29 - Book VIII, Part 3

CHURCH HISTORY by EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA translated by ARTHUR CUSHMAN MACGUIFFERT Book VIII, Part III, Chapters XIV-XVII Chapter XIV THE CHARACTER OF THE ENEMIES OF RELIGION Maxentius, his son, who obtained the government at Rome, at first feigned our faith in complacence and flattery toward the Roman people. On this account he commanded his subjects to cease persecuting the Christians, pretending to religion that he might appear merciful and mild beyond his predecessors. But he did not prove in his deeds to be such a person as was hoped, but ran into all wickedness and abstained from no impurity or licentiousness, committing adulteries and indulging in all kinds of corruption. For having separated wives from their lawful consorts, he abused them and sent them back most dishonorably to their husbands. And he not only practiced this against the obscure and unknown, but he insulted especially the most prominent and distinguished members of the Roman Senate. All his subjects, people and rulers, honored and obscure, were worn out by grievous oppression. Neither, although they kept quiet and bore the bitter servitude, was there any relief from the the tyrant. Once, on a small pretense, he gave the people to be slaughtered by his guards, and a great multitude of the Roman populace were slain in the midst of the city, with the spears and arms not of Scythians and barbarians, but of their own fellow citizens. It would be impossible to recount the number of senators who were put to death for the sake of their wealth, multitudes being slain on various pretenses. To crown all his wickedness, the tyrant resorted to magic, and in his divinations he cut open pregnant women and again inspected the bowels of newborn infants. He slaughtered lions and performed various execrable acts to invoke demons and avert war, for his only hope was that by this means victory would be secured to him. It is impossible to tell the ways in which this tyrant at Rome oppressed his subjects, so that they were reduced to such an extreme dearth of the necessities of life as has never been known, according to our contemporaries, either at Rome or elsewhere. But Maximinus, the tyrant in the East, having secretly formed a friendly alliance with the Roman tyrant as with a brother in wickedness, sought to conceal it for a long time, but being at last detected, he suffered merited punishment. It was wonderful how akin he was in wickedness to the tyrant at Rome, or rather how far he surpassed him in it, for the chief of sorcerers and magicians were honoured by him with the highest rank, becoming exceedingly timid and superstitious, he valued greatly the error of idols and demons. Indeed, without soothsayers and oracles he did not venture to move even a finger, so to speak. Therefore he persecuted us more violently and incessantly than his predecessors. He ordered temples to be erected in every city, and the sacred groves which had been destroyed through lapse of time to be speedily restored. He appointed idle priests in every place and city, and he set over them in every province, as high priest, some political official who had especially distinguished himself in every kind of service, giving him a band of soldiers and a bodyguard. And to all jugglers, as if they were pious and beloved of the gods, he granted governments and the greatest privileges. From this time on he distressed and harassed not one city or country, but all the provinces under his authority, by extreme exactions of gold and silver and goods, and most grievous prosecutions and various fines. He took away from the wealthy the property which they had inherited from their ancestors, and bestowed vast riches and large sums of money on the flatterers about him. And he went to such an excess of folly and drunkenness that his mind was deranged and crazed in his carousals, and he gave commands when intoxicated of which he repented afterward when sober. He suffered no one to surpass him in debauchery and profligacy, but made himself an instructor in wickedness to those about him, both rulers and subjects. He urged on the army to live wantonly in every kind of revelry and intemperance, and encouraged the governors and generals to abuse their subjects with rapacity and covetousness, almost as if they were rulers with him. Why need we relate the licentious, shameless deeds of the man, or enumerate the multitude with whom he committed adultery? For he could not pass through a city without continually corrupting women and ravishing virgins. And in this he succeeded with all except the Christians, for as they despised death they cared nothing for his power. For the men endured fire and sword and crucifixion and wild beasts and the depths of the sea, and cutting off of limbs and burnings, and pricking and digging out of eyes, and mutilations of the entire body, and besides these hunger and mines and bonds. In all they showed patience in behalf of religion rather than transfer to idols the reverence due to God. And the women were not less manly than the men in behalf of the teaching of the divine word, as they endured conflicts with the men, and bore away equal prizes of virtue, and when they were dragged away for corrupt purposes they surrendered their lives to death rather than their bodies to impurity. One only of those who were seized for adulterous purposes by the tyrant, a