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the masks to be devised, they covered their own faces with fig leaves, and scoffed through iambic verses. The soldiers also did this, and scoffed at those celebrating triumphs. 2. Diocletian and Maximian, being unable to overcome Christianity, and driven to madness, laid down their rule. And Diocletian, having been pre-eminent for twelve years, died; but Maximian, wishing to take up the rule again, and having failed, hanged himself.

t168- 169 CONSTANTIUS AND GALERIUS.

168 Exc. De virt.: That Constantius, who became emperor from being Caesar, after the apportionment, considering the title of both Augustus and Emperor to be sufficient, voluntarily stood aside from Italy and Libya for his co-ruler, placing happiness not in the greatness of power, but in a quiet and untroubled life. He was an excellent and exceptionally popular man in his manner, and while he managed the houses of private citizens, he was not very zealous in increasing the imperial treasures. For it seemed better to him for the public revenues to be secure in the prosperity of his subjects, than for the wealth of all to be shut up under a single lock. And so he was a certain moderate and simple man both in other things and in his daily way of life, so that he possessed neither hollow silverware in abundance, nor anything else that looked towards luxury, but on sacred and public feast days he would adorn the palace with the silverware and coverings of private citizens, for which reason he was also called the Pauper. For indeed he caused great goodwill towards him from his subjects both because his own character was trained towards what was best and most beneficial, and not least because of the nature of the rulers before him, with the Gauls gladly bowing their necks to his gentleness (as they were mindful of both the suspicious intelligence of Diocletian and the cruelty of Maximian). 169 Exc. De virt.: That Galerius, when he perceived the revolutionary movements in Rome, regarding the deed as a great matter, in order to suppress both the revolt of the Praetorians, who had proclaimed Maximian Herculius emperor, and the rule of Maxentius, sends down Severus the Caesar with a sufficient army. Who, arriving at Rome, at first went around besieging Maxentius. But having been unexpectedly caught by those who had gone over to the opposite side, he flees, and being captured in Ravenna, is put to death. It happened therefore from this that the forces of Maxentius were increased, and his rule was secured for him. But nevertheless Herculius, madly desiring the supreme power, not long after, when the armies had assembled in the same place, attempted to strip his son of the purple robe. But being opposed by the soldiers, and in danger of being killed, he departed to Gaul, pretending to have been driven out of Italy by his son, so that he might be received without suspicion by Constantine, who was his son-in-law. But he had a mind, having come upon an opportunity for a plot, to kill Constantine. But a great goodwill possessed the soldiers for Constantine, both for other reasons and for his good fortune in wars. For both the Franks and the Alamanni, who are more powerful than the Celts, having destroyed them with his whole army, and having captured their leaders, he prepared for them to fight with wild beasts at the festival of victory celebrations. Therefore, when the plot was revealed by Fausta, the daughter of Maximian (for she, living with Constantine, had reported her father's treachery), Herculius flees, but being captured near Massalia, as he had resolved to depart again to his son in Italy, he paid the penalty, being justly put to death.

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ἐπινοηθῆναι τὰ προσωπεῖα, συκῆς φύλλοις τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἐκάλυπτον πρόσωπα, καὶ δι' ἰάμβων ἀπέσκωπτον. Ἐποίουν δὲ τοῦτο καὶ οἱ στρατιῶται, καὶ εἰς τοὺς θριαμβεύοντας ἔσκωπτον. 2. ∆ιοκλητιανὸς καὶ Μαξιμιανὸς μὴ δυνηθέντες περιγενέσθαι τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ, καὶ μανέντες, τὴν βασιλείαν κατέθεντο. Καὶ ∆ιοκλητιανὸς μὲν δώδεκα ἔτη πρωτεύσας ἀπέθανε· Μαξιμιανὸς δὲ βουληθεὶς πάλιν ἀναλαβέσθαι τὴν βασιλείαν, καὶ ἀποτυχὼν, ἀπήγξατο.

t168- 169 ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΓΑΛΕΡΙΟΣ.

168 Exc. De virt.: Ὅτι Κωνστάντιος ὁ ἀπὸ Καίσαρος βασιλεύσας, μετὰ τὴν διακλήρωσιν ἀποχρῆν ἡγούμενος τήν τε τοῦ Αὐγούστου καὶ αὐτοκράτορος ἐπίκλησιν, τῆς τε Ἰταλίας καὶ Λιβύης ἑκουσίως ἀπέστη τῷ συνάρχοντι, τὸ εὔδαιμον οὐκ ἐν μεγέθει ἀρχῆς, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ ἡσύχῳ τε καὶ ἀπράγμονι θέμενος. Ἀνὴρ ἄριστος καὶ δημοτικὸς διαφερόντως τὸν τρόπον, καὶ τοὺς μὲν τῶν ἰδιωτῶν οἴκους περιέπων, τὰς δὲ τῶν βασιλείων θησαυρῶν αὐξήσεις οὐ σφόδρα διὰ σπουδῆς ἄγων. Βέλτιον γάρ οἱ εἶναι ἐδόκει τὰς δημοσίας χορηγίας ἐν ταῖς τῶν ὑπηκόων περιουσίαις ἔχειν τὸ βέβαιον, ἢ ὑπὸ ἓν κλεῖθρον τὸν ἁπάντων κατακεκλεῖσθαι πλοῦτον. Οὕτω δὲ ἄρα μέτριός τις ἦν καὶ λιτὸς ἔς τε τὰ ἄλλα καὶ ἐς τὴν καθ' ἡμέραν τοῦ βίου δίαιταν, ὡς μήτε κοῖλον ἄργυρον ἐς πλῆθος κεκτῆσθαι, μηδὲ ἕτερόν τι πρὸς τρυφὴν βλέπον, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὰς ἱερὰς καὶ δημοτελεῖς εὐφροσύνας τῷ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν ἀργύρῳ καὶ στρωμναῖς κοσμεῖν τὰ βασίλεια, ὅθεν καὶ Παῦπερ ὠνομάζετο. Ἐποίει γὰρ δὴ πολλὴν τὴν ἐπ' αὐτὸν τῶν ἀρχομένων εὔνοιαν ὅ τε οἰκεῖος τρόπος πρὸς τὸ βέλτιστον καὶ ὠφελιμώτατον ἠσκημένος, καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα ἡ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἡγησαμένων φύσις, ἀσμένως τῶν Γαλατῶν (τήν τε ὕποπτον ∆ιοκλητιανοῦ σύνεσιν καὶ τὴν Μαξιμιανοῦ ὠμότητα ἐννοούντων) τοὺς αὐχένας ὑποκλινάντων τῇ τούτου πρᾳότητι. 169 Exc. De virt.: Ὅτι ὁ Γαλέριος ἐπειδὴ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ῥώμην ᾔσθετο νεωτερισθέντων, ἐν μεγάλῳ τὸ πραχθὲν ποιούμενος, ἐπὶ καταλύσει τῆς τε τῶν Πραιτωριανῶν στάσεως, οἵτινες Μαξιμιανὸν Ἑρκούλιον ἀνεῖπον βασιλέα, καὶ τῆς Μαξεντίου ἀρχῆς Σεβῆρον σὺν ἀποχρώσῃ στρατιᾷ καταπέμπει τὸν Καίσαρα. Ὃς ἀφικόμενος πρὸς τὴν Ῥώμην, τὰ μὲν πρῶτα περιιὼν ἐπολιόρκει τὸν Μαξέντιον. Καταληφθεὶς δὲ ἀδοκήτως ὑπὸ τῶν τῆς ἐναντίας γενομένων μοίρας, φεύγει, καὶ ἁλοὺς ἐν Ῥαβέννῃ διαφθείρεται. Συνέβη γοῦν ἐντεῦθεν τὰς τοῦ Μαξεντίου αὐξηθῆναι δυνάμεις, καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτῷ βεβαιωθῆναι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ Ἑρκούλιος μανικῶς τῆς δυναστείας ἐρῶν, οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον, ἐγερθέντων εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ τῶν στρατοπέδων, ἀφελέσθαι τὸν παῖδα τῆς ἁλουργίδος ἐπεχείρησε. Καταστασιασθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν, καὶ κινδυνεύσας ἀναιρεθῆναι, ἀπῆλθεν ἐς τὴν Γαλατίαν, ἐξεῶσθαι πρὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς Ἰταλίας πλαττόμενος, ὡς ἂν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κων σταντίνου, κηδεστοῦ ὄντος, ἀνυπόπτως ὑποδεχθείη. Γνώμην δὲ ἐποιεῖτο καιροῦ πρὸς ἐπιβουλὴν ἀφικόμενος τοῦ κατακτεῖναι τὸν Κωνσταντῖνον. Πολλὴ δέ τις κατεῖχεν εὔνοια τοὺς στρατιώτας εἰς τὸν Κωνσταντῖνον, διά τε τὰ ἄλλα καὶ τὴν ἐν πολέμοις εὐτυχίαν. Φράγκους γάρ τε καὶ Ἀλαμανοὺς, οἳ Κελτῶν εἰσὶ δυνατώτεροι, πανστρατιᾷ διαφθείρας, καὶ τοὺς ἡγεμόνας τούτων ἑλὼν, ἐν τῇ τῶν ἐπινικίων πανηγύρει διαγωνίσασθαι πρὸς θηρία παρεσκεύασεν. Ἀνοιχθείσης οὖν τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς διὰ Φαύστης τῆς τοῦ Μαξιμιανοῦ θυγατρός (αὐτὴ γὰρ συνοικοῦσα τῷ Κωνσταντίνῳ κατεμήνυσε τὸν τοῦ πατρὸς δόλον), φεύγει μὲν ὁ Ἑρκούλιος, καταληφθεὶς δὲ περὶ Μασσαλίαν, ὡς πρὸς τὸν παῖδα πάλιν ἀπαίρειν εἰς Ἰταλίαν διεγνώκει, τιμωρίαν ἐξέτισεν, ἀναιρεθεὶς ἐν δίκῃ.