Eusebius Book 10, Section 8

10.8.1

VIII. τοιαῦτα μὲν οὖν ἡμῖν ἡ θεία καὶ οὐράνιος τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιφανείας ἐδωρεῖτο χάρις, τοσαύτη τε ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις ἀγαθῶν διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐπρυτανεύετο εἰρήνης. καὶ ὧδε μὲν τὰ καθ’ ἡμᾶς ἐν εὐφροσύναις καὶ πανηγύρεσιν ἐτελεῖτο· οὐκ ἢν δὲ ἄρα τῷ μισοκάλῳ φθόνῳ τῷ τε φιλοπονήρῳ δαίμονι φορητὸς ἡ τῶν ὁρωμένων θέα, ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ Λικιννίῳ πρὸς αώφρονα λογισμὸν ἐτύγχανεν αὐτάρκη τὰ τοῖς πρόαθεν δεδηλωμένοις τυράννοις συμβεβηκότα· ὃς εὑ φερομένης τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτῷ βασιλέως τε μεγάλου Κωνσταντίνου δευτερείων τιμῆς ἐπιγαμβρίας τε καὶ συγγενείας τῆς ἀνωτάτω ἠξιωμένος, μιμήσεως μὲν τῆς τῶν καλῶν ἀπελιμπάνετο, τῆς δὲ τῶν ἀσεβῶν τυράννων μοχθηρίας ἐξήλου τὴν κακοτροπίαν, καὶ ὧν τοῦ βίου τὴν καταστροφὴν ἐπεῖδεν αὐτοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, τούτων ἕπεαθαι τῆ γνώμη μᾶλλον ἢ τῇ τοῦ κρείττονος ἐμμένειν φιλίᾳ τε καὶ διαθέσει ἠρεῖτο. διαφθονηθείς γέ τοι τῷ πανευεργέτῃ, πόλεμον δυσαγῆ καὶ δεινότατον πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκφέρει, οὐ φύαεως νόμων φεισάμενος, οὐχ ὁρκωμοσιῶν οὐχ αἵματος οὐ συνθηκῶν μνήμην ἐν διανοίᾳ λαβών. ὁ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ οἷα πανάγαθος βασιλεὺς εὐνοίας παρέχων ἀληθοῦς σύμβολα, συγγενείας τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐφθόνησεν γάμων τε λαμπρῶν ἀδελφῆς μετουσίαν οὐκ ἀπηρνήσατο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἐκ πατέρων εὐγενείας βασιλικοῦ τε ἀνέκαθεν αἵματος κοινωνὸν γενέσθαι ἠξίωσεν τῆς τε κατὰ πάντων ἀπολαύειν ἀρχῆς οἷα κηδεστῇ καὶ συμβασιλεῖ παρεῖχεν τὴν ἐξουαίαν, οὐκ ἔλαττον μέρος τῶν ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίους ἐθνῶν διέπειν αὐτῷ καὶ διοικεῖν κεχαρισμένος. ὁ δ’ ἔμπαλιν τούτοις τἀναντία διεπράττετο, παντοίας ὁσημέραι κατὰ τοῦ κρείττονος μηχανὰς ἐπιτεχνώμενος πάντας τε ἐπινοῶν ἐπιβουλῆς τρόπους, ὡς ἄν κακοῖς τὸν εὐεργέτην ἀμείψοιτο. τὰ μὲν οὖν πρῶτα τὴν συσκευὴν ἐπικρύπτειν, φίλος εἶναι προσεποιεῖτο, δόλῳ τε καὶ ἀπάτη πλειστάκις ἐπιθέμενος ῥᾷστα ἂν τυχεῖν τοῦ προσδοκωμένου ἤλπισεν· τῷ δὲ ἄρα ὁ θεὸς ἢν φίλος κηδεμών τε καὶ φύλαξ, ὃς αὐτῷ τὰς ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ καὶ σκότει μηχανωμένας ἐπιβουλὰς εἰς φῶς ἄγων διήλεγχεν. τοσοῦτον ἀρετῆς τὸ μέγα τῆς θεοαεβείας ὅπλον πρὸς ἄμυναν μὲν ἐχθρῶν, οἰκείας δὲ φυλακὴν αωτηρίας ἰσχύει· ᾧ δὴ πεφραγμένος μένος ὁ θεοφιλέστατος ἡμῶν βασιλεὺς τὰς τοῦ δυσωνύμου πολυπλόκους ἐπιβουλὰς διεδίδρασκεν. ὃ δὲ τὴν λαθραίαν συσκευὴν ὡς οὐδαμῶς ἑώρα κατὰ γνώμην αὐτῷ χωροῦσαν, τοῦ θεοῦ πάντα δόλον τε καὶ ῥᾳδιουργίαν τῷ θεοφιλεῖ βασιλεῖ κατάφωρα ποιοῦντος, οὐκέθ’ οἷός τε ὢν ἐπικρύπτεσθαι, προφανῆ πόλεμον αἴρεται. ὁμόσε δῆτα Κωνσταωτίνῳ πολεμεῖν διαγνούς, ἤδη καὶ κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων, ὃν ἠπίστατο σέβειν αὐτόν, παρατάττεσθαι ὡρμᾶτο, κἄπειτα τοὺς ὑπ’ αὐτῷ θεοσεβεῖς, μηδὲν μηδ’ ὅλως πώποτε τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ λυπηρὸν διαθεμένους, ἠ’ τέως τέως καὶ ἡσυχῆ πολιορκεῖν ἐπεβάλλετο. καὶ τοῦτ’ ἔπραττεν, δεινῶς ἀβλεπτεῖν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐμφύτου κακίας ἠναγκασμένος. οὔτ’ οὖν τὴν μνήμην τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ Χριστιανοὺς ἐκδιωξάντων πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔθετο οὐδ’ ὧν αὐτὸς ὀλετὴρ καὶ τιμωρὸς δι’ ἃς μετῆλθον ἀσεβείας κατέστη· ἀλλὰ γὰρ τοῦ σώφρονος ἐκτραπεὶς λογισμοῦ, διαρρήδην δὲ μανεὶς τὰς φρένας, τὸν θεὸν αὐτὸν οἷα δὴ Κωνσταντίνου βοηθὸν ἀντὶ τοῦ βοηθουμένου πολεμεῖν ἐγνώκει.

