OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 397 legitimate emperor of the Romans. For a moment, perhaps, his eyes were dazzled by the prospect of unbounded sway ; but his indolent temper gradually acquiesced in the dictates of sound policy. He contented himself with the possession of the East ; and wisely relinquished the laborious task of waging a distant and doubtful war against the Barbarians beyond the Alps ; or of securing the obedience of the Italians and Africans, whose minds were alienated by the irreconcileable difference of language and interest. Instead of listening to the voice of ambition, Theodosius resolved to imitate the moderation of his grandfather, and to seat his cousin Valentinian on the throne of the West. The royal infant was distinguished at Constantinople by the title of Nobilissimus ; he was promoted, before his departure from Thessalonica, to the I'ank and dignity of Ccesar ; and, after the conquest of Italy, the patrician Helion, by the authority of Theodosius, and in the presence of the senate, saluted Valen- tinian the Third by the name of Augustus, and solemnly in- vested him with the diadem and the Imperial purple.^ By the agreement of the three females who governed the Roman world, the son of Placidia was betrothed to Eudoxia, the daughter of Theodosius and Athenais ; and, as soon as the lover and his bride had attained the age of puberty, this honourable alliance was faithfully accomplished. At the same time, as a compen- sation, perhaps, for the expenses of the war, the Western Illyri- cum was detached from the Italian dominions and yielded to the throne of Constantinople.*' The emperor of the East ac- quired the useful dominion of the rich and maritime province of Dalmatia, and the dangerous sovereignty of Pannonia and Nori- cum, which had been filled and ravaged above twenty years by a promiscuous crowd of Huns, Ostrogoths, Vandals, and Bavarians. Theodosius and Valentinian continued to respect the obligations of their public and domestic alliance ; but the unity of the Roman government was finally dissolved. By a positive declara- tion, the validity of all future laws was limited to the dominions of their peculiar author ; unless he should think proper to com- 5 The original writers are not agreed (see Muratori, Annali d'ltalia, torn. iv. p. 139) whether Valentinian received the Imperial diadem at Rome or Ravenna. In this uncertainty, I am willing to believe that some respect was shown to the senate. •^ The Count de Buat (Hist, des Peuples de I'Europe, torn. vii. p. 292-300) has established the reality, explained the motives, and traced the consequences of this remarkable cession. [Cp. Appendi.x 14.]