most distinguished and illustrious Christian woman in Alexandria, conquered the passionate and intemperate soul of Maximinus by most heroic firmness. Honorable on account of wealth and family and education, she esteemed all of these inferior to chastity. He urged her many times, but although she was ready to die he could not put her to death, for his desire was stronger than his anger. He therefore punished her with exile, and took away all her property. Many others, unable even to listen to the threats of violation from the heathen rulers, endured every form of tortures and rackings and deadly punishment. These indeed should be admired, but far the most admirable was that woman at Rome, who was truly the most noble and modest of all, whom the tyrant Maxentius, fully resembling Maximinus in his actions, endeavored to abuse. For when she learned that those who served the tyrant in such matters were at the house, she also was a Christian, and that her husband, although a prefect of Rome, would suffer them to take and lead her away, having requested a little time for adorning her body, she entered her chamber, and being alone, stabbed herself with a sword. Dying immediately, she left her corpse to those who had come for her, and by her deeds, more powerfully than by any words, she has shown to all men now and hereafter, that the virtue which prevails among Christians is the only invincible and indestructible possession. Such was the career of wickedness which was carried forward at one and the same time by the two tyrants who held the East and the West. Who is there that would hesitate, after careful examination, to pronounce the persecution against us the cause of such evils, especially since this extreme confusion of affairs did not cease until the Christians had obtained liberty? CHAPTER XV. THE EVENTS WHICH HAPPENED TO THE HEATHEN During the entire ten years of the persecution, they were constantly plotting and warring against one another, for the sea could not be navigated, nor could men sail from any port without being exposed to all kinds of outrages, being stretched on the rack and lacerated in their sides, that it might be ascertained through various tortures whether they came from the enemy, and finally being subjected to punishment by the cross or by fire. And besides these things, shields and breastplates were preparing, and darts and spears and other warlike accoutrements were making ready, and galleys and naval armor were collecting in every place, and no one expected anything else than to be attacked by enemies any day. In addition to this, famine and pestilence came upon them, in regard to which we shall relate what is necessary in the proper place. CHAPTER XVI. THE CHANGE OF AFFAIRS FOR THE BETTER Such was the state of affairs during the entire persecution. But in the tenth year, through the grace of God, it ceased altogether, having begun to decrease after the eighth year. For when the divine and heavenly grace showed us favorable and propitious oversight, then truly our rulers, and the very persons by whom the war against us had been earnestly prosecuted, most remarkably changed their minds and issued a revocation, and quenched the great fire of persecution which had been kindled by merciful proclamations and ordinances concerning us. But this was not due to any human agency, nor was it the result, as one might say, of the compassion or philanthropy of our rulers. Far from it! For daily from the beginning until that time they were devising more and more severe measures against us, and continually inventing outrages by a greater variety of instruments. But it was manifestly due to the oversight of divine providence, on the one hand becoming reconciled to his people, and on the other attacking him who instigated these evils, and showing anger toward him as the author of the cruelties of the entire persecution. For though it was necessary that these things should take place according to the divine judgment, yet the word saith, Woe to him through whom the offence cometh. Therefore punishment from God came upon him, beginning with his flesh, and proceeding to his soul. For an abscess suddenly appeared in the midst of the secret parts of his body, and from it a deeply perforated sore, which spread irresistibly into his inmost bowels. An indescribable multitude of worms sprang from them, and a deathly odour arose, as the entire bulk of his body had, through his gluttony, been changed, before his sickness, into an excessive mass of soft fat, which became putrid, and thus presented an awful and intolerable sight to those who came near. Some of the physicians, being wholly unable to endure the exceeding offensiveness of the odour, were slain, others, as the entire mass had swollen and passed beyond hope of restoration, and they were unable to render any help, were put to death without mercy. CHAPTER XVII. THE REVOCATION OF THE RULERS Wrestling with so many evils, he thought of the cruelties which he had committed against the pious. Turning, therefore, his thoughts toward himself, he first openly confessed to the God of the universe, and then, summoning his attendants, he commanded that without delay they should stop the persecution of the Christians, and should by law and royal decree urge them forward to build their churches and to perform their customary worship, offering prayers in behalf of the Emperor. Immediately the deed