8

towards the western ocean. And when Constantine also succeeded to the same rule, the affairs of the church became more conspicuous. For when Maxentius, the son of Herculius, was slain, and his portion fell to Constantine, all those who dwelt around the river Tiber and the Eridanus, which the inhabitants call the Padus, and the Aquilis, henceforth worshipped without fear; into which it is said the Argo was launched and saved into the Tyrrhenian 1.6.5 sea. For the Argonauts, fleeing Aeetes, did not make the same voyage on their return. But having crossed the sea beyond Scythia, they arrived through the rivers there at the borders of the Italians, and having wintered there, they founded a city called Hemona. And when summer came, with the help of the inhabitants, they dragged the Argo by machine about four hundred stades over land to the river Aquilis, which joins the Eridanus; and the Eridanus has its outlets into the sea by 1.6.6 Italy. After the battle of Cibalae, the Dardanians and Macedonians and all who dwell around the Ister, and what is called Hellas and the entire nation of the Illyrians, came under Constantine. 1.7.1 But Licinius, after the rout there, having previously favored the Christians, changed his mind and at that time mistreated many of the priests under his own rule, and many of the others, and especially of the military multitude. For he was exceedingly hostile towards the Christians on account of his difference with Constantine, thinking to grieve him by the misfortunes of the religion, and at the same time suspecting that the churches prayed and were zealous to be ruled by him 1.7.2 alone. In addition to this, as is wont to happen, when he was about to enter into battle again with Constantine, he took forethought for the expected war by means of sacrifices and oracles, and being led on by some who promised 1.7.3 him victory he turned to Hellenism. Indeed, the Hellenes say that he then consulted the oracle of Didymaean Apollo in Miletus; and when he asked about the war, the divinity gave him these Homeric verses: ‘O old man, truly young warriors vex you, And your strength is undone, and grievous old age is upon you.’ 1.7.4 From many other things, therefore, it seemed to me that the doctrine of the Christians 1.7.4 was established by the providence of God and had come to such an increase, and not least from what happened then. For when Licinius was already about to persecute all the churches under him, the war in Bithynia began, which was the last that he and Constantine waged 1.7.5 against each other. And Constantine enjoyed such divine favor that he prevailed over his enemies by land and by sea, and Licinius, having lost his infantry and his navy, surrendered himself at Nicomedia and lived for some time as a private citizen in Thessalonica and was slain there, a man who at the beginning of his reign was most distinguished in wars and in other things, and honored with the marriage of Constantine's sister, but came to such an end. 1.8.1 But Constantine, when the entire rule of the Romans had devolved on him alone, proclaimed in a public letter to his subjects throughout the East to revere the religion of the Christians and to diligently worship the divine, and to understand the divine to be only that which truly is and has enduring power through all time. For to those who are zealous in these things, all good things are wont to be added in abundance, and whatever they undertake, they meet with good hopes; but to those who sin against the divine, both publicly and privately, in wars and in 1.8.2 peace, all things turn out difficultly. And giving thanks, he claimed to speak not boastfully, how God, having deemed him a fit servant of His will, had led him forth from the sea by the Britons to the eastern regions, so that the religion of the Christians might be increased and those who for the sake of the worship of God had remained steadfast in confessions or martyrdoms might be more distinguished 1.8.3 by honors

