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they pursued the army of Constantius even up to the walls, but he himself followed last as the army fled. But since the gates were closed and he was not able to enter inside the wall, the enemies stretched out their hands to capture him; but letting down ropes from the wall, they pulled him up. And once inside and having encouraged the army, he went out against the Alamanni and won a brilliant victory, so that six thousand fell. And Maximian Herculius defeated the five Gentiani in Africa. And Diocletian overthrew Achilleus in Alexandria. And with him was Constantine, the son of Constantius, being very young, excelling in the wars. Seeing him, Diocletian, moved by envy, was eager to destroy him by deceit. But God miraculously saved him and returned him to his father. King of the Persians, Hormisdas, 6 years. Bishop of Rome, Miltiades, 4 years. 29th Bishop of Jerusalem, Zabdas, 10 years. 13. 1. 1. 1. 3. 14. In this year Veterius, the camp commander, moderately persecuted the Christians in the army, from that time the persecution against all smouldering. 20th Bishop of Antioch, Vitalius, 6 years. 14. 2. 2. 2. 4. 1. 15. 3. 3. 3. 5. 2. 16. 4. 4. 4. 6. 3. 32nd Bishop of Rome, Silvester, 28 years. 17. 5. 1. 5. 7. 4. 9 In this year Maximian Galerius was sent by Diocletian against Narses, the king of the Persians, who was at that time overrunning and plundering Syria. And joining battle with him in the first fight, he was defeated near Callinicum and Carrhae. And returning from the flight he met Diocletian being carried on a chariot. But he, not receiving the Caesar in his proper attire, let him run for a great distance and lead the chariot. But after this, when a great force had been gathered, Maximian Galerius the Caesar was again sent out to the war against Narses, employing good fortune, daring and doing things which no other had. For he both pursued Narses as far as inner Persia and slaughtered his entire army, and took his wives and children and sisters and all that he carried with him, treasures of money and the illustrious men among the Persians, with whom he returned, and Diocletian, who was staying in Mesopotamia, gladly received and honored him. And each one individually and all of them together, having fought against many of the barbarians, accomplished all things. But Diocletian, elated by the favorable course of events, demanded to be worshipped by the senators, and not to be addressed in the former manner. And he adorned the imperial robes and the footwear with gold and pearls and precious stones. And while Constantine, the son of Constantius, was living in the east and in Palestine and holding the beliefs of the Christians, Galerius Maximian saw him advancing in intelligence of soul and strength of body and in aptitude for learning, and having divined that this one would be the destroyer of his tyranny and his doctrines, he plotted to kill him by deceit. But by divine providence, having learned of the plot, like David, he found safety in flight and was saved by reaching his own father, giving many thanks with Christ himself who saved him. 18. 6. 2. 6. 8. 5. In this year Galerius Maximian, persuaded by Theotecnus the sorcerer while sacrificing to demons and receiving oracles, Theotecnus, having entered the cave, gave him an oracle: to raise up a persecution against the Christians. And he fabricated the memoirs of the savior and sent them everywhere for insult and ordered the schoolmasters to teach the children10, preparing for our mystery to be mocked. 9th King of the Persians, Sabor, 70 years. 19. 1. 3. 7. 9. 6. In this year imperial edicts were issued, that the churches of Christ should be razed to the ground and the divine books burned, and that priests and all Christians should be handed over to tortures and be compelled to sacrifice to idols. And this persecution was the most terrible of all

