Preface. Of the Death of Constantine. 
 

    ALREADY (1) have all mankind united in celebrating with joyous festivities 
 the completion of the second and third decennial period of this great 
 emperor's reign; already have we ourselves received him as a triumphant 
 conqueror in the assembly of God's ministers, and greeted him with the due 
 meed of praise on the twentieth anniversary of his reign: (2) and still more 
 recently we have woven, as it were, garlands of words, wherewith we encircled 
 his sacred head in his own palace on his thirtieth anniversary. (3) 
 
    But now, while I desire (4) to give utterance to some of the customary 
 sentiments, I stand perplexed and doubtful which way to turn, being wholly 
 lost in wonder at the extraordinary spectacle before me. For to whatever 
 quarter I direct my view, whether to the east, or to the west, or over the 
 whole world, or toward heaven itself, everywhere and always I see the blessed 
 one yet administering the self-same empire. On earth I behold his sons, like 
 some new reflectors of his brightness, diffusing everywhere the luster of 
 their father's character, (5) and himself still living and powerful, and 
 governing all the affairs of men more completely than ever before, being 
 multiplied in the succession of his children. They had indeed had previously 
 the dignity of Caesars; (6) but now, being invested with his very self, and 
 graced by his accomplishments, for the excellence of their piety they are 
 proclaimed by the titles of Sovereign, Augustus, Worshipful, and Emperor. 
 

CHAPTER II. 
 

       The Preface continued. 
 

    And I am indeed amazed, when I consider that he who was but lately visible 
 and present with us in his mortal body, is still, even after death, when the 
 natural thought disclaims everything superfluous as unsuitable, most 
 marvelously endowed with the same imperial dwellings, and honors, and praises 
 as heretofore. (1) But farther, 
 

482 
 

when I raise my thoughts even to the arch of heaven, and there contemplate his 
 thrice-blessed soul in communion with God himself, freed from every mortal and 
 earthly vesture, and shining in a refulgent robe of light, and when I perceive 
 that it is no more connected with the fleeting periods and occupations of 
 mortal life, but honored with an ever-blooming crown, and an immortality of 
 endless and blessed existence, I stand as it were without power of speech or  
 thought (2) and unable to utter a single phrase, but condemning my own 
 weakness, and imposing silence on myself, I resign the task of speaking his 
 praises worthily to one who is better able, even to him who, being the 
 immortal God and veritable Word, alone has power to confirm his own saying. 
 (3) 
 

 CHAPTER III. 
 

How God honors Pious Princes, but destroys 
 
     Tyrants. 
 

    Having given assurance that those who glorify and honor him will meet with 
 an abundant recompense at his hands, while those who set themselves against 
 him as enemies and adversaries will compass the ruin of their own souls, he 
 has already established the truth of these his own declarations, having shown 
 on the one hand the fearful end of those tyrants who denied and opposed him, 
 (1) and at the same time having made it manifest that even the death of his 
 servant, as well as his life, is worthy of admiration and praise, and justly 
 claims the memorial, not merely of perishable, but of immortal monuments. 
 
    Mankind, devising some consolation for the frail and precarious duration 
 of human life, have thought by the erection of monuments to glorify the 
 memories of their ancestors with immortal honors. Some have employed the vivid 
 delineations and colors of painting (2) ; some have carved statues from 
 lifeless blocks of wood; while others, by engraving their inscriptions deep on 
 tablets (3) and monuments, have thought to transmit the virtues of those whom 
 they honored to perpetual remembrance. All these indeed are perishable, and 
 consumed by the lapse of time, being representations of the corruptible body, 
 and not expressing the image of the immortal soul. And yet these seemed 
 sufficient to those who had no well-grounded hope of happiness after the 
 termination of this mortal life. But God, that God, I say, who is the common 
 Saviour of all, having treasured up with himself, for those who love 
 godliness, greater blessings than human thought has conceived, gives the 
 earnest and first-fruits of future rewards even here, assuring in some sort 
 immortal hopes to mortal eyes. The ancient oracles of the prophets, delivered 
 to us in the Scripture, declare this; the lives of pious men, who shone in old 
 time with every virtue, bear witness to posterity of the same; and our own 
 days prove it to be true, wherein Constantine, who alone of all that ever 
 wielded the Roman power was the friend of God the Sovereign of all, has 
 appeared to all mankind so clear an example of a godly life. 
 

CHAPTER IV. 
 

    That God honored Constantine. 
 

    And God himself, whom Constantine worshiped, has confirmed this truth by 
 the clearest manifestations of his will, being present to aid him (1) at the 
 commencement, during the course, and at the end of his reign, and holding him 
 up to the human race as an instructive example of godliness. Accordingly, by 
 the manifold blessings he has conferred on him, he has distinguished him alone 
 of all the sovereigns of whom we have ever heard as at once a mighty luminary 
 and most clear-voiced herald of genuine piety. 
 

CHAPTER V. 
 

     That he reigned above Thirty Years, and lived 
 
   above Sixty. 
 

    With respect to the duration of his reign, God honored him with three 
 complete periods of ten years, and something more, extending the whole term of 
 his mortal life to twice this number of years. (1) And being pleased to make 
 him a representative of his own sovereign power, he displayed him as the 
 conqueror of the whole race of tyrants, and the destroyer of those God-defying 
 giants (2) of the earth who madly raised 
 

483 
 

their impious arms against him, the supreme King of all. They appeared, so to 
 speak, for an instant, and then disappeared: while the one and only true God, 
 when he had enabled his servant, clad in heavenly panoply, to stand singly 
 against many foes, and by his means had relieved mankind from the multitude of 
 the ungodly, constituted him a teacher of his worship to all nations, to 
 testify with a loud voice in the hearing of all that he acknowledged the true 
 God, and turned with abhorrence from the error of them that are no gods. 
 

    CHAFFER VI. 
 

That he was the Servant of God, and the Conqueror of Nations. 
 

    Thus, like a faithful and good servant, did he act and testify, openly 
 declaring and confessing himself the obedient minister of the supreme King. 
 And God forthwith rewarded him, by making him ruler and sovereign, and 
 victorious to such a degree that he alone of all rulers pursued a continual 
 course of conquest, unsubdued and invincible, and through his trophies a 
 greater ruler than tradition records ever to have been before. So dear was he 
 to God, and so blessed; so pious and so fortunate in all that he undertook, 
 that with the greatest facility he obtained the authority over more nations 
 than any who had preceded him, (1) and yet retained his power, undisturbed, to 
 the very close of his life. 
 

   CHAFFER VII. 
 

Comparison with Cyrus, King of the Persians and with Alexander of Macedon. 
 

    Ancient history describes Cyrus, king of the Persians, as by far the most 
 illustrious of all kings up to his time. And yet if we regard the end of his 
 days, (1) we find it but little corresponded with his past prosperity, since 
 he met with an inglorious and dishonorable death at the hands of a woman. (2) 
 

    Again, the sons of Greece celebrate Alexander the Macedonian as the 
 conqueror of many and diverse nations; yet we find that he was removed by an 
 early death, before he had reached maturity, being carried off by the effects 
 of revelry and drunkenness. (3) His whole life embraced but the space of 
 thirty-two years, and his reign extended to no more than a third part of that 
 period. Unsparing as the thunderbolt, he advanced through streams of blood and 
 reduced entire nations and cities, young and old, to utter slavery. But when 
 he had scarcely arrived at the maturity of life, and was lamenting the loss of 
 youthful pleasures, death fell upon him with terrible stroke, and, that he 
 might not longer outrage the human race, cut him off in a foreign and hostile 
 land, childless, without successor, and homeless. His kingdom too was 
 instantly dismembered, each of his officers taking away and appropriating a 
 portion for himself. And yet this man is extolled for such deeds as these. (4) 
 

 CHAPTER VIII. 
 

       That he conquered nearly the Whale World. 
 

