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the emperor always used the saving sign as a defense against every opposing and hostile power, and commanded that likenesses of it be carried at the head of all his armies. 1.32.1 But of these things a little later. But at the time indicated, astonished at the marvelous vision, and having resolved to worship no other god than the one who had appeared, he summoned the interpreters of his words, and asked who this god was 1.32.2 and what was the meaning of the vision of the sign that had appeared. And they said that he was God, the only-begotten Son of the one and only God, and that the sign which had appeared was the symbol of immortality, and was a trophy of the victory over death which he had won when he once came to earth; and they taught the reasons for his coming, setting before him the precise account of the economy concerning men. 1.32.3 And he was instructed in these words, and was amazed at the divine manifestation delivered to his eyes, and comparing the heavenly vision with the interpretation of what was said he was strengthened in his mind, being persuaded that knowledge of these things had come to him divinely taught. And he himself now deemed it right to give his attention to the inspired readings. And so, having made the priests of God his counselors, he thought it necessary to honor the God who had appeared with all kinds of worship. And then, having fortified himself with good hopes in him, he then set out to extinguish the threat of the tyrannical fire. 1.33.1 For indeed great was he who had previously seized the ruling city here, engaging in impieties and unholy acts, so that he passed over no daring act of abominable and impure practice. For he would separate lawful wives from their husbands, and after most shamefully outraging them he would send them back to their husbands, and this not to insignificant or obscure women, but he wantonly insulted those who held the first places of the Roman senate. So then, though he shamefully outraged countless free women, he was unable to satisfy his incontinent and 1.33.2 dissolute soul. But when he also attempted Christian women, he was no longer able to find an easy supply for his adulteries. For these women would sooner yield up their souls to death 1.34.1 than their bodies to him for defilement. For a certain one of the senatorial men there who was administering the prefectural authority, when she learned that those who ministered such things for the tyrant had come to the house (for she was a Christian), and she learned that her own husband on account of fear had ordered them to take and lead her away, having begged for a short time, so that she might put on her body's customary attire, she enters into her chamber and being alone she fixes a sword against her breast, and dying immediately she leaves her corpse to the