Not long after this Re-establishment, they quarrel'd with Philip, King of Macedon, who reduc'd them to great Extremities, laid wafte their Country, pull'd down all the Temples in the Villages around Athens, deftroy'd all their stately Edifices, and caused his Soldiers to break in Pieces the very Stones, that they might not be ferviceable in the Reparation of them; all which Loffes, with a great many Aggravations, are elegantly fet forth in an Oration of the Athenian Ambaffadors to the Etolians, in Livy (n). But the Romans coming to their Affiftance, Philip was forc'd to forfake his Enterprize, and, being afterwards intirely defeated, left the Grecians in a full Poffeffion of their Liberty, which, at least fome Shew of it, they enjoy'd many Years, under the Roman Protection. Of the State of Athens, from its Confederacy with Rome, to Conftantine the Great. HE Grecians, and others that put themselves under the Roman Name of Liberty, yet were no farther free, than it pleased those in whose Power they were; they were govern'd indeed by their own Laws, and had the Privilege of electing their own Magiftrates; yet their Laws were of fmall Force, if they feem'd any way to oppose the Roman Intereft and good Pleafure; and in the Election of Magiftrates, and ordering publick Affairs, tho' every Man might give his Voice which Way he pleased, yet if he thwarted the Roman Designs, or was cold in his Affection to them, or (which was all one) but warm in the Defence of the Liberties and Privileges of his Country, he was look'd upon with a jealous Eye, as a Favourer of Rebellion, and an Enemy to the Romans.' And for no other Reafon a thousand of the most eminent Achæans, without any Charge, or fo much as Sufpicion of Treachery, were fent Prisoners to Rome; where, notwithstanding all the Testimonies of their Innocence, and the Solicitations of their Country, which never ceafed to importune the Senate for their Liberty, they endured an Imprisonment of feventeen Years; which being expired, to the Number of thirty of them were released, amongst whom was Polybius, from whofe impartial History we have an Account of all these Proceedings, which their own Hiftorians endeavour to palliate, tho' they cannot deny them; all the rest either died in Prifon, or, upon attempting to make their Escape, fuffer'd as Malefactors. And by these and fuch-like Means, whilft fome fought by Flattery and Compliance to infinuate themselves into the Favour of the Romans, others out of Fear and Cowardice refolved to fwim with the Stream, and those few, that had Courage and Refolution to appear for their Country, were little regarded; every thing was carried on according (x) Lib. XXX. cap. XXXI. to the Defire of the Romans; and if any thing happen'd contrary to it, their Agents presently made an Appeal to the Senate, which referved to themselves a Power of receiving fuch-like Complaints, and determining as they thought convenient; and they, that would not fubmit to this Decifion, were proceeded against as Enemies, and forc'd by Power of Arms into Obedience. No War was to be begun, no Peace to be concluded, nor fcarce their own Country to be defended without the Advice and Confent of the Senate; they were obliged to pay what Taxes the Senate thought fit to impofe upon them; nay, the Roman Officers fometimes took the Liberty of raifing Contributions of their own Accord: And tho' in the Macedonian War, upon several just Complaints made against them, the Senate was forced to put forth a Decree, that no Grecian fhould be obliged to pay any Contribution, befides fuch as was levied by their Order; yet if any Man refused to anfwer the Demands of any Roman Officer, he was look'd upon as an Encourager of Sedition, and in the End fared little better than those that broke out into open Rebellion. In this State food the Affairs of the Athenians under the Roman Government: And whether in Confideration of the Eafiness of this Yoke, if compared with that which the Macedonians imposed on them; or thro' Meannefs of Spirit contracted by being long accuftom'd to Misfortunes ; or for want of Power to affert their Liberty; or for all these Reasons, they patiently fubmitted themselves, feeming well fatisfied with the Enjoyment of this flavifh Freedom, which, in a few Ages before, they would have rejected with the greatest Indignation, and endeavour'd to deliver themfelves from it, tho' their Lives and the Remainder of their Fortunes fhould have been hazarded in the Enterprize. And