    But our emperor began his reign at the time of life at which the 
 Macedonian died, yet doubled the length of his life, and trebled the length of 
 his reign. And instructing his army in the mild and sober precepts of 
 godliness, he carried his arms as far as the Britons, and the nations that 
 dwell in the very bosom of the Western ocean. He subdued likewise all Scythia, 
 though situated in the remotest North, and divided into numberless diverse and 
 barbarous tribes. He even pushed his conquests to the Blemmyans and 
 Ethiopians, on the very confines of the South nor did he think the acquisition 
 of the Eastern nations unworthy his care. In short, diffusing the effulgence 
 of his holy light to the ends of the whole world, even to the most distant 
 Indians, the nations dwelling on the extreme circumference of the inhabited 
 earth, he received the submission of all the rulers, (1) governors, (2) and 
 satraps of barbarous nations, who cheerfully welcomed and saluted him, sending 
 embassies and presents, and setting the highest value on his acquaintance and 
 friendship; insomuch that they honored him with pictures and statues in their 
 respective countries, and Constantine alone of all emperors was acknowledged 
 and celebrated by all. Notwithstanding, even among these distant 
 

484 
 

tions, he proclaimed the name of his God in his royal edicts with all 
 boldness. 
 

CHAPTER IX. 
 

Thathe was the San of a Pious Emperor, and bequeathed the Power to Royal Sons. 
 

    Nor did he give this testimony in words merely, while exhibiting failure 
 in his own practice, but pursued every path of virtue, and was rich in the 
 varied fruits of godliness. He ensured the affection of his friends by 
 magnificent proofs of liberality; and inasmuch as he governed on principles of 
 humanity, he caused his rule to be but lightly felt and acceptable to all 
 classes of his subjects; until at last, after a long course of years, and when 
 he was wearied by his divine labors, the God whom he honored crowned him with 
 an immortal reward, and translated him from a transitory kingdom to that 
 endless life which he has laid up in store for the souls of his saints, after 
 he had raised him up three sons to succeed him in his power. As then the 
 imperial throne had descended to him from his father, so, by the law of 
 nature, was it reserved for his children and their descendants, and 
 perpetuated, like some paternal inheritance, to endless generations. And 
 indeed God himself, who distinguished this blessed prince with divine honors 
 while yet present with us, and who has adorned his death with choice blessings 
 from his own hand, should be the writer of his actions; since he has recorded 
 his labors and successes on heavenly monuments. (1) 
 

CHAPTER X. 
 

    Of the Need for this History, and its Value for 
 
   Edification. 
 

    HOWEVER, hard as it is to speak worthily of this blessed character, and 
 though silence were the safer and less perilous course, nevertheless it is 
 incumbent on me, if I would escape the charge of negligence and sloth, to 
 trace as it were a verbal portraiture, by way of memorial of the pious prince, 
 in imitation of the delineations of human art. For I should be ashamed of 
 myself were I not to employ my best efforts, feeble though they be and of 
 little value, in praise of one who honored God with such surpassing devotion. 
 I think too that my work will be on other grounds both instructive and 
 necessary, since it will contain a description of those royal and noble 
 actions which are pleasing to God, the Sovereign of all. For would it not be 
 disgraceful that the memory of Nero, and other impious and godless tyrants far 
 worse than he, should meet with diligent writers to embellish the relation of 
 their worthless deeds with elegant language, and record them in voluminous 
 histories, and that I should be silent, to whom God himself has vouchsafed 
 such an emperor as all history records not, and has permitted me to come into 
 his presence, and enjoy his acquaintance and society ? (1) 
 
    Wherefore, if it is the duty of any one, it certainly is mine, to make an 
 ample proclamation of his virtues to all in whom the example of noble actions 
 is capable of inspiring the love of God. For some who have written the lives 
 of worthless characters, and the history of actions but little tending to the 
 improvement of morals, from private motives, either love or enmity, and 
 possibly in some cases with no better object than the display of their own 
 learning, have exaggerated unduly their description of actions intrinsically 
 base, by a refinement and elegance of diction. (2) And thus they have become 
 to those who by the Divine favor had been kept apart from evil, teachers not 
 of good, but of what should be silenced in oblivion and darkness. But my 
 narrative, however unequal to the greatness of the deeds it has to describe, 
 will yet derive luster even from the bare relation of noble actions. And 
 surely the record of conduct that has been pleasing to God will afford a far 
 from unprofitable, indeed a most instructive study, to persons of 
 well-disposed minds. 
 

CHAPTER XI. 
 

That his Present Object is to record only the Pious Actions of Constantine. 
 

    IT is my intention, therefore, to pass over the greater part of the royal 
 deeds of this thrice-blessed prince; as, for example, his conflicts and 
 engagements in the field, his personal valor, his victories and successes 
 against the enemy, and the many triumphs he obtained: likewise his provisions 
 for the interests of individuals, his legislative enactments for the social 
 advantage of his subjects, and a multitude of other imperial labors which are 
 fresh in the memory of all; the design of my present undertaking being to 
 speak and write of those circumstances only which have reference to his 
 religious character. 
 
    And since these are themselves of almost infinite variety, I shall select 
 from the facts 
 

485 
 

which have come to my knowledge such as are most suitable, and worthy of 
 lasting record, and endeavor to narrate them as briefly as possible. 
 Henceforward, indeed, there is a full and opportunity for celebrating in every 
 way the praises of this truly blessed prince, which hitherto we have been 
 unable to do, oh the ground that we are forbidden to judge any one blessed 
 before his death, (1) because of the uncertain vicissitudes of life. Let me 
 implore then the help of God, and may the inspiring aid of the heavenly Word 
 be with me, while I commence my history from the very earliest period of his 
 life. 
 

 CHAPTER XII. 
 

     That like Moses, he was reared in the Palaces 
 
     of Kings. 
 

     ANCIENT history relates that a cruel race of tyrants oppressed 
 the Hebrew nation; and that God, who graciously regarded them in their 
 affliction, provided that the prophet Moses, who was then an infant, should be 
 brought up in the very palaces and bosoms of the oppressors, and instructed in 
 all the wisdom they possessed. And when in the course of time he had arrived 
 at manhood, and the time was come for Divine justice to avenge the wrongs of 
 the afflicted people, then the prophet of God, in obedience to the will of a 
 more powerful Lord, forsook the royal household, and, estranging himself in 
 word and deed from the tyrants by whom he had been brought up, openly 
 acknowledging his true brethren and kinsfolk. Then God, exalting him to be the 
 leader of the whole nation, delivered the Hebrews from the bondage of their 
 enemies, and inflicted Divine vengeance through his means on the tyrant race. 
 This ancient story, though rejected by most as fabulous, has. reached the ears 
 of all. But now the same God has given to us to be eye-witnesses of miracles 
 more wonderful than fables, and, from their recent appearance, more authentic 
 than any report. For the tyrants of our day have ventured to war against the 
 Supreme God, and have sorely afflicted His Church. (1) And in the midst of 
 these, Constantine, who was shortly to become their destroyer, but at that 
 time of tender age, and blooming with the down of early s youth, dwelt, as 
 that other servant of God had  done, in the very home of the tyrants, (2) but 
 t young as he was did not share the manner of life of the ungodly: for from 
 that early period his noble nature, under the leading of the Divine Spirit, 
 inclined him to piety and a life acceptable to God. A desire, moreover, to 
 emulate the example of his father had its influence in stimulating the son to 
 a virtuous course of conduct His father was Constantius (3) (and we ought to 
 revive his memory at this time), the most illustrious emperor of our age; of 
 whose life it is necessary briefly to relate a few particulars, which tell to 
 the honor of his son. 
 

 CHAPTER XIII. 
 

Of Constantius his Father, who refused to imitate Diocletian, Maximian, and 
 Maxentius, (1) in their Persecution of the Christians. 
 

    At a time when four emperors (2) shared the administration of the Roman 
 empire, Constantius alone, following a course of conduct different from that 
 pursued by his colleagues, entered into the friendship of the Supreme God. 
 
