Esimontou, whose position is doubtfully marked, in the neighborhood of
Anchialus and the Euxine Sea. The name and walls of Azimuntium might
subsist till the reign of Justinian; but the race of its brave defenders
had been carefully extirpated by the jealousy of the Roman princes]

[Footnote 37: The peevish dispute of St. Jerom and St. Augustin, who
labored, by different expedients, to reconcile the seeming quarrel of
the two apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, depends on the solution of
an important question, (Middleton's Works, vol. ii. p. 5-20,) which has
been frequently agitated by Catholic and Protestant divines, and even by
lawyers and philosophers of every age.]

It would have been strange, indeed, if Theodosius had purchased, by the
loss of honor, a secure and solid tranquillity, or if his tameness had
not invited the repetition of injuries. The Byzantine court was insulted
by five or six successive embassies; [38] and the ministers of Attila
were uniformly instructed to press the tardy or imperfect execution of
the last treaty; to produce the names of fugitives and deserters,
who were still protected by the empire; and to declare, with seeming
moderation, that, unless their sovereign obtained complete and immediate
satisfaction, it would be impossible for him, were it even his wish, to
check the resentment of his warlike tribes. Besides the motives of pride
and interest, which might prompt the king of the Huns to continue this
train of negotiation, he was influenced by the less honorable view of
enriching his favorites at the expense of his enemies. The Imperial
treasury was exhausted, to procure the friendly offices of the
ambassadors and their principal attendants, whose favorable report might
conduce to the maintenance of peace. The Barbarian monarch was flattered
by the liberal reception of his ministers; he computed, with pleasure,
the value and splendor of their gifts, rigorously exacted the
performance of every promise which would contribute to their private
emolument, and treated as an important business of state the marriage
of his secretary Constantius. [39] That Gallic adventurer, who was
recommended by Aetius to the king of the Huns, had engaged his service
to the ministers of Constantinople, for the stipulated reward of a
wealthy and noble wife; and the daughter of Count Saturninus was chosen
to discharge the obligations of her country. The reluctance of the
victim, some domestic troubles, and the u