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having shown to them, he incited the men to the murder of the emperor. For they, fearing for their own life, attack Aurelian and kill him, who had completed six years on the throne, lacking a few months. Whom Tacitus succeeded, an elderly man; for he is recorded to be seventy-five years old when he was chosen for the monarchy. But the army proclaimed him even while he was absent; for at that time he was staying in Campania. Having received the decree there, he rode into Rome 3.154 in the attire of a private citizen, and by the will of both the senate and the people he put on the imperial robe. And the Scythians, having crossed the Maeotian lake and the Phasis river, invaded Pontus and Cappadocia and Galatia and Cilicia. Tacitus, having engaged with these, and Florianus being prefect, killed many, and the rest secured their safety by flight. And Tacitus appointed a certain Maximinus, a relative of his, as governor of Syria; but he, using his power badly, was killed by soldiers. And those who had killed him, fearing that the emperor would not overlook them unpunished, pursued and killed him too, not yet having completed the seventh month in his reign, but according to some, not a full two years. And when he was slain, two emperors were proclaimed at the same time, Probus in the east by the soldiers, and in Rome by the senate, Florianus. And both ruled, Probus in Egypt and Syria and Phoenicia and Palestine, and Florianus from Cilicia to Italy and the western regions. But this one, not having completed a whole three months in power, fell from both life and authority at the same time, being killed by soldiers said to have been sent by Probus. And when he had died, as has been said, Probus assumed the entire power. He is recorded to have been most renowned, and to have set up trophies over many nations, and to have gathered the soldiers who had killed Aurelian and Tacitus, reproached them severely, and killed them. 3.155 And when Saturninus the Mauretanian attempted a usurpation, who was most dear to him, he punished the one who had reported this, disbelieving the report; But Saturninus was killed by soldiers. And another man planned a revolt in Britain, whom the emperor had placed in command, at the request of Victorinus the Mauretanian, his intimate friend. And when Probus learned this, he blamed Victorinus. And he asked to be sent to that man, and went as if fleeing the emperor, and was welcomed gladly by the usurper. But he killed him during the night and returned to Probus. And Probus was loved by all as gentle and benevolent and generous. He, opposing the nation of the Germans who were attacking the cities under Roman rule, as the war lasted a longer time, came into difficulty, a famine having occurred in his army. when a torrential rain is said to have poured down in his camp, and with the rain much grain was also brought down, if this could be believed by anyone; and that the army, having gathered it, was fed by it and escaped the danger and routed the enemies. And there was also another rebellion against him. For Carus, governor of a part of Europe, learned that the soldiers under him were planning to proclaim him emperor, and he reported this to Probus, asking to be recalled from there. But he did not want to take his command from him. So the soldiers surrounded Carus and forced him, although unwilling, to accept the rule of the Romans, and immediately with him 3.156 they set out for Italy. And Probus, learning this, sent an army with a commander to oppose him. But when those who were sent approached Carus, having bound their own commander, they handed over both him and themselves to Carus. But Probus was killed by his own bodyguards, upon their learning of the defection of the soldiers to Carus. And the time of Probus's reign was not a full six years. And Carus, having become master of the empire
