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he was committing murders of men who had done no wrong, who were thought to have offended him in some way. And while all were oppressed by the bitter tyranny mixed with youth, which did all things carelessly and without reason **. 163 Exc. De ins.: That when Carinus, the son of Carus, was reigning, and doing all things carelessly and without reason, and the death of Numerian was announced to those in Italy, the leaders of the armies there, being vexed at Carinus's carelessness and cruelty in all things, put the royal robe on Sabinus Julianus, who held the office of praetorian prefect, and intended to fight with him against Carinus. But Carinus, learning of the rebellion, set out for Italy. Then indeed the soldiers, having persuaded those returning from Persia to agree with them, bring Diocletian, who had already put on the purple robe at Nicomedia, towards Italy. And while he was still on the way, Carinus, engaging with the soldiers of Sabinus Julianus, and routing them in battle, was suddenly killed when some of his own men attacked him, as one of the tribunes, whose wife he happened to have seduced, slew him.

t164-167 DIOCLETIAN. 164 Ibid.: That in the time of Diocletian a certain man Carausius, having been born in

a most obscure city, but distinguished in military matters by zeal and bravery, having gradually acquired a most excellent reputation, began a revolt for such a reason. The region called Belgica, along the salt sea, the Franks and Saxons, Celtic peoples, were disturbing, plundering the merchants, and sacking the coastal areas of the country. This man, therefore, having been sent from Bononia, a city of Gaul, since he had captured many of the barbarians, but neither returned the booty from the war to the inhabitants of the provinces nor sent it to the emperors, he was suspected of deliberately letting the enemy go; therefore, having been ordered by Herculius to be executed, he both put on the purple and seized Britain. And after he had done this, and all affairs were in turmoil, Achilleus also started a revolt in Egypt, and Africa was warred upon by five men, called the Gentiani. 165 Exc. De virt.: That Diocletian, in memory and anger of the rebellions against his rule in Egypt, did not use his power moderately or gently, but came upon Egypt, polluting it with proscriptions and murders of distinguished men. At which time he also sought out and burned their ancient books written on the chemistry of silver and gold, so that wealth might no longer be acquired by the Egyptians from such an art, nor that they, emboldened by an abundance of money, might in the future rise up against the Romans. Diocletian was a man of many parts and crafty, and with the exceeding intelligence and sharpness of his mind he often concealed the faults of his own nature, attributing every harsh deed to others. Nevertheless, he was diligent and quick in his undertakings, and he altered many of the imperial court customs to a more imperious fashion, contrary to the established Roman traditions. 166 Ibid.: That Herculius, even without any disguise, was both wild and tyrannical, revealing the harshness of his own disposition by the terrifying aspect of his face. Yielding completely to his own nature, he indeed became a willing subordinate to Diocletian for every absurd and cruel plan. 167 Exc. Salm.: The triumph was named from the first verses of the hymns to Dionysus; for they say that the madness of the poets is *thriasis*; or from the *thria*, the leaves of the fig tree dedicated to Dionysus; for before

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ἐποιεῖτο φόνους οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότων ἀνθρώπων, κατά τι προσκε κρουκέναι νομισθέντων αὐτῷ. Βαρυνομένων δὲ πάντων ἐπὶ τῇ πικρᾷ τυραννίδι συναναμιχθείσῃ νεότητι, καὶ πάντα ἐκμελῶς καὶ δίχα λογισμοῦ πραττούσῃ **. 163 Exc. De ins.: Ὅτι Καρίνου βασιλεύσαντος τοῦ υἱοῦ Κάρου, καὶ πάντα ἐκμελῶς καὶ λογισμοῦ δίχα πράττοντος, ἀγγελθείσης τοῖς ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ τῆς Νουμεριανοῦ τελευτῆς, ἐπὶ τῇ Καρίνου περὶ πάντα ἐκμελείᾳ καὶ ὠμότητι δυσχεράναντες οἱ τῶν ἐκεῖσε στρατοπέδων ἡγούμενοι, Σαβινῷ Ἰουλιανῷ τὴν ὕπαρχον ἀρχὴν ἔχοντι βασιλικὴν στολὴν περιθέντες, μάχεσθαι σὺν αὐτῷ διενοοῦντο Καρίνῳ. Καρῖνος δὲ γνοὺς τὴν ἐπανάστασιν, ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἐστέλλετο. Τότε δὴ τῶν στρατιωτῶν συμφρονῆσαι σφίσιν τοὺς ἀπὸ Περσῶν ἐπανελθόντας ἀναπεισάντων, ∆ιοκλητιανὸν ἤδη κατὰ τὴν Νικομήδειαν τὴν ἁλουργίδα περιθέμενον ἄγουσι κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν. Ἔτι δὲ ὄντος αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν, συμβαλὼν ὁ Καρῖνος τοῖς Σαβινοῦ Ἰουλιανοῦ στρατιώταις, καὶ στρέψας ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τούτους, τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ τινῶν ἐπελθόντων, αἰφνίδιον ἀναιρεῖται, τῶν χιλιάρχων ἑνὸς, οὗ τὴν γυναῖκα διαφθείρας ἔτυχεν, ἀνελόντος αὐτόν.

