Exercises upon the Different Parts of Italian Speech, with References to Veneroni's Grammar / to which is added an abridgement of the Roman history, intended at once to make the learner acquainted with history, and the idiom of the Italian language

It is [752]said the city of [753]Venice [754]owes its [755]origin to that [756]inroad of the Barbarians, most of the Italians, [757]especially those of [758]Patavium, [759]flying from the [760]fire and [761]ruins of their cities to some [762]rocks and [763]desert [764]islands in the [765]sea for [766]refuge.

Valentinian, upon the death of his mother Placidia, [767]let loose the [768]reins of [769]power and [770]abused his [771]authority, for the [772]gratification of his [773]baseness and [774]cruelty. He [775]seduced the [776]wife of Maximus the senator, [777]put Ætius to death, after Maximus had by his [778]crafty [779]contrivances [780]rendered him [781]suspected, in the year 454; and the year following, by the contrivance of the same Maximus, he was [782]stabbed by Ætius’s [783]life-guard in the [784]field of [785]Mars, being thirty-six years of age, and in the 31st of his reign. [786]Eudoxia, the [787]consort of Valentinian, to [788]revenge the death of her [789]husband, [790]sent for Gensericus out of Africa, into Italy. Maximus, upon his [791]arrival, [792]endeavoured to [793]save himself by [794]flight, but was [795]torn in pieces by his own men, and [796]thrown into the [797]Tiber, after a [798]reign of [799]hardly two [800]months. Gensericus, after he had [801]taken the city, was so [802]affected by an [803]address of [804]Pope Leo’s, that he did not [805]set it on fire, or [806]put any to the sword; but [807]made plunder of all the [808]wealth of the [809]place, both [810]sacred and [811]profane, for fourteen days together; and [812]carried off Eudoxia, with her two daughters, Eudocia and Placidia, into Africa: the [813]former of which he [814]married to his son [815]Hunericus.

In the mean time, [816]Avitus Gallus being proclaimed emperor by the [817]Gallic [818]army at Thoulouse, made peace with the Goths; at whose [819]persuasion, Theodoric [820]entering Spain, [821]conquered the Suevi, and [822]killed their king [823]Richiarius in the year 456.

After him, [824]Majorianus [825]took the [826]government upon him at Ravenna; a [827]prince of a [828]great [829]soul, who being [830]desirous to [831]recover Africa, was going to Gensericus, under the [832]title of [833]ambassador; but being [834]seized by Ricimer at Dertona, and [835]obliged to [836]resign, was [837]put to death in the year 461, after a reign of four years and four months.

Ricimer [838]raised Severus for emperor, [839]according to an [840]agreement between them, and [841]poisoned him in the fourth year of his reign.

After this, there was an [842]interregnum of a year, and some months, till Anthemius was [843]sent into the West by [844]Leo, emperor of the [845]East, between whom and [846]Ricimer, it had been [847]agreed he should be [848]declared emperor, and his daughter should [849]marry Ricimer. Thus the barbarian being [850]made Anthemius’s [851]son-in-law, with his [852]wonted [853]treachery, first [854]raised a civil war against him, and then [855]put him to death at Rome, after he had [856]reigned five years and some months.

[857]Olybrius was then [858]put up in the [859]room of Anthemius by Ricimer, who [860]died forty days after Anthemius’s death: nor [861]was he long survived by Olybrius, for he died the same year, about seven months after his [862]promotion.

[863]He was followed by [864]Glycerius, who [865]took the [866]government upon himself at Ravenna, in the year 473, and reigned a year and four months. He was [867]succeeded by [868]Julius Nepos, who was [869]killed about five years after his [870]advancement.

[871]Momyllus, who was [872]likewise [873]called [874]Augustulus, was [875]set up by his father [876]Orestes, being the [877]last of all the emperors in the [878]West; for [879]Odouacer, king of the [880]Turcilingans, with the [881]Scyrans, and [882]Herulans, [883]seized Italy, and after having [884]slain Orestes and his brother [885]Paul, [886]banished Augustus into Campania. Thus [887]ended the [888]empire of the West. In the year of [889]Christ 476.

FOOTNOTES