The course of events after the publication of the First Edict is not difficult to follow. Fire broke out twice in the imperial palace. Lactantius ascribes it to Galerius, who was supposed to have desired to implicate the Christians; but, as Burckhardt remarks, Diocletian was not the man to be deceived in that way, and we may dismiss the suspicion as groundless. That the fires were accidental is possible, but extremely improbable. Diocletian at least believed that they were kindled by Christians, and it must be confessed that he had some ground for his belief. At any rate, whether true or not, the result was the torture (for the sake of extorting evidence) and the execution of some of his most faithful servants (see Bk. VIII. chap. 6). It had become an earnest matter with Diocletian, and he was beginning to feel--as he had never had occasion to feel before--that a society within the empire whose claims were looked upon as higher than those of the state itself, and duty to which demanded, in case of a disagreement between it and the state, insubordination, and even treason, toward the latter, was too dangerous an institution to tolerate longer, however harmless it might be under ordinary circumstances. It was at about this time that there occurred rebellions in Melitene and Syria, perhaps in consequence of the publication of the First Edict; at any rate, the Christians, who were regarded with ever increasing suspicion, were believed to be in part at least responsible for the outbreaks, and the result was that a second edict was issued, commanding that all the rulers of the churches should be thrown into prison (see above, Bk. VIII. chap. 6). Here Diocletian took the same step taken by Decius and Valerian, and instituted thereby a genuine religious persecution. It was now Christians as Christians whom he attacked; no longer Christian officials as traitors. The vital difference between the first and second edicts is very clear. All that followed was but the legitimate carrying out of the principle adopted in the Second Edict,--the destruction of the Church as such, the extermination of Christianity.
On Bk. X. chap. 8, § 4 (note I, a).
After Constantine's victory over Maxentius, his half-sister Constantia, daughter of Constantius Chlorus by his second wife, Theodora, was married to Licinius, and thus the alliance of the two emperors was cemented by family ties. Constantius Chlorus was a grandson of Crispus, brother of the Emperor Claudius II., and hence could claim to be, in a sense, of imperial extraction; a fact which gave him a dignity beyond that of his colleagues, who were all of comparatively low birth. Constantine himself and his panegyrists always made much of his illustrious descent.
Table of Roman Emperors.
Augustus............................................................... .......................................... b.c. 27-a.d. 14
Tiberius............................................................... .................................................. a.d. 14-37
Caius Caligula............................................................... ................................................. 37-41
Claudius............................................................... ......................................................... 41-54
Nero................................................................... .......................................................... 54-68
Galba.................................................................. .......................................................... 68-69
Otho................................................................... ................................................................ 69
Vitellius.............................................................. ................................................................. 69
Vespasian.............................................................. ........................................................ 69-79
Titus.................................................................. ............................................................ 79-81
Domitian............................................................... ......................................................... 81-96
Nerva.................................................................. .......................................................... 96-98
Trajan................................................................. ........................................................ 98-117
Hadrian................................................................ ..................................................... 117-138
Antoninus Pius................................................................... ........................................ 138-161
Marcus Aurelius [Antoninus Verus]
Lucius Verus
}
............................................................. 161-180
............................................................. 161-169
Commodus............................................................... ................................................. 180-192
Pertinax............................................................... .............................................................. 193
Didius Julianus............................................................... .................................................... 193
Niger.................................................................. ....................................................... 193-194
Septimius Severus................................................................ ...................................... 193-211
Caracalla
Geta
}
....................................................................... ................................ 211-217
....................................................................... ................................ 211-212
M. Opilius Macrinus............................................................... ................................... 217-218
Heliogabalus, or Elagabalus............................................................. ........................... 218-222
Alexander Severus................................................................ ..................................... 222-235
Maximin I...................................................................... ............................................ 235-238
The Gordians, I and II..................................................................... .......................... 237-238
Maximus Pupienus
Balbinus
}
....................................................................... ......................... 238
Gordian III.................................................................... ............................................ 238-244
Philip................................................................. ........................................................ 244-249
Decius................................................................. ...................................................... 249-251
Gallus................................................................. ....................................................... 251-252
Æmilian................................................................ ............................................................. 253
Valerian............................................................... ...................................................... 253-260
Gallienus.............................................................. ...................................................... 260-268
Claudius II..................................................................... ............................................ 268-270
Aurelian............................................................... ...................................................... 270-275
Tacitus................................................................ ...................................................... 275-276
Probus................................................................. ..................................................... 276-282
Carus.................................................................. ...................................................... 282-283
Carinus
Numerian
}
....................................................................... ............................. 283-284
Diocletian
Maximian
}
....................................................................... ............................. 284-305
....................................................................... ............................. 285-305
Constantius
Galerius
Maxentius (not recognized by the others)
Licinius
Constantine
Maximin II.
