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The beginning of the "Great Persecution" under Diocletian and Galerius in 303

as found in Lactantius Liber de Mortibus Persecutorum, XI - XIII (On the Deaths of Persecutors, Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died)

Latin text with English translation

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XI. Erat mater ejus deorum montium cultrix, mulier admodum superstitiosa. Quae cum esset, dapibus sacrificabat pene quotidie, ac vicariis suis epulis exhibebat. Christiani abstinebant; et illa cum Gentibus epulante, jejuniis hi et orationibus insistebant. Hinc concepit odium adversus eos, ac filium suum non minus superstitiosum querelis muliebribus ad tollendos homines incitavit. Ergo habito inter se per totam hyemem consilio, cum nemo admitteretur, et omnes de summo statu reipublicae tractari arbitrarentur, diu senex furori ejus repugnavit, ostendens quam perniciosum esset inquietari orbem terrae, fundi sanguinem multorum; illos libenter mori solere, satis esse si palatinos tantum ac milites ab ea religione prohiberet. Nec tamen deflectere potuit praecipitis hominis insaniam. Placuit ergo amicorum sententiam experiri. Nam erat hujus malitiae, cum bonum quid facere decrevisset, sine consilio faciebat, ut ipse laudaretur. Cum autem malum, quoniam id reprehendendum sciebat, in consilium multos advocabat, ut aliorum culpae adscriberetur quidquid ipse deliquerat. Admissi ergo judices pauci, et pauci militares, ut dignitate antecedebant, interrogabantur. Quidam proprio adversus Christianos odio, inimicos deorum et hostes religionum publicarum tollendos esse censuerunt; et qui aliter sentiebant, intellecta hominis voluntate, vel timentes, vel gratificari volentes, in eamdem sententiam congruerunt. Nec sic quidem flexus est Imperator, ut accommodaret assensum: sed deos potissimum consulere statuit, misitque aruspicem ad Apollinem Milesium. Respondit ille ut divinae religionis inimicus. Traductus est itaque a proposito. Et quoniam nec amicis, nec Caesari, nec Apollini poterat reluctari, hanc moderationem tenere conatus est, ut eam rem sine sanguine transigi juberet, cum Caesar vivos cremari vellet, qui sacrificio repugnassent.


XII. Inquiritur peragendae rei dies aptus, et felix; ac potissimum Terminalia deliguntur, quae sunt ad septimum kalendas Martias, ut quasi terminus imponeretur huic religioni.
Ille dies primus lethi, primusque malorum
Causa fuit,
quae et ipsis, et orbi terrarum acciderunt. Qui dies cum illuxisset, agentibus Consulatum senibus ambobus octavum et septimum, repente adhuc dubia luce ad Ecclesiam Praefectus cum ducibus, et Tribunis et rationalibus venit; et revulsis foribus, simulacrum Dei quaeritur. Scripturae repertae incenduntur, datur omnibus praeda. Rapitur, trepidatur, discurritur. Ipsi vero in speculis (in alto enim constituta Ecclesia ex palatio videbatur) diu inter se concertabant, utrum ignem potius supponi oporteret. Vicit sententia Diocletianus, cavens ne magno incendio facto, pars aliqua civitatis arderet. Nam multae ac magnae domus ab omni parte cingebant. Veniebant igitur Praetoriani acie structa, cum securibus et aliis ferramentis; et immissi undique, fanum illud editissimum paucis horis solo adaequarunt.


XIII. Postridie propositum est edictum, quo cavebatur ut Religionis illius homines carerent omni honore ac dignitate, tormentis subjecti essent, ex quocumque ordine aut gradu venirent, adversus eos omnis actio caleret; ipsi non de injuria, non de adulterio, non de rebus ablatis agere possent, libertatem denique ac vocem non haberent. Quod edictum quidam, etsi non recte, magno tamen animo diripuit et conscidit, cum irridens diceret, victorias Gothorum et Sarmatarum propositas. Statimque productus, non modo extortus, sed etiam legitime coctus, cum admirabili patientia postremo exustus est.

 


 

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Lactantius
Liber de Mortibus Persecutorum
Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died
On the Deaths of the Persecutors
Persecution
Great Persecution
Persecution of Christians under Roman Empire
303
Diocletian
Galerius
Nicomedia
Migne
Patrologia Latina
 

 

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