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Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died

Lactantius

Chapter 31

About this work

Author: Lactantius

Chap. XXXI.

From Maximian, God, the avenger of religion and

‹ Chapter 30 Chapter 32 ›

of

His

people

,

turned

his

eyes

to

Galerius

,

the

author

of

the

accursed

persecution

,

that

in

his

punishment

also

He

might

manifest

the

power

of

His

majesty

.

Galerius

,

too

,

was

purposing

to

celebrate

his

twentieth

anniversary

;

and

as

,

under

that

pretext

,

he

had

,

by

new

taxes

payable

in

gold

and

silver

,

oppressed

the

provinces

,

so

now

,

that

he

might

recompense

them

by

celebrating

the

promised

festival

,

he

used

the

like

pretext

for

repeating

his

oppressions

.

Who

can

relate

in

fit

terms

the

methods

used

to

harass

mankind

in

levying

the

tax

,

and

especially

with

regard

to

corn

and

the

other

fruits

of

the

earth

?

The

officers

,

or

rather

the

executioners

,

of

all

the

different

magistrates

,

seized

on

each

individual

,

and

would

never

let

go

their

hold

.

No

man

knew

to

whom

he

ought

to

make

payment

first

.

There

was

no

dispensation

given

to

those

who

had

nothing

;

and

they

were

required

,

under

pain

of

being

variously

tortured

,

instantly

to

pay

,

notwithstanding

their

inability

.

Many

guards

were

set

round

,

no

breathing

time

was

granted

,

or

,

at

any

season

of

the

year

,

the

least

respite

from

exactions

.

Different

magistrates

,

or

the

officers

of

different

magistrates

,

frequently

contended

for

the

right

of

levying

the

tax

from

the

same

persons

.

No

threshing

-

floor

without

a

tax

-

gatherer

,

no

vintage

without

a

watch

,

and

nought

left

for

the

sustenance

of

the

husbandman

!

That

food

should

be

snatched

from

the

mouths

of

those

who

had

earned

it

by

toil

,

was

grievous

:

the

hope

,

however

,

of

being

afterwards

relieved

,

might

have

made

that

grievance

supportable

;

but

it

was

necessary

for

every

one

who

appeared

at

the

anniversary

festival

to

provide

robes

of

various

kinds

,

and

gold

and

silver

besides

.

And

one

might

have

said

,

“

How

shall

I

furnish

myself

with

those

things

,

O

tyrant

void

of

understanding

,

if

you

carry

off

the

whole

fruits

of

my

ground

,

and

violently

seize

its

expected

produce

?

”

Thus

,

throughout

the

dominions

of

Galerius

,

men

were

spoiled

of

their

goods

,

and

all

was

raked

together

into

the

imperial

treasury

,

that

the

emperor

might

be

enabled

to

perform

his

vow

of

celebrating

a

festival

which

he

was

doomed

never

to

celebrate

.