    For while they besieged and wasted the churches of God, leveling them to 
 the ground, and obliterating the very foundations of the houses of prayer, (3) 
 he kept his hands pure from their abominable impiety, and never in any respect 
 resembled them. They polluted their provinces by the indiscriminate slaughter 
 of godly men and women; but he kept his soul free from the stain of this 
 crime. (4)The involved in the mazes of impious idolatry, enthralled first 
 themselves, and then all under their authority, in bondage to the errors of 
 evil demons, while he at the same time originated the profoundest peace 
 throughout his dominions,  and secured to his subjects the privilege of 
 celebrating without hindrance the worship of God. In short, while his 
 colleagues oppressed all men by the most grievous exactions, and rendered 
 their lives intolerable, and even worse than death, Constantius alone governed 
 his people with a mild and tranquil sway, and exhibited towards them a truly 
 parental and fostering care.  Numberless, indeed, are the other virtues of 
 this man, which are the theme of praise to all; of these I will record one or 
 two instances, as specimens of the quality of those which I must pass by in 
 silence, and then I will proceed to the appointed order of my narrative. 
 

486 
 

 CHAPTER XIV. 
 

How Constantius his Rather, being reproached with Poverty by, Diocletian, 
 filled his Treasury, and afterwards restored the Money to those by whom it had 
 been contributed. 
 

    In consequence of the many reports in circulation respecting this prince, 
 describing his kindness and gentleness of character, and the extraordinary 
 elevation of his piety, alleging too, that by reason of his extreme indulgence 
 to his subjects, he had not even a supply of money laid up in his treasury; 
 the emperor who at that time occupied the place of supreme power sent to 
 reprehend his neglect of the public weal, at the same time reproaching him 
 with poverty, and alleging in proof of the charge the empty state of his 
 treasury. On this he desired the messengers of the emperor to remain with him 
 awhile, and, calling together the wealthiest of his subjects of all nations 
 under his dominion, he informed them that he was in want of money, and that 
 this was the time for them all to give a voluntary proof of their affection 
 for their prince. 
 
    As soon as they heard this (as though they had long been desirous of an 
 opportunity for showing the sincerity of their good will), with zealous 
 alacrity they filled the treasury with gold and silver and other wealth; each 
 eager to surpass the rest in the amount of his contribution: and this they did 
 with cheerful and joyous countenances. And now Constantius desired the 
 messengers of the great emperor (1) personally to inspect his treasures, and 
 directed them to give a faithful report of what they had seen; adding, that on 
 the present occasion he had taken this money into his own hands, but that it 
 had long been kept for his use in the custody of the owners, as securely as if 
 under the charge of faithful treasurers. The ambassadors were overwhelmed with 
 astonishment at what they had witnessed: and on their departure it is said 
 that the truly generous prince sent for the owners of the property, and, after 
 commending them severally for their obedience and true loyalty, restored it 
 all, and bade them return to their homes. 
 
    This one circumstance, then, conveys a proof of the generosity of him 
 whose character we are attempting to illustrate: another will contain the 
 clearest testimony to his piety. 
 

CHAPTER XV. 
 

Of the Persecution raised by his Colleagues. 
 

    By command of the supreme authorities of the empire, the governors of the 
 several provinces had set on foot a general persecution of the godly. Indeed, 
 it was from the imperial courts themselves that the very first of the pious 
 martyrs proceeded, who passed through those conflicts for the faith, and most 
 readily endured both fire and sword, and the depths of the sea; every form of 
 death, in short, so that in a brief time all the royal palaces were bereft of 
 pious men. (1) The result was, that the authors of this wickedness were 
 entirely deprived of the protecting care of God, since by their persecution of 
 his worshipers they at the same time silenced the prayers that were wont to be 
 made on their own behalf. 
 

 CHAPTER XVI. 
 

     How Constantius, reigning Idolatry, expelled 
 
those who consented to offer Sacrifice, but retained in his Palace all who 
 were willing to confess Christ. 
 

    On the other hand, Constantius conceived an expedient full of sagacity, 
 and did a thing which sounds paradoxical, but in fact was most admirable. 
 
    He made a proposal to all the officers of his court, including even those 
 in the highest stations of authority, offering them the following alternative: 
 either that they should offer sacrifice to demons, and thus be permitted to 
 remain with him, and enjoy their usual honors; or, in case of refusal, that 
 they should be shut out from all access to his person, and entirely 
 disqualified from acquaintance and association with him. Accordingly, when 
 they had individually made their choice, some one way and some the other; and 
 the choice of each had been ascertained, then this admirable prince disclosed 
 the secret meaning of his expedient, and condemned the cowardice and 
 selfishness of the one party, while he highly commended the other for their 
 conscientious devotion to God. He declared, too, that those who had been false 
 to their God must be unworthy of the confidence of their prince; for how was 
 it possible that they should preserve their fidelity to him, who had proved 
 themselves faithless to a higher power? He determined, therefore, that such 
 persons should be removed altogether from the imperial court, while, on the 
 other hand, declaring that those men who, in bearing witness for the truth, 
 had proved them 

487 
 

selves to be worthy servants of God, would manifest the same fidelity to their 
 king, he en-trusted them with the guardianship of his person and empire, 
 saying that he was bound to treat such persons with special regard as his 
 nearest and most valued friends, and to esteem them far more highly than the 
 richest treasures. 
 

 CHAPTER XVII. 
 

  Of his Christian Manner of Life. 
 

    The father of Constantine, then, is said to have possessed such a 
 character as we have briefly described. And what kind of death was vouchsafed 
 to him in consequence of such devotion to God, and how far he whom he honored 
 made his lot to differ from that of his colleagues in the empire, may be known 
 to any one who will give his attention to the circumstances of the case. For 
 after he had for a long time given many proofs of royal virtue, in 
 acknowledging the Supreme God alone, and condemning the polytheism of the 
 ungodly, and had fortified his household by the prayers of holy men, (1) he 
 passed the remainder of his life in remarkable repose and tranquillity, in the 
 enjoyment of what is counted blessedness, --neither molesting others nor being 
 molested ourselves. 
 
    Accordingly, during the whole course of his quiet and peaceful reign, he 
 dedicated his entire household, his children, his wife, and domestic 
 attendants, to the One Supreme God: so that the company assembled within the 
 walls of his palace differed in no respect from a church of God; wherein were 
 also to be found his ministers, who offered continual supplications on behalf 
 of their prince, and this at a time when, with most,(2) it was not allowable 
 to have any dealings with the worshipers of God, even so far as to exchange a 
 word with them. 
 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
 

That after the Abdication of Diocletian and Maximian, Constantius became Chief 
 Augustus, and was blessed with a Numerous Offspring. 
 

    The immediate consequence of this conduct was a recompense from the hand 
 of God, insomuch that he came into the supreme authority of the empire. For 
 the older emperors, for some unknown reason, resigned their power; and this 
 sudden change took place in the first year after their persecution of the 
 churches. (1) 
 
    From that time Constantius alone received the honors of chief Augustus, 
 having been previously, indeed, distinguished by the diadem of the imperial 
 Caesars, (2) among whom he held the first rank; but after his worth had been 
 proved in this capacity, he was invested with the highest dignity of the Roman 
 empire, being named chief Augustus of the four who were afterwards elected to 
 that honor. Moreover, he surpassed most of the emperors in regard to the 
 number of his family, having gathered around him a very large circle of 
 children both male and female. And, lastly, when he had attained to a happy 
 old age, and was about to pay the common debt of nature, and exchange this 
 life for another, God once more manifested His power in a special manner on 
 his behalf, by providing that his eldest son Constantine should be present 
 during his last moments, and ready to receive the imperial power from his 
 hands. (3) 
 

 CHAPTER XIX. 
 

Of his Son Constantine, who in his Youth accompanied Diocletian into 
 Palestine. 
 

    The latter had been with his father's imperial colleagues, (1) and had 
 passed his life among them, as we have said, like God's ancient prophet. And 
 even in the very earliest period of his youth he was judged by them to be 
 worthy of the highest honor. An instance of this we have ourselves seen, when 
 he passed through Palestine with the senior emperor, (2) at whose right  hand 
 he stood, and commanded the admiration of all who beheld him by the 
 indications he gave even then of royal greatness. For no one was comparable to 
 him for grace and beauty of person, or height of stature; and he so far 
 surpassed his compeers in personal strength as to be a terror to them. He was, 
 however, even more conspicuous for the excellence of his mental (3) qualities 
 than for his superior physical endowments; being gifted in the first place 
 with a sound judgment, (4) and having also reaped the advantages of a liberal 
 education. He was 
 

488 
 

also distinguished in no ordinary degree both by natural intelligence and 
 divinely imparted wisdom. 
 

