while he was staying in Mesopotamia (for the Persian war required this), their eldest sister Constantia (she was the widowed wife of Anaballianus), fearing that Magnentius the usurper might seize supreme power over all, made a certain Vetranio, one of the generals, Caesar. And she seemed to have the power to do this, because while their common father was alive he had both crowned her with a diadem and named her Augusta. And Constantius, having learned these things, at first immediately sends the diadem to Vetranio, also ratifying for him the imperial dignity; but then, marching against Magnentius in the West and wishing to meet with Vetranio in a friendly manner, since that man had given suspicion of a revolt, he subdued Vetranio and stripped him of his imperial robe; having done him no other harm, but even sharing a table with him, sends him away to Prusa in Bithynia, having assigned to him splendid and magnificent provisions, having provided that he should lack none of those things in which a man's life as a private citizen prospers. 3.23 That he records that Sapor, the king of the Persians, marched against Nisibis and laid siege to it; but that he returned unsuccessful and unexpectedly disgraced, because Jacob, the bishop of the city, both advised the citizens on what must be done and fought for the city's invincibility with his boldness towards God. 3.24 That the Alps, both those called Succi and the Julian, are narrow passes with very great mountains on either side enclosed at one point nearly coming together. And these passes are like the narrows at Thermopylae. But the Julian Alps separate the Gauls and Italies from the Illyrians; while the Succi are between Dacia and Thrace, which Vetranio, by hastening to seize, gave Constantius the suspicion of revolt. 3.25 That while Constantius was preparing against Magnentius the tyrant, hearing that the Persian [threat] was being set in motion against the East with a heavier hand, he was compelled to appoint Gallus as Caesar and to send him against them. And Gallus was his cousin; for Gallus's father, Constantius, was the brother of Constantine the Great, who fathered Constantius and his brothers. 3.26 Constantius therefore becomes master of the tyrant, and at that point the sign of the cross both appeared at its greatest size and outshone the light of day with most stunning radiances. And it was seen over Jerusalem at about the third hour of the day, during the feast called Pentecost. And that divinely-inscribed figure was seen extending from the place called the Skull all the way to the Mount of Olives, with a great rainbow encircling it on all sides like a crown. The rainbow, then, signified the favor of the one who was crucified and ascended, and the crown, the victory of the emperor. And that luminous and venerable sight was not unseen even by those in the army, but being clearly seen, it cast Magnentius and those with him (as they were devoted to the worship of demons) into a state of helpless terror, but restored Constantius and those around him to invincible courage. But Magnentius, having been defeated at first, then having gradually recovered himself, and having engaged in battle a second time and having been thoroughly defeated, and having lost nearly all those with him, flees to the city of Lugdunum. And at first, supposedly out of goodwill, he slaughters his own brother, snatching him away from an enemy's insolence and hand, then also any other of his closest associates who was present; and finally, having set his sword under himself, he fell upon it and, pierced through the back, expired, having been tyrant for not even a full four years. 3.27 That he says that Basil and Eustathius, having become enemies of Aetius, concocted absurd slanders and incited Gallus with them; so that he, trusting them as bishops and being stirred to anger, ordered Aetius to be sought out and of both legs