procurers, but by deeds louder than any voice she proclaimed to all men, both those who are now and those who will be hereafter, that the chastity celebrated among Christians is the only invincible and indestructible possession. So then she appeared as such a one; But all, cowering before him who dared such things—peoples and rulers, both honored and unhonored—were worn down by a terrible tyranny, and even when they were quiet and bore the bitter servitude there was nevertheless no escape from the murderous cruelty of the tyrant. For once on a slight pretext, he gave over the people to slaughter to his bodyguard, and countless multitudes of the Roman people were slain in the very midst of the city, not by Scythians or 1.35.2 barbarians but by the spears and arms of their own people. And indeed, how great a slaughter of senators was carried out for the sake of plotting against each one's property, it is not possible even to count, with countless men being destroyed on one fabricated charge after another. 1.36.1 But the crown of the tyrant's evils drove him to sorcery, with magical arts at one time splitting open pregnant women, at another time searching the entrails of newborn infants and slaughtering lions and composing certain unspeakable rites for the invocation of demons and for the aversion of the war; 1.36.2 for through these things he hoped to secure the victory. So then, in this way tyrannizing over Rome it is not even possible to say what sort of things he did as he enslaved his subjects, so that now of necessary foods in the utmost

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σωτηρίῳ σημείῳ πάσης ἀντικειμένης καὶ πολεμίας δυνάμεως ἀμυντηρίῳ διὰ παντὸς ἐχρῆτο βασιλεύς, τῶν τε στρατοπέδων ἁπάντων ἡγεῖσθαι τὰ τούτου ὁμοιώματα προσέταττεν. 1.32.1 Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα σμικρὸν ὕστερον. κατὰ δὲ τὸν δηλωθέντα χρόνον τὴν παράδοξον καταπλαγεὶς ὄψιν, οὐδ' ἕτερον θεὸν ἢ τὸν ὀφθέντα δοκιμάσας σέβειν, τοὺς τῶν αὐτοῦ λόγων μύστας ἀνεκαλεῖτο, καὶ τίς εἴη θεὸς οὗτος ἠρώτα 1.32.2 τίς τε ὁ τῆς ὀφθείσης ὄψεως τοῦ σημείου λόγος. οἱ δὲ τὸν μὲν εἶναι θεὸν ἔφασαν θεοῦ τοῦ ἑνὸς καὶ μόνου μονογενῆ παῖδα, τὸ δὲ σημεῖον τὸ φανὲν σύμβολον μὲν ἀθανασίας εἶναι, τρόπαιον δ' ὑπάρχειν τῆς κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου νίκης, ἣν ἐποιήσατό ποτε παρελθὼν ἐπὶ γῆς, ἐδίδασκόν τε τὰς τῆς παρόδου αἰτίας, τὸν ἀκριβῆ λόγον αὐτῷ τῆς κατ' ἀνθρώπους οἰκονομίας ὑποτιθέμενοι. 1.32.3 ὁ δὲ καὶ τούτοις μὲν ἐμαθητεύετο τοῖς λόγοις, θαῦμα δ' εἶχε τῆς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτῷ παραδοθείσης θεοφανείας, συμβάλλων τε τὴν οὐράνιον ὄψιν τῇ τῶν λεγομένων ἑρμηνείᾳ τὴν διάνοιαν ἐστηρίζετο, θεοδίδακτον αὐτῷ τὴν τούτων γνῶσιν παρεῖναι πειθόμενος. καὶ αὐτὸς δ' ἤδη τοῖς ἐνθέοις ἀναγνώσμασι προσέχειν ἠξίου. καὶ δὴ τοὺς τοῦ θεοῦ ἱερέας παρέδρους αὑτῷ ποιησάμενος τὸν ὀφθέντα θεὸν πάσαις δεῖν ᾤετο θεραπείαις τιμᾶν. κἄπειτα φραξάμενος ταῖς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγαθαῖς ἐλπίσιν ὡρμᾶτο λοιπὸν τοῦ τυραννικοῦ πυρὸς τὴν ἀπειλὴν κατασβέσων. 