CHAPTER XX. 
 

    Flight of Constantine to his Father because of 
 
    the Plots of Diocletian. (1) 
 

The emperors then in power, observing his manly and vigorous figure and 
 superior mind, were moved with feelings of jealousy and fear, and 
 thenceforward carefully watched for an opportunity of inflicting some brand of 
 disgrace on his character. But the young man, being aware of their designs, 
 the details of which, through the providence of God, more than once came to 
 him, sought safety in flight; (2) in this respect again keeping up his 
 resemblance to the great prophet Moses. Indeed, in every sense God was his 
 helper; and he had before ordained that he should be present in readiness to 
 succeed his father. 
 

 CHAPTER XXI. 
 

     Death of Constantius, who leaves his Son Constantine Emperor. 
 (1) 
 

    IMMEDIATELY, therefore, on his escape from the plots which had been thus 
 insidiously laid for him, he made his way with all haste to his father, and 
 arrived at length at the very time that he was lying at the point of death. 
 (2) As soon as Constantius saw his son thus unexpectedly in his presence, he 
 leaped from his couch, embraced him tenderly, and, declaring that the only 
 anxiety which had troubled him in the prospect of death, namely, that caused 
 by the absence of his son, was now removed, he rendered thanks to God, saying 
 that he now thought death better than the longest life, (3) and at once 
 completed the arrangement of his private affairs. Then, taking a final leave 
 of the circle of sons and daughters by whom he was surrounded, in his own 
 palace, and on the imperial couch, he bequeathed the empire, according to the 
 law of nature, (4) to his eldest son, and breathed his last. 
 

 CHAPTER XXII. 
 

How, after the Burial of Constantius, Constantine was proclaimed Augustus by 
 the Army. 
 

    Nor did the imperial throne remain long unoccupied: for Constantine 
 invested himself with his father's purple, and proceeded from his father's 
 palace, presenting to all a renewal, as it were, in his own person, of his 
 father's life and reign. He then conducted the funeral procession in company 
 with his father's friends, some preceding, others following the train, and 
 performed the last offices for the pious deceased with an extraordinary degree 
 of magnificence, and all united in honoring this thrice blessed prince with 
 acclamations and praises, and while with one mind and voice, they glorified 
 the rule of the son as a living again of him who was dead, they hastened at 
 once to hail their new sovereign by the titles of Imperial and Worshipful 
 Augustus, with joyful shouts. (1) Thus the memory of the deceased emperor 
 received honor from the praises bestowed upon his son, while the latter was 
 pronounced blessed in being the successor of such a father. All the nations 
 also under his dominion were filled with joy and inexpressible gladness at not 
 being even for a moment deprived of the benefits of a well ordered government. 
 
    In the instance of the Emperor Constantius, God has made manifest to our 
 generation what the end of those is who in their lives have honored and loved 
 him. 
 

    CHAPTER XXIII. 
 

A Brief Notice of the Destruction of the Tyrants. 
 

    With respect to the other princes, who made war against the churches of 
 God, I have not thought it fit in the present work to give any account of 
 their downfall, (1) nor to stain the memory of the good by mentioning them in 
 connection with those of an opposite character. The knowledge of the facts 
 themselves will of itself suffice for the wholesome admonition of those who 
 have witnessed or heard of the evils which severally befell them. 
 

489 
 

 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 

It was by the Will of God that Constantine became possessed of the Empire. 
 

    Trays then the God of all, the Supreme Governor of the whole universe, by 
 his own will appointed Constantine, the descendant of so renowned a parent, to 
 be prince and sovereign 
 
so that, while others have been raised to this distinction by the election of 
 their fellow-men, he is the only one to whose elevation no mortal may boast of 
 having contributed. 
 

 CHAPTER XXV. 
 

     Victories of Constantine over the Barbarians 
 
          and the Britons. 
 

    As soon then as he was established on the throne, he began to care for the 
 interests of his paternal inheritance, and visited with much considerate 
 kindness all those provinces which had previously been under his father's 
 government. Some tribes of the barbarians who dwelt on the banks of the Rhine, 
 and the shores of the Western ocean, having ventured to revolt, he reduced 
 them all to obedience, and brought them from their savage state to one of 
 gentleness. He contented himself with checking the inroads of others, and 
 drove from his dominions, like untamed and savage beasts, those whom he 
 perceived to be altogether incapable of the settled order of civilized life. 
 (1) Having disposed of these affairs to his satisfaction, he directed his 
 attention to other quarters of the world, and first passed over to the British 
 nations, (2) which lie in the very bosom of the ocean. These he reduced to 
 submission, and then proceeded to consider the state of the remaining portions 
 of the empire, that he might be ready to tender his aid wherever circumstances 
 might require it. 
 

CHAPTER XXVI. 
 

         How he resolved to deliver Rome from 
 
    Maxentius. 
 

    While, therefore, he regarded the entire world as one immense body, and 
 perceived that the head of it all, the royal city of the Roman empire, was 
 bowed down by the weight of a tyrannous oppression; at first he had left the 
 task of liberation to those who governed the other divisions of the empire, as 
 being his superiors in point of age. But when none of these proved able to 
 afford relief, and those who had attempted it had experienced a disastrous 
 termination of their enterprise, (1) he said that life was without enjoyment 
 to him as long as he saw  the imperial city thus afflicted, and prepared 
 himself for the overthrowal of the tyranny. 
 

    CHAPTER XXVII. 
 

That after reflecting on the Dawn fall of those who had worshiped Idols, he 
 made Choice of Christianity. 
 

    Being convinced, however, that he needed some more powerful aid than his 
 military forces could afford him, on account of the wicked and magical 
 enchantments which were so diligently practiced by the tyrant, (1) he sought 
 Divine assistance, deeming the possession of arms and a numerous soldiery of 
 secondary importance, but believing the co-operating power of Deity invincible 
 and not to be shaken. He considered, therefore, on what God he might rely for 
 protection and assistance. While engaged in this enquiry, the thought occurred 
 to him, that, of the many emperors who had preceded him, those who had rested 
 their hopes in a multitude of gods, and served them with sacrifices and 
 offerings, had in the first place been deceived by flattering predictions, and 
 oracles which promised them all prosperity, and at last had met with an 
 unhappy end, while not one of their gods had stood by to warn them of the 
 impending wrath of heaven; while one alone who had pursued an entirely 
 opposite course, who had condemned their error, and honored the one  Supreme 
 God during his whole life, had formal I him to be the Saviour and Protector of 
 his empire, and the Giver of every good thing. Reflecting on this, and well 
 weighing the fact that they who had trusted in many gods had also fallen by 
 manifold forms of death, without leaving behind them either family or 
 offspring, stock, name, or memorial among men: while the God of his father had 
 given to him, on the other hand, manifestations of his power and very many 
 tokens: and considering farther that those who had already taken arms against 
 the tyrant, and had marched to the battle-field under the protection of a 
 multitude of gods, had met with a dishonorable end (for one of them (2) had 
 shamefully retreated from the contest without a blow, and the other, (3) being 
 slain in the midst of 
 

490 
 

his own troops, became, as it were, the mere sport of death (4) ); reviewing, 
 I say, all these considerations, he judged it to be folly indeed to join in 
 the idle worship of those who were no gods, and, after such convincing 
 evidence, to err from the truth; and therefore felt it incumbent on him to 
 honor his father's God alone. 
 

    CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 

How, while he was praying, God sent him a Vision of a Cross of Light in the 
 Heavens at Mid-day, with an Inscription admonishing him to conquer by that. 
 