Μεσοποταμίας διατρίβοντος (τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ Περσικὸς ἀπῄτει πόλεμος), ἡ πρεσβυτάτη τούτων ἀδελφὴ Κωνσταντία (Ἀναβαλλιανοῦ δὲ ἦν κεχηρωμένη γυνή), δείσασα μὴ φθάσειεν ὁ τυραννήσας Μαγνέντιος τὸ πάντων ἀναρτήσασθαι κράτος, Οὐετερανίωνά τινα, τῶν στρατηγούντων ἕνα, καθίστησι Καίσαρα. ἐδόκει δὲ δύνασθαι τὴν πρᾶξιν, διότι ζῶν ὁ κοινὸς αὐτῶν πατὴρ διαδήματί τε αὐτὴν ἐταινίωσεν καὶ Αὐγοῦσταν ἐπωνόμασεν. ὁ δὲ Κωνστάντιος ταῦτα μαθὼν παραυτίκα μὲν Οὐετερανίωνι τὸ διάδημα πέμπει, συνεπικυρῶν αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ τῆς βασιλείας ἀξίωμα· ἔπειτα δὲ πρὸς Ἑσπερίους κατὰ Μαγνεντίου στρατευόμενος καὶ συμμῖξαι φιλίως τῷ Οὐετερανίωνι βουληθείς, ἐπείπερ ἐκεῖνος παρέσχεν ὑποψίαν ἐπαναστάσεως, χειροῦται μὲν τὸν Οὐετερανίωνα καὶ τῆς βασιλικῆς ἀποδύει στολῆς· μηδὲν δὲ κακὸν ἐπεργασάμενος ἄλλο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τραπέζης αὐτῷ κοινωνήσας, εἰς Προῦσαν τῆς Βιθυνίας ἐκπέμπει, λαμπρὰς καὶ μεγαλοπρεπεῖς ἀφορίσας αὐτῷ τὰς χορηγίας, μηδενὸς ὑστερεῖσθαι, ὧν ἀνθρώπου βίος ὡς ἐν ἰδιώταις εὐδαιμονεῖ, προνοησάμενος. 3.23 Ὅτι Σαπώρην τὸν βασιλέα Περσῶν ἀναγράφει στρατεῦσαι κατὰ τῆς Νισίβιδος καὶ εἰς πολιορκίαν αὐτῆς καταστῆναι· ἄπρακτον δὲ καὶ παρὰ δόξαν κατῃσχυμμένον ὑποστρέψαι, Ἰακώβου τοῦ τῆς πόλεως ἐπισκόπου τό τε πρακτέον τοῖς πολίταις εἰσηγουμένου καὶ τῇ πρὸς θεὸν παρρησίᾳ κατὰ τὸ ἀνυπέρβλητον τῆς πόλεως ὑπερμαχεσαμένου. 3.24 Ὅτι αἱ Ἄλπεις, αἵ τε Σούκεις καλούμεναι καὶ αἱ Ἰουλίαι,δίοδοί εἰσι στεναὶ μεγίστων ὀρῶν ἑκατέρωθεν καὶ ὑφ' ἓν χωρίον ἐγγὺς τοῦ συμπτύσσεσθαι συγκλειομένων. ἐοίκασι δὲ αἱ δίοδοι αὗται τοῖς ἐν Θερμοπύλαις στενοῖς. ἀλλ' αἱ μὲν Ἰουλίαι Ἄλπεις τὰς Γαλλίας καὶ Ἰταλίας διορίζουσι τῶν Ἰλλυριῶν· αἱ δὲ Σούκεις μεταξὺ τῆς ∆ακίας εἰσὶν καὶ τῆς Θρᾴκης, ἃς καὶ καταλαβεῖν ἐπειγόμενος Οὐετερανίων τὴν ὑπόνοιαν τῆς ἐπαναστάσεως παρέσχε Κωνσταντίῳ. 3.25 Ὅτι ἐν ᾧ Κωνστάντιος κατὰ Μαγνεντίου παρεσκευάζετο τοῦ τυράννου, τὸ Περσικὸν ἀκούσας κατὰ τῆς Ἑῴας βαρυτέρᾳ χειρὶ κινεῖσθαι, εἰς ἀνάγκην ἧκε Γάλλον Καίσαρα χειροτονῆσαι καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἐκπέμψαι. ἀνεψιὸς δὲ ἦν ὁ Γάλλος· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Γάλλου πατὴρ Κωνστάντιος ἀδελφὸς ἦν Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ μεγάλου, ὃς ἐγείνατο Κωνστάντιον καὶ τοὺς αὐτοῦ ἀδελφούς. 3.26 Ὁ μὲν οὖν Κωνστάντιος ἐγκρατὴς τοῦ τυράννου γίνεται, κἀνταῦθα τοῦ σημείου τοῦ σταυροῦ ἐπὶ μέγιστόν τε προφανέντος καὶ καταπληκτικωτάταις αἴγλαις ὑπεραστράψαντος τὸ τῆς ἡμέρας φῶς. ὤφθη δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων περὶ τρίτην ὥραν μάλιστα τῆς ἡμέρας, ἑορτῆς τῆς λεγομένης Πεντηκοστῆς ἐνισταμένης. ὁ δὲ θεόγραφος τύπος ἐκεῖνος ἀπὸ τοῦ λεγομένου Κρανίου μέχρι καὶ τοῦ τῶν Ἐλαιῶν ὄρους διήκων ὡρᾶτο, ἴριδος μεγάλης στεφάνου τρόπον πανταχόθεν αὐτὸν περιελιττούσης. ἐδήλου δὲ ἄρα ἡ μὲν ἴρις τὴν τοῦ σταυρωθέντος καὶ ἀναληφθέντος εὐμένειαν, ὁ δὲ στέφανος τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως νίκην. τὸ δὲ σελασφόρον ἐκεῖνο καὶ σεβάσμιον θέαμα οὐδὲ τοῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἀθέατον ἦν, ἀλλ' ἐπιδήλως ὁρώμενον Μαγνέντιον μὲν καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ ἅτε τῇ τῶν δαιμόνων θεραπείᾳ προσανακειμένους εἰς ἀμήχανον δέος κατέστησεν, Κωνστάντιον δὲ καὶ τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν εἰς θάρσος ἄμαχον ἀνεκτήσατο. ἡττηθεὶς δὲ τὰ πρῶτα Μαγνέντιος, εἶτα κατὰ μικρὸν ἀναλαβὼν ἑαυτόν, καὶ συμπλακεὶς ἐκ δευτέρου τῷ πολέμῳ καὶ κατὰ τὸ κραταιότατον καταπολεμηθεὶς καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ μικροῦ πάντας ἀποβαλών, πρὸς τὴν Λουγδούνων ἀποδιδράσκει πόλιν. καὶ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα κατ' εὔνοιαν δῆθεν τὸν οἰκεῖον ἀδελφὸν ἀποσφάττει, πολεμίας προαρπάζων ὕβρεως καὶ χειρός, ἔπειτα καὶ εἴ τις ἄλλος παρῆν τῶν οἰκειοτάτων· τελευταῖον δὲ τὸ ξίφος ὑποστήσας ἑαυτῷ, ἐπηράχθη τε καὶ διελαθεὶς κατὰ τὸ μετάφρενον ἐξέψυξεν, οὐδ' ὅλα τέσσαρα τυραννήσας ἔτη. 3.27 Ὅτι φησὶ τοὺς περὶ Βασίλειον καὶ Εὐστάθιον, δι' ἔχθρας γεγονότας τῷ Ἀετίῳ, διαβολὰς ἀτόπους συρράψαι καὶ τὸν Γάλλον ἐπὶ ταύταις παροξῦναι· ὥστε ἐκεῖνον, ὡς ἐπισκόποις πιστεύσαντα καὶ πρὸς ὀργὴν ἐκταραχθέντα, κελεῦσαι τὸν Ἀέτιον ἀναζητηθῆναι καὶ ἀμφοῖν τοῖν σκελοῖν