}
..............
..............
}
....................................... 305-306
....................................... 305-311
....................................... 306-312
....................................... 307-323
....................................... 308-313
....................................... 308-337
The Bishops of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, mentioned by Eusebius.
Bishops of Rome.
(Dates taken from the table given by Lipsius in his Chronologie der röm. Bischöfe, p. 263 sq.)
Linus.
Pontianus, 5 years 2 months 7 days; (July 21?), 230-Sept. 28, 235.
Anencletus.
Anteros, 1 month 12 days; Nov. 21, 235-Jan. 3, 236.
Clement.
Fabianus, 14 years 10 days; 236-Jan. 20, 250. Vacancy from Jan. 21, 250-March, 251.
Evarestus.
Cornelius, 2 years 3 months 10 days; beginning of March, 251-middle of June, 253.
Alexander.
Lucius, 8 months 10 days; June (25?), 253-March 5, 254.
Xystus I, for about ten years; died between 124 and 126.
Stephanus, 3 years 2 months 21 days; (May 12?), 254-Aug. 6, 258.
Telesphorus, 11 years; died between 135 and 137.
Xystus II., 11 months 12 (6?) days; Aug. 24 (31?), 257-Aug. 6, 258.
Hyginus, 4 years; died between 139 and 141.
Dionysius, 9 years 5 months 2 days; July 22, 259-Dec. 27, 268.
Pius, 15-16 years; died between 154 and 156.
Felix I., 5 years 11 months 25 days; Jan. 5, 269-Dec. 30, 274.
Anicetus, 11-12 years; died in 166 or 167.
Eutychian, 8 years 11 months 3 days; (Jan. 5?) 275-Dec. 8, 283.
Soter, 8-9 years; died in 174 or 175.
Caius, 12 years 4 months 6 days; Dec. 17, 283-April 22, 296.
Eleutherus, 15 years; died in 189.
Marcellinus, 8 years 3 months 25 days; June 30, 296-(Oct. 25?), 304. Vacancy until 307.
Victor, 9-10 years; 189-198 or 199.
Marcellus, 1 year 7 months 21 days; (May 24?), 307-Jan. 15, 309.
Zephyrinus, 18-19 years; 198 or 199-217 (Aug. 26?).
Eusebius, 3 (4?) months 23 (16?) days; April 23 (16?), 309-Aug. 17, 309. Vacancy until 310.
Callistus, 5 years; 217-Oct. 14, 222.
Miltiades, 3 years 6 months 8 days; July 2, 310-Jan. 10 (11?), 314.
Urbanus, 8 years; 222-230 (May 19?).
Bishops of Alexandria.
Annianus.
Justus.
Agrippinus.
Dionysius.
Abilius.
Eumenes.
Julian.
Maximus.
Cerdon.
Marcus.
Demetrius.
Theonas.
Primus.
Celadion.
Heraclas.
Peter.
Bishops of Antioch.
(Dates taken from the table given by Harnack in his Zeit des Ignatius, p. 62.)
Evodius.
Zebinus, died between 238 and 249.
Ignatius.
Babylas, died in 250, during the persecution of Decius.
Hero.
Fabius, died toward the end of 252 or early in 253.
Cornelius.
Demetrian, died between 257 and 260.
Eros.
Paul, deposed between 266 and 269 (probably in 268).
Theophilus, died not earlier than 182.
Domnus.
Maximinus, died between 189 and 192.
Timæus, died about 280.
Serapion, died about 209.
Cyril, sent to the mines in 303, and died probably toward the end of 306.
Asclepiades, died between 211 and 222.
Tyrannus, succeeded Cyril probably in 303, possibly not until 306, and lived until the close of the persecution.
Philetus, died not long before 229-231.
Bishops of Jerusalem.
James.
Justus.
Gaius I.
Dius.
Symeon.
Levi.
Symmachus.
Germanio.
Justus.
Ephres.
Gaius II.
Gordius.
Zacchæus.
Joseph.
Julian II.
Narcisscus, a second time.
Tobias.
Judas.
Capito.