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VIII. Such then were the gifts that the divine and heavenly grace of our Saviour bestowed upon us by His appearing, and such was the abundance of good things that the peace which came to us procured for all mankind. And thus our happy state was celebrated with rejoicings and festive assemblies. Nevertheless the envy that hates the good, even the demon who loves the evil, could not endure the sight of what he beheld; as indeed that which had happened to the above-mentioned tyrants was not even for Licinius, to bring him to sound reason. He who had been deemed worthy of the principate in a state of prosperity, of second rank after the great Emperor Constantine, of a connexion by marriage and the most exalted kinship with him, turned from the following of good men and zealously affected the evil manners and wickedness of the impious tyrants; and he preferred to follow the judgment of those whose end he had seen with his very eyes, rather than continue on terms of friendship and love with his superior. Filled, in fact, with envy of the common benefactor, he waged an impious and most terrible war against him, neither giving respect to the laws of nature nor bearing a thought on sworn treaties or ties of blood or agreements. For Constantine, the all-gracious Emperor, as he was, furnished him with the tokens of genuine goodwill, did not grudge him kinship with himself, and did not refuse him the enjoyment of an illustrious union in the person of his sister. Nay further, he deemed him worthy to partake of his ancestral nobility and his imperial blood and origin, and bestowed on him, as a brother-in-law, the right to a share in the supreme government; for of his bounty he gave him the ruling and administration of no inferior part of the peoples under the Roman sway. But Licinius pursued an exactly opposite line of conduct: he was daily contriving all kinds of devices against his superior, and inventing all manner of plans to reward his benefactor with evil. At first, indeed, he attempted to conceal the intrigue, and feigned friendliness, hoping that frequent recourse to guile and deceit would most easily secure his expectations. But God proved to be Constantine's Friend and Protector and Guardian, who brought to light the plots that were devised secretly and in darkness, and confounded them. Such power is there in the great weapon of godliness to ward off the enemy and to preserve its own in safety. Fenced verily with this, our Emperor, most dear to God, escaped the plots of this ill-famed master of intrigue. And he, when he saw that his covert design was by no means going according to his wish (for God disclosed every guile and wickedness to the Emperor whom He loved), since he was no longer able to conceal himself, raised an open warfare. And, to be sure, in his decision to make war at close quarters upon Constantine, he was already hastening to battle also against the God of the universe, whom, as he knew, Constantine worshipped; and so he designed an attack, quietly and silently at first, upon his godly subjects, who had never at any time done any harm at all to his rule. And this he did, because his innate wickedness had perforce brought upon him terrible blindness. Thus he neither kept before his eyes the memory of those who had persecuted Christians before him, nor of those whom he himself destroyed and punished for the evil deeds they had pursued. But he turned aside from the path of sound reason, and becoming altogether mad, decided to make war on God Himself, as the Protector of Constantine, instead of on him who was being protected.

