however, felt exceedingly Inundated
and annoyed by the compulsion thus put
upon them. 1t had been considered one
of the fundamental naxims of the cousti-
tuition that the choice of the emperor res
ted with the senate. Though the sena-
tors did not venture to resist the AFRO
giant demands of the army, they did not
hesitate to utter loud and indignant muir
murs. soy rs '.} a' !. .... H.
Macrinus was not senator, he was not
man of illustrious birth, he had obtain
ed no renown for heroic deeds. He had
been simply a courtier. And now he was
suddenly elevated to supreme power, un-
der circumstances of the utmost difficulty;
for the infamous reign of Oaracalla had
only bequeathed train of calamities and
distress to his successor. Soon the Syrian
army raised the banner of revolt, led by
one Bassianus, a Syrian, who boosted that
he was the son of Caracalla, not born in
wedlock. There was fierce, brutal
bloody strife, which, however, was short
lasting only twenty days. Macrinus and
all his partizans were slain, and the SOL
diers who had espoused his cause, as usu-
al passed over to the victor. Thus for
the first time an emperor of Asiatic extrac-
ton assembled the throne. sj-o| DIV
Bassianus was Syrian in character as
we'll as by birth, indulgiug in boundless
righteousness. The decisive battle
which placed him on the throne was
fought beneath the walls of Antioch. T. In
slow and luxurious march he commenced
his progress from Syria to Italy The
months Of the first short winter he passed
in revelry at Nicomedia, that he might
reach the banks of the Tiber and enter
Rome in the bloom of summer. Assuming
the name Of Elegabalus, which may per-
haps be defined as Worshipper of the Sun,
this dissolute pagan sent his portrait TO
the senate, to be suspended, in the senate
chamber, over the altar 'of victory. He
was represented in loosely flowing robes
of satin, embroidered with gold, His
head was crowned with a gorgeous dia-
dem. Necklaces and bracelets of most
precious gems embellished his person.
His eyebrows were stained glossy black,
and his cheeks painted with artificial red
and white. Such was the effeminate lux.
ury Of the Oriental monarch who now as
sumed the sovereignty of the Roman
world. Il. 5!l.t1 ,eaggsH josmiA Ill HoiaW
4 B@- A captain of a steamboat on the
Mississippi river, who had fought in the
battles Of the Texas revolution, offered a
free passage in bis boat to any soldier who
had participated in o certain engagement
One day . man claimed free passage, as
serting that he was in the battle. He
was referred to the captain. ~" L',a
d "1InywhGat capacity did you serve 3''s"
Il sHigh private" IT, g. - $500 ''a,
Stranger said Che captain, "giyyes l ne
your hand !; have passed two thousand
and and eighty--two who were in that engage
psnt, and you are II the YER, first private