But he was also the visible centre of government, towards whom the hearts of a whole people turned, grateful for fifty years of public happiness--its good genius, its "Antonine"-- whose fragile person might be foreseen speedily giving way under the trials of military life, with a disaster like that of the slaughter of the legions by Arminius.

Prophecies of the world's impending conflagration were easily credited: "the secular fire" would descend from [179] heaven: superstitious fear had even demanded the sacrifice of a human victim.
Marcus Aurelius, always philosophically considerate of the humours of other people, exercising also that devout appreciation of every religious claim which was one of his characteristic habits, had invoked, in aid of the commonwealth, not only all native gods, but all foreign deities as well, however strange.--"Help! Help! in the ocean space!" A multitude of foreign priests had been welcomed to Rome, with their various peculiar religious rites.

The sacrifices made on this occasion were remembered for centuries; and the starving poor, at least, found some satisfaction in the flesh of those herds of "white bulls," which came into the city, day after day, to yield the savour of their blood to the gods.
In spite of all this, the legions had but followed their standards despondently.

But prestige, personal prestige, the name of "Emperor," still had its magic power over the nations.

The mere approach of the Roman army made an impression on the barbarians.