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τῷ Κωνσταντίου στρατῷ ἄχρι καὶ εἰς τὰ τείχη κατεδίωξαν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἠκολούθει τελευταῖος φεύγοντι τῷ στρατῷ. ἐπειδὴ δὲ κεκλεισμένων τῶν πυλῶν οὐδὲ ἔσω τοῦ τείχους ἠδυνήθη εἰσελθεῖν, χεῖρας ἐξέτεινον οἱ πολέμιοι πρὸς τὸ συλλαβεῖν αὐτόν· σχοίνους δὲ καθέντες ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους ἀνείλκυσαν αὐτόν. ἔσω δὲ γενόμενος καὶ τὸν στρατὸν παραθαρσύνας, ἐπεξελθὼν τοῖς Ἀλαμάνοις νίκην ἔσχε λαμπράν, ὥστε ἑξακισχιλίους πεσεῖν. Μαξιμιανὸς δὲ ὁ Ἐρκούλιος τῶν πέντε Γεντιανῶν ἐν τῇ Ἀφρικῇ ἐκράτησεν. ∆ιοκλητιανὸς δὲ ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ τὸν Ἀχιλλέα καθεῖλεν. συνῆν δὲαὐτῷ καὶ Κωνσταντῖνος, ὁ υἱὸς Κωνσταντίου, κομιδῆ νέος ὑπάρχων, ἀριστεύων ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις. ὃν ὁρῶν ∆ιοκλητιανὸς φθόνῳ κινηθεὶς δόλῳ ἀνελεῖν ἐσπούδαζεν. θεὸς δὲ τοῦτον παραδόξως διέσωσε καὶ τῷ πατρὶ ἀπέδωκεν. Περσῶν βασιλεὺς Ὁρμίσδας ἔτη ϛʹ. Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοπος Μιλτιάδης ἔτη δʹ. Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος κθʹ Ζάβδας ἔτη ιʹ. ιγʹ. αʹ. αʹ. αʹ. γʹ. ιδʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει Οὐετήριος στρατοπεδάρχης τοὺς ἐν στρατείᾳ Χριστιανοὺς ἤλαυνε μετρίως, ἔκτοτε τοῦ κατὰ πάντων ὑποτύφοντος διωγμοῦ. Ἀντιοχείας ἐπίσκοπος κʹ Βιτάλιος ἔτη ϛʹ. ιδʹ. βʹ. β. βʹ. δʹ. αʹ. ιεʹ. γʹ. γʹ. γʹ. εʹ. βʹ. ιϛʹ. δʹ. δʹ. δʹ. ϛʹ. γʹ. Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοπος λβʹ Σίλβεστρος ἔτη κηʹ. ιζʹ. εʹ. αʹ. εʹ. ζʹ. δʹ. 9 Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει Μαξιμιανὸς Γαλλέριος κατὰ Νάρσεως, τοῦ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλέως τὸ τηνικαῦτα τὴν Συρίαν καταδραμόντος καὶ ληϊζομένου, ἀπεστάλη ὑπὸ ∆ιοκλητιανοῦ. καὶ συμβαλὼν αὐτῷ κατὰ τὴν πρώτην μάχην ἡττᾶται περὶ Καλλίνικον καὶ Κάρρας. ἐπανιὼν δὲ ἐκ τῆς φυγῆς ὑπήντησε ∆ιοκλητιανῷ ἐπ' ὀχήματος φερομένῳ. ὁ δὲ τὸν καίσαρα μετὰ τοῦ ἰδίου σχήματος οὐ προσδεξάμενος ἀφῆκεν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον τρέχειν καὶ προηγεῖσθαι τοῦ ὀχήματος. μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα συναχθείσης δυνάμεως πολλῆς πάλιν Μαξιμιανὸς ὁ Γαλλέριος καῖσαρ ἐπὶ τὸν Νάρσεως πόλεμον ἐκπέμπεται χρησάμενος δεξιᾷ τύχῃ, τολμήσας καὶ πράξας ἃ μηδεὶς ἕτερος. τόν τε γὰρ Νάρσεα μέχρι τῆς ἐνδοτέρας Περσίδος ἐδίωξε καὶ κατέσφαξε πᾶν τὸ στρατόπεδον καὶ τὰς τούτου γυναῖκας καὶ παῖδας καὶ ἀδελφὰς παρέλαβε καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐκεῖνος ἐπεφέρετο, χρημάτων θησαυροὺς καὶ τοὺς ἐν Πέρσαις λαμπρούς, μεθ' ὧν ἐπανελθόντα ∆ιοκλητιανὸς ἐν Μεσοποταμίᾳ διάγων ἀσμένως ἐδέξατο τιμήσας. καὶ ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστος καὶ κοινῇ πάντες οὗτοι πρὸς πολλοὺς τῶν βαρβάρων πολεμήσαντες πάντα κατώρθωσαν. ἀρθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων εὐροίας ∆ιοκλητιανὸς προσκυνεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν συγκλητικῶν, καὶ οὐ προσαγορεύεσθαι κατὰ τὸ πρότερον σχῆμα ἀπῄτησεν. ἐκαλλώπισε δὲ καὶ τὰς βασιλικὰς ἐσθῆτας καὶ τὸ ὑπόδημα χρυσίῳ καὶ μαργαρίταις καὶ λίθοις τιμίοις. Κωνσταντίνου δέ, τοῦ υἱοῦ Κωνσταντίου, ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ καὶ Παλαιστίνῃ διάγοντος καὶ τὰ Χριστιανῶν φρονοῦντος, ὁρῶν τοῦτον ὁ Γαλλέριος Μαξιμιανὸς συνέσει ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος ῥώμῃ καὶ τῇ περὶ τὴν παίδευσιν εὐφυίᾳ προκόπτοντα μαντευσάμενός τε τοῦτον καταλυτὴν ἔσεσθαι τῆς τυραννίδος καὶ τῶν δογμάτων αὐτοῦ, δόλῳ θανατῶσαι τοῦτον ἐσκέψατο. θείᾳ δὲ προμηθείᾳ τὸν δόλον μαθών, ὡς ∆αβίδ, φυγῇ τὴν σωτηρίαν πορίζεται καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον πατέρα διασώζεται, πολλὰ σὺν αὐτῷ τῷ Χριστῷ εὐχαριστῶν τῷ σώσαντι αὐτόν. ιηʹ. ϛʹ. βʹ. ϛʹ. ηʹ. εʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει Θεοτέκνῳ γόητι πειθόμενος ὁ Γαλλέριος Μαξιμιανὸς ἐν τῷ θύειν τοῖς δαίμοσι καὶ λαμβάνειν χρησμούς, ὑποδὺς τῷ ἄντρῳ ὁ Θεότεκνος χρησμόν, κατὰ Χριστιανῶν ἐγεῖραι διωγμόν, τούτῳ δέδωκεν. τὰ δὲ ὑπομνήματα τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐπλάσατο καὶ πανταχόσε ἐφ' ὕβρει ἀπέστειλε καὶ τοῖς γραμματοδιδασκάλοις τοὺς παῖδας δι10 δάσκειν προσέταξεν, ὡς διαγελᾶσθαι τὸ καθ' ἡμᾶς μυστήριον παρασκευάζων. Περσῶν βασιλεὺς θʹ Σαβώρης ἔτη οʹ. ιθʹ. αʹ. γʹ. ζʹ. θʹ. ϛʹ. Τούτῳ τῷ ἔτει προστάγματα βασιλικὰ ἐδόθη, τὰς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐδαφίζεσθαι καὶ τὰς θείας βίβλους κατακαίεσθαι, ἱερεῖς δὲ καὶ πάντας Χριστιανοὺς βασάνοις παραδίδοσθαι καὶ θύειν εἰδώλοις ἀναγκάζεσθαι. καὶ ἦν οὗτος ὁ διωγμὸς πάντων φρικωδέστατος