MEDICINE.

ADAMANTIUS, a Greek physician. He was of the Jewish persuasion, and lived at Alexandria. He then went to Constantinople, and became a Christian. He dedicated to the emperor Constantine, a work, in two books, on physiognomy, which has descended to our days, and has often been reprinted, particularly among the Physiognomoniæ Veteres, Gr. et Lat. J. G. Franzii, 8vo. 1780.

ÆTIUS, a famous physician, born at Amida, in Mesopotamia, and the author of several works, which are collections from the writings of former physicians. They consist of sixteen books, divided into four tetrabiblia. They particularly regard diseases of women, and the eye. These works were printed in Greek at Venice, in 1534, folio. There are also some editions in Latin.

PERIOD XXI.

FROM JUSTINIAN I. TO CONSTANTINE III.

[CENT. VI.]

REMARKABLE FACTS, EVENTS, AND DISCOVERIES.

A.D.

508 Arthur reigns in Britain.

510 Paris made the capital of France.

516 The computation of time by the Christian era introduced by Dionysius. 529 The codex of Justinian published.

534 The kingdom of the Vandals in Africa ends, after continuing 106

542 Antioch rebuilt.

550 The kingdom of Poland founded.

553 The empire of the Goths in Italy overturned by Narses.

568 The Lombards found a kingdom in Italy.

569 The Turks first mentioned in history. The exarchate of Ravenna

begins.

575 Monarchy founded in Bavaria.

581 Latin ceased to be spoken in Italy.

584 The origin of fiefs in France.

593 The Gascons settled in Gascony.

596 John of Constantinople assumes the title of universal bishop. 597 Augustin comes to England with 40 other monks.

DURING this period the Eastern empire of the Romans continued to decline. The Goths made themselves masters of nearly the whole of Spain, except some small part which owned subjection to the emperors of Constantinople. Of this part, however, the Goths became masters also in the year 623.

Africa, properly so called, had changed its masters three times during this period. The Vandals had expelled the Romans, and erected an independant kingdom, which was at last overturned by the emperors of Constantinople; and from them the greater part of it was taken by the Goths in 620.

We are on the eve of a great revolution, political as well as ecclesiastical, in the introduction and establishment of Mahommedanism; a religion which, in a short time, overspread the whole East, and a portion of the West.

GOVERNMENT.

ROME.

JUSTINIAN I., emperor of the East, was the nephew of the emperor Justin I. His uncle, when commander of the Roman army, sent him as a hostage to Theodoric king of Italy, who suffered him to return to Constantinople, when Justin was raised to the empire. He married Theodora, an actress, a most abandoned character. She gained such an entire influence over him, that he created her his equal colleague in the sovereignty, and caused her name to be united with his own in the oaths of allegiance administered to governors of provinces. Her uncontrolled pride and avarice were the source of many injustices and cruelties which sullied this reign, while, on the other hand, her spirit and munificence occasionally honoured it. On Justinian's ascension to the throne he bent his whole force against the Persians. The Persians proved successful in the first engagement; but were soon after utterly defeated by Belisarius on the frontiers of Persia, and likewise by another general, named Dorotheus, in Armenia. The war continued with various success during the first five years of Justinian's reign. In the sixth, peace was concluded upon the following terms, That the emperor should pay to Chosroes, the king of Persia, 1000 pounds weight of gold. That both princes should restore the places they had taken during the wars. That the commander of the Roman forces should no longer reside at Daras on the Persian frontier, but at Constantina in Mesopotamia, as he had formerly done. That the Iberians, who had sided with the emperor, should be at liberty to return to their own country or stay at Constantinople. This peace, concluded in 532, was styled eternal; but proved of short duration. In that year a violent sedition at Constantinople was near depriving the emperor of his crown. It began by a quarrel between the two factions in the circus, and proceeded to such a length, that, after many horrid scenes of massacre, pillage, and conflagration, the insurgents obliged Hypatius, nephew to the emperor Anastasius, to assume the purple. Justinian was about to desert his capital, when the manly courage of Theodora inspired him with the resolution of trying the force of arms; and his guards, led by Belisarius, extinguished the rebellion in the blood, it is said, of thirty thousand persons. Hypatius and his brother were seized and executed; but the clemency of the emperor was extended to their children and families.

A great project for recovering the territories of the Roman empire in Africa from the Vandals, who had usurped them, and set up an independent kingdom, was put in execution in 533;

and Belisarius carrying over an army disciplined under his own eye, accomplished the task in a single year, and returned to a triumph in 534. The next object against which the imperial arms were directed, was the Ostrogoth kingdom in Italy. Belisarius, in 535, commenced his attacks upon this formidable power, and continued them in a variety of conflicts, till, in 539, he became master of the person of the Ostrogoth king, Vitiges, whom he carried to Constantinople.

