Picture of the Condition and Manners of the People of Rome, when firft pillaged by the Barbarians; col lected from different cotemporary Writers, particularly Ammianus Marcellinus; by the Author of the Efay on Public Happiness, tranflated into English, by J. Kent, Efq;

T

HIS fplendid city was yet filled with riches, when the Barbarians pillaged it, for the first time. Several authors affert, that many citizens were in poffeffion of a revenue of above four millions; and that fuch as were worth no more than a million, or a million and an half, were placed only in the fecond clafs of citizens. Thefe indolent and opulent men imagined that the enjoyment of pleasure was the fole end of their creation; and were contented to remain as idle fpectators of the events of war, as they were of the events of the Circus; with this difference only, that in these last events, they feemed to feel them felves more interested. Even the emperors had, during a long time, accustomed them to this luxurious effeminacy. "I go (faid Aurelius to them, in one of his edicts) to fight the enemy: and I will take care that the Romans

fhall not fuffer the flighteft uneafinefs. Attend to your games. Frequent your Circus. It is our part to conduct the public bufinefs. But you fhould he entirely devoted to pleafure." It is ealy to conceive that in the midft of fo much luxury, and effeminacy, the public morals were daily degenerating. Petronius and Lucian have made us fufficiently acquainted with the parade and extravagance, peculiar to the entertainments, which were given in their times: but as Ammianus Marcellinus hath taken the pains to defcribe the manners of the Romans, during a lefs.diftant period, namely, the age in which he lived, the reader will, probably, be pleafed if we prefent him with the whole paffage, as related in the fixth chapter of the fourteenth book.

Were you, on your arrival at Rome, to be introduced, as a reputable foreigner, to an opulent, or in other words, a very oftentatious man, your firft reception would be accompanied with every mark of politeness; after having been overpowered by queftions, to which it will be the most frequently neceffary to anfwer, by relating fome extravagant ftories, you will

VOL. XIX. 1776.

B

become

become aftonished to find, that a perfon of fuch diftinction, should treat a fimple individual with fo refpectful an attention; nay, you will even be ready to condemn yourfelf for not having vifted fo charming a city, ten years fooner. But if, encouraged by this obliging welcome, you should return on the morrow, to pay your compliments, a ftranger dropped from the clouds, could not be more ftared at. Who is he? and, whence comes he? would be circulated in ill-bred whispers round the room. At length, however, you will attain to the honour of being known, and admitted on a familiar footing; but yet, if, after three years of affiduous attendance, you were to abfent yourself, for the fame fpace of time, you would not, on your return, be either asked how you had been employed, or even told that the loss of your company was perceived. This abfurdity is carried ftill farther; for, previous to the giving of thofe entertainments, which are fo long, and fo detrimental to health, it is a matter of tedious deliberation, whether, exclufive of fuch guefts, as are entitled to invitations, any strangers fhall also be asked: and if, after a full hearing, and on mature reflection, this point be carried in the affirmative, then the great adepts in all the laws of public games, who never fail to mount guard at the houses of the charioteers belonging to the Circus, or perfons the most inftructed in the fcience, and the tricks of play, are the only Arangers deilined to be admitted. As to the men of learning, and virtue, they are fhunned, as the tiresome and ufelefs difturbers. of festive mirth; nor doth it once

employ their thoughts that the Nmenclatores, accustomed to fell the favours of their mafters, take care to invite to the feaft, and the diftributions, only the moft obfcure and inferior individuals, from whom they can extort more money, than from the others. I fhall pafs flightly over that sumptuous profufion, in their entertainments, and particularly those voluptuous refinements lately introduced, to take notice of the ridiculous cavalcades, attending on our oftentatious, rich men, who amufing themselves with running poft, up and down the ftreets, at the risk of breaking their necks, on the pavement, are followed by fuch a numerous train of domeftics, that, to borrow the expreffion of a comic writer, they do not even leave the fool behind to keep houfe; however abfurd this diverfion be, the very matrons are not ashamed to follow it, but hurry through every quarter of the town, in open litters. In these pompous proceffions, nothing is neglected; and as the expert general, who marshals his army, in a proper order of battle, places his heavy infantry in the front line, his light infantry in the fecond line, and his bowmen in the rear, fo the mafter of the ceremonies, bearing a wand in his hand, fingles out all thofe who are to have the honour of walking before the triumphal car, and conftantly obliges the black troop of cooks, fcullions, &c. to fall back into the hinder ranks, Thefe, again, are followed by the remaining number of footmen, and by the Commenfales: the proceffion is then clofed by the eunuchs, a deformed multitude, who teach us to execrate the memory of Semiramis, that barbarous queen, who,

