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war. When the young Gordian learned these things, and being in great despair, he nevertheless announced the expedition against the Persians, and opening the gates of Janus, which were opened for the greatest wars, he went to the east. And when he arrived at the Euphrates and at the mouths of the Tigris, engaging the barbarians, he managed the war most successfully, overthrowing the Parthian forces in great battles. Returning from there after the end, in the sixth year of his reign, already at the very borders of his own dominion, he was assassinated by Philip, who succeeded to the throne, who at that time was training the young soldiers; and Philip was proclaimed emperor. 148 PHILIP. Ibid.: That Philip, after becoming emperor and defeating the Scythians, marched on Byzantium. And having come to Perinthus, when it was announced to him that civil dissensions had occurred in Rome, which Decius, an ex-consul and prefect of the city, had caused, he sends those who were able to stop the proceedings, and who were to forestall the revolt of Decius; and he himself promised to follow with his sons. But when those whom Philip had sent arrived in Rome, having been won over by gifts and flattery from the people and the senate, they renounced Philip and with the Romans acclaimed Decius emperor. When these things were announced to Philip, while he was fleeing near Beroea ** and they kill him with daggers, as he was presiding over affairs for the fifth year. And in Rome the soldiers of the city killed his son. And so the affairs concerning them came to such an end.

149 DECIUS

Exc. De virt.: That Decius, emperor of the Romans, successor of Philip, by an imperial

decree was putting to death those who held Christian beliefs and was compelling those not wishing to worship the gods.

150 GALLUS AND VOLUSIANUS.

Exc. De ins.: That under Gallus and Volusianus, Aemilianus, the prefect of Moesia

prefect attempted a revolution, contending that the imperial power was his by right of his ancestors, and making very great accusations against the Roman senate; against whom the ruling authorities of the Romans marched with a very large force, but were destroyed, having been plotted against by their own men, not yet having completed a third year in the presidency of public affairs, nor having accomplished anything brilliant or worthy of imperial rule, having become emperors in name only. But Aemilianus, having leaped to power in the land of the Scythians and being eager for his arrival in Rome, was destroyed beforehand in the fourth month of his tyranny and vanished from among men.

151 Exc. Salm.: When Gallus was emperor, a plague prevailed for 15 years (months?), moving from Ethiopia to the west; and it was transmitted by clothing and mere sight; and the Scythians, having crossed the Ister, took 500 cities. They say that women wishing to become pregnant drink from the Strymon river and conceive.

152 GALLIENUS. Exc. De ins.: That Gallienus was killed by his own soldiers, who were inflamed with anger

inflamed, because he did not allow them to sack the city of Mogontiacum after the victory, which had sided with Lollianus, whom Postumius had overthrown when he revolted. After him

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πόλεμον. Ταῦτα Γορδιανὸς ὁ νέος πυθόμενος, λίαν τε ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ γενόμενος, ὅμως ἐπαγγέλλει τὴν ἐπὶ Πέρσας ἔξοδον, καὶ τὰς τοῦ Ἰανοῦ πύλας ἀναπετάσας, αἵπερ ἐπὶ τῶν μεγίστων πολέμων διηνοίγοντο, ᾤχετο πρὸς τὴν ἕω. Καὶ ὡς εἰς τὸν Εὐφράτην ἀφίκετο εἴς τε τὰ τοῦ Τίγρητος στόμια, συμβαλὼν τοῖς βαρβάροις, εὐτυχέστατα τὸν πόλεμον διεχείρισε, μεγάλοις ἀγῶσι τὰς Παρθικὰς δυνάμεις καταβαλών. Ἐκεῖθεν δὲ μετὰ τὸ πέρας ἐπανιὼν, ἕκτῳ τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐνιαυτῷ, πρὸς αὐτοῖς ἤδη τοῖς ὅροις τῆς οἰκείας ἀρχῆς, ὑπὸ Φιλίππου, τὴν βασιλείαν διαδεξαμένου, τοῦ κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τὴν τῶν στρατιωτῶν νεολαίαν ἀσκοῦντος, ἐδολοφονήθη· καὶ Φίλιππος ἀνηγορεύθη βασιλεύς. 148 ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΣ. Ibid.: Ὅτι Φίλιππος βασιλεύσας καὶ τοὺς Σκύθας νικήσας, ἐπὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον ἤλαυνεν. Καὶ ἐλθὼν ἐς Πέρινθον, ὡς ἠγγέλθη αὐτῷ ἐμφυλίους στάσεις συμβῆναι κατὰ τὴν Ῥώμην, ἅστινας ∆έκιος ἐποίησεν, ἀπὸ ὑπάτων καὶ ἔπαρχος τῆς πόλεως, τοὺς δυναμένους ἐπισχεῖν τὰ πραττόμενα στέλλει, καὶ τὴν ∆εκίου προκαταληψομένους ἐπανάστασιν· αὐτός τε σὺν τοῖς παισὶν ἐπακολουθεῖν ἐπηγγείλατο. Ὡς δὲ ἐς τὴν Ῥώμην ἔφθασαν οὓς ἔπεμψε Φίλιππος, δώροις τε καὶ κολακείαις τοῦ δήμου καὶ τῆς βουλῆς ὑπαχθέντες, ἀπαγορεύουσί τε Φιλίππῳ καὶ τὸν ∆έκιον αὐτοκράτορα σὺν τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις προσαγορεύουσι. Τούτων ἀγγελθέντων τῷ Φιλίππῳ, κατὰ τὴν Βερόην φεύγοντι ** καὶ τοῖς ὑποκολπίοις ξίφεσιν ἀναιροῦσιν, πέμπτον ἐνιαυτὸν προστάντα τῶν πραγμάτων. Ἐν δὲ τῇ Ῥώμῃ τὸν παῖδα τούτου οἱ τῆς πόλεως στρατιῶται διέφθειραν. Καὶ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τούτους τοιοῦτον ἔσχε τέλος.

