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y that most dignified of nil mysteries, the Holy Eucharist.
"The body of Christ," said Dionysius. ami he placed the Blessed
Eucharist in her hand. He then took the golden chalice and
held it to her lips with the words: " The chalice, or cup of Life"
and Metella deemed herself truly blest to drink of the blood of
the Redeemer. This heavenly beverage brought her into a new
affinity, the blood of the Messias flowed in her veins. What delight
sparkled in her eyes, and what joy diffused itself over her
countenance! Her past sufferings and her agonizing
were at an end! How rich did not the Faith render her!
doubts
What
life with its sorrowful events had taken, grace had indemnified
in rich measure and flowing over. Death deprived her of a hus-
band, and grace bestowed upon her in the Redeemer a heavenly
Bridegroom. Death tore from her a dear son, the only hope of
her future life, grace opened to her the prospect of being united
with him again.
The prayer of the venerable and saintly Dionysius was heard,
and the precious soul was, after great wandering, brought into
the one true fold. The joy that beamed on his aged countenance
expressed the feelings of his heart. He raised his hands on high
and invoked a blessing on Metella, and on the humble Lydia,
whose virtuous example urged her to seek after, and find the
Way, the Truth and the Life.
CHAPTER XVII.
MARCUS AUHELIUS' CONQUEST OF THE MARCOMANNI.
WHILE Metella was enjoying this peace of soul, to which she
had till then been a stranger, the troops returned from the dis-
tant campaign, and were received amidst the rejoicings of the
people. In Rome a magnificent triumphal procession was prepared
for the Emperor, and in all the other cities of his vast
dominions, the conquest was celebrated with public feasts, processions,
sacrifices of thanksgivings and bull-fights. Athens
also opened its numerous temples, and offered sacrifice. Public
games and festivities continued for several weeks, without intermission.
The Athenians even thought of introducing the com-
bats of Gladiators, but old Lucian said to them contemptuously,
" Don't resolve on this till at least the altar of commiseration be
done away with among you." *
Before we relate anything of this memorable conquest, which
the Romans gained over the Germans, and which was much
more a conquest of Faith than of arms, let us introduce a few
remarks on the character of the Emperor. At an early age Marcus
Aurelius distinguished himself by the qualities of his mind
and heart. He was but a boy of eight years, when he was re-
ceived into a particular confraternity of priests, in whose society
he received his first religious impressions. He always declared
himself to bean advocate for public worship, and on that account
he is sometimes compared with the pious Xuma Pompilius.
Once weeping over the death of one of his teachers, to the astonishment
of those present, and of which some of the youths com-
plained, the Emperor Antoninus, his adopted father, beautifully
replied, "Allow him to be human, neither philosophy nor im-
perial dignity ought to deprive him of feeling.
In the second year of Antoninus' reign, he married him to his
/. ) I) 1 A .
Aurelius was most intent on preserving the old religion and
encouraging learning. If he were in anything blameworthy, it
was in his great indulgence to his son Commodus, as also towards
his wife Faustina, and the absolute authority which he allowed
his officials in the provinces, to exercise. Neither can lie
be exonerated from cruelty during the war with the Marcomanni,
some of his officers with their men stood once before him
and informed him, that they had killed three thousand of the
enemy, and had taken great booty, but as they had received no
commands for this, the Emperor ordered them to be crucified for
having broken through military discipline. There arose amongst
the soldiers loud clamors of displeasure, but the Emperor
sprang into the midst of them unarmed, and cried :<
Well then
put me to death, and add a new crime to the one already
committed." He also ordered many thousands in Seleucia to be
executed during the Parthian war. His reign was a most unquiet
one. The Catti, the Marcomanni, the Scythians, and other
people were constant disturbers, and in addition several cities in
his dominions were desolated either by earthquakes, plagues, or
famine. The heathen priests sought in every possible way to ap-
pease the anger of the gods, but without effect, and at last, they
threw all the blame upon the Christians, who were consequently
delivered up to the public persecutions.
Amonst the wars which Marcus Aurelius had conducted, the
one against the Marcomanni and Quadi was the most stubborn.
No battle that was ever fought since the foundation of Rome,
was so remarkable as that over the Marcomanni. The following
is a short account of it, and is taken chiefly from Dio Cassius.
In the year A.D. 174, Marcus Aurelius, with his soldiers found
himself in the heart of Germany. The barbarians pressed his
army into a deep valley, that was surrounded on all sides by
quarries and steep rocks, having completely hemmed them in,
they ascended the heights and looked down upon them with sav-
age exultation. The courage of the Romans sunk still deeper,
as the dreadful effects of the climate added to their distress.
They had already been for five days without water, so that they
were almost consumed by a burning thirst. In this extreme dis-
tress, the commander-in-chief of the Prffitorian Cohort sought
the Emperor and said to him: "Csesar, a portion of our troops
the Melitani Legion, consists of Christians, to them nothing is
impossible." "Let them pray," said the Emperor, and in an instant
the Christian soldiers to a man fell upon their knees. They
conjured the true God to let His name be known and glorified
in that hour. Their prayer was scarcely ended, when dark
clouds collected, the thunder rolled in the distance, and peals
re-echoed against the rocky walls of their mountain valley
The lightning, in vivid flashes accompanied by a heavy hail
storm struck the rocks where the barbarians were posted. The
flashes were so terrific, and followed each other in such rapid
succession, that in a few minutes the enemy fell into disorder.
But in the valley, a soft rain fell upon the parched Romans,
who held out their helmets to receive it, and drank in copious
draughts of the refreshment sent them from heaven. Dio
Cassius, a heathen writer, has assured us that fire and water
descended from Heaven at the same time. Our army, said he,
was refreshed, the other was consumed; for the water that feL
upon the Romans in refreshing showers, fell upon the barbarians
with the fire, like boiling oil. Although inundated, they
cried loudly for water, and at every attempt made to extin-
daughter Faustina, and took him shortly after into the consulship.
Marcus was but only 20 years old, when the Emperor bestowed
upon him the honor of the Tribuueship, and even the
Regency, which though not publicly proclaimed, still was actually
so. His affection for the Emperor was so ardent, that he never
once left him, during the twenty-five years which elapsed from
his adoption to his death. He was forty years old when he began
first to wield the Roman Sceptre. He was an Emperor
favorable to philosophy, and thought with Plato, that those people
were happy whose philosophers were kings or whose kings were
philosophers. According to the wish of the new Emperor, the
Roman Senate took his adopted brother Lucius Verus as colk-airiio,
but he troubled himself more about his eating and drinking,
than the happiness of the guish
people.
Lurtiw, D. N 57.
the fire they received great injuries. In their despair
they cast themselves into the midst of the Romans, where
alone the water was drinkable, and the Emperor exercised the
greatest clemency towards them."
In memory of this battle, Marcus was proclaimed Emperor for
the seventh time. He issued commands, that the Melitani Legion
should be called from that time forward the "Legio Fulminatrix"
or " Thundering Legion, "and not contented with this,
he imparted the wonderful event to the Senate, and published an
edict whereby he put a stop to the Persecution of the Christians.
The edict, the force of which lasted but a short time, is still extant,
and it gives us the title of the then Lord of the worM.
Imperator Cresar, Marcus Aurcliua, Antoninus, Augustus Par-