We suspend the relation of military affairs, to give some account of the legislative labours of Justinian. He appointed ten able lawyers to collect the whole Roman laws into one body, entitled Codex Justinianus, or the Justian Code; which may be called the Statute Law, as containing the rescripts of the empe rors; and reduced the decisions of the judges and other magistrates, which were scattered in 2000 volumes, to the limits of 50, which were entitled Digests or Pandects, and completed in 555. He also ordered four books of Institutes to be drawn up, containing an abstract of the modern laws under the title of Novella, or the New Code.

But before his general Belisarius had time to re-establish fully the Roman power in Italy, he was recalled to carry on the war against Chosroes king of Persia, who, regardless of the late treaty, entered the Roman dominions at the head of a powerful army. The same year, however, a peace was concluded upon the following conditions. That the Romans should, within two months pay to the Persian king 5000 pounds weight of gold, and an annual pension of 500. That the Persians should relinquish all claim to the fortress of Daras, and maintain a body of troops to guard the Caspian gates, and prevent the barbarians from breaking into the empire. That upon payment of that sum, Chosroes should immediately withdraw his troops from the Roman dominions. The treaty being signed, and the stipulated sum paid, Chosroes began to march back again, but by the way plundered several cities, as if the war had still continued. Hereupon Justinian resolved to pursue the war with the utmost vigour; and for that purpose despatched Belisarius into the east. But soon after he was obliged to recall him, in order to oppose the Goths, who had gained great advantages in Italy after his departure. The Persian war was then carried on with indifferent success till A. D. 558, when a peace was concluded, upon the emperor again paying an immense sum to the enemy. The rejoicings on this event were disturbed by a dreadful earthquake, which overthrew many stately edifices with a great loss of lives. In 559 a sudden insurrection of the Bulga rians, in which they penetrated through the long wall of Constantinople, filled that capital and the aged emperor with alarm. The hero, Belisarius, again buckled on his armour, and leading out a tumultuary band, put the invaders to flight, and saved the city, though it was necessary afterwards to purchase their final

retreat by a sum of money. This was the last exploit performed by Belisarius, who, on his return to Constantinople, was disgraced, stripped of all his employments, and confined to his house, on pretence of a conspiracy against the emperor. In 565, a real conspiracy was formed against Justinian, which he happily escaped, and the conspirators were executed, but the emperor did not long survive it. He died in 565, in the thirty-ninth of his reign, after having built a great number of churches, particularly that of Sancta Sophia at Constantinople, which is esteemed a master-piece of architecture.

Among the distinguished events of his reign, the introduction of the silk-worm into the Greek empire, by means of two Persian monks, who went as missionaries to China, ought not to be omitted. It is supposed to have taken place about the year 552.

BELISARIUS, general of the emperor Justinian's army, and one of the greatest commanders of his age, who overthrew the Persians in the east, the Vandals in Africa, the Goths in Italy, &c. as related under Justinian. But after all his great exploits, he was falsely accused of a conspiracy against the emperor. The real conspirators had been detected and seized, with daggers hidden under their garments. One of them died by his own hand, and the other was dragged from the sanctuary. Pressed by remorse, or tempted by the hopes of safety, he accused two officers of the household of Belisarius; and torture forced them to declare that they had acted according to the secret instructions of their patron. Posterity will not hastily believe, that an hero, who in the vigour of life had disdained the fairest offers of ambition and revenge, should stoop to the murder of his prince, whom he could not long expect to survive. His followers were impatient to fly; but flight must have been supported by rebellion, and he had lived enough for nature and for glory. Belisarius appeared before the council with less fear than indignation. After forty years' service, the emperor had prejudged his guilt; and injustice was sanctified by the presence and authority of the patriarch. The life of Belisarius was spared; but his fortunes were sequestered; and, from December to July, he was guarded as a prisoner in his own palace. At length his innocence was acknowledged; his freedom and honours were restored, and death, which might be hastened by resentment and grief, removed him from the world about eight months after his deliverance.

The historian Procopius has drawn the character of this great commander in a manner that sets him upon a level with, if not exalts him above, the greatest heroes of antiquity. His modesty, his beneficence, his affability, the simplicity of his manners, and, above all, that fund of humanity which was the basis of his virtues, and made him the idol of the people, are represented by that writer in the most forcible and animated