1.33.1 Καὶ γὰρ δὴ πολὺς ἦν ὁ ταύτῃ προαρπάσας τὴν βασιλεύουσαν πόλιν δυσσεβείαις καὶ ἀνοσιουργίαις ἐγχειρῶν, ὡς μηδὲν τόλμημα παρελθεῖν μιαρᾶς καὶ ἀκαθάρτου πράξεως. διαζευγνύς γέ τοι τῶν ἀνδρῶν τὰς κατὰ νόμον γαμετάς, αὐταῖς ἐνυβρίζων αἰσχροτάτως τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἀπέπεμπε, καὶ ταῦτ' οὐκ ἀσήμοις οὐδ' ἀφανέσιν, ἀλλ' αὐτοῖς ἐμπαροινῶν τοῖς τὰ πρωτεῖα τῆς Ῥωμαίων συγκλήτου βουλῆς κατέχουσι. μυρίαις μὲν οὖν ἐλευθέραις γυναιξὶν ἐνυβρίζων αἰσχρῶς, οὐκ εἶχεν ὅπως ἐμπλήσειε τὴν ἀκρατῆ καὶ 1.33.2 ἀκόλαστον αὐτοῦ ψυχήν. ὡς δὲ καὶ Χριστιαναῖς ἐνεχείρει, καὶ οὐκέθ' οἷός τ' ἦν εὐπορίαν ταῖς μοιχείαις ἐπινοεῖν. θᾶττον γοῦν τὴν ψυχὴν θανατῶσαι 1.34.1 ἢ τὸ σῶμα αὐτῷ παρεχώρουν ἐπὶ φθορὰν αὗται. μία γοῦν τις τῶν αὐτόθι συγκλητικῶν ἀνδρῶν τὴν ἔπαρχον διεπόντων ἐξουσίαν, ὡς ἐπιστάντας τῷ οἴκῳ τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα τῷ τυράννῳ διακονουμένους ἐπύθετο (Χριστιανὴ δ' ἦν), τόν τ' ἄνδρα τὸν αὑτῆς ἔγνω δέους ἕνεκα λαβόντας ἀπάγειν αὐτὴν κελεῦσαι, βραχὺν ὑποπαραιτησαμένη χρόνον, ὡς ἂν τοῦ σώματος τὸν συνήθη περιβάλοιτο κόσμον, εἴσεισιν ἐπὶ τοῦ ταμείου καὶ μονωθεῖσα ξίφος κατὰ τοῦ στέρνου πήγνυσι, θανοῦσά τε παραχρῆμα τὸν μὲν νεκρὸν τοῖς προαγωγοῖς καταλείπει, ἔργοις δ' ἁπάσης γεγωνοτέροις φωνῆς, ὅτι μόνον χρῆμα ἀήττητόν τε καὶ ἀνώλεθρον ἡ βοωμένη παρὰ Χριστιανοῖς σωφροσύνη πέφυκεν, εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους τούς τε νῦν ὄντας καὶ τοὺς μετέπειτα γενησομένους ἐξέφηνεν. αὕτη μὲν οὖν τοιαύτη τις ὤφθη· Τὸν δὲ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐπιτολμῶντα πάντες ὑπεπτηχότες, δῆμοι καὶ ἄρχοντες, ἔνδοξοί τε καὶ ἄδοξοι, δεινῇ κατετρύχοντο τυραννίδι, καὶ οὐδ' ἠρεμούντων καὶ τὴν πικρὰν φερόντων δουλείαν ἀπαλλαγή τις ὅμως ἦν τῆς τοῦ τυράννου φονώσης ὠμότητος. ἐπὶ σμικρᾷ γοῦν ἤδη ποτὲ προφάσει τὸν δῆμον εἰς φόνον τοῖς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν δορυφόροις ἐξεδίδου, καὶ ἐκτείνετο μυρία πλήθη τοῦ δήμου Ῥωμαίων ἐπ' αὐτοῦ μέσου τοῦ ἄστεος οὐ Σκυθῶν οὐδὲ 1.35.2 βαρβάρων ἀλλ' αὐτῶν τῶν οἰκείων δόρασι καὶ πανοπλίαις. συγκλητικῶν γε μὴν φόνος ὅσος δι' ἐπιβουλὴν ἐνηργεῖτο τῆς ἑκάστου περιουσίας, οὐδ' ἐξαριθμήσασθαι δυνατόν, ἄλλοτε ἄλλαις πεπλασμέναις αἰτίαις μυρίων ἀναιρουμένων. 1.36.1 Ἡ δὲ τῶν κακῶν τῷ τυράννῳ κορωνὶς ἐπὶ γοητείαν ἤλαυνε, μαγικαῖς ἐπινοίαις τοτὲ μὲν γυναῖκας ἐγκύμονας ἀνασχίζοντος, τοτὲ δὲ νεογνῶν σπλάγχνα βρεφῶν διερευνωμένου λέοντάς τε κατασφάττοντος καί τινας ἀρρητοποιίας ἐπὶ δαιμόνων προκλήσεις καὶ ἀποτροπιασμὸν τοῦ πολέμου 1.36.2 συνισταμένου· διὰ τούτων γὰρ τῆς νίκης κρατήσειν ἤλπιζεν. οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ Ῥώμης τυραννῶν οὐδ' ἔστιν εἰπεῖν οἷα δρῶν τοὺς ὑπηκόους κατεδουλοῦτο, ὥστ' ἤδη τῶν ἀναγκαίων τροφῶν ἐν ἐσχάτῃ