of her ancient dignity and splendor. Theodosius condescended to praise
the senate of Constantinople, who had generously interceded for their
distressed brethren: he rewarded the eloquence of Hilarius with the
government of Palestine; and dismissed the bishop of Antioch with the
warmest expressions of his respect and gratitude. A thousand new
statues arose to the clemency of Theodosius; the applause of his
subjects was ratified by the approbation of his own heart; and the
emperor confessed, that, if the exercise of justice is the most
important duty, the indulgence of mercy is the most exquisite
pleasure, of a sovereign.

The sedition of Thessalonica is ascribed to a more shameful cause, and
was productive of much more dreadful consequences. That great city,
the metropolis of all the Illyrian provinces, had been protected from
the dangers of the Gothic war by strong fortifications and a numerous
garrison. Botheric, the general of those troops, and, as it should
seem from his name, a Barbarian, had among his slaves a beautiful boy,
who excited the impure desires of one of the charioteers of the
Circus. The insolent and brutal lover was thrown into prison by the
order of Botheric; and he sternly rejected the importunate clamors of
the multitude, who, on the day of the public games, lamented the
absence of their favorite; and considered the skill of a charioteer as
an object of more importance than his virtue. The resentment of the
people was imbittered by some previous disputes; and, as the strength
of the garrison had been drawn away for the service of the Italian
war, the feeble remnant, whose numbers were reduced by desertion,
could not save the unhappy general from their licentious fury.
Botheric, and several of his principal officers, were inhumanly
murdered; their mangled bodies were dragged about the streets; and the
emperor, who then resided at Milan, was surprised by the intelligence