followed the word. The imperial decrees were published in the cities, containing the revocation of the acts against us in the following form. The Emperor Caesar Galerius Valerius Maximinus Invictus Augustus Pontifex Maximus Conqueror of the Germans Conqueror of the Egyptians Conqueror of the Thebans Five times Conqueror of the Sarmatians Conqueror of the Persians Twice Conqueror of the Carpathians Six times Conqueror of the Armenians Conqueror of the Medes Conqueror of the Adiabani Tribune of the People the Twentieth Time Emperor the Nineteenth Time Consul the Eighth Time Father of his Country Proconsul and the Emperor Caesar Flavius Valerius Constantinus Pius Felix Invictus Augustus Pontifex Maximus Tribune of the People Emperor the Fifth Time Consul Father of his Country Proconsul and the Emperor Caesar Valerius Licinius Pius Felix Invictus Augustus Pontifex Maximus Tribune of the People the Fourth Time Emperor the Third Time Consul Father of his Country Proconsul To the People of their Provinces Greeting Among the other things which we have ordained for the public advantage and profit, we formerly wish to restore everything to conformity with the ancient laws and public discipline of the Romans, and to provide that the Christians also, who have forsaken the religion of their ancestors, should return to a good disposition. For in some way such arrogance had seized them and such stupidity had overtaken them, that they did not follow the ancient institutions which possibly their own ancestors had formerly established, but made for themselves laws according to their own purpose, as each one desired and observed them, and thus assembled as separate congregations in various places. When we had issued this decree that they should return to the institutions established by the ancients, a great many submitted under danger, but a great many being harassed endured all kinds of death. And since many continue in the same folly, and we perceive that they neither offer to the heavenly gods the worship which is due, nor pay regard to the God of the Christians, in consideration of our philanthropy and our invariable custom, by which we are wont to extend pardon to all, we have determined that we ought more cheerfully to extend our indulgence in this matter also, that they may again be Christians, and may rebuild the conventicles in which they were accustomed to assemble, on condition that nothing be done by them contrary to discipline. In another letter we shall indicate to the magistrates what they have to observe. Wherefore, on account of this indulgence of ours, they ought to supplicate their God for our safety, and that of the people, and their own, that the public welfare may be preserved in every place, and that they may live securely in their several homes. Such is the tenor of this edict, translated as well as possible, from the Roman tongue into the Greek. It is time to consider what took place after these events. That which follows is found in some copies of the eighth book. The author of the edict very shortly after this confession was released from his pains and died. He is reported to have been the original author of the misery of the persecution, having endeavored, long before the movement of the other emperors, to turn from the faith the Christians in the army, and first of all those in his own house, degrading some from the military rank, and abusing others most shamefully, and threatening still others with death, and finally inciting his partners in the empire to the general persecution. It is not proper to pass over the death of these emperors in silence. As four of them held the supreme authority, those who were advanced in age and honor, after the persecution had continued not quite two years, abdicated the government, as we have already stated, and passed the remainder of their lives in a common and private station. The end of their lives was as follows. He who was first in honor and age perished through a long and most grievous physical infirmity. He who held the second place ended his life by strangling, suffering thus according to a certain demoniacal prediction, on account of his many daring crimes. Of those after them, the last, of whom we have spoken as the originator of the entire persecution, suffered such things as we have related. But he who preceded him, the most merciful and kindly Emperor Constantius, passed all the time of his government in a manner worthy of his office. Moreover, he conducted himself towards all most favorably and beneficently. He took not the smallest part in the war against us, and preserved the pious that were under him unharmed and unabused. Neither did he throw down the church buildings, nor devise anything else against us. The end of his life was happy and thrice blessed. He alone at death left his empire happily and gloriously to his own son as his successor, one who was in all respects most prudent and pious. He entered on the government at once, being proclaimed Supreme Emperor and Augustus by the soldiers. And he showed himself an emulator of his father's piety toward our doctrine. Such were the deaths of the four, of whom we have written, which took place at different times. Of these, moreover, only the one referred to a little above by us, with those who afterward shared in the government, finally published openly to all the above-mentioned confession in the written edict which he issued.