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Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died

Lactantius

Chapter 21

About this work

Author: Lactantius

Chap. XXI.

Having thus attained to the highest power, he

‹ Chapter 20 Chapter 22 ›

bent

his

mind

to

afflict

that

empire

into

which

he

had

opened

his

way

.

It

is

the

manner

and

practice

of

the

Persians

for

the

people

to

yield

themselves

slaves

to

their

kings

,

and

for

the

kings

to

treat

their

people

as

slaves

.

This

flagitious

man

,

from

the

time

of

his

victories

over

the

Persians

,

was

not

ashamed

incessantly

to

extol

such

an

institution

,

and

he

resolved

to

establish

it

in

the

Roman

dominions

;

and

because

he

could

not

do

this

by

an

express

law

,

he

so

acted

,

in

imitation

of

the

Persian

kings

,

as

to

bereave

men

of

their

liberties

.

He

first

of

all

degraded

those

whom

he

meant

to

punish

;

and

then

not

only

were

inferior

magistrates

put

to

the

torture

by

him

,

but

also

the

chief

men

in

cities

,

and

persons

of

the

most

eminent

rank

,

and

this

too

in

matters

of

little

moment

,

and

in

civil

questions

.

Crucifixion

was

the

punishment

ready

prepared

in

capital

cases

;

and

for

lesser

crimes

,

fetters

.

Matrons

of

honourable

station

were

dragged

into

workhouses

;

and

when

any

man

was

to

be

scourged

,

there

were

four

posts

fixed

in

the

ground

,

and

to

them

he

was

tied

,

after

a

manner

unknown

in

the

chastisement

of

slaves

.

What

shall

I

say

of

his

apartment

for

sport

,

and

of

his

favourite

diversions

?

He

kept

bears

,

most

resembling

himself

in

fierceness

and

bulk

,

whom

he

had

collected

together

during

the

course

of

his

reign

.

As

often

as

he

chose

to

indulge

his

humour

,

he

ordered

some

particular

bear

to

be

brought

in

,

and

men

were

thrown

to

that

savage

animal

,

rather

to

be

swallowed

up

than

devoured

;

and

when

their

limbs

were

torn

asunder

,

he

laughed

with

excessive

complacency

:

nor

did

he

ever

sup

without

being

spectator

of

the

effusion

of

human

blood

.

Men

of

private

station

were

condemned

to

be

burnt

alive

;

and

he

began

this

mode

of

execution

by

edicts

against

the

Christians

,

commanding

that

,

after

torture

and

condemnation

,

they

should

be

burnt

at

a

slow

fire

.

They

were

fixed

to

a

stake

,

and

first

a

moderate

flame

was

applied

to

the

soles

of

their

feet

,

until

the

muscles

,

contracted

by

burning

,

were

torn

from

the

bones

;

then

torches

,

lighted

and

put

out

again

,

were

directed

to

all

the

members

of

their

bodies

,

so

that

no

part

had

any

exemption

.

Meanwhile

cold

water

was

continually

poured

on

their

faces

,

and

their

mouths

moistened

,

lest

,

by

reason

of

their

jaws

being

parched

,

they

should

expire

.

At

length

they

did

expire

,

when

,

after

many

hours

,

the

violent

heat

had

consumed

their

skin

and

penetrated

into

their

intestines

.

The

dead

carcases

were

laid

on

a

funeral

pile

,

and

wholly

burnt

;

their

bones

were

gathered

,

ground

to

powder

,

and

thrown

into

the

river

,

or

into

the

sea

.