8

πρὸς ἑσπέραν ὠκεανοῦ. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ Κωνσταντῖνος τὴν αὐτὴν ἀρχὴν διεδέξατο, μᾶλλον διεφάνη τὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας πράγματα. Μαξεντίου τε γὰρ τοῦ ῾Ερκουλίου παιδὸς ἀναιρεθέντος καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ μοίρας εἰς Κωνσταντῖνον μεταπεσούσης λοιπὸν ἀδεῶς ἐθρήσκευον ὅσοι τε περὶ τὸν Θύβριν ποταμὸν ᾤκουν καὶ τὸν ᾿Ηριδανόν, ὃν Πάδον οἱ ἐπιχώριοι καλοῦσι, καὶ τὸν ῎Ακυλιν· εἰς ὃν λόγος καθελκυσθῆναι τὴν ᾿Αργὼ καὶ πρὸς τὸ Τυρρη-1.6.5 νῶν διασωθῆναι πέλαγος. οἱ γὰρ ᾿Αργοναῦται τὸν Αἰήτην φεύγοντες οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν πλοῦν ἐν τῇ ἐπανόδῳ ἐποιήσαντο. περαιωθέντες δὲ τὴν ὑπὲρ Σκύθας θάλασσαν διὰ τῶν τῇδε ποταμῶν ἀφίκοντο εἰς ᾿Ιταλῶν ὅρια, καὶ χειμάσαντες ἐνταῦθα πόλιν ἔκτισαν ῎Ημωνα προσαγορευομένην. τοῦ δὲ θέρους ἐπικαταλαβόντος, συμπραξάντων αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐπιχωρίων, ἀμφὶ τοὺς τετρακοσίους σταδίους ὑπὸ μηχανῆς ἕλκοντες τὴν ᾿Αργὼ διὰ γῆς ἐπὶ τὸν ῎Ακυλιν ποταμὸν ἤγαγον, ὃς τῷ ᾿Ηριδανῷ συμβάλλει· ᾿Ηριδανὸς δὲ εἰς τὴν κατὰ 1.6.6 ᾿Ιταλοὺς θάλασσαν τὰς ἐκβολὰς ἔχει. μετὰ δὲ τὴν περὶ Κιβάλας μάχην ∆αρδάνιοί τε καὶ Μακεδόνες καὶ ὅσοι περὶ τὸν ῎Ιστρον οἰκοῦσιν, ἥ τε καλου-μένη ῾Ελλὰς καὶ πᾶν τὸ ᾿Ιλλυριῶν ἔθνος ὑπὸ Κωνσταντῖνον ἐγένοντο. 1.7.1 Λικίνιος δὲ μετὰ τὴν ἐνθάδε τροπήν, πρότερον τὰ Χριστιανῶν πρεσβεύων, μετεβάλετο τὴν γνώμην καὶ πολλοὺς τότε τῶν ἐπὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἀρχῇ ἱερέων ἐκάκωσε, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ στρατιωτικοῦ πλήθους. σφόδρα γὰρ ἀπηχθάνετο πρὸς τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς διὰ τὴν πρὸς Κωνσταντῖνον διαφοράν, οἰόμενος αὐτὸν λυπήσειν ταῖς δυσπραγίαις τῆς θρησκείας, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὰς ἐκκλησίας ὑπολαμβάνων εὔχεσθαι καὶ σπουδάζειν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ 1.7.2 μόνου βασιλεύεσθαι. πρὸς τούτοις δέ, οἷα φιλεῖ γίνεσθαι, πάλιν εἰς μάχην καθίστασθαι μέλλων Κωνσταντίνῳ, τοῦ προσδοκωμένου πολέμου πρόνοιαν ἐποιεῖτο διά τε σφαγίων καὶ μαντειῶν, καὶ ὑπαχθείς τισιν ὑπισχνουμένοις 1.7.3 αὐτῷ κρατήσειν εἰς ῾Ελληνισμὸν ἐτράπη. ἀμέλει τοι καὶ ῞Ελληνές φασιν αὐτὸν τότε ἀποπειραθῆναι τοῦ ἐν Μιλήτῳ μαντείου τοῦ ∆ιδυμαίου ᾿Απόλλωνος· ἐρομένῳ δὲ αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ πολέμου χρῆσαι τὸ δαιμόνιον τουτουσὶ τοὺς ῾Ομηρικοὺς στίχους· ῏Ω γέρον, ἦ μάλα δή σε νέοι τείρουσι μαχηταί, Σή τε βίη λέλυται, χαλεπὸν δέ σε γῆρας ἱκάνει. 1.7.4 ᾿Εκ πολλῶν μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλων ἔδοξέ μοι τὸ δόγμα τῶν Χριστιανῶν 1.7.4 θεοῦ προνοίᾳ συνίστασθαι καὶ εἰς τοσαύτην παρελθεῖν ἐπίδοσιν, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ ἐκ τῶν τότε γενομένων. μέλλοντι γὰρ ἤδη Λικινίῳ διώκειν πάσας τὰς ὑπ' αὐτὸν ἐκκλησίας συνίσταται ὁ ἐν Βιθυνίᾳ πόλεμος, ὃν τελευταῖον ἐπολέμησαν 1.7.5 πρὸς ἀλλήλους αὐτός τε καὶ Κωνσταντῖνος. τοσαύτῃ δὲ θείᾳ ῥοπῇ ἐχρήσατο Κωνσταντῖνος, ὡς κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλασσαν κρατῆσαι τῶν ἐναντίων, ἀποβαλόντα δὲ Λικίνιον τὸ πεζὸν καὶ τὸ ναυτικὸν ἑαυτὸν ἐν Νικομηδείᾳ προδοῦναι καὶ ἰδιώτην ἐπί τινα χρόνον διαγαγεῖν ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ κἀκεῖσε ἀναιρεθῆναι, ἄνδρα τὰ πρῶτα τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐν πολέμοις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις εὐδοκιμώτατον γενόμενον καὶ τῷ γάμῳ τῆς ἀδελφῆς Κωνσταντίνου τετιμημένον, εἰς τοῦτο δὲ καταστάντα τέλους. 1.8.1 Κωνσταντῖνος δέ, εἰς μόνον αὐτὸν πάσης τῆς ῾Ρωμαίων ἀρχῆς περιστάσης, γράμματι δημοσίῳ προηγόρευσε τοῖς ἀνὰ τὴν ἕω ὑπηκόοις τὴν Χριστιανῶν σέβειν θρησκείαν καὶ τὸ θεῖον ἐπιμελῶς θεραπεύειν, θεῖον δὲ νοεῖν μόνον ὃ καὶ ὄντως ἐστὶ καὶ διαρκῆ κατὰ παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου τὴν δύναμιν ἔχει. τάδε μὲν γὰρ σπουδάζουσιν ἄφθονα πάντα τὰ ἀγαθὰ φιλεῖν προσγίνεσθαι, καὶ ἅπερ ἂν ἐγχειρῶσιν, μετὰ χρηστῶν ἐλπίδων ἀπαντᾶν· τοῖς δὲ περὶ τὸ κρεῖττον ἁμαρτάνουσιν κοινῇ καὶ ἰδίᾳ ἐν πολέμοις τε καὶ 1.8.2 εἰρήνῃ πάντα δυσχερῆ συμβαίνειν. χάριν τε ὁμολογῶν, οὐ κομπάζων λέγειν ἰσχυρίζετο, ὡς ἐπιτήδειον ὑπηρέτην ἀξιώσας αὐτὸν εἶναι ὁ θεὸς τῆς αὐτοῦ βουλήσεως ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς Βρεττανοὺς θαλάσσης μέχρι τῶν ἑῴων χωρίων προήγαγεν, ὅπως ἡ Χριστιανῶν αὐξηθείη θρησκεία καὶ οἱ θεραπείας θεοῦ ἕνεκεν καρτερικοὶ διαμείναντες ἐν ὁμολογίαις ἢ μαρτυρίαις ἐπι1.8.3 φανέστεροι ταῖς τιμαῖς