Chap. XXXVII.

While occupied in this plan, he received letters from Constantine which deterred him from proceeding in its execution, so for a time he dissembled his purpose; nevertheless any Christian that fell within his power was privily thrown into the sea. Neither did he cease from his custom of sacrificing every day in the palace. It was also an invention of his to cause all animals used for food to be slaughtered, not by cooks, but by priests at the altars; so that nothing was ever served up, unless foretasted, consecrated, and sprinkled with wine, according to the rites of paganism; and whoever was invited to an entertainment must needs have returned from it impure and defiled. In all things else he resembled his preceptor Galerius. For if aught chanced to have been left untouched by Diocles and Maximian, that did Daia greedily and shamelessly carry off. And now the granaries of each individual were shut, and all warehouses sealed up, and taxes, not yet due, were levied by anticipation. Hence famine, from neglect of cultivation, and the prices of all things enhanced beyond measure. Herds and flocks were driven from their pasture for the daily sacrifice. By gorging his soldiers with the flesh of sacrifices, he so corrupted them, that they disdained their wonted pittance in corn, and wantonly threw it away. Meanwhile Daia recompensed his bodyguards, who were very numerous, with costly raiment and gold medals, made donatives in silver to the common soldiers and recruits, and bestowed every sort of largess on the barbarians who served in his army. As to grants of the property of living persons, which he made to his favourites whenever they chose to ask what belonged to another, I know not whether the same thanks might not be due to him that are given to merciful robbers, who spoil without murdering.  

XXXVII. Haec ille moliens, Constantini litteris deterretur. 0253A Dissimulavit ergo. Et tamen si quis inciderat, mari occulte mergebatur. Consuetudinem quoque suam non intermisit, ut in palatio per singulos dies sacrificaretur. Et hoc primus invenerat, ut animalia omnia, quibus vescebatur, non a coquis, sed a sacerdotibus ad aras immolarentur, nihilque prorsus mensae apponeretur, nisi aut delibatum, aut sacrificatum, aut perfusum mero; ut quisquis ad coenam vocatus esset, inquinatus inde atque impurus exiret. In caeteris quoque magistri sui similis. Nam si quid reliqui, vel Diocles, vel Maximianus reliquerunt, hic abrasit, sine ullo pudore auferens omnia. Itaque horrea privatorum claudebantur, apothecae obsignabantur, debita in futuros annos exigebantur. Hinc fames, agris ferentibus; hinc charitas inaudita. Armentorum 0253B ac pecorum greges ex agris rapiebantur ad sacrificia quotidiana, quibus eos adeo corruperat, ut aspernarentur annonam, et effundebant passim 0254A sine delectu, sine modo; quum satellites universos, quorum numerus ingens erat, pretiosis vestibus et aureis nummis expungeret, gregariis et tyronibus argentum daret, barbaros omni genere largitionis honoraret. Nam quod viventium bona vel auferebat, vel dono suis dabat, [prout] quisque petierat aliena, nescio an [non] agendas illi fuisse gratias putem, quod more clementium latronum incruenta spolia detrahebat.