engaged on the frontiers fighting these barbarians, and endeavoring to
check their advance. He died at Vienna while thus occupied, in the
fifty-ninth year of his life (180).

Peace was shortly afterwards made with the barbarians, a peace bought
with money; an example often followed in later times, when Rome lacked
the strength and courage to enforce her wishes by force of arms.

Marcus Aurelius was the PHILOSOPHER of the Empire. His tastes were
quiet; he was unassuming, and intent on the good of the people. His
faults were amiable weaknesses; his virtues, those of a hero. His
_Meditations_ have made him known as an author of fine tastes and
thoughts. With him ended the line of the GOOD EMPERORS. After his
death, Rome's prosperity and power began rapidly to wane.


THE CHRISTIANS.

The CHRISTIANS, who were gradually increasing in numbers, were
persecuted at different times throughout the Empire. One ground for
these persecutions was that it was a crime against the state to refuse
to worship the gods of the Romans under whom the Empire had
flourished. It was also the custom to burn incense in front of the
Emperor's statue, as an act of adoration. The Christians not only
refused homage to the Roman gods, but denounced the burning of incense
as sacrilegious. AURELIUS gave his sanction to the most general
persecution this sect had yet suffered. The last combined effort to
suppress them was under DIOCLETIAN, in 284, but it ended with the
EDICT OF MILAN in 312, which famous decree gave the imperial license
to the religion of Christ.