description of the follies of antiquity, which still inspired so much
respect, that a grave magistrate, running naked through the streets, was
not an object of astonishment or laughter.]

[Footnote 81: See Dionys. Halicarn. l. i. p. 25, 65, edit. Hudson. The
Roman antiquaries Donatus (l. ii. c. 18, p. 173, 174) and Nardini (p.
386, 387) have labored to ascertain the true situation of the Lupercal.]

[Footnote 82: Baronius published, from the MSS. of the Vatican, this
epistle of Pope Gelasius, (A.D. 496, No. 28-45,) which is entitled
Adversus Andromachum Senatorem, caeterosque Romanos, qui Lupercalia
secundum morem pristinum colenda constituebant. Gelasius always supposes
that his adversaries are nominal Christians, and, that he may not yield
to them in absurd prejudice, he imputes to this harmless festival all
the calamities of the age.]

Chapter XXXVI: Total Extinction Of The Western Empire.--Part IV.

In all his public declarations, the emperor Leo assumes the authority,
and professes the affection, of a father, for his son Anthemius,
with whom he had divided the administration of the universe. [83]
The situation, and perhaps the character, of Leo, dissuaded him from
exposing his person to the toils and dangers of an African war. But the
powers of the Eastern empire were strenuously exerted to deliver Italy
and the Mediterranean from the Vandals; and Genseric, who had so long
oppressed both the land and sea, was threatened from every side with a
formidable invasion. The campaign was opened by a bold and successful
enterprise of the praefect Heraclius. [84] The troops of Egypt, Thebais,
and Libya, were embarked, under his command; and the Arabs, with a train
of horses and camels, opened the roads of the desert. Heraclius landed
on the coast of Tripoli, surprised and subdued the cities of that
province, and prepared, by a laborious march, which Cato had formerly
executed, [85] to join the Imperial army under the walls of Carthage.
The intelligence of this loss extorted from Genseric some insidious
and ineffectual propositions of peace; but he was still more seriously
alarmed by the reconciliation of Marcellinus with the two empires. The
independent patrician had been persuaded to acknowledge the legitimate
title of Anthemius, whom he accompanied in his journey to Rome; the
Dalmatian fleet was received into the harbors of Italy; the active valor
of Marcellinus expelled the Vandals from the Island of Sardinia; an