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170 CONSTANTINE. Exc. De virt.: That Constantine, as this John says, his sister's

son, Commodus, he corrupts by trickery, and many of his friends and associates. For which reason indeed, having seemed at first to be the best emperor, and worthy to be compared to the praiseworthy emperors, after a little while he changed his reputation for the worse because of the aforementioned shortcomings; and yet his nature, and all those things that are wont to come to men from the divine, undoubtedly showed him to be the best. For it is not easy to say how many virtues of both soul and body shone forth in the man, as he pursued glory from wars, and in battles employed both the most favorable fortune and no less skill in strategy. For not only in the civil wars was he superior to his opponents, but also after these, having often waged war against the Scythians, he forced them to submit and to take refuge in a request for treaties. Having granted these and not having abused his advantages, he left behind among the barbarian nations the greatest memorials of both justice and strength. And he always delighted in liberal studies and held education and letters in praise. Moreover, he justly sought and obtained the affection of all by his earnestness, due to the excellence of his nature and his lavishness in gifts. For just as he was indeed treacherous and unsound towards some of his acquaintances, so in fact towards the many he was seen to be steadfast and most faithful, letting no opportunity pass, nor neglecting any care, so as to make his associates more powerful in wealth and more brilliant in their fortunes. 171 Exc. Salm.: Constantine the Great, having sent precious stones to the nations beyond the Ister, inscribed, "To the greater one, the gift." This became for them a cause of destruction. Codinus De aedif. Const. And concerning the naming of the Bosporos, John of Antioch says these things: that in the sigma-shaped part of the wall they had the custom of selling oxen (which also prevailed until the time of Copronymus), and once a bull, driven by a gadfly, entered the sea and crossed over to Chrysopolis, and for this reason it was called Bosporos.

t172-176 CONSTANS AND CONSTANTIUS. 172 Exc. De virt.: That Constans the son of Constantine the Great for a time

presided over the empire rightly; but finally, suffering from monstrous desires and engaging in unhealthy associations with friends, he was brought down to the gravest shortcomings. On account of which he was indeed burdensome to the inhabitants of the provinces and not to the liking of the soldiers. That also in his domestic affairs he was not praiseworthy. But indeed in matters of the camps he was for the most part excellent and most fortunate. For he was always feared in his life by the military authorities, although he was never moved to any harsh and cruel punishment of those who did wrong. And Constantius, moreover, had the opposite fortune to the one described, being excellent in political matters, but not employing a favorable genius in battles. 173 Ibid.: That Vetranio, who was proclaimed emperor in Illyricum, having already reached a great old age, was a man approved for his experience and good fortune in military matters, and old-fashioned in character, winning over his subjects by the common and popular nature of his ways; except insofar as he was entirely ignorant and uninitiated in learning, so that he had not even learned the first elements from schoolmasters, but of these too he acquired knowledge in old age and with difficulty at the time of his reign. 174 Exc. De ins.: For on about the twenty-eighth day after the revolt, having been captured by the generals of Magnentius

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170 ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ. Exc. De virt.: Ὅτι Κωνσταντῖνος, ὥς φησιν οὗτος ὁ Ἰωάννης, τῆς ἀδελφῆς