from this Time till the War with Mithridates, they continued without any remarkable Alterations; but either by the Perfuafions of Arifton the Philofopher, or out of Fear of Mithridates's Army, they had the bad Fortune to take his Part, and receive Archeftratus, one of his Lieutenants, within their Walls; at which Sylla being enraged laid Siege to the City, took it, and committed fo merciless a Slaughter, that the very Channels in the Streets flow'd with Blood. At this Time the Piraeus and Munychia were burnt to the Ground, their Walls demolish'd, their ancient Monuments deftroy'd, and the whole City fo defaced, that it was never able to recover its former Beauty, till the Time of Adrian (0). This Storm being blown over, they lived in Peace till the Time of the Civil War between Cæfar and Pompey, in which they fided with Pompey, and were closely befieged by Q. Fufius Calenus, Cafar's Lieutenant, who fpoil'd and deftroy'd all the adjacent Country, and feized upon the Piraeus, being at that Time unfortified, and a Place of little Strength : But News being brought that Pompey was totally routed, they yielded themfelves into the Hands of the Conqueror, who, according to his wonted Generofity received, them into Favour; and this he did out of Refpect to the Glory and Virtue of their Ancestors, giving e) Plutarch, Syll, Strabo. 1. IX. Lucius Florus 1. III, c, V. Appianus in Mithridatico out, out, that he pardon'd the Living for the Sake of the Dead, as Dion Caffius reports (p). But it feems they ftill retain'd fome Sparks, at least, of their old Love for popular Government; for when Cæfar was dead, they join'd' themselves to Brutus and Caffius his Murderers, and, befides other Honours done to them, placed their Statues next those of Harmodius and Ariftogiton, two famous Patriots that defended the Liberty of their Country against the Tyranny of Pifftratus's Sons. Brutus and Caffius being defeated, they went over to Antony, who behaved himself very obligingly towards them and the rest of the Grecians, being fond (taith (q) Plutarch) of being ftyl'd a Lover of Greece, but above all, in being call'd a Lover of Athens, to which City he made confiderable Prefents; and, as others tell us, gave the Athenians the Dominion of the Islands of Tenus, Ægina, Icus, Cea, Sciathus, and Peparethus. Auguftus, having overcome Antony, handled them a little more fe. verely for their Ingratitude to his Father, and befides fome other Privileges, as that of felling the Freedom of the City, took from them the Ile of Egina (r). Towards the latter End of his Reign, they began to revolt, but were eafily reduc'd to their former Obedience; and notwithstanding all the Cruelties, Ravages, and other Misfortunes they had fuffer'd, Strabo, who flourish'd in the Reign of Tiberius Cæfar, tells us they enjoy'd many Privileges, retain'd their ancient Form of Government, and lived in a flourishing Condition in his Days (s). And Germanicus, the adopted Son of Tiberius, making a Journey that Way, honour'd them with the Privilege of having a Lictor, who was an Officer that attended upon the chief Magiftrates at Rome, and was accounted a Mark of Sovereign Power. In this Condition they remain'd with little Alteration till the Reign of Vefpafian, who reduc'd Attica and all Achaia to be a Roman Province, exacting Tribute of them, and compelling them to be governed by the Roman Laws. Under Nerva fome Shadow, at least, of Liberty was restored them; but they were still under the Government of a Proconful, and received most of their Laws from the Emperor, who alfo nominated the Profesfors in their publick Schools, and appointed them Archons; and hence it came to pass, that Adrian, before his Advancement to the Empire, was invested in that Office. In the fame State they continued in Trajan's Time, as appears from an Epiftle of Pliny (t)to Maximus, who was fent to govern Achaia, wherein he advifed him to use his Power with Moderation, and tells him in particular of the Athenians, that it would be a barbarous Piece of Inhumanity, to deprive them of that Shadow and Name of Liberty, which was all that remain'd to them. But notwithstanding the Peace and Privileges they enjoy'd under thefe and other Emperors of Rome, they were never able to repair those vaft Loffes they had fuffer'd under Sylla, till the Reign of Adrian, who, in the Time of his being Archon, took a particular Affection to this City; and, when he was promoted to be Emperor, granted them (p) Lib. XLII. (9) Antonio, (r) Pion, Caffius. (ƒ) Geogra. 1. IX. (†) Plin. Į. VII. Epift. XXIV. very large Privileges, gave them juft and moderate Laws, beftow'd on them a large Donative of Money, and annual Provifions of Corn, and the whole Ifland of Cephalenia; repair'd their old decay'd Castles, and restored them to their ancient Splendor, and added one whole Region of new Buildings at his own Charge, which he call'd Adrianopolis; and New Athens, as appears as well from other Records, as alfo from an Infcription upon an Aquæduct, begun by this Emperor, and finish'd by his Succeffor Antoninus. IMP. CÆSAR. T. ÆLIUS. HADRIANUS. ANTONINUS. AUG. PIUS, COS. III. TRIB. POT. II. P. P. AQUÆDUCTUM. IN NOVIS. ATHENIS. COEPTUM. A DIVO. ADRIANO. PATRE. SUO. CONSUMMAVIT, DEDICAVITQUE (u). The Meaning of which is, that Antoninus had finish'd the Aquæduct in New Athens, that had been begun by his Father and Predeceffor Hadrian. And from another of Gruter's Infcriptions, it appears that they acknowledged him to be the fecond Founder of their City. ΑΙ Δ ΕΙΣ ΑΘΗΝΑΙ ΘΗΣΕΩΣ Η ΠΡΙΝ ΠΟΛΙΣ ΑΙ Δ ΕΙΣ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΥ Κ ΟΥΧΙ ΘΗΣΕΩΣ ΠΟΛΙΣ (ω). The Substance of which is, that Athens was formerly the City of Thefeus, but New Athens belongs to Adrian. Many other Privileges this Emperor granted them, which were continued and enlarged by his Succeffors M. Antoninus Pius and M. Antoninus the Philofopher, the latter of which allowed them Stipends for the Maintenance of publick Profeffors in all Arts and Sciences, and was himself initiated amongst them. But Severus having received some Affront from them, when he was a private Person, and studied in Athens, was refolved to pay them home, as foon as he was Emperor, and for no other Reason, as 'tis thought, deprived them of a great Part of their Privileges (x). Valerian was more favourable to them, and permitted them to rebuild their City-Walls, which had lain in Rubbish between three and four hundred Years, from the Time that Sylla difmantled them (y). But these Fortifications could not protect them from the Fury of the Goths, who under Gallienus, as Zofimus; or Claudius, as Cedrenus reports, made themselves Mafters of it; but were foon driven out of their new Conqueft by Cleodemus, who having escaped the Fury of thofe Barbarians, and got together a confiderable Number of Men and Ships, defeated Part of them in a Sea-fight, and forced the reft to quit the City, and provide for their Safety by an early Flight (z). One Thing remarkable Cedrenus reports of the Goths, that when they had plunder'd the City, and heap'd up an infinite Number of Books; with a (u) Gruter. p. 177. (w) Gruter. p. 178. (x) Spartianus. (x) Zonaras. (y) Zofimus Defign to burn them, they defifted from that Purpose for this Reason, viz. That the Greeks, by employing their Time upon them, might be diverted from martial Affairs. CHAP. VII. Of the State of Athens from Conftantine the Great. T Owards the Declination of the Roman Greatnefs, the chief Magiftrate of Athens was call'd by the Name of realny ds, i. e. Duke ; but Conftantine the Great, befides many other Privileges granted to the City, honour'd him with the Title of Méfas Ergarnys, or GrandDuke (a). Conftantius, at the Request of Proærefius, enlarged their Dominions, by a Grant of feveral Islands in the Archipelago. Under Arcadius and Honortus, Alarick, King of the Goths, made an Incurfion into Greece, pillaged and deftroy'd all before him ; but as Zofimus reports, was diverted from his Defign upon Athens, by a Vision, wherein the Tutelar Goddefs of that City appear'd to him in Armour, and in the Form of those Statues which are dedicated to Minerva the Protectress, and Achilles in the fame Manner that Homer reprefents him, when, being enraged for the Death of Patroclus, he fell with his utmost Fury upon the Trojans (b). But the Writers of thofe Times make no mention of any fuch thing; on the contrary they tell us, that Athens fuffer'd the common Fate of the rest of Greece; and fo Claudian reports, Si tunc his animis acies collata fuiffet Had thus th' embattel'd Græcians dar'd to oppose The Spartan Land had ne'er fuch Havock seen, J. A. And Synefus, who lived in the fame Age, tells us, there was nothing left in it splendid, or remarkable; nothing to be admired, befides the famous Names of ancient Ruins; and that, as in a Sacrifice, when (a) Julian Orat. I. Nicephorus Gregoras Hift, Rom. 1. VII. (b) Zofimus 1. V. (e) Claudian, in Ruffinum 1, II. the |