filled this tender, but imprudent mother, with regret, for having too early fhewn, in the generations which were scarce begun, the hope of future generations. In fuch a ftate of manners, it will eafily be fuppofed, that the few houfes, in which the fciences were formerly cultivated, are now only the receptacles of vain and frivolous pleafures; fo that in the place of orators, and philofophers, nothing is heard from morning till night, except the found of flutes, and the airs of the musicians. As to the libraries, they are more fhut up and more abandoned than the fepul chres: dances, accompanied by wind inftruments, are fubftituted in their room nay, to fo fhameful a length have thefe indignities been carried, that when the famine had rendered it neceffary to fend all foreigners out of the city, the law was rigorously put in execution against every one of thofe ufeful inen, who were the inftructors in liberal arts; whilft mimics, ftageplayers, and even three thoufand female dancers, with their whole band of musicians and fingers, were fuffered to remain within the capital. Wherefoever you turn your eyes, you will also percieve the women painted, and ridiculously dreffed; these tire you more by their continual dancing, than they fatigue them felves; and thefe, had they been married to honeft men, might have fupplied the state with an useful army of citizens. Rome was once a fure afylum to every individual, who introduced the arts and industry; but now, a foolish and unaccountable vanity efteems every thing vile and abject, which comes from beyond the Pomærium.

married men, and fuch as have no heirs. Thefe are loaden with refpect and complaifance; although another felfish refinement makes us avoid even the tendereft duties of humanity; for the most terrible difeafes, raging within this capital of the world, have occafioned a ftrict prohibition of the leaft communication with thofe unhappy wretches, who are infected with them and it is now cuftomary, not only to think it fufficient, if fome domeftics be fent to these perfons, to enquire of them any par ticular news, but to oblige the meffenger to go through long ablutions before he can be admitted to deliver the answer. How declicate thefe men are! and yet, if you invite them to a feast, or offer them money, they will run for you, even to Spoletum. Such are the manners of the nobility: as to the common people, they generally fpend the night in drinking houfes, or even in the theatres, under thofe booths, the invention of which we owe to Catullus, who first introduced at Rome thefe far-fetched commo

dities, which might better have become Capua, than the city of Romulus. Multitudes are intoxicated with a paffion for gaming. Others expofe themfelves, during whole days, to the heat, and the rain, to be the umpires amongst the charioteers, and decide on the events of the Circus. Amidft fuch frivolous engagements, is it poffible that the Romans can ever be rea fonably employed? &c. &c."

Curious Particulars relating to the ancient Academy and Philofophers of Athens; with fome Account of B 2 the

the more peculiar Manners, Customs, &c. of the modern Greek, Turkish, and Albanian Inhabitants of that City and its Territory; from Dr. Chandler's Travels in Greece.

A

THENS maintained under the Romans its reputation for philofophy and eloquence, and continued, though fubdued, the metropolis of learning, the fchool of arts, the centre of taste and genius. The Gymnafia and the gardens of the philofophers were decorated with the capital works of eminent masters, and ftill frequented. The fierce warrior was captivated by Greece and fcience, and Athens humanized and polished the conquerors of the world. But Sylla greatly injured the city, by tranfporting to Rome the public library, which had been founded by Pififtratus, carefully augmented by the people, removed by Xerxes into Perfia, and restored long after by Seleucus Nicanor. The fpirit of learning drooped on the lofs; and the Roman youth, under Tiberius, were fent to ftudy at Marfeilles, inftead of Athens.. Even there the barbarous Gauls joined in the parfait of eloquence and philofophy. The fophift, as well as the phyfician, was hired to fettle among them; and the nation was civilized by the Greek city.

The emperor Adrian embellished Athens with a noble library, and a new Gymnafium, and reftored science to its ancient feat. Lollianus, an Ephefian, was firft raised to the high dignity of the fophiftical throne, which was after

wards filled by Atticus Herodes, and by other eminent and illuftrious perfons. The number of profeffors was increased by Antoninus the philofopher, who had ftudied under Herodes. His eftablishment confifted of thirteen; two Platonifts, as many Peripatetics, Stoics, and Epicureans, with two Rhetoricians and Civilians; and a prefident ftyled Præfect of the Youth. The ftudent proceeded from the philofopher to the rhetorician, and then to the civilian. A yearly falary of fix hundred aurei or pieces of gold was annexed to each of the philofophical chairs; and one of a talent to thofe of the civilians. The profeffors, unless appointed by the emperors, were elected after folemn examination by the principal magiftrates.

*

Education now flourished in all its branches at Athens. The Roman world reforted to its schools, and reputation and riches awaited the able preceptor. The tender mind was duly prepared for the manly ftudies of philofophy and eloquence. Age and proficiency were followed by promotion. The youth was advanced into the higher claffes, enrolled with the philofophers, and admitted to their habit. The title of fophift was conferred on him, when mature in years and erudition; and this was an honour fo much affected, that the attainment of it almost furnished an apology for infolent pride and extravagant elation. It was a custom of the mafters to infcribe on marble the names of their fcholars; thofe of Attica ranged under their refpective tribes; and also to what

demos