Alexander.
Benjamin.
Marcus.
Maximus II.
Antoninus.
} [2990]
Mazabanes.
John.
Cassianus.
Hymenæus.
Matthias.
Publius.
Valens.
Zambdas.
Philip.
Maximus I.
Dolichianus.
Hermon.
Seneca.
Julian I.
Narcissus.
[2990] These two names are omitted by Eusebius in his History, but are given in his Chron. and also by Epiphanius. See above, Bk. V. chap. 12, note 2.
Table showing the Roman Method of counting the Days of the Month.
(Taken from the Encyclopedia Britannica, article Calendar.)
Days of the Month.
March.
May.
July.
October.
January.
August.
December.
April.
June.
September.
November.
February.
1
Kalendæ.
Kalendæ.
Kalendæ.
Kalendæ.
2
6
4
4
4
3
5
3
3
3
4
4
Prid. Nonas.
Prid. Nonas.
Prid. Nonas.
5
3
Nonæ.
Nonæ.
Nonæ.
6
Prid. Nonas.
8
8
8
7
Nonæ.
7
7
7
8
8
6
6
6
9
7
5
5
5
10
6
4
4
4
11
5
3
3
3
12
4
Prid. Idus.
Prid. Idus.
Prid. Idus.
13
3
Idus.
Idus.
Idus.
14
Prid. Idus.
19
18
16
15
Idus.
18
17
15
16
17
17
16
14
17
16
16
15
13
18
15
15
14
12
19
14
14
13
11
20
13
13
12
10
21
12
12
11
9
22
11
11
10
8
23
10
10
9
7
24
9
9
8
6
25
8
8
7
5
26
7
7
6
4
27
6
6
5
3
28
5
5
4
Prid. Kal. Mart.
29
4
4
3
30
3
3
Prid. Kalen.
31
Prid. Kalen.
Prid. Kalen.
"Instead of distinguishing the days by the ordinal numbers, first, second, third, etc., the Romans counted backwards from three fixed epochs; namely, the Kalends, the Nones, and the Ides. The Kalends were invariably the first day of the month, and were so denominated because it had been an ancient custom of the pontiffs to call the people together on that day, to apprise them of the festivals, or days that were to be kept sacred during the month. The Ides (from an obsolete verb iduare, to divide) were at the middle of the month, either the 13th or the 15th day; and the Nones were the ninth day before the Ides, counting inclusively. From these three terms the days received their denomination in the following manner:--
"Those which were comprised between the Kalends and the Nones were called the days before the Nones; those between the Nones and the Ides were called the days before the Ides; and, lastly, all the days after the Ides to the end of the month were called the days before the Kalends of the succeeding month.
"In the months of March, May, July, and October, the Ides fell on the 15th day, and the Nones consequently on the 7th: so that each of these months had six days named from the Nones. In all the other months the Ides were on the 13th and the Nones were on the 5th; consequently there were only four days named from the Nones. Every month had eight days named from the Ides. The number of days receiving their denomination from the Kalends depended on the number of days in the month and the day on which the Ides fell. For example, if the month contained 31 days, and the Ides fell on the 13th as was the case in January, August, and December, there would remain 18 days after the Ides, which, added to the first of the following month, made 19 days of Kalends. In January, therefore, the 14th day of the month was called the nineteenth before the Kalends of February (counting inclusively), the 15th was the 18th before the Kalends, and so on to the 30th, which was called the third before the Kalends (tertio Kalendas), the last being the second of the Kalends, or the day before the Kalends (pridie Kalendas)."
Table of Macedonian Months
The months of the Macedonian year, as commonly employed in the time of Eusebius, corresponded exactly to the Roman months, but the year began with the first of September. The names of the months were as follows:--
Macedonian.
Roman.
Macedonian.
Roman.
1. Gorpiæus.
September.
7. Dystrus.
March.
2. Hyperberetæus.
October.
8. Xanthicus.
April.
3. Dius.
November.
9. Artemisius.
May.
4. Apellæus.
December.
10. Dæsius.
June.
5. Audynæus.
January.
11. Panemus.
July.
6. Peritius.
February.
12. Loüs.
August.
the life of constantine,
By Eusebius,
together with the
oration of constantine to the assembly of the saints,
and the
oration of eusebius in praise of constantine.
A Revised Translation, with Prolegomena and Notes, by
Ernest Cushing Richardson, Ph.d.
librarian and associate professor in hartford theological seminary.