Opening the library…

Search the Bible

Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died

Lactantius

Chapter 10

About this work

Author: Lactantius

Chap. X.

Diocletian, as being of a timorous disposition, was

‹ Chapter 9 Chapter 11 ›

a

searcher

into

futurity

,

and

during

his

abode

in

the

East

he

began

to

slay

victims

,

that

from

their

livers

he

might

obtain

a

prognostic

of

events

;

and

while

he

sacrificed

,

some

attendants

of

his

,

who

were

Christians

,

stood

by

,

and

they

put

the

immortal

sign

on

their

foreheads

.

At

this

the

demons

were

chased

away

,

and

the

holy

rites

interrupted

.

The

soothsayers

trembled

,

unable

to

investigate

the

wonted

marks

on

the

entrails

of

the

victims

.

They

frequently

repeated

the

sacrifices

,

as

if

the

former

had

been

unpropitious

;

but

the

victims

,

slain

from

time

to

time

,

afforded

no

tokens

for

divination

.

At

length

Tages

,

the

chief

of

the

soothsayers

,

either

from

guess

or

from

his

own

observation

,

said

,

“

There

are

profane

persons

here

,

who

obstruct

the

rites

.

”

Then

Diocletian

,

in

furious

passion

,

ordered

not

only

all

who

were

assisting

at

the

holy

ceremonies

,

but

also

all

who

resided

within

the

palace

,

to

sacrifice

,

and

,

in

case

of

their

refusal

,

to

be

scourged

.

And

further

,

by

letters

to

the

commanding

officers

,

he

enjoined

that

all

soldiers

should

be

forced

to

the

like

impiety

,

under

pain

of

being

dismissed

the

service

.

Thus

far

his

rage

proceeded

;

but

at

that

season

he

did

nothing

more

against

the

law

and

religion

of

God

.

After

an

interval

of

some

time

he

went

to

winter

in

Bithynia

;

and

presently

Galerius

Cæsar

came

thither

,

inflamed

with

furious

resentment

,

and

purposing

to

excite

the

inconsiderate

old

man

to

carry

on

that

persecution

which

he

had

begun

against

the

Christians

.

I

have

learned

that

the

cause

of

his

fury

was

as

follows

.

Notes

1
[Nothing easier than for these to pretend such a difficulty, in order to incite the emperor to severities. They may have found it convenient to represent the sign of the cross as the source of their inability to give oracles.]