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ἐκείνοις ὑποδείξας παρέθηξε τοὺς ανδρας πρὸς φόνον τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος. δείσαντες γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι περὶ τῇ σφετέρᾳ ζωῇ ἐπιτίθενται τῷ Αὐρηλιανῷ καὶ ἀναιροῦσιν αὐτόν, εξ ἐνιαυτοὺς ἠνυκότα παρὰ τῇ βασιλείᾳ μηνῶν ὀλίγων ἐνδέοντας. Ον διεδέξατο Τάκιτος, πρεσβύτης ἀνήρ· πέντε γὰρ ἐτῶν ειναι καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα ἀναγράφεται οτε ᾑρέθη εἰς μοναρχίαν. τὸ στρατιωτικὸν δὲ αὐτὸν ἀνηγόρευσε καὶ ἀπόντα· ἐν Καμπανίᾳ γὰρ τότε διέτριβεν. ενθα δεδεγμένος τὸ ψήφισμα, εἰς ̔Ρώμην 3.154 εἰσήλασε μετὰ σχήματος ἰδιωτικοῦ, καὶ γνώμῃ τῆς συγκλήτου τε καὶ τοῦ δήμου τὴν στολὴν περιεβάλετο τὴν βασίλειον. Σκύθαι δὲ τὴν Μαιώτιδα λίμνην καὶ τὸν Φᾶσιν ποταμὸν περαιωθέντες Πόντῳ καὶ Καππαδοκίᾳ ἐπῆλθον καὶ Γαλατίᾳ καὶ Κιλικίᾳ. τούτοις ὁ Τάκιτος συμμίξας καὶ ὁ Φλωριανὸς υπαρχος ων πολλοὺς ἀνεῖλον, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ φυγῇ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐπραγματεύσαντο. Μαξιμῖνον δέ τινα συγγενῆ ἑαυτοῦ ἡγεμόνα τῆς Συρίας προεχειρίσατο Τάκιτος· ὁ δὲ κακῶς τῇ ἀρχῇ χρώμενος ἀνῃρέθη παρὰ στρατιωτῶν. καὶ δείσαντες οἱ τοῦτον ἀνελόντες ὡς οὐκ ἀτιμωρήτους αὐτοὺς ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ παρόψεται, ἐπιδιώξαντες κἀκεῖνον ἀνεῖλον, ουπω εβδομον μῆνα παρὰ τῇ βασιλείᾳ ἀνύσαντα, κατὰ δέ τινας μὴ ολους δύο ἐνιαυτούς. Καὶ τούτου σφαγέντος δύο κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἀνερρήθησαν βασιλεῖς, Πρόβος μὲν ἐν τῇ ἑῴᾳ παρὰ τῶν στρατιωτῶν, ἐν δὲ ̔Ρώμῃ παρὰ τῆς συγκλήτου Φλωριανός. καὶ ηρχον αμφω, Πρόβος μὲν ἐν τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ Συρίᾳ καὶ Φοινίκῃ καὶ Παλαιστίνῃ, ὁ δέ γε Φλωριανὸς ἐκ Κιλικίας μέχρις ̓Ιταλίας καὶ τῶν ̔Εσπερίων. ἀλλ' ουτος οὐδ' ολον τρίμηνον ἀνύσας ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ καὶ τῆς ζωῆς αμα καὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐκπέπτωκεν ἀναιρεθεὶς ὑπὸ στρατιωτῶν παρὰ Πρόβου λεγομένων σταλῆναι. τοῦ δὲ θανόντος, ὡς ειρηται, ὁ Πρόβος τὴν ολην ἐξουσίαν περιεζώσατο. ος ἐλλογιμώτατος ειναι ἱστόρηται, καὶ κατὰ πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τρόπαια στήσασθαι, καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας, οι τὸν Αὐρηλιανὸν καὶ τὸν Τάκιτον ἀνῃρήκασι, συναγαγεῖν καὶ πολλὰ ὀνειδίσαι καὶ ἀποκτεῖναι. 3.155 Σατορνίνου δὲ Μαυρουσίου τυραννίδι ἐπιχειρήσαντος, ος ην αὐτῷ φίλτατος, τὸν τοῦτο μεμηνυκότα ἐτιμωρήσατο, τῇ ἀγγελίᾳ διαπιστῶν· ὁ δὲ Σατορνῖνος ὑπὸ στρατιωτῶν ἀνῃρέθη. ετερος δέ τις ἐν Βρεττανίαις ἀποστασίαν διεμελέτησεν, ον ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐποιήσατο, Βικτωρίνου Μαυρουσίου ᾠκειωμένου αὐτῷ τοῦτο αἰτησαμένου. καὶ τοῦτο μαθὼν ὁ Πρόβος ᾐτιᾶτο τὸν Βικτωρῖνον. καὶ ος πεμφθῆναι πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ᾐτήσατο, καὶ ἀπῄει ὡς δῆθεν φεύγων τὸν αὐτοκράτορα, καὶ ἀσπασίως ὑπὸ τοῦ τυραννήσαντος ὑπεδέδεκτο. ὁ δὲ διὰ τῆς νυκτὸς ἀνελὼν αὐτὸν ἐπανῆλθε πρὸς Πρόβον. ἐφιλεῖτο δὲ παρὰ πάντων ὁ Πρόβος ὡς πρᾷος καὶ εὐμενὴς καὶ φιλόδωρος. Ουτος τῷ εθνει τῶν Γερμανῶν ἐπιτιθεμένων ταῖς ὑπὸ ̔Ρωμαίους πόλεσιν ἀντιταττόμενος, τοῦ πολέμου πλείονα χρόνον ἐπικρατήσαντος ἐν περιστάσει ἐγένετο, λιμοῦ συμβεβηκότος ἐπὶ τῇ αὐτοῦ στρατιᾷ. οτε λάβρος λέγεται καταρραγῆναι ομβρος ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ στρατοπέδῳ, τῷ δ' ὑετῷ καὶ σῖτον συγκατενεχθῆναι πολύν, ει τισι τοῦτο πιστεύοιτο· καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν συναγαγοῦσαν αὐτὸν δι' αὐτοῦ τραφῆναι καὶ διαπεφευγέναι τὸν κίνδυνον καὶ τοὺς ἐναντίους κατατροπώσασθαι. Γέγονε δὲ κατ' αὐτοῦ καὶ αλλη τις ἐπανάστασις. μέρους γὰρ τῆς Εὐρώπης ὁ Κᾶρος αρχων εγνω τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν στρατιώτας βουλευομένους ἀνειπεῖν αὐτὸν αὐτοκράτορα, καὶ τοῦτο τῷ Πρόβῳ ἐδήλωσε, δεόμενος ἐκεῖθεν ἀνακληθῆναι. ὁ δὲ οὐκ ηθελεν ἀφελέσθαι αὐτὸν τὴν ἀρχήν. περιστάντες ουν οἱ στρατιῶται τὸν Κᾶρον καὶ ακοντα καταδέξασθαι τὴν τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ἀρχὴν ἐβιάσαντο, καὶ αὐτίκα σὺν 3.156 αὐτῷ ἐπὶ ̓Ιταλίαν ὡρμήκεσαν. καὶ ὁ Πρόβος τοῦτο μαθὼν στράτευμα επεμψε σὺν αρχοντι ἀντιστῆναι αὐτῷ. ηδη δὲ πλησιάσαντες οἱ πεμφθέντες τῷ Κάρῳ, δεσμήσαντες τὸν αρχοντα ἑαυτῶν, κἀκεῖνον καὶ ἑαυτοὺς τῷ Κάρῳ παραδεδώκασιν. ὁ δὲ Πρόβος ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ἀνῄρητο δορυφόρων, μαθόντων τὴν τῶν στρατιωτῶν πρὸς Κᾶρον προσχώρησιν. ὁ δὲ χρόνος τῆς αὐταρχίας τοῦ Πρόβου οὐχ ὁλόκληροι γεγόνασιν ἐνιαυτοὶ εξ. Κᾶρος δὲ τῆς βασιλείας γενόμενος ἐγκρατὴς