sought to
discover, any fresh ground of complaint. His talents were best suited
for employment in the field, and he regarded it as expedient to
"exercise the restless temper of the legions in some foreign war." Thus
it was desirable to find or make an enemy; and the Persians presented
themselves as the foe which could be attacked most conveniently.
There was no doubt a general desire to efface the memory of Valerian's
disaster by some considerable success; and war with Persia was therefore
likely to be popular at once with the Senate, with the army, and with
the mixed multitude which was dignified with the title of "the Roman
people."

Aurelian, therefore, set out for Persia at the head of a numerous, but
still a manageable, force. He proceeded through Illyricum and Macedonia
towards Byzantium, and had almost reached the straits, when a
conspiracy, fomented by one of his secretaries, cut short his career,
and saved the Persian empire from invasion. Aurelian was murdered in the
spring of A.D. 275, at Coenophrurium, a small station between Heraclea
(Perinthus) and Byzantium. The adversary with whom he had hoped to
contend, Varahran, cannot have survived him long, since he died (of
disease as it would seem) in the course of the year, leaving his crown
to a young son who bore the same name with himself, and is known in
history as Varahran the Second.

Varahran II. is said to have ruled at first tyrannically, and to have
greatly disgusted all his principal nobles, who went so far as to form
a conspiracy against him, and intended to put him to death. The chief
of the Magians, however, interposed, and, having effectually alarmed the
king, brought him to acknowledge himself wrong and to promise an entire
change of conduct. The nobles upon this returned to their allegiance;
and Varahran, during the remainder of his reign, is said to have been
distinguished for wisdom and moderation, and to have rendered himself
popular with every class of his subjects.

[Illustration: PLATE 16.]

It appears that this prince was not without military ambition. He
engaged in a war with the Segestani (or Sacastani), the inhabitants
of Segestan or Seistan, a people of Scythic origin, and after a time
reduced them to subjection [PLATE XVII]. He then became involved in a
quarrel with some of the natives of Afghanistan, who were at this time
regarded as "Indians." A long and desultory contest followed without
definite result, which was not con