    ACCORDINGLY he called on him with earnest prayer and supplications that he 
 would reveal to him who he was, and stretch forth his right hand to help him 
 in his present difficulties. And while he was thus praying with fervent 
 entreaty, a most marvelous sign appeared to him from heaven, the account of 
 which it might have been hard to believe had it been related by any other 
 person. But since the victorious emperor himself long afterwards declared it 
 to the writer of this history, (1) when he was honored with his acquaintance 
 and society, and confirmed his statement by an oath, who could hesitate to 
 accredit the relation, especially since the testimony of after-time has 
 established its truth? He said that about noon, when the day was already 
 beginning to decline, he saw with his own eyes the trophy of a cross of light 
 in the heavens, above the sun, and bearing the inscription, CONQUER BY THIS. 
 At this sight he himself was struck with amazement, and his whole army also, 
 which followed him on this expedition, and witnessed the miracle. (2) 
 

   CHAFFER XXIX. 
 

How the Christ of God appeared to him in his Sleep, and commanded him to use 
 in his Wars a Standard made in the Form of the Cross. 
 

    He said, moreover, that he doubted within himself what the import of this 
 apparition could be. And while he continued to ponder and reason on its 
 meaning, night suddenly came on ; then in his sleep the Christ of God appeared 
 to him with the same sign which he had seen in the heavens, and commanded him 
 to make a likeness of that sign which he had seen in the heavens, and to use 
 it as a safeguard in all engagements with his enemies. 
 

 CHAPTER XXX. 
 

       The Making of the Standard of the Cross. 
 

    AT dawn of day he arose, and communicated the marvel to his friends: and 
 then, calling together the workers in gold and precious stones, he sat in the 
 midst of them, and described to them the figure of the sign he had seen, 
 bidding them represent it in gold and precious stones. And this representation 
 I myself have had an opportunity of seeing. 
 

 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 

A Description of the Standard of the Cross, which the Romans now call the 
 Labarum. (1) 
 

    Now it was made in the following manner. A long spear, overlaid with gold, 
 formed the 
 

491 
 

figure of the cross by means of a transverse bar laid over it. On the top of 
 the whole was fixed a wreath of gold and precious stones; and within this, (2) 
 the symbol of the Saviour's name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by 
 means of its initial characters, the letter P being intersected by X in its 
 centre: (3) and these letters the emperor was in the habit of wearing on his 
 helmet at a later period. From the cross-bar of the spear was suspended a 
 cloth, (4) a royal piece, covered with a profuse embroidery of most brilliant 
 precious stones; and which, being also richly interlaced with gold, presented 
 an indescribable degree of beauty to the beholder. This banner was of a square 
 form, and the upright staff, whose lower section was of great length,(5) bore 
 a golden half-length portrait (6) of the pious emperor and his children on its 
 upper part, beneath the trophy of the cross, and immediately above the 
 embroidered banner. 
 
    The emperor constantly made use of this sign  of salvation as a safeguard 
 against every adverse and hostile power, and commanded that others similar to 
 it should be carried at the head of all his armies. 
 

    CHAPTER XXXII. 
 

    How Constantine received Instruction, and read 
 
       the Sacred Scriptures. 
 

    These things were done shortly afterwards. But at the time above 
 specified, being struck with amazement at the extraordinary vision, and 
 resolving to worship no other God save Him who had appeared to him, he sent 
 for those who were acquainted with the mysteries of His doctrines, and 
 enquired who that God was, and what was intended by the sign of the vision he 
 had seen. They affirmed that He was God, the only begotten Son of the one and 
 only God: that the sign which had appeared was the symbol of immortality, (1) 
 and the trophy of that victory over death which He had gained in time past 
 when sojourning on earth. They taught him also the causes of His advent, and 
 explained to him the true account of His incarnation. Thus he was instructed 
 in these matters, and was impressed with wonder at the divine manifestation 
 which had been presented to his sight. Comparing, therefore, the heavenly 
 vision with the interpretation given, he found his judgment confirmed; and, in 
 the persuasion that the knowledge of these things had been imparted to him by 
 Divine teaching, he determined thenceforth to devote himself to the reading of 
 the Inspired writings. 
 
    Moreover, he made the priests of God his counselors, and deemed it 
 incumbent on him to honor the God who had appeared to him with all devotion. 
 And after this, being fortified by well-grounded hopes in Him, he hastened to 
 quench the threatening fire of tyranny. 
 

    CHAPTER XXXIII 
 

       Of the Adulterous Conduct of Maxentius at 
 
     Rome. (1) 
 

    For the who had tyrannically possessed himself of the imperial city, (2) 
 had proceeded to great lengths in impiety and wickedness, so as to venture 
 without hesitation on every vile and impure action. 
 
    For example: he would separate women from their husbands, and after a time 
 send them back to them again, and these insults he offered not  to men of mean 
 or obscure condition, but to  those who held the first places in the Roman 
 senate. Moreover, though he shamefully dishonored almost numberless free 
 women, he was unable to satisfy his ungoverned and intemperate desires. But 
 (3) when he assayed to corrupt Christian women also, he could no longer secure 
 success to his designs, since they chose rather to submit their lives (4) to 
 death than yield their persons to be defiled by him. 
 

492 
 

    CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 

      How the Wife of a Prefect slew herself for 
 
        Chastity's Sake. (1) 
 

    Now a certain woman, wife of one of the senators who held the authority of 
 prefect, when she understood that those who ministered to the tyrant in such 
 matters were standing before her house (she was a Christian), and knew that 
 her husband through fear had bidden them take her and lead her away, begged a 
 short space of time for arraying herself in her usual dress, and entered her 
 chamber. There, being left alone, she sheathed a sword in her own breast, and 
 immediately expired, leaving indeed her dead body to the procurers, but 
 declaring to all mankind, both to present and future generations, by an act 
 which spoke louder than any words, that the chastity for which Christians are 
 famed is the only thing which is invincible and indestructible. Such was the 
 conduct displayed by this Woman. 
 

 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 

      Massacre of the Roman People by Maxentius. 
 

    All men, therefore, both people and magistrates, whether of high or low 
 degree, trembled through fear of him whose daring wickedness was such as I 
 have described, and were oppressed by his grievous tyranny. Nay, though they 
 submitted quietly, and endured this bitter servitude, still there was no 
 escape from the tyrant's sanguinary cruelty. For at one time, on some trifling 
 pretense, he exposed the populace to be slaughtered by his own body-guard; and 
 countless multitudes of the Roman people were slain in the very midst of the 
 city by the lances and weapons, not of Scythians or barbarians, but of their 
 own fellow-citizens. And besides this, it is impossible to calculate the 
 number of senators whose blood was shed with a view to the seizure of their 
 respective estates, for at different times and on various fictitious charges, 
 multitudes of them suffered death. 
 

    CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 

     Magic Arts of Maxentius against Constantine; 
 
         and Famine at Rome. 
 

    BUT the crowning point of the tyrant's wickedness was his having recourse 
 to sorcery: sometimes for magic purposes ripping up women with child, at other 
 times searching into the  bowels of new-born infants. He slew lions also. and 
 practiced certain horrid arts for evoking demons, and averting the approaching 
 war, hoping by these means to get the victory. In short, it is impossible to 
 describe the manifold acts of oppression by which this tyrant of Rome enslaved 
 his subjects: so that by this time they were reduced to the most extreme 
 penury and want of necessary food, a scarcity such as our contemporaries do 
 not remember ever before to have existed at Rome. (1) 
 

    CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 

        Defeat of Maxentius's Armies in Italy. 
 

    Constantine, however, filled with compassion on account of all these 
 miseries, began to arm himself with all warlike preparation against the 
 tyranny. Assuming therefore the Supreme God as his patron, and invoking His 
 Christ to be his preserver and aid, and setting the victorious trophy, the 
 salutary symbol, in front of his soldiers and body-guard, he marched with his 
 whole forces, trying to obtain again for the Romans the freedom they had 
 inherited from their ancestors. 
 
    And whereas, Maxentius, trusting more in his magic arts than in the 
 affection of his subjects, dared not even advance outside the city gates, (1) 
 but had guarded every place and district and city subject to his tyranny, with 
 large bodies of soldiers, (2) the emperor, confiding in the help of God, 
 advanced against the first and second and third divisions of the tyrant's 
 forces, defeated them all with ease at the first assault, (3) and made his way 
 into the very interior of Italy. 
 

   CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 

Death of Maxentius on the Bridge of the Tiber. (1) 
 

    And already he was approaching very near-Rome itself, when, to save him 
 from the necessity of fighting with all the Romans for the tyrant's sake, God 
 himself drew the tyrant, as it were by secret cords, a long way outside the 
 gates. (2) And now those miracles recorded in 
 


493 
 

Holy Writ, which God of old wrought against the ungodly (discredited by most 
 as fables, yet believed by the faithful), did he in every deed confirm to all 
 alike, believers and unbelievers, who were eye-witnesses of the wonders. For 
 as once in the days of Moses and the Hebrew nation, who were worshipers of 
 God, "Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea and his chosen 
 chariot-captains are drowned in the Red Sea," (3) --so at this time Maxentius, 
 and the soldiers and guards (4) with him, "went down into the depths like 
 stone," (5) when, in his flight before the divinely-aided forces of 
 Constantine, he essayed to cross the river which lay in his way, over which, 
 making a strong bridge of boats, he had framed an engine of destruction, 
 really against himself, but in the hope of ca-snaring thereby him who was 
 beloved by God. For his God stood by the one to protect him, while the other, 
 godless, (6) proved to be the miserable contriver of these secret devices to 
 his own ruin. So that one might well say, "He hath made a pit, and digged it, 
 and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his 
 own head, and his violence shall. come down upon his own pate." (7) Thus, in 
 the present instance, under divine direction, the machine erected on the 
 bridge, with the ambuscade concealed therein, giving way unexpectedly before 
 the appointed time, the bridge began to sink, and the boats with the men in 
 them went bodily to the bottom. (8) And first the wretch himself, then his 
 armed attendants and guards, even as the sacred oracles had before described, 
 "sank as lead in the mighty waters." (9) So that they who thus obtained 
 victory from God might well, if not in the same words, yet in fact in the same 
 spirit as the people of his great servant Moses, sing and speak as they did 
 concerning the impious tyrant of old: "Let us sing unto the Lord, for he hath 
 been glorified exceedingly: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the 
 sea. He is become my helper and my shield unto salvation." And again, "Who is 
 like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in 
 holiness, marvelous in praises, doing wonders?" (10) 
 

    CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 

   Constantine's Entry into Rome. 
 

    HAVING then at this time sung these and suchlike praises to God, the Ruler 
 of all and the Author of victory, after the example of his great servant 
 Moses, Constantine entered the imperial city in triumph. And here the whole 
 body of the senate, and others of rank and distinction in the city, freed as 
 it were from the restraint of a prison, along with the whole Roman populace, 
 their countenances expressive of the gladness of their hearts, received him 
 with acclamations and abounding joy; men, women, and children, with countless 
 multitudes of servants, greeting him as deliverer, preserver, and benefactor, 
 with incessant shouts. But he, being possessed of inward piety toward God, was 
 neither rendered arrogant by these plaudits, nor uplifted by the praises he 
 heard: (1) but, being sensible that he had received help from God, he 
 immediately rendered a thanksgiving to him as the Author of his victory. 
 

CHAPTER XL. 
 

     Of the Statue of Constantine holding a Cross, 
 
        and its Inscription. 
 

    MOREOVER, by loud proclamation and monumental inscriptions he made known 
 to all men the salutary symbol, setting up this great trophy of victory over 
 his enemies in the midst of the imperial city, and expressly causing it to be 
 engraved in indelible characters, that the salutary symbol was the safeguard 
 of the Roman  government and of the entire empire. Accordingly, he immediately 
 ordered a lofty spear in the figure of a cross to be placed beneath the hand 
 of a statue representing himself, in the most frequented part of Rome, and the 
 following inscription to be engraved on it in the Latin language: BY VIRTUE OF 
 THIS SALUTARY SIGN, WHICH IS THE TRUE TEST OF VALOR, I HAVE PRESERVED AND 
 LIBERATED YOUR CITY FROM THE YOKE OF TYRANNY. I HAVE ALSO SET AT LIBERTY THE 
 ROMAN SENATE AND PEOPLE, AND RESTORED THEM TO THEIR ANCIENT DISTINCTION AND 
 SPLENDOR. (1) 
 

494 
 

 CHAPTER XLI. 
 

     Rejoicings throughout the Provinces; and Constantine's Acts of 
 Grace. 
 

    Thus the pious emperor, glorying in the confession of the victorious 
 cross, proclaimed the Son of God to the Romans with great boldness of 
 testimony. And the inhabitants of the city, one and all, senate and people, 
 reviving, as it were, from the pressure of a bitter and tyrannical domination, 
 seemed to enjoy purer rays of light, and to be born again into a fresh and new 
 life. All the nations, too, as far as the limit of the western ocean, being 
 set free from the calamities which had heretofore beset them, and gladdened by 
 joyous festivals, ceased not to praise him as the victorious, the pious, the 
 common benefactor: all, indeed, with one voice and  one mouth, declared that 
 Constantine had appeared by the grace of God as a general blessing to mankind. 
 The imperial edict also was everywhere published, whereby those who had been 
 wrongfully deprived of their estates were permitted again to enjoy their own, 
 while those who had unjustly suffered exile were recalled to their homes. 
 Moreover, he freed from imprisonment, and from every kind of danger and fear, 
 those who, by reason of the tyrant's cruelty, had been subject to these 
 sufferings. 
 

 CHAPTER XLII. 
 

      The Honors conferred upon Bishops, and the 
 
       Building  of Churches. 
 

    The emperor also personally inviting the society of God's ministers, 
 distinguished them with the highest possible respect and honor, showing them 
 favor in deed and word as persons consecrated to the service of his God. 
 Accordingly, they were admitted to his table, though mean in their attire and 
 outward appearance; yet not so in his estimation, since he thought he saw not 
 the man as seen by the vulgar eye, but the God in him. He made them also his 
 companions in travel, believing that He whose servants they were would thus 
 help him. Besides this, he gave from his own private resources costly 
 benefactions to the churches of God, both enlarging and heightening the sacred 
 edifices, (1) and embellishing the august sanctuaries (2) of the church with 
 abundant offerings. 
 

    CHAPTER XLIII. 
 

         Canstantine's Liberality to the Poor. 
 

    He likewise distributed money largely to those who were in need, and 
 besides these showing himself philanthropist and benefactor even to the 
 heathen, who had no claim on him; (1) and even for the beggars in the forum, 
 miserable and shiftless, he provided, not with money only, or necessary food, 
 but also decent clothing. But in the case of those who had once been 
 prosperous, and had experienced a reverse of circumstances, his aid was still 
 more lavishly bestowed. On such persons, in a truly royal spirit, he conferred 
 magnificent benefactions; giving grants of land to some, and honoring others 
 with various dignities. Orphans of the unfortunate he cared for as a father, 
 while he relieved the destitution of widows, and cared for them with special 
 solicitude. Nay, he even gave virgins, left unprotected by their parents' 
 death, in marriage to wealthy men with whom he was personally acquainted. But 
 this he did after first bestowing on the brides such portions as it was 
 fitting they should bring to the communion of marriage. (2) In short, as the 
 sun, when he rises upon the earth, liberally imparts his rays of light to all, 
 so did Constantine, proceeding at early dawn from the imperial palace, and 
 rising as it were with the heavenly luminary, impart the rays of his own 
 beneficence to all who came into his presence. It was scarcely possible to be 
 near him without receiving some benefit, nor did it ever happen that any who 
 had expected to obtain his assistance were disappointed in their hope. (3) 
 

 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 

How he was present at the Synods of Bishops. 
 

    SUCH, then, was his general character towards all. But he exercised a 
 peculiar care over the church of God: and whereas, in the several provinces 
 there were some who differed from each other in judgment, he, like some 
 general bishop constituted by God, convened synods of his ministers. Nor did 
 he disdain to be present and sit with them in their assembly, but bore a share 
 in their deliberations, ministering to all that pertained to the peace of God. 
 He took 
 

495 
 

his seat, too, in the midst of them, as an individual amongst many, dismissing 
 his guards and soldiers, and all whose duty it was to defend his person; but 
 protected by the fear of God, and surrounded by the guardianship of his 
 faithful friends. Those whom he saw inclined to a sound judgment, and 
 exhibiting a calm and conciliatory temper, received his high approbation, for 
 he evidently delighted in a general harmony of sentiment; while he regarded 
 the unyielding wills aversion. (1) 
 

 CHAPTER XLV. 
 

His Forbearance with Unreasonable Men. 
 

    MOREOVER he endured with patience some who were exasperated against 
 himself, directing them in mild and gentle terms to control themselves, and 
 not be turbulent. And some of these respected his admonitions, and desisted; 
 but as to those who proved incapable of sound judgment, he left them entirely 
 at the disposal of God, and never himself desired harsh measures against any 
 one. Hence it naturally happened that the disaffected in Africa reached such a 
 pitch of violence as even to venture on overt acts of audacity; (1) some evil 
 spirit, as it seems probable, being jealous of the present great prosperity, 
 and impelling these men to atrocious deeds, that he might excite the emperor's 
 anger against them. He gained nothing, however, by this malicious conduct; for 
 the emperor laughed at these proceedings, and declared their origin to be from 
 the evil one; inasmuch as these were not the actions of sober persons, but of 
 lunatics or demoniacs; who should be pitied rather than punished; since to 
 punish madmen is as great folly as to sympathize with their condition is 
 supreme philanthropy. (2) 
 

 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 

   Victories aver the Barbarians. 
 

    THUS the emperor in all his actions honored God, the Controller of all 
 things, and exercised an unwearied (1) oversight over His churches. And God 
 requited him, by subduing all barbarous nations under his feet, so that he was 
 able everywhere to raise trophies over his enemies: and He proclaimed him as 
 conqueror to all mankind, and made him a terror to his adversaries: not indeed 
 that this was his natural character, since he was rather the meekest, and 
 gentlest, and most benevolent of men. 
 

    CHAPTER XLVII. 
 

Death of Maximin, (1) who had attempted a Conspiracy, and of Others whom 
 Constantine detected by Divine Revelation. 
 

    WHILE he was thus engaged, the second of those who had resigned the 
 throne, being detected in a treasonable conspiracy, suffered a most 
 ignominious death. He was the first whose pictures, statues, and all similar 
 marks of honor and distinction were everywhere destroyed, on the ground of his 
 crimes and impiety. After him others also of the same family were discovered 
 in the act of forming secret plots against the emperor; all their intentions 
 being miraculously revealed by God through visions to His servant. 
 
    For he frequently vouchsafed to him manifestations of himself, the Divine 
 presence appearing to him in a most marvelous manner, and according to him 
 manifold intimations of future events. Indeed, it is impossible to express in 
 words the indescribable wonders of Divine grace which God was pleased to 
 vouchsafe to His servant. Surrounded by these, he passed the rest of his life 
 in security, rejoicing in the affection of his subjects, rejoicing too because 
 he saw all beneath his government leading contented lives; but above all 
 delighted at the flourishing condition of the churches of God. 
 

    CHAPTER XLVIII. 
 

Celebration of Canstantine's Decennalia. 
 

    WHILE he was thus circumstanced, he completed the tenth year of his reign. 
 On this occasion he ordered the celebration of general festivals, and offered 
 prayers of thanksgiving to God, the King of all, as sacrifices without flame 
 or smoke. (1) And from this employment he derived much pleasure: not so from 
 the tidings he received of the ravages committed in the Eastern provinces. 
 

496 
 

 CHAPTER XLIX. 
 

  How Licinius oppressed the East. 
 

    FOR he was informed that in that quarter a certain savage beast was 
 besetting both the church of God and the other inhabitants of the provinces, 
 owing, as it were, to the efforts of the evil spirit to produce effects quite 
 contrary to the deeds of the pious emperor: so that the Roman empire, divided 
 into two parts, seemed to all men to resemble night and day; since darkness 
 overspread the provinces of the East, while the brightest day illumined the 
 inhabitants of the other portion. And whereas the latter were receiving 
 manifold blessings at the hand of God, the sight of these blessings proved 
 intolerable to that envy which hates all good, as well as to the tyrant who 
 afflicted the other division of the empire; and who, notwithstanding that his 
 government was prospering, and he had been honored by a marriage connection 
 (1) with so great an emperor as Constantine, yet cared not to follow the steps 
 of that pious prince, but strove rather to imitate the evil purposes and 
 practice of the impious; and chose to adopt the course of those whose 
 ignominious end he had seen with his own eyes, rather than to maintain 
 amicable relations with him who was his superior. (2) 
 

CHAPTER L. 
 

      How Licinius attempted a Conspiracy against 
 
   Constantine. 
 

    ACCORDINGLY he engaged in an implacable war against his benefactor, 
 altogether regardless of the laws of friendship, the obligation of oaths, the 
 ties of kindred, and already existing treaties. For the most benignant emperor 
 had given him a proof of sincere affection in bestowing on him the hand of his 
 sister, thus granting him the privilege of a place in family relationship and 
 his own ancient imperial descent, and investing him also with the rank and 
 dignity of his colleague in the empire. (1) But the other took the very 
 opposite course, employing himself in machinations against his superior, and 
 devising various means to repay his benefactor with injuries. At first, 
 pretending friendship, he did all things by guile and treachery, expecting 
 thus to succeed in concealing his designs; but God enabled his servant to 
 detect the schemes thus devised in darkness. Being discovered, however, in his 
 first attempts, he had recourse to fresh frauds; at one time pretending 
 friendship, at another claiming the protection of solemn treaties. Then 
 suddenly violating every engagement, and again beseeching pardon by embassies, 
 yet after all shamefully violating his word, he at last declared open war, and 
 with desperate infatuation resolved thenceforward to carry arms against God 
 himself, whose worshiper he knew the emperor to be. 
 

CHAPTER LI. 
 

    Intrigues of Licinius against the Bishops, and 
 
     his Prohibition of Synods. 
 

    AND at first he made secret enquiry respecting the ministers of God 
 subject to his dominion, who had never, indeed, in any respect offended 
 against his government, in order to bring false accusations against them. And 
 when he found no ground of accusation, and had no real ground of objection 
 against them, he next enacted a law, to the effect that the bishops should 
 never on any account hold communication with each other, nor should any one of 
 them absent himself on a visit to a neighboring church; nor, lastly, should 
 the holding of synods, or councils for the consideration of affairs of common 
 interest, (1) be permitted. Now this was clearly a pretext for displaying his 
 malice against us. For we were compelled either to violate the law, and thus 
 be amenable to punishment, or else, by compliance with its injunctions, to 
 nullify the statutes of the Church; inasmuch as it is impossible to bring 
 important questions to a satisfactory adjustment, except by means of synods. 
 In other cases also this God-hater, being determined to act contrary to the 
 God-loving prince, enacted such things. For whereas the one assembled the 
 priests of God in order to honor them, and to promote peace and unity of 
 judgment; the other, whose object it was to destroy everything that was good, 
 used all his endeavors to destroy the general harmony. 
 

 CHAPTER LII. 
 

    Banishment of the Christians, and Confiscation 
 
         of their  Property. 
 

    AND whereas Constantine, the friend of God, had granted to His worshipers 
 freedom of access to the imperial palaces; this enemy of God, in a spirit the 
 very reverse of this, expelled thence all Christians subject to his authority. 
 He banished those who had proved themselves his most 
 

497 
 

faithful and devoted servants, and compelled others, on whom he had himself 
 conferred honor and distinction as a reward for their former eminent services, 
 to the performance of menial offices as slaves to others; and at length, being 
 bent on seizing the property of all as a windfall for himself, he even 
 threatened with death those who professed the Saviour's name. Moreover being 
 himself of a nature hopelessly debased by sensuality, and degraded by the 
 continual practice of adultery and other shameless vices, he assumed his own 
 worthless character as a specimen of human nature generally, and denied that 
 the virtue of chastity and continence existed among men. 
 

 CHAPTER LIII. 
 

