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Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died

Lactantius

Chapter 23

About this work

Author: Lactantius

Chap. XXIII.

But that which gave rise to public and universal

‹ Chapter 22 Chapter 24 ›

calamity

,

was

the

tax

imposed

at

once

on

each

province

and

city

.

Surveyors

having

been

spread

abroad

,

and

occupied

in

a

general

and

severe

scrutiny

,

horrible

scenes

were

exhibited

,

like

the

outrages

of

victorious

enemies

,

and

the

wretched

state

of

captives

.

Each

spot

of

ground

was

measured

,

vines

and

fruit

-

trees

numbered

,

lists

taken

of

animals

of

every

kind

,

and

a

capitation

-

roll

made

up

.

In

cities

,

the

common

people

,

whether

residing

within

or

without

the

walls

,

were

assembled

,

the

market

-

places

filled

with

crowds

of

families

,

all

attended

with

their

children

and

slaves

,

the

noise

of

torture

and

scourges

resounded

,

sons

were

hung

on

the

rack

to

force

discovery

of

the

effects

of

their

fathers

,

the

most

trusty

slaves

compelled

by

pain

to

bear

witness

against

their

masters

,

and

wives

to

bear

witness

against

their

husbands

,

In

default

of

all

other

evidence

,

men

were

tortured

to

speak

against

themselves

;

and

no

sooner

did

agony

oblige

them

to

acknowledge

what

they

had

not

,

but

those

imaginary

effects

were

noted

down

in

the

lists

.

Neither

youth

,

nor

old

age

,

nor

sickness

,

afforded

any

exemption

.

The

diseased

and

the

infirm

were

carried

in

;

the

age

of

each

was

estimated

;

and

,

that

the

capitation

-

tax

might

be

enlarged

,

years

were

added

to

the

young

and

struck

off

from

the

old

.

General

lamentation

and

sorrow

prevailed

.

Whatever

,

by

the

laws

of

war

,

conquerors

had

done

to

the

conquered

,

the

like

did

this

man

presume

to

perpetrate

against

Romans

and

the

subjects

of

Rome

,

because

his

forefathers

had

been

made

liable

to

a

like

tax

imposed

by

the

victorious

Trajan

,

as

a

penalty

on

the

Dacians

for

their

frequent

rebellions

.

After

this

,

money

was

levied

for

each

head

,

as

if

a

price

had

been

paid

for

liberty

to

exist

;

yet

full

trust

was

not

reposed

on

the

same

set

of

surveyors

,

but

others

and

others

still

were

sent

round

to

make

further

discoveries

;

and

thus

the

tributes

were

redoubled

,

not

because

the

new

surveyors

made

any

fresh

discoveries

,

but

because

they

added

at

pleasure

to

the

former

rates

,

lest

they

should

seem

to

have

been

employed

to

no

purpose

.

Meanwhile

the

number

of

animals

decreased

,

and

men

died

;

nevertheless

taxes

were

paid

even

for

the

dead

,

so

that

no

one

could

either

live

or

cease

to

live

without

being

subject

to

impositions

.

There

remained

mendicants

alone

,

from

whom

nothing

could

be

exacted

,

and

whom

their

misery

and

wretchedness

secured

from

ill

-

treatment

.

But

this

pious

man

had

compassion

on

them

,

and

determining

that

they

should

remain

no

longer

in

indigence

,

he

caused

them

all

to

be

assembled

,

put

on

board

vessels

,

and

sunk

in

the

sea

.

So

merciful

was

he

in

making

provision

that

under

his

administration

no

man

should

want

!

And

thus

,

while

he

took

effectual

measures

that

none

,

under

the

reigned

pretext

of

poverty

,

should

elude

the

tax

,

he

put

to

death

a

multitude

of

real

wretches

,

in

violation

of

every

law

of

humanity

.