402 THE DECLINE AND FALL CHAP, at Rome, and to assume the government of the western ' provinces ^ The safety of Illyricum was confirmed by a memorable defeat of the Sarmatians : sixteen thou- sand of those barbarians remained on the field of battle, and the number of captives amounted to twenty thou- sand. The old emperor, animated with the fame and prospect of victory, pursued his march, in the midst of winter, through the countries of Thrace and Asia Minor, and at length, with his younger son Nume- rian, arrived on the confines of the Persian monarchy. There, encamping on the summit of a lofty mountain, he pointed out to his troops the opulence and luxury of the enemy whom they w^ere about to invade. A.D. 283. The successor of Artaxerxes, Varanes or Bahram, dieifceTo^" though he had subdued the Segestans, one of the most the Persian warlike nations of Upper Asia*^, was alarmed at the dors. approach of the Romans, and endeavoured to retard their progress by a negociation of peace. His ambas- sadors entered the camp about sunset, at the time when the troops were satisfying their hunger with a frugal repast. The Persians expressed their desire of being introduced to the presence of the Roman em- peror. They were at length conducted to a soldier, who was seated on the grass. A piece of stale bacon and a few hard pease composed his supper. A coarse woollen garment of purple was the only circumstance that announced his dignity. The conference was con- ducted with the same disregard of courtly elegance. Carus, taking off a cap which he wore to conceal his baldness, assured the ambassadors, that, unless their master acknowledged the superiority of Rome, he would speedily render Persia as naked of trees, as his own head was destitute of hair"*. Notwithstanding ^ Hist. August, p. 353 ; Eutropius, ix. 18 ; Pagi. Annal. c Agathias, 1. iv. p. 135. We find one of his sayings in the Biblioth^que Orientale of M. d'Herbelot. ** The definition of humanity includes all other virtues."
- Synesius tells this story of Carinus j and it is much more natural to un-
derstand it of Carus, than (as Petavius and Tillemont choose to do) of Probus.