10.8.2

Καὶ πρῶτα μὲν τῆς οἰκίας τῆς αὐτοῦ πάντα Χριστιανὸν ἀπελαύνει, ἔρημον αὐτὸς αὑτὸν ὁ δείλαιος τῆς τούτων καθιστὰς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν εὐχῆς, ἢν ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων αὐτοῖς ποιεῖσθαι πάτριον μάθημα τυγχάνει· εἶτα δὲ τοὺς κατὰ πόλιν ατρατιώτας ἐκκρίνεσθαι καὶ ἀποβάλλεσθαι τοῦ τῆς τιμῆς ἀξιώματος, εἰ μὴ τοῖς δαίμοσιν θύειν αἱροῖντο, παρακελεύεται.

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First, he drove away every Christian from his palace; thus by his own act depriving himself, wretched man, of the prayers to God on his behalf, which after the custom of their fathers they are taught to make for all men. Then he gave orders that the soldiers in cities were to be singled out and deprived of honourable rank, unless they chose to sacrifice to demons.

10.8.3

Καὶ ἔτι γε ταῦτα ἦν μικρά, τῆ τῶν μειζόνων συγκρινόμενα παραθέσει. τί δεῖ τῶν κα ἕκαστα καὶ κατὰ μέρος τῷ θεομισεῖ πεπραγμένων μνημονεύειν μονεύειν ὅπως τε νόμους ἀνόμους ὁ παρανόμω παρανομώτατος ἐξεῦρεν; τούς γέ τοι ἐν ταῖς εἱρκταῖς ταλαιπώρου μέν οὐ ’ς ἐνομοθέτει μηδένα μεταδόσει τροφῆς φιλανθρωπεύεσθαι μηδ’ ἐλεεῖν τοὺς ἐν δεσμοῖς λιμῷ διαφθειρομένους μηδ’ ἁπλῶς ἀγαθὸν εἶναι μηδένα μηδ’ ἀγαθόν τι πράττειν τοὺς καὶ πρὸς αὐτῆς τῆς ξύσεως ἐπὶ τὸ συμπαθὲς τῶν πέλας ἑλκομένους. μένους. καὶ ἢν γε νόμων οὗτος ἄντικρυς ἀναιδὴς καὶ ἀπηνέστατος, πᾶσαν ἥμερον ὑπερεξάγων φύσιν, ἐφ’ ᾧ καὶ τιμωρία προσέκειτο τοὺς ἐλεοῦντας τὰ ἴσα πάσχειν τοῖς ἐλεουμένοις δεσμοῖς τε καὶ φυλακαῖς καθείρηγνυσθαι, τὴν ἴσην τοῖς καταπονουμένοις ὑπομένοντας τιμωρίαν, τοὺς τὰ φιλάνθρωπα δ’ διακονουμένους. μένους. τοιαῦται αἱ Λικιννίου διατάξεις. τί χρὴ τὰς περὶ γάμων καινοτομίας ἀπαριθμεῖαθαι ἢ τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῖς τὸν βίον μεταλλάττουσιν νεωτερισμοὺς αὐτοῦ, δι’ ὧν τοὺς παλαιοὺς Ῥωμαίων εὖ καὶ σοφῶς κειμένους νόμους περιγραφαὶ τολμήσας, βαρβάρους τινὰς καὶ ἀνμηέρους ἡμέρους ἀντεισῆγεν, νόμους ἀνόμους ὡς ἀληθῶς καὶ παρανόμους, ἐπισκήψεις τε μυρίας κατὰ τῶν ὑποχειρίων ἐθνῶν ἐπενόει χρυσοῦ τε καὶ ἀργύρου παντοίας εἰσπράξεις ἀναμετρήσεις τε γῆς καὶ τῶν κατ’ ἀγροὺς μηκέτ’ ὄντων ἀνθρώπων πρόπαλαι δὲ κατοιχομένων ἐπιζήμιον κέρδος, οἵους δ’ ἐφεῦρεν ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ μιδάνθρωπος κατὰ μηδὲν ἠδικηκότων ἐξοριαμούς, οἵας εὐπατριδῶν καὶ ἀξιολόγων ἀνδρῶν ἀπαγωγάς, ὧν δὴ τὰς κουριδίας ἀποζευγνὺς γαμετὰς μιαροῖς τισιν οἰκέταις ἐφ’ ὕβρει πράξεως αἰσχρᾶς παρεδίδου, ὅσαις δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ ἐαχατόγηρως γυναιξὶν ὑπάνδροις παρθένοις τε κόραις ἐμπαροινῶν τὴν ἀκόλαστον τῆς αὐτοῦ ψυχῆς ἐπιθυμίαν ἐπλήρου—τί χρὴ ταῦτα μηκύνειν, τῆς τῶν ἐσχάτων αὐτοῦ πράξεων ὑπερβολῆς μικρὰ τὰ πρῶτα καὶ τὸ μηθὲν εἶναι διελεγχούσης; Τὸ γοῦν τέλος αὐτῷ τῆς μανίας ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐπισκόπους ἐχώρει, ἤδη τε τούτους, ὡς ἂν τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων θεοῦ θεράποντας, ἐναντίους ὑπάρχειν οἷς ἔδρα ἡγούμενος, οὔπω μὲν ἐκ τοῦ φανεροῦ διὰ τὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος φόβον, λάθρα δὲ αὖθις καὶ δολίως συνεσκευάζετο, ἀνῄρει τε τούτων δι’ ἐπιβουλῆς τῶν ἡγεμόνων τοὺς δοκιμωτάτους. καὶ ὁ τρόπος ’δε τοῦ κατ’ αὐτῶν φόνου ξένος τις ἢν καὶ οἷος οὐδεπώποτε ἠκούσθη. τὰ γοῦν ἀμφὶ τὴν Αμάσειαν καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς τοῦ Πόντου πόλεις κατεργασθέντα πᾶσαν ὑπερβολὴν ὠμότητος