τὸν υἱὸν Κομμόδης διαφθείρει δόλῳ, καὶ τῶν φίλων πολλοὺς καὶ ἐπιτηδείων. ∆ιὸ δὴ τὰ πρῶτα δόξας ἄριστος εἶναι βασιλεὺς, καὶ τοῖς ἐπαινετοῖς τῶν αὐτοκρατόρων ἄξιος παραβάλλεσθαι, μετ' ὀλίγον τοῖς εἰρημένοις μειονεκτήμασι πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον τῆς δόξης μεταβέβληκεν· καίτοι τῆς φύσεως αὐτὸν, καὶ τῶν ὅσα παρὰ τοῦ δαιμονίου φοιτᾶν ἀνθρώποις εἴωθεν, ἄριστον ἀναμφιβόλως ἀποφαινόντων. Οὐ γὰρ ῥᾴδιον εἰπεῖν ὁπόσαι τῆς ψυχῆς τε καὶ τοῦ σώματος διέλαμπον ἀρεταὶ τὸν ἄνδρα, τὴν ἐκ τῶν πολεμικῶν δόξαν μεταδιώκοντα, καὶ παρὰ τὰς μάχας τύχῃ τε ὁμοῦ δεξιωτάτῃ καὶ τῶν στρατηγικῶν ἐπιστήμῃ οὐ μείονι χρώμενον. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἐμφυλίοις πολέμοις μόνοις περιῆν τῶν ἐναντίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τούτους Σκύθαις πολλάκις προσπολεμήσας ὑποκύψαι τούτους ἠνάγκασεν, ἔς τε σπονδῶν αἴτησιν καταφυγεῖν. Ὧν μεταδοὺς καὶ οὐκ ἀποχρησάμενος τοῖς προτερήμασι, μεγίστας παρὰ τοῖς βαρβάροις ἔθνεσι δικαιοσύνης τε καὶ ἰσχύος μνήμας ἀπέλιπεν. Ἔχαιρε δὲ ἀνέκαθεν ἐλευθερίοις μαθήμασι καὶ ἐν ἐπαίνῳ παιδείαν ἐποιεῖτο καὶ λόγους. ∆ίκαιόν γε μὴν ἐξ ἁπάντων ἔρωτα θηρώμενος ἐτύγχανε τῆς σπουδῆς, τῷ δεξιῷ τε τῆς φύσεως καὶ περὶ τὰς δωρεὰς δαψιλεῖ. Ὡς γὰρ δὴ πρός τινας τῶν γνωρίμων ὑπούλως τε καὶ οὐχ ὑγιῶς ἔσχεν, οὕτως ἄρα πρὸς τοὺς πολλοὺς βέβαιος ὤφθη καὶ πιστότατος, οὐδένα καιρὸν παρεὶς, οὐδὲ ἀπολιπών τι φροντίδος, ὡς δυνατωτέρους τε χρήμασι καὶ λαμπροτέρους ταῖς τύχαις ἀποφαίνοι τοὺς ἐπιτηδείους. 171 Exc. Salm.: Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ μέγας λίθους πολυτελεῖς πέμψας τοῖς πέρας Ἴστρου ἔθνεσιν, ἐπέγραψε «Τῷ μείζονι τῷ δῶρον.» Τοῦτο γέγονεν αὐτοῖς αἴτιον ἀπωλείας. Codinus De aedif. Const. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ Βοσπορίου ἐπωνυμίας ταῦτα φησὶν Ἰωάννης ὁ Ἀντιοχεὺς, ὅτι εἰς τὸ σιγματοειδὲς τοῦ τείχους εἶχον ἔθος πωλεῖν τοὺς βόας (ὃ καὶ ἐκράτει μέχρι τοῦ Κοπρωνύμου), εἷς δέ ποτε βοῦς οἰστρηλατήσας εἰσῆλθε τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ ἐπέρασεν εἰς Χρυσόπολιν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη Βοσπόριον.

t172-176 ΚΩΝΣΤΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΟΣ. 172 Exc. De virt.: Ὅτι Κώνστας ὁ παῖς τοῦ μεγάλου Κωνσταντίνου χρόνον

τινὰ προὔστη τῆς ἡγε μονίας ὀρθῶς· τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον ἀτόπους νοσῶν ἐπιθυμίας καὶ φίλων ὁμιλίαις οὐχ ὑγιαινούσαις χρώμενος πρὸς βαρύτατα κατηνέχθη μειονεκτήματα. ∆ι' ἃ δὴ φορτικὸς τοῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐποίκοις καὶ οὐ πρὸς θυμοῦ τοῖς στρατιώταις ἦν. Ὅτι καὶ ἐν τοῖς οἴκοι διαιτήμασιν οὐκ ἐπαινετὸς γέγονεν. Ἐν δὲ δὴ τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν στρατοπέδων ἄριστος ὡς τὸ πολὺ καὶ εὐτυχέστατος. Τοῖς τε γὰρ στρατιωτικοῖς τέλεσιν ἐν παντὶ φοβερὸς τῷ βίῳ, καίπερ ἐς οὐδεμίαν πώποτε προαχθεὶς ἀπηνῆ τε καὶ σκληρὰν τῶν ἁμαρτανομένων κόλασιν. Κωνστάντιός τε μὴν ἐναντίαν ταῖς εἰρημέναις εἰλήχει τύχην, ἄριστος μὲν ὢν τὰ πολιτικὰ, οὐ δεξιῷ δὲ παρὰ τὰς μάχας δαίμονι χρώμενος. 173 Ibid.: Ὅτι Βετρανίων ὁ ἐν Ἰλλυριοῖς ἀναγορευθεὶς βασιλεὺς πρὸς μακρὸν ἤδη γῆρας ἐληλακὼς, ἐμπειρίας τε καὶ τύχης ἕνεκα τῆς ἐν τοῖς στρατηγικοῖς ἀνὴρ δεδοκιμασμένος καὶ ἀρχαῖος τὸ ἦθος τῷ τε κοινῷ καὶ δημοτικῷ τῶν τρόπων προσαγόμενος τὸ ὑπήκοον· πλὴν ὅσον παιδείας γε παντάπασιν ἀμαθῶς τε καὶ ἀμυήτως ἔχων, ὡς μηδὲ τὰ πρῶτα παρὰ τοῖς γραμματισταῖς ἐκμεμαθηκὼς στοιχεῖα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων ἐν γήρᾳ καὶ μόλις παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς βασιλείας τὴν γνῶσιν παρειληφώς. 174 Exc. De ins.: Ὀγδόῃ γάρ που καὶ εἰκοστῇ μετὰ τὴν ἐπανάστασιν ἡμέρᾳ πρὸς τῶν Μαγνεντίου στρατηγῶν ἁλοὺς