Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 5 (1897).djvu/23

THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE CHAPTER XLV Reigu of ihe Younger Justin — Embasxi/ of the Avars — Their Settle- ment on the Danube — Conquest of Italij hi) the Lombards — Adoption and Reign of Tiberius — of Maurice — State of Italy under the Lombards and the Exarchs of Ravenna — Distress of Rome — Character and Pontificate of Gregory the First During the last years of Justinian, his infirm mind was devoted Death of to heavenly contemplation, and he neglected the business ofA.D. ses, the lower world. His subjects were impatient of the long continuance of his life and reign ; yet all who were capable of reflection apprehended the moment of his death, which might involve the capital in tumult and the empire in civil war. Seven nephews ^ of the childless monarch, the sons or grand- sons of his brother and sister, had been educated in the splendour of a princely fortune ; they had been shewn in high commands to the provinces and armies ; their characters were known, their followers were zealous ; and, as the jealousy of age postponed the declaration of a successor, they might expect with equal hopes the inheritance of their uncle. He expired imhis palace after a reign of thirty-eight years ; and the deci- sive opportunity was embraced by the friends of Justin, the son of Vigilantia.- At the hour of midnight his domestics were ^ See the family of Justin and Justinian in the Familiae Byzantinns of Ducange, p. 89-101. The devout civilians, Ludewig (in Vit. Justinian, p. 131) and Heineccius (Hist. Juris Roman, p. 374), have since illustrated the genealogy of their favourite prince. '^ In the story of Justin's elevation I have translated into simple and concise prose the eight hundred verses of the two first books of Corippus, de Laudibus Justini, Appendi.x Hist. Byzant. p. 401-416, Rome, 1777. [See Appendix i. For day of Justinian's death, Nov. 14, see Theophanes, ad ann. 6057 (a false reading — la' for lo' — appears in Clinton's citation of the passage, Fast. Rom., ad ann.).] VOL. V. 1