ὑπερηκόντισεν· ἔνθα τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ θεοῦ αἰ μὲν ἐξ ὕφους εἰς ἔδαφος αὗθις κατερρίπτοντο, τὰς δὲ ἀπέκλειον, ὡς ἂν μὴ συνάγοιτό τις τῶν εἰωθότων μηδὲ τῷ θεῷ τὰς ἐποφειλομένας ἀποδιδῷ λατρείας. συντελεῖσθαι γὰρ οὐχ ἡγεῖτο ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τὰς barbarous and uncivilized, that truly were lawless and contrary to law; or the countless assessments that he derised to the detriment of his subject peoples, and the manifold exactions of gold and silver, the revaluations of land, and the lucrative fines of men in the country parts no longer alive but long since departed? Αnd, moreover, as to the banishments that this hater οf mankind inflicted upon those who had done no wrong, the arrests of noble and highlyesteemed men, whose wedded wives he separated from them and consigned to certain abominable members οf his household for disgraceful insult; as to the many married women and unwedded giris with whom this drunken old dotard satished his soul's unbridled lust—why should one enlarge on these things, when the outrageous character οf his last deeds show the first to be small and of no account ?

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And, moreover, these were but small matters when judged by comparison with graver measures. What need is there to mention singly and successively the things done by this hater of God: how, to wit, this most lawless of men invented lawless laws? In fact, with regard to those who were suffering under imprisonment, he laid down a law that no one should treat them humanely by distributing food, or have pity on those who were perishing of hunger in bonds; and that no one should be kindly at all, or do any kindly action, even when they were moved by mere natural feeling to sympathize with their neighbours. And of his laws this one at least was quite openly shameless and the harshest of all, in its putting aside of every civilized, natural feeling, by which also it was enacted as a punishment that those who showed pity should suffer the same as those whom they pitied, and that those who humanely ministered should endure the same punishment as those who were undergoing it, and be consigned to bonds and imprisonment. Such were the ordinances of Licinius. Why should one recount his innovations with regard to marriage, or his revolutionary changes in respect of those who were departing this life, wherein he dared to annul the ancient laws of the Romans, well and wisely laid down, and in their stead brought in certain barbarous and uncivilized laws, truly lawless and contrary to law; or the countless assessments that he devised to the detriment of his subject peoples, and the manifold exactions of gold and silver, the revaluations of land, and the lucrative fines of men in the country parts, no longer alive but long since departed? And, moreover, as to the banishments that this hater of mankind inflicted upon those who had done no wrong, the arrests of noble and highly esteemed men, whose wedded wives he separated from them and consigned to certain abominable members of his household for disgraceful insult; as to the many married women and unwedded girls with whom this debauched old dotard satisfied his soul's unbridled lust—why should one enlarge on these things, when the outrageous character of his last deeds shows the first to be small and of no account?