149 ∆ΕΚΙΟΣ

Exc. De virt.: Ὅτι ∆έκιος ὁ Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς Φιλίππου διάδοχος βασιλικῷ

θεσπίσματι τοὺς τὰ Χριστιανῶν δοξάζοντας ἐθανάτου καὶ τοὺς οὐ θεοὺς προσκυνεῖν θέλοντας ἠνάγκαζε.

150 ΓΑΛΛΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΒΟΛΟΥΣΙΑΝΟΣ.

Exc. De ins.: Ὅτι ἐπὶ Γάλλου καὶ Βουλουσιανοῦ Αἰμιλιανὸς ὁ τῆς Μυσίας

ἔπαρχος καινοτομεῖν ἐπεβάλετο, αὑτῷ τε τὴν βασιλείαν ἐκ προγόνων ἁρμόττειν φιλονεικῶν, καὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων βουλῆς μεγίστας κατηγορίας ποιούμενος· ἐφ' οὗ οἱ τῆς Ῥωμαίων προστατοῦντες ἐξουσίας, μεγίστῳ πλήθει στρατεύσαντες, ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ἐπιβουλευθέντες διεφθάρησαν, οὔπω τρίτον ἐνιαυτὸν ἐν τῇ προστασίᾳ τῶν κοινῶν διατετελεκότες, οὐδέ τι λαμπρὸν ἢ βασιλείας ἄξιον κατειργασμένοι, ἐν μνήμῃ δὲ μόνῃ τῶν βασιλέων γενόμενοι. Ὅ γε μὴν Αἰμιλιανὸς ἐπιπηδήσας τῇ ἀρχῇ κατὰ τὴν Σκυθῶν χώραν καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ Ῥώμην ἄφιξιν προθυμούμενος, τετάρτῳ μηνὶ τῆς τυραννίδος προδιεφθάρη τε καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἠφάνισται.

151 Exc. Salm.: Γάλλου βασιλεύσαντος, ιεʹ ἔτη (μῆνας?) ἐκράτησε λοιμὸς, κινηθεὶς ἀπὸ Αἰθιοπίας ἕως τῆς δύσεως· μετεδίδοτο δὲ ἀπὸ ἱματίων καὶ ψιλῆς θέας· καὶ οἱ Σκύθαι περάσαντες τὸν Ἴστρον ἔλαβον φʹ πόλεις. Τὰ γυναῖκας βουλομένας ἐγκύους γενέσθαι λέγουσι πίνειν ἀπὸ τοῦ Στρυμόνος ποταμοῦ καὶ κύειν.

152 ΓΑΛΛΙΗΝΟΣ. Exc. De ins.: Ὅτι Γαλλιηνὸς ἀνῃρέθη πρὸς τῶν οἰκείων στρατιωτῶν, ἐς ὀργὴν

ἀναφθέντων, ὅτι δὴ πόλιν Μογοντίναν, συναραμένην Λολλιανῷ, ὃν νεωτερίσαντα καθεῖλε Ποστούμιος, διαρπάσαι μετὰ τὴν νίκην οὐ συνεχώρησε. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον