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Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died

Lactantius

Chapter 24

About this work

Author: Lactantius

Chap. XXIV.

Already the judgment of God approached him, and

‹ Chapter 23 Chapter 25 ›

that

season

ensued

in

which

his

fortunes

began

to

droop

and

to

waste

away

.

While

occupied

in

the

manner

that

I

have

described

above

,

he

did

not

set

himself

to

subvert

or

expel

Constantius

,

but

waited

for

his

death

,

not

imagining

,

however

,

that

it

was

so

nigh

.

Constantius

,

having

become

exceedingly

ill

,

wrote

to

Galerius

,

and

requested

that

his

son

Constantine

might

be

sent

to

see

him

.

He

had

made

a

like

request

long

before

,

but

in

vain

;

for

Galerius

meant

nothing

less

than

to

grant

it

.

On

the

contrary

,

he

laid

repeated

snares

for

the

life

of

that

young

man

,

because

he

durst

not

use

open

violence

,

lest

he

should

stir

up

civil

wars

against

himself

,

and

incur

that

which

he

most

dreaded

,

the

hate

and

resentment

of

the

army

.

Under

pretence

of

manly

exercise

and

recreation

,

he

made

him

combat

with

wild

beasts

:

but

this

device

was

frustrated

;

for

the

power

of

God

protected

Constantine

,

and

in

the

very

moment

of

jeopardy

rescued

him

from

the

hands

of

Galerius

.

At

length

,

Galerius

,

when

he

could

no

longer

avoid

complying

with

the

request

of

Constantius

,

one

evening

gave

Constantine

a

warrant

to

depart

,

and

commanded

him

to

set

out

with

the

imperial

despatches

.

Galerius

meant

either

to

find

some

pretext

for

detaining

Constantine

,

or

to

forward

orders

to

Severus

for

arresting

him

on

the

road

.

Constantine

discerned

his

purpose

;

and

therefore

,

after

supper

,

when

the

emperor

was

gone

to

rest

,

he

hasted

away

,

carried

off

from

the

principal

stages

all

the

horses

maintained

at

the

public

expense

,

and

escaped

.

the

emperor

,

having

purposely

remained

in

his

bed

-

chamber

until

noon

,

ordered

Constantine

to

be

called

into

his

presence

;

but

he

learnt

that

Constantine

had

set

out

immediately

after

supper

.

Outrageous

with

passion

,

he

ordered

horses

to

be

made

ready

,

that

Constantine

might

be

pursued

and

dragged

back

;

and

hearing

that

all

the

horses

had

been

carried

off

from

the

great

road

,

he

could

hardly

refrain

from

tears

.

Meanwhile

Constantine

,

journeying

with

incredible

rapidity

,

reached

his

father

,

who

was

already

about

to

expire

.

Constantius

recommended

his

son

to

the

soldiers

,

delivered

the

sovereign

authority

into

his

hands

,

and

then

died

,

as

his

wish

had

long

been

,

in

peace

and

quiet

.

Constantine Augustus, having assumed the government, made it his first care to restore the Christians to the exercise of their worship and to their God; and so began his administration by reinstating the holy religion.

Notes

1
[Re-establishing (Edin.) is too strong a term. He refers to the restoration, from ruins, of churches, etc. (cap. 12, p. 305, supra). See caps. 34, 48, infra.]