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| Rebellion of Attalus and his General Heraclean; and how he eventually craved Forgiveness at the Feet of Honorius.
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Chapter
VIII.—Rebellion of Attalus and his General Heraclean;
and how he eventually craved Forgiveness at the Feet of
Honorius.
After having sent some bishops
as ambassadors, on two different occasions, to treat on this subject,
but without effect, Alaric returned to Rome, and besieged the city; he
took possession of one part of Portus, and compelled the Romans to
recognize Attalus, then prefect of the city, as their king.1631
| 1631Independent chapter; cf. Olymp. Fragm. 3. 13;
Zos. vi. 6–13; Soc. vii. 10; Philost. xii. 3.
|
When the Romans had been nominated for the other offices, Alaric was
appointed general of the cavalry and infantry, and Ataulphus, the
brother of his wife, was raised to the command of the force called the
domestic cavalry. Attalus assembled the senators, and addressed them in
a long and very elaborate discourse, in which he promised to restore
the ancient customs of the senate, and also to bring Egypt and the
other Eastern provinces under the sway of Italy. Such was the
boastfulness of a man, who was not destined to bear the name of
sovereign during the space of a single year. He was deceived by the
representations of some diviners, who assured him that he would be able
to conquer Africa without a battle; he disobeyed Alaric, who urged him
to send a moderate force to Carthage, to slay the officers of Honorius,
in case of their attempting any resistance. He also refused to follow
the counsels of John, to whom he had given the command of the royal
cohorts about his own person, and who advised him to entrust Constans,
on his proposed departure for Libya, with a document which they call
edict, as though sent by Honorius, by which Heraclean might be
dispossessed of office; he had been entrusted with the rule of the
soldiers in Africa. Had this artifice been adopted, it would probably
have proved successful, for the designs of Attalus were unknown in
Libya. But as soon as Constans had set sail for Carthage, according to
the advice of the diviners, Attalus was so weak in mind that he did not
think it doubtful, but believed that the Africans would be his
subjects, according to the prediction of the diviners, and marched at
the head of his army towards Ravenna. When it was announced that
Attalus had reached Ariminum, with an army composed partly of Roman and
partly of barbarian troops, Honorius wrote to him to acknowledge him as
emperor, and deputed the highest officers of his court to wait upon him, and offer him a share
in the empire. Attalus, however, refused to share power with another,
and sent word that Honorius might choose an island or any spot of
ground that he pleased for his private residence, and that he would be
allowed every imperial service. The affairs of Honorius were reduced to
so critical a condition, that ships were kept in readiness to convey
him, if it were necessary, to his nephew, when an army of four thousand
men which had started from the west arrived unexpectedly during the
night at Ravenna; Honorius caused the walls of the city to be guarded
by this reinforcement, for he distrusted the native troops as inclined
to treachery.
In the meantime Heraclean had put Constans to death, and
had ranged troops along the ports and coasts of Africa to hinder the
merchant vessels from going to Rome. When, as a consequence, a famine
seized the Romans, they sent a deputation to Attalus about it. Being at
a loss what measures to adopt, he returned to Rome to consult the
senate. The famine was so grievous that chestnuts were used by the
people to supply the place of corn, and some persons were suspected of
having partaken of human flesh. Alaric advised that five hundred
barbarians should be sent into Africa against Heraclean, but the
senators and Attalus objected that Africa ought not to be entrusted to
barbarians. It then became evident to Alaric that God disapproved of
the rule of Attalus; and finding that it would be futile to labor for a
matter which was beyond his power, and after receiving certain pledges,
he agreed with Honorius to deprive Attalus of his sovereignty. All the
parties concerned assembled together without the walls of the city, and
Attalus threw aside the symbols of imperial power. His officers also
threw aside their girdles, and Honorius granted pardon to all for these
occurrences, and each was to hold the honor and office which he had
first had. Attalus retired with his son to Alaric, for he thought his
life would not be in safety as yet, if he continued to dwell among the
Romans. E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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