10.8.4

For example, in the final stage of his madness he proceeded against the bishops, and deeming them opposed to his doings, as being the servants of the supreme God, forthwith plotted against them, not openly as yet (for he feared his superior), but once more with secrecy and guile; and the most hlghly respected οf these, by the contrivance of the governors, he put to death. Αnd the manner in which they were murdered was strange and hitherto unheard of. For instance, the things that were done at Amasea and the other cities of Pontus outdid every exeess of cruelty. There some of the churches of God were again thrown down from the top to the bottom; others they shut up, so that none of the accustomed worshippers might assemble or pay to God the service due to Ηim. For he did not think that the prayers were offered on his behalf—such such was the εὐχάς, συνειδότι φαύλῳ τοῦτο λογιζόμενος, ἀλλ’ ὑπὲρ τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς βασιλέως πάντα πράττειν ἡμᾶς καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἱλεοῦσθαι πέπειστο· ἔνθεν ὡρμᾶτο καθ’ ἡμῶν τὸν θυμὸν ἐπισκήπτειν. καὶ δῆτα τῶν ἡγεμόνων οἱ κόλακες, τὰ φίλα πράττειν τῷ δυσαγεῖ πεπεισμένοι, τῶν ἐπισκόπων τοὺς μὲν συνήθως ταῖς τῶν κακούργων ἀνδρῶν περιέβαλλον τιμῶ τιμωρίαις, ἀπήγοντό τε καὶ ἐκολάζοντο ἀπροφασίστως τοῖς μιαιφόνοις ὁμοίως οἱ μηδὲν ἠδικηκότες· ἤδη δέ τινες καινοτέραν ὑπέμενον τελευτήν, ξίφει τὸ σῶμα εἰς πολλὰ τμήματα κατακρεουργούμενοι καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀπηνῆ ταύτην καὶ φρικτοτάτην θέαν τοῖς τῆς θαλάσσης βυθοῖς ἰχθύσιν εἰς βορὰν ῥιπτούμενοι. φυγαὶ δὴ αὖθις ἐπὶ τούτοις τῶν θεοσεβῶν ἐγίνοντο ἀνδρῶν, καὶ πάλιν ἀγροὶ καὶ πάλιν ἐρημίαι νάπαι τε καὶ ὄρη τοὺς χριστοῦ θεράποντας ὑπεδέχοντο. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ ταῦτα τοῦτον προυχώρει τῷ δυσσεβεῖ τὸν τρόπον, λοιπὸν καὶ τὸν κατὰ πάντων ἀνακινεῖν διωγμὸν ἐπὶ διάνοιαν ἐβάλλετο, ἐκράτει τε γνώμης καὶ οὐδὲν ἐμποδὼν ἦν αὐτῷ μὴ οὐχὶ ἐν ἔργῳ χωρεῖν, εἰ μὴ τάχιστα τὸ μέλλον ἔσεσθαι προλαβὼν ὁ τῶν οἰκείων ψυχῶν ὑπέρμαχος θεὸς ὡς ἐν βαθεῖ σκότῳ καὶ νυκτὶ φωστῆρα μέγαν ἀθρόως καὶ σωτῆρα τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐξέλαμψεν, τὸν αὐτοῦ θεράποντα Κωνσταντῖνον ὑψηλῷ βραχίονι ἐπὶ τὰ τῇδε χειραγωγήσας. lX. τούτῳ μὲν οὖν ἄνωθεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καρπὸν εὐσεβείας ἐπάξιον τὰ τρόπαια τῆς κατὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν παρεῖχε νίκης, τὸν δ’ ἀλιτήριον αὐτοῖς συμβούλοις ἅπασιν καὶ φίλοις ὑπὸ τοῖς Κωνσταωτίνου ποσὶν πρηνῆ κατέβαλεν.

