Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died

Lactantius

Chapter 39

About this work

Author: Lactantius

Chap. XXXIX.

Now Daia, in gratifying his libidinous desires, made

‹ Chapter 38 Chapter 40 ›

his

own

will

the

standard

of

right

;

and

therefore

he

would

not

refrain

from

soliciting

the

widow

of

Galerius

,

the

Empress

Valeria

,

to

whom

he

had

lately

given

the

appellation

of

mother

.

After

the

death

of

her

husband

,

she

had

repaired

to

Daia

,

because

she

imagined

that

she

might

live

with

more

security

in

his

dominions

than

elsewhere

,

especially

as

he

was

a

married

man

;

but

the

flagitious

creature

became

instantly

inflamed

with

a

passion

for

her

.

Valeria

was

still

in

weeds

,

the

time

of

her

mourning

not

being

yet

expired

.

He

sent

a

message

to

her

proposing

marriage

,

and

offering

,

on

her

compliance

,

to

put

away

his

wife

.

She

frankly

returned

an

answer

such

as

she

alone

could

dare

to

do

:

first

,

that

she

would

not

treat

of

marriage

while

she

was

in

weeds

,

and

while

the

ashes

of

Galerius

,

her

husband

,

and

,

by

adoption

,

the

father

of

Daia

,

were

yet

warm

;

next

,

that

he

acted

impiously

,

in

proposing

to

divorce

a

faithful

wife

to

make

room

for

another

,

whom

in

her

turn

he

would

also

cast

off

;

and

,

lastly

,

that

it

was

indecent

,

unexampled

,

and

unlawful

for

a

woman

of

her

title

and

dignity

to

engage

a

second

time

in

wedlock

.

This

bold

answer

having

been

reported

to

Daia

,

presently

his

desires

changed

into

rage

and

furious

resentment

.

He

pronounced

sentence

of

forfeiture

against

the

princess

,

seized

her

goods

,

removed

her

attendants

,

tortured

her

eunuchs

to

death

,

and

banished

her

and

her

mother

Prisca

:

but

he

appointed

no

particular

place

for

her

residence

while

in

banishment

;

and

hence

he

insultingly

expelled

her

from

every

abode

that

she

took

in

the

course

of

her

wanderings

;

and

,

to

complete

all

,

he

condemned

the

ladies

who

enjoyed

most

of

her

friendship

and

confidence

to

die

on

a

false

accusation

of

adultery

.

Notes

1
[Language greatly the product of Christian influences.]