Chap. XXI.

Having thus attained to the highest power, he bent his mind to afflict that empire into which he had opened his way. It is the manner and practice of the Persians for the people to yield themselves slaves to their kings, and for the kings to treat their people as slaves. This flagitious man, from the time of his victories over the Persians, was not ashamed incessantly to extol such an institution, and he resolved to establish it in the Roman dominions; and because he could not do this by an express law, he so acted, in imitation of the Persian kings, as to bereave men of their liberties. He first of all degraded those whom he meant to punish; and then not only were inferior magistrates put to the torture by him, but also the chief men in cities, and persons of the most eminent rank, and this too in matters of little moment, and in civil questions. Crucifixion was the punishment ready prepared in capital cases; and for lesser crimes, fetters. Matrons of honourable station were dragged into workhouses; and when any man was to be scourged, there were four posts fixed in the ground, and to them he was tied, after a manner unknown in the chastisement of slaves. What shall I say of his apartment for sport, and of his favourite diversions? He kept bears, most resembling himself in fierceness and bulk, whom he had collected together during the course of his reign. As often as he chose to indulge his humour, he ordered some particular bear to be brought in, and men were thrown to that savage animal, rather to be swallowed up than devoured; and when their limbs were torn asunder, he laughed with excessive complacency: nor did he ever sup without being spectator of the effusion of human blood. Men of private station were condemned to be burnt alive; and he began this mode of execution by edicts against the Christians, commanding that, after torture and condemnation, they should be burnt at a slow fire. They were fixed to a stake, and first a moderate flame was applied to the soles of their feet, until the muscles, contracted by burning, were torn from the bones; then torches, lighted and put out again, were directed to all the members of their bodies, so that no part had any exemption. Meanwhile cold water was continually poured on their faces, and their mouths moistened, lest, by reason of their jaws being parched, they should expire. At length they did expire, when, after many hours, the violent heat had consumed their skin and penetrated into their intestines. The dead carcases were laid on a funeral pile, and wholly burnt; their bones were gathered, ground to powder, and thrown into the river, or into the sea.  

XXI. Adeptus igitur maximam potestatem, ad vexandunt orbem, quem sibi patefecerat, animum intendit. Nam post devictos Persas, quorum hic ritus, hic mos est, ut Regibus suis in servitium se addicant, et Reges populo suo tanquam familia utantur, hunc morem nefarius homo in Romanam terram voluit inducere, quem ex illo tempore victoriae sine pudore laudabat. Et quia 0228B id aperte jubere non poterat, sic agebat, ut et ipse libertatem hominibus auferret. In primis honores ademit. Torquebantur ab eo non decuriones modo, sed primores etiam civitatum, egregii ac perfectissimi viri, et quidem in causis levibus atque civilibus. Si morte digni viderentur, cruces stabant; sin minus, compedes parati. Matresfamilias ingenuae ac nobiles in gynaeceum rapiebantur. Si quis esset verberandus, defixi 0229A in stabulo pali quatuor stabant, ad quos nullus unquam servus distendi solebat. Quid lusorium, vel delicias ejus referam? Habebat ursos ferociae ac magnitudinis suae simillimos, quos toto imperii sui tempore elegerat. Quoties delectari libuerat, horum aliquem afferri nominatim jubebat. His homines non plane comedendi, sed obsorbendi objectabantur: quorum artus cum dissiparentur, ridebat suavissime; nec unquam sine humano cruore coenabat. Dignitatem non habentibus poena ignis fuit; et haec ille primo adversus Christianos permiserat, datis legibus, ut post tormenta damnati lentis ignibus urerentur. Qui cum deligati fuissent, subdebatur primo pedibus lenis flamma tamdiu; donec callum solorum contractum igni ab ossibus revelleretur. Deinde incensae faces et 0229B extinctae admovebantur singulis membris, ita ut locus nullus in corpore relinqueretur intactus. Et inter haec suffundebatur facies aqua frigida, et os humore abluebatur, ne arescentibus siccitate faucibus, cito spiritus 0230A redderetur; quod postremo accidebat, cum per multum diem decocta omni cute, vis ignis ad intima viscera penetrasset. Hinc rogo facto cremabantur corpora jam cremata; lecta ossa, et in pulverem comminuta, jactabantur in flumine ac mare.