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For when Licinius had carried his madness to the uttermost, the Emperor, the friend of God, reckoning that he was no longer to be endured, summoned his sound powers of reason, and, tempering the stern qualities of justice with humanity, determined to succour those who were being evil-intreated under the tyrant's power; and hastened, by putting a few spoilers out of the way, to rescue the greater part of the human race. For hitherto, when he employed humanity alone and showed mercy to him who was undeserving of sympathy, there was no improvement in Licinius: he did not give over his wickedness, but rather increased his mad fury against his subject peoples; while as for those who were ill-treated, no hope of salvation was left for them, ground down as they were by a terrible wild beast. Wherefore, mingling a hatred of evil with a love of goodness, the defender of the good went forth, with that most humane Emperor, his son Crispus, stretching out the right hand of salvation to all who were perishing. Then, inasmuch as they had God the universal King and Son of God, the Saviour of all, as their Guide and Ally, the father and son both together divided their battle-array against the haters of God on all sides and easily won the victory; for everything in the encounter was made smooth for them by God according to His purpose. Yea, verily, all at once and in less time than it takes to say it, those who the other day were breathing death and threatening were no more, nor was even so much as their name remembered; their pictures and honours received a well-deserved disgrace; and the things that Licinius had seen with his own eyes happen to the impious tyrants of days gone by, these he himself also likewise suffered; for neither did he receive correction nor did he learn wisdom from the strokes that fell upon his neighbours, but pursued the same path of iniquity as they did, and justly reeled over the same precipice.

10.8.5

Ὡς γὰρ εἰς ἔσχατα μανίας τὰ κατ’ αὐτὸν ἤλαυνεν, οὐκέτ’ ἀνεκτὸν εἶναι λογισάμενος βασιλεὺς ὁ τῷ θεῷ φίλος τὸν σώφρονα συναγαγὼν λογισμὸν καὶ τὸν στερρὸν τοῦ δικαίου τρόπον φιλανθρωπίᾳ κερασάμενος, ἐπαμῦναι κρίνει τοῖς ὑπὸ τῷ τυράννῳ ταλαιπωρουμένοις, καὶ τό γε πλεῖστον ἀνθρώπων γένος, βραχεῖς λυμεῶνας ἐκποδὼν ποιησάμενος, ἀνασώσασθαι ὁρμᾶται. μόνη γὰρ αὐτῷ χρωμένῳ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τὸν πρὸ τούτου χρόνον καὶ τὸν οὐ συμπαθείας ἄξιον ἐλεοῦντι, τῷ μὲν οὐδὲν ἐγίνετο πλέον, τῆς κακίας οὐκ ἀπαλλαττομένῳ, αὔξοντι δὲ μᾶλλον τὴν κατὰ τῶν ὑποχειρίων ἐθνῶν λύτταν, τοῖς δὲ κακουμένοις οὔτις ἐλείπετο σωτηρίας ἐλπίς, ὑπὸ δεινῷ θηρὶ κατατυραννουμένοις. δι’ ὃ δὴ τῷ φιλαγάθῳ μίξας τὸ μισοπόνηρον ὁ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀρωγὸς πρόεισιν ἅμα παιδὶ Κρίστῳ βασιλεῖ φιλανθρωποτάτῳ σωτήριον δεξιὰν ἅπασιν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ἐκτείνας· εἶθ’ οἷα παρβασιλεῖ θεῷ θεοῦ τε παιδὶ σωτῆρι ἁπάντων ποδηγῷ καὶ συμμάχῳ χρώμενοι, πατὴρ ἅμα καὶ υἱὸς ἄμφω κύκλῳ διελόντες τὴν κατὰ τῶν θεομισῶν παράταξιν, ῥᾳδίαν τὴν νίκην ἀποφέρονται, τῶν κατὰ τὴν συμβολὴν πάντων ἐξευμαρισθέντων αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κατὰ γνώμην. ἀθρόως δῆτα καὶ λόγου θᾶττον οἱ μὲν χθὲς καὶ πρὸ ἡμέρας θανάτου πνέοντες καὶ ἀπειλῆς οὐκέτ’ ἦσαν, οὐδὲ μέχρις ὀνόματος μνημονευόμενοι, γραφαί τε αὐτῶν καὶ τιμαὶ τὴν ἀξίαν αἰσχύνην ἀπελάμβανον, καὶ ἃ τοῖς πάλαι δυσσεβέσιν τυράννοις ἐνεῖδεν αὐτοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς Λικίννιος, ταῦτα ὁμοίως καὶ αὐτὸς ἔπασχεν, ὅτι μηδ’ αὐτὸς ἐδέξατο παιδείαν μηδὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς τῶν πέλας ἐσωφρονίσθη μάστιξιν, τὴν ὁμοίαν δ’ ἐκείνοις τῆς ἀσεβείας μετελθὼν ὁδόν, ἐπὶ τὸν ἴσον αὐτοῖς ἐνδίκως περιηνέχθη κρημνόν.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-29