t164-167 ∆ΙΟΚΛΗΤΙΑΝΟΣ. 164 Ibid.: Ὅτι ἐπὶ ∆ιοκλητιανοῦ Καραύσιός τις ἀνὴρ τεχθεὶς μὲν ἐν

ἀφανεστάτῃ πόλει, περὶ δὲ στρατιωτικὰ σπουδῇ καὶ γενναιότητι διαφέρων κατὰ μικρὸν δόξαν ἀρίστην κτησάμενος, ἐκ τοιαύτης αἰτίας νεωτερίζειν ἤρξατο. Βελγικὸν καλούμενον κλῖμα, κατὰ τὴν τῆς ἁλμυρίδος θάλασσαν, Φράγκοι τε καὶ Σάξονες, ἔθνη Κελτικὰ, διετάραττον, ληϊζόμενοι τοὺς ἐμπόρους, καὶ τῶν χωρίων πορθοῦντες τὰ ἐπιθαλάσσια. Σταλεὶς τοίνυν οὗτος ἐκ Βονωνίας πόλεως Γαλατικῆς, ἐπειδὴ πολλοὺς μὲν τῶν βαρβάρων ἐχειρώσατο, τὴν δὲ λείαν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου οὔτε τοῖς ἐποίκοις τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀπεδίδου οὔτε τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἀπέπεμπεν, ἑκουσίως προπέμπειν τοὺς πολεμίους ὑπωπτεύθη· ἀναιρεθῆναι τοίνυν ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἑρκουλίου προσταχθεὶς, τήν τε πορφύραν περιέθετο, καὶ τὴν Βρεττανίαν καταλαμβάνει. Καὶ τούτου τοῦτο πεπραχότος, καὶ κεκινημένων πάντων τῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ Ἀχιλλεὺς κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἐνεωτέριζεν, καὶ ἡ Ἀφρικὴ πρὸς πέντε ἀνδρῶν, Γεντιανῶν τὴν προσηγορίαν, ἐπεπολέμητο. 165 Exc. De virt.: Ὅτι ∆ιοκλητιανὸς μνήμῃ καὶ ὀργῇ τῶν περὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν νεωτερισθέντων περὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον, οὐ μετρίως οὐδὲ ἡμέρως τῷ κρατεῖν ἀπεχρήσατο, ἀλλὰ προγραφαῖς τε καὶ φόνοις τῶν ἐπισήμων μιαίνων ἐπῆλθε τὴν Αἴγυπτον. Ὅτε δὴ καὶ τὰ περὶ χημείας ἀργύρου καὶ χρυσοῦ τοῖς παλαιοῖς αὐτῶν γεγραμμένα βιβλία διερευνησάμενος ἔκαυσε, πρὸς τὸ μηκέτι πλοῦτον Αἰγυπτίοις ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης περιγίνεσθαι τέχνης μήτε χρημάτων αὐτοὺς θαρροῦντας περιουσίᾳ τοῦ λοιποῦ Ῥωμαίοις ἀνταίρειν. ∆ιοκλητιανὸς μὲν ποικίλος τις καὶ πανοῦργο ἦν, τῷ δὲ λίαν συνετῷ καὶ ὀξεῖ τῆς γνώμης ἐπεκάλυπτε πολλάκις τὰ τῆς οἰκείας φύσεως ἐλαττώματα, πᾶσαν σκληρὰν πρᾶξιν ἑτέροις ἀνατιθείς. Ἐπιμελὴς δὲ ὅμως καὶ ταχὺς ἐν ταῖς τῶν πρακτέων ἐπιβολαῖς, καὶ πολλὰ τῶν τῆς βασιλικῆς θεραπείας ἐπὶ τὸ αὐθαδέστερον παρὰ τὰ καθεστηκότα Ῥωμαίοις πάτρια μετεσκεύασεν. 166 Ibid.: Ὅτι Ἑρκούλιος καὶ δίχα παντὸς προκαλύμματος ἄγριός τε ἦν καὶ τυραννικὸς, τὸ τῆς οἰκείας γνώμης τραχὺ τῷ καταπληκτικῷ τοῦ προσώπου παραδηλῶν. Τῇ γοῦν ἑαυτοῦ φύσει παντάπασιν ἐνδιδοὺς, καὶ τῷ ∆ιοκλητιανῷ πρὸς ἅπαν ἄτοπόν τε καὶ σκληρὸν βούλευμα ἑκούσιος ὑποῦργος καθίστατο. 167 Exc. Salm.: Θρίαμβος ὠνομάσθη ἀπὸ τῶν πρώτων ἐπῶν τῶν εἰς τὸν ∆ιόνυσον· θρίασιν γὰρ τὴν τῶν ποιητῶν μανίαν φασίν· ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν θρίων, τῶν φύλλων, τῆς συκῆς ἀνακειμένης ∆ιονύσῳ· πρὶν γὰρ