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Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died

Lactantius

Chapter 11

About this work

Author: Lactantius

Chap. XI.

The mother of Galerius, a woman exceedingly superstitious

‹ Chapter 10 Chapter 12 ›

,

was

a

votary

of

the

gods

of

the

mountains

.

Being

of

such

a

character

,

she

made

sacrifices

almost

every

day

,

and

she

feasted

her

servants

on

the

meat

offered

to

idols

:

but

the

Christians

of

her

family

would

not

partake

of

those

entertainments

;

and

while

she

feasted

with

the

Gentiles

,

they

continued

in

fasting

and

prayer

.

On

this

account

she

conceived

ill

-

will

against

the

Christians

,

and

by

woman

-

like

complaints

instigated

her

son

,

no

less

superstitious

than

herself

,

to

destroy

them

.

So

,

during

the

whole

winter

,

Diocletian

and

Galerius

held

councils

together

,

at

which

no

one

else

assisted

;

and

it

was

the

universal

opinion

that

their

conferences

respected

the

most

momentous

affairs

of

the

empire

.

The

old

man

long

opposed

the

fury

of

Galerius

,

and

showed

how

pernicious

it

would

be

to

raise

disturbances

throughout

the

world

and

to

shed

so

much

blood

;

that

the

Christians

were

wont

with

eagerness

to

meet

death

;

and

that

it

would

be

enough

for

him

to

exclude

persons

of

that

religion

from

the

court

and

the

army

.

Yet

he

could

not

restrain

the

madness

of

that

obstinate

man

.

He

resolved

,

therefore

,

to

take

the

opinion

of

his

friends

.

Now

this

was

a

circumstance

in

the

bad

disposition

of

Diocletian

,

that

whenever

he

determined

to

do

good

,

he

did

it

without

advice

,

that

the

praise

might

be

all

his

own

;

but

whenever

he

determined

to

do

ill

,

which

he

was

sensible

would

be

blamed

,

he

called

in

many

advisers

,

that

his

own

fault

might

be

imputed

to

other

men

:

and

therefore

a

few

civil

magistrates

,

and

a

few

military

commanders

,

were

admitted

to

give

their

counsel

;

and

the

question

was

put

to

them

according

to

priority

of

rank

.

Some

,

through

personal

ill

-

will

towards

the

Christians

,

were

of

opinion

that

they

ought

to

be

cut

off

,

as

enemies

of

the

gods

and

adversaries

of

the

established

religious

ceremonies

.

Others

thought

differently

,

but

,

having

understood

the

will

of

Galerius

,

they

,

either

from

dread

of

displeasing

or

from

a

desire

of

gratifying

him

,

concurred

in

the

opinion

given

against

the

Christians

.

Yet

not

even

then

could

the

emperor

be

prevailed

upon

to

yield

his

assent

.

He

determined

above

all

to

consult

his

gods

;

and

to

that

end

he

despatched

a

soothsayer

to

inquire

of

Apollo

at

Miletus

,

whose

answer

was

such

as

might

be

expected

from

an

enemy

of

the

divine

religion

.

So

Diocletian

was

drawn

over

from

his

purpose

.

But

although

he

could

struggle

no

longer

against

his

friends

,

and

against

Cæsar

and

Apollo

,

yet

still

he

attempted

to

observe

such

moderation

as

to

command

the

business

to

be

carried

through

without

bloodshed

;

whereas

Galerius

would

have

had

all

persons

burnt

alive

who

refused

to

sacrifice

.

Notes

1
[A just statement of Diocletian’s earlier disposition. See. vol. vi. p. 158, the beautiful letter of Theonas.]