Thus was Licinius cast down, prostrate. But Constantine, the most mighty victor, resplendent with every virtue that godliness bestows, together with his son Crispus, an emperor most dear to God and in all respects like unto his father, recovered the East that belonged to them, and formed the Roman Empire, as in the days of old, into a single united whole, bringing under their peaceful rule all of it, from the rising sun round about in the two directions, north as well as south, even to the uttermost limits of the declining day. So then, there was taken away from men all fear of those who formerly oppressed them; they celebrated brilliant festivals; all things were filled with light, and men, formerly downcast, looked at each other with smiling countenances and beaming eyes; with dancing and hymns in city and country alike they gave honour first of all to God the universal King, for this they had been instructed to do, and then to the pious Emperor with his sons beloved of God; old ills were forgotten and oblivion cast on every deed of impiety; present good things were enjoyed, with the further hope of those which were yet to come. And, in short, there were promulgated in every place ordinances of the victorious Emperor full of love for humanity, and laws that betokened munificence and true piety. Thus verily, when all tyranny had been purged away, the kingdom that belonged to them was preserved steadfast and undisputed for Constantine and his sons alone;

10.8.6

Αλλ' οὗτος μὲν ταύτῃ πη βεβλημένος ἔκειτο· ὁ δ’ ἀρετῇ πάσῃ θεοσεβείας ἐκπρέπων μέγιστος νικητὴς Κωνσταντῖνος σὺν παιδὶ Κρίσπῳ, βασιλεῖ θεοφιλεστάτῳ καὶ τὰ πάντα τοῦ πατρὸς ὁμοίῳ, τὴν οἰκείαν ἑῴαν ἀπελάμβανον καὶ μίαν ἡνωμένην τὴν Ῥωμαίων κατὰ τὸ παλαιὸν παρεῖχον ἀρχήν, τὴν ἀπ’ ἀνίσχοντος ἡλίου πᾶσαν ἐν κύκλῳ κατὰ θάτερα τῆς οἰκουμένης ἄρκτον τε ὁμοῦ καὶ μεσημβρίαν εἰς ἔσχατα δυομένης ἡμέρας ὑπὸ τὴν αὐτῶν ἄγοντες εἰρήνην. ἀφῄρητο δ’ οὖν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων πᾶν δέος τῶν πρὶν αὐτοὺς πιεζούντων, λαμπρὰς δ’ ἐτέλουν καὶ πανηγυρικὰς ἑορτῶν ἡμέρας, ἢν τε φωτὸς ἔμπλεα πάντα, καὶ μειδιῶσι προσώποις ὄμμασί τε φαιδροῖς οἱ πρὶν κατηφεῖς ἀλλήλους ἔβλεπον, χορεῖαι δ’ αὐτοῖς καὶ ὕμνοι κατὰ πόλεις ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀγροὺς τὸν παμβασιλέα θεὸν πρώτιστα πάντων, ὅτι δὴ τοῦτ’ ἐδιδάχθησαν, κἄπειτα τὸν εὐσεβῆ βασιλέα παισὶν ἅμα θεοφιλέσιν ἐγέραιρον, κακῶν δ’ ἀμνηστία παλαιῶν ἦν καὶ λήθη πάσης δυσσεβείας, παρόντων δ’ ἀγαθῶν ἀπόλαυσις καὶ προσέτι μελλόντων προσδοκίαι. ἥπλωντο δ’ οὗν κατὰ πάντα τόπον τοῦ νικητοῦ βασιλέως φιλανθρωπίας ἔμπλεοι διατάξεις νόμοι τε μεγαλοδωρεᾶς καὶ ἀληθοῦς εὐσεβείας γνωρίσματα περιέχοντες. οὕτω δῆτα πάσης τυραννίδος ἐκκαθαρθείσης, μόνοις ἐφυλάττετο τὰ τῆς προσηκούσης βασιλείας βέβαιά τε καὶ ἀνεπίφθονα Κωνσταντίνῳ καὶ τοῖς

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