       Edict that Women should not meet with the 
 
        Men in the Churches. 
 

    ACCORDINGLY he passed a second law, which enjoined that men should not 
 appear in company with women in the houses of prayer, and forbade women to 
 attend the sacred schools of virtue, or to receive instruction from the 
 bishops, directing the appointment of women to be teachers of their own sex. 
 These regulations being received with general ridicule, he devised other, 
 means for effecting the ruin of the churches. He ordered that the usual 
 congregations of the people should be held in the open country outside the 
 gates, alleging that the open air without the city was far more suitable for a 
 multitude than the houses of prayer within the walls. 
 

 CHAPTER LIV. 
 

That those who refuse to sacrifice are to be dismissed from Military Service, 
 and those in Prison not to be fed. 
 

    FAILING, however, to obtain obedience in this respect also, at length he 
 threw off the mask, and gave orders that those who held military commissions 
 in the several cities of the empire should be deprived of their respective 
 commands, in case of their refusal to offer sacrifices to the demons. 
 Accordingly the forces of the authorities in every province suffered the loss 
 of those who worshiped God; and he too who had decreed this order suffered 
 loss, in that he thus deprived himself of the prayers of pious men. And why 
 should I still further mention how he directed that no one should obey the 
 dictates of common humanity by distributing food to those who were pining in 
 prisons, or should even pity the captives who perished with hunger; in short, 
 that no one should perform a virtuous action, and that those whose natural 
 feelings impelled them to sympathize with their fellow-creatures should be 
 prohibited from doing them a single kindness? Truly this was the most utterly 
 shameless and scandalous of all laws, and one which surpassed the worst 
 depravity of human nature: a law which inflicted on those who showed mercy the 
 same penalties as on those who were the objects of their compassion, and 
 visited the exercise of mere humanity with the severest punishments. (1) 
 

CHAPTER LV. 
 

        The Lawless Conduct and Covetousness of 
 
     Licinius. 
 

    Such were the ordinances of Licinius. But why should I enumerate his 
 innovations respecting marriage, or those concerning the dying, whereby he 
 presumed to abrogate the ancient and wisely established laws of the Romans, 
 and to introduce certain barbarous and cruel institutions in their stead, 
 inventing a thousand pretenses for oppressing his subjects? Hence it was that 
 he devised a new method of measuring land, by which he reckoned the smallest 
 portion at more than its actual dimensions, from an insatiable desire of 
 acquisition. Hence too he registered the names of country residents who were 
 now no more, and had long been numbered with the dead, procuring to himself by 
 this expedient a shameful gain. His meanness was unlimited and his rapacity 
 insatiable. So that when he had filled all his treasuries with gold, and 
 silver, and boundless wealth, he bitterly bewailed his poverty, and suffered 
 as it were the torments of Tantalus. But why should I mention how many 
 innocent persons he punished with exile; how much property he confiscated; how 
 many men of noble birth and estimable character he imprisoned, whose wives he 
 handed over to be basely insulted by his profligate slaves, and to how many 
 married women and virgins he himself offered violence, though already feeling 
 the infirmities of age? I need not enlarge on these subjects, since the 
 enormity of his last actions causes the former to appear trifling and of 
 little moment. (1) 
 

 CHAPTER LVI. 
 

At length he undertakes to raise a Persecution. 
 

    FOR the final efforts of his fury appeared in his open hostility to the 
 churches, and he directed his attacks against the bishops themselves, 
 

498 
 

whom he regarded as his worst adversaries, bearing special enmity to those men 
 whom the great and pious emperor treated as his friends. Accordingly he spent 
 on us the utmost of his fury, and, being transported beyond the bounds of 
 reason, he paused not to reflect on the example of those who had persecuted 
 the Christians before him, nor of those whom he himself had been raised up to 
 punish and destroy for their impious deeds: nor did he heed the facts of which 
 he had been himself a witness, though he had seen with his own eyes the chief 
 originator of these our calamities (whoever he was), smitten by the stroke of 
 the Divine scourge. 
 

 CHAPTER LVII. 
 

That Maximian, (1) brought Low by a Fistulous Ulcer with Worms, issued an 
 Edict in Favor of the Christians. 
 

    FOR whereas this man had commenced the attack on the churches, and had 
 been the first to pollute his soul with the blood of just and godly men, a 
 judgment from God overtook him, which at first affected his body, but 
 eventually extended itself to his soul. For suddenly an abscess appeared in 
 the secret parts of his person, followed by a deeply seated fistulous ulcer; 
 and these diseases fastened with incurable virulence on the intestines, which 
 swarmed with a vast multitude of worms, and emitted a pestilential odor. 
 Besides, his entire person had become loaded, through gluttonous excess, with 
 an enormous quantity of fat, and this, being now in a putrescent state, is 
 said to have presented to all who approached him an intolerable and dreadful 
 spectacle. Having, therefore, to struggle against such sufferings, at length, 
 though late, he came to a realization of his past crimes against the Church; 
 and, confessing his sins before God, he put a stop to the persecution of the 
 Christians, and hastened to issue imperial edicts and rescripts for the 
 rebuilding of their churches, at the same time enjoining them to perform their 
 customary worship, and to offer up prayers on his behalf. (2) 
 

    CHAPTER LVIII. 
 

That Maximin, who had persecuted the Christians, was compelled to fly, and 
 conceal himself in the Disguise of a Slave. 
 

SUCH was the punishment which he underwent who had commenced the persecution. 
 He, (1) however, of whom we are now speaking, who had been a witness of these 
 things, and known them by his own actual experience, all at once banished the 
 remembrance of them from his mind, and reflected neither on the punishment of 
 the first, nor the divine judgment which had been executed on the second 
 persecutor. (2) The latter had indeed endeavored to outstrip his predecessor 
 in the career of crime, and prided himself on the invention of new tortures 
 for us. Fire nor sword, nor piercing with nails, nor yet wild beasts or the 
 depths of the sea sufficed him. In addition to all these, he discovered a new 
 mode of punishment, and issued an edict directing that their eyesight should 
 be destroyed. So that numbers, not of men only, but of women and children, 
 after being deprived of the sight of their eyes, and the use of the joints of 
 their feet, by mutilation or cauterization, were consigned in this condition 
 to the painful labor of the mines. Hence it was that this tyrant also was 
 overtaken not long after by the righteous judgment of God, at a time when, 
 confiding in the aid of the demons whom he worshiped as gods, and relying on 
 the countless multitudes of his troops, he had ventured to engage in battle. 
 For, feeling himself on that occasion destitute of all hope in God, he threw 
 from him the imperial dress which so ill became him, hid himself with unmanly 
 timidity in the crowd around him, and sought safety in flight. (3) 
 
    He afterwards lurked about the fields and villages in the habit of a 
 slave, hoping he should thus be effectually concealed. He had not, however, 
 eluded the mighty and all-searching eye of God: for even while he was 
 expecting to pass the residue of his days in security, he fell prostrate, 
 smitten by God's fiery dart, and his whole body consumed by the stroke of 
 Divine vengeance; so that all trace of the original lineaments of his person 
 was lost, and nothing remained to him but dry bones and a skeleton-like 
 appearance. 
 

 CHAPTER LIX. 
 

That Maximin, blinded by Disease, issued an Edict in Favor of the Christians. 
 

    AND still the stroke of God continued heavy upon him, so that his eyes 
 protruded and fell from their sockets, leaving him quite blind: and thus he 
 suffered, by a most righteous retribution, the very same punishment which he 
 had been 
 


499 
 

the first to devise for the martyrs of God. At length, however, surviving even 
 these sufferings, he too implored pardon of the God of the Christians, and 
 confessed his impious fighting against God: he too recanted, as the former 
 persecutor had done; and by laws and ordinances explicitly acknowledged his 
 error in worshiping those whom he had accounted gods, declaring that he now 
 knew, by positive experience, that the God of the Christians was the only true 
 God. These were facts which Licinius had not merely received on the testimony 
 of others, but of which he had himself had personal knowledge: and yet, as 
 though his understanding had been obscured by some dark cloud of error, 
 persisted in the same evil course. 
 

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