Eusebius Book 7, Section 10

Passages / Book 7 / Section 10

7.10.1

Χ. Οἵ γε μὴν ἀμφὶ τὸν Γάλλον οὐδ’ ὅλοις ἔτεσιν δύο τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπικατασχόντες, ἐκποδὼν μεθίστανται, Οὐαλεριανὸς δ’ ἅμα παιδὶ Γαλλιήνῳ διαδέχεται τὴν ἡγεμονίαν. αὖθις δὴ οὖν ὁ Διονύσιος οἷα καὶ περὶ τούτου διέξεισιν, ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Ἑρμάμμωνα ἐπιστολῆς μαθεῖν ἔστιν, ἐν ἦ τοῦτον ἱστορεῖ τὸν τρόπον· “καὶ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ δὲ ὁμοίως ἀπολαλοῦν καλύπτεται· ‘καὶ ἐδόθη γὰρ αὐτῷ,’ φησίν, ‘στόμα μεγάλα καὶ βλασφημίαν, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία καὶ μῆνες βλασφημίαν, δύο.’ ἀμφότερα δὲ ἔστιν ἐπὶ Οὐαλεριανοῦ θαυμάσαι καὶ τούτων μάλιστα τὰ πρῶτα ὡς οὕτως ἔσχεν, συννοεῖν ὡς μὲν ἤπιος καὶ φιλόφρων ἦν πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοῦ θεοῦ· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄλλος τις οὕτω τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ βασιλέων εὐμενῶς καὶ δεξιῶς πρὸς αὐτοὺς διετέθη, οὐδ’ οἱ λεχθέντες ἀναφανδὸν χριστιανοὶ γεγονέναι, ὡς ἐκεῖνος οἰκειότατα ἐν ἀρχῇ καὶ προσφιλέστατα φανερὸς ἦν αὐτοὺς ἄπο· καὶ πᾶς τε ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ θεοσεβῶν πεπλήρωτο καὶ ἢν ἐκκλησία θεοῦ· ἀποσκευάσασθαι δὲ παρέπεισεν αὐτὸν ὁ διδάσκαλος καὶ τῶν ἀπ’ Αἰγύπτου μάγων ἀρχισυνάγωγος, τοὺς μὲν καθαροὺς καὶ ὁσίους ἄνδρας κτείννυσθαι καὶ διώκεσθαι κελεύων ὡς ἀντιπάλους καὶ κωλυτὰς τῶν παμμιάρων καὶ βδελυκτῶν ἐπαοιδῶν ὑπάρχοντας καὶ γὰρ εἰσὶν καὶ ἦσαν ἱκανοί, παρόντες καὶ ὁρώμενοι καὶ μόνον ἐμπνέοντες καὶ φθεγγόμενοι διασκεδάσαι τὰς τῶν ἀλιτηρίων δαιμόνων ἐπιβουλάς), τελετὰς δὲ ἀνάγνους καὶ μαγγανείας ἐξαγίστους καὶ (The text differs somewhat from that of A.V. and R.V.) 2 Apparently, in the preceding context, Dionysius had quoted a passage οf Scripture, not from the Apocalypse, ρουργίας ἀκαλλιερήτους ἐπιτελεῖν παῖδας ἀθλίους ἀποσφάττειν καὶ τέκνα δυστήνων πατέρων καταθύειν καὶ σπλάγχνα νεογενῆ διαιρεῖν καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ διακόπτειν καὶ καταχορδεύειν πλάσματα, ὡς ἐκ τούτων εὐδαιμονήσοντας.”

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X. But to resume. Gallus and his associates held the principate for less than two entire years, and then were removed out of the way; and Valerian along with his son Gallienus succeeded to the government. Once more we may learn from his letter to Hermammon the description that Dionysius gives of him also; in which he gives an account of the following kind: “And to John also it is likewise revealed: ‘And there was given to him,’ says he, ‘a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy, and there was given to him authority and forty and two months.’ One may wonder at both of these things under Valerian, and especially at the first of them, how mild and friendly he was to the men of God. For not a single one of the emperors before him was so kindly and favourably disposed towards them, not even those who said to have been openly Christians, as he manifestly was, when he received them at the beginning in the most intimate and friendly manner; indeed all his house had been filled with godly persons, and was a church of God. But the master and ruler of the synagogue of the Egyptian magicians persuaded him to get rid of them, bidding him slay and pursue the pure and holy men, as being rivals and hinderers of his abominable and disgusting incantations (for indeed they are and were capable, by their presence and sight, and by merely breathing and speaking, of dissipating the designs of the baneful demons). And he advised him to perform unhallowed rites, and abominable juggleries and ill-omened sacrifices, such as cutting the throats of wretched boys and sacrificing children of hapless parents and opening up the entrails of new-born babes, and cutting up and mincing the handiwork of God, as if all this would bring them divine favour.”

7.10.2

καὶ τούτοις γε ἐπιφέρει λέγων· “καλὰ γοῦν αὐτοῖς Μακριανὸς τῆς ἐλπιζομένης βασιλείας προσήνεγκεν χαριστήρια· ὃς πρότερον μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν καθόλου λόγων λεγόμενος εἶναι βασιλέως, οὐδὲν εὔλογον οὐδὲ καθολικὸν ἐφρόνησεν, ἀλλ’ ὑποπέπτωκεν ἀρᾷ προφητικῇ τῇ λεγούσῃ ἴ’ οὐαὶ τοῖς προφητεύουσιν ἀπὸ καρδίας αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ καθόλου μὴ βλέπουσιν’· οὐ γὰρ συνῆκεν τὴν καθόλου πρόνοιαν, οὐδὲ τὴν κρίσιν ὑπείδετο τοῦ πρὸ πάντων καὶ διὰ πάντων καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, δι’ ὃ καὶ τῆς μὲν καθολικῆς ὁ καὶ τῆς μὲν καθολικῆς αὐτοῦ πολέμιος, ἠλλοτρίωσεν δὲ καὶ ἀπεξένωσεν ἑαυτὸν τοῦ ἐλέους τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πορρωτάτω τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίας ἐφυγάδευσεν, ἐν τούτῳ τὸ ἴδιον ἐπαληθεύων ὄνομα.”

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And in addition he goes on to say: “Goodly at all events were the thank-offerings that Macrianus made to them for the Empire of his hopes. Formerly, when he was regarded as minister over the imperial accounts as a whole, he displayed neither a reasonable nor a catholic mind. But he has fallen under the prophetic curse which says: ‘Woe unto them that prophesy from their heart, and see not the whole.’ For he did not understand the universal nor did he suspect the judgment of Him who is before all and through all and over all. Therefore he has come to be at enmity with the Catholic Church, and so alienated and estranged himself from God's mercy and banished himself as far as possible from his own salvation, in this proving true his name.”

7.10.3

Καὶ πάλιν μεθ’ ἕτερά φησιν· “ὁ μὲν γὰρ Οὐαλεριανὸς εἰς ταῦτα ὑπὸ τούτου προαχθείς, εἰς ὕβρεις καὶ ὀνειδισμοὺς ἐκδοθείς, κατὰ τὸ ῥηθὲν πρὸς ‘Hσαΐαν· ἴ’ καὶ οὗτοι ἐξελέξαντο τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ βδελύγματα αὐτῶν, ἡ ψυχὴ ἠθέλησεν, καὶ ἐγὼ ἐκλέξομαι τὰ ἐμπαίγματα αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἀνταποδώσω αὐτοῖς’· οὗτος δὲ τῇ βασιλείᾳ παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἐπιμανεὶς καὶ τὸν βασίλειον ὑποδῦναι κόσμον ἀδυνατῶν ἀναπήρῳ τῷ σώματι, τοὺς δύο παῖδας τὰς πατρῴας ἀναδεξαμένους ἁμαρτίας προεκτήσατο . ἐναργὴς γὰρ ἐπὶ τούτων ἡ πρόρρησις ἢν εἶπεν ὁ θεός· ἀποδιδοὺς ἁμαρτίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα ἕως τρίτης καὶ τετάρτης γενεᾶς τοῖς μιαοῦαίν με.’ τὰς γὰρ ἰδίας πονηρὰς ἐπιθυμίας, ὧν ἠτύχει, ταῖς τῶν υἱῶν κεφαλαῖς ἐπιβαλών, εἰς ἐκείνους τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κακίαν καὶ τὸ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν μῖσος ἐξωμόρξατο.”

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And again, after other remarks, he says: “For Valerian, being induced by him to this course of action, was given over to insults and reproaches, according to that which was said to Isaiah: ‘And these have chosen their own ways and abominations, in which their soul delighteth, and I will choose their mockings, and their sins I will recompense them.’ Now this man, in his mad desire for imperial rule, of which he was not worthy, and unable to don the imperial robes with his maimed body, put forward his two sons, who thus received their father's sins. For in them was clearly fulfilled the prophecy that God spake: ‘Visiting the sins of fathers upon children, until the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.’ For his own evil desires, which he failed to satisfy, he heaped upon the heads of his sons, and so wiped off on them his own wickedness and his hatred toward God.”

7.10.4

καὶ περὶ μὲν τοῦ Οὐλπιανοῦ τοσαῦτα ὁ Διονύσιος·

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This is the account given by Dionysius concerning Valerian.