Section 309
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278 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. CHAPTER X. Valerian, and the persecution raised by him. GALLUS had not held the government quite two years when he was removed, and Valerian, with his son Gallienus, succeeded in his place. What Dionysius has also said respecting him, may be learned from his epistle to Hermammon, in which he gives the following account : " In like manner it was revealed to John, and there was," says he, " a mouth given him, speaking great things, and blasphemy. And there was given him power, and fortyITVO months, but it is wonderful that both took place in Valerian, and especially when we consider the condition of the man before this, how kind and friendly he was towards the pious. For never was there any of the emperors before him so favourably and benevolently disposed toward them, not even those who were openly said to be Christians, so plainly received them, with such excessive civility and friendship in the commencement of his reign. All his house was likewise filled with pious persons, and was, indeed, a congregation (exxk/iGia) of the Lord. But the master and chief ruler of the Egyptian magi (Macrianus,) per suaded him to abandon this course, exhorting him to persecute and slay these pure and holy men, as enemies and obstacles to their wicked and detestable incantations. For there were, and still are, men who, by their very presence, or when seen, and only breathing and speaking, are able to dissipate the artifices of wicked daemons. But he suggested to him to study rites of ini tiation, and abominable arts of sorcery, to perform execrable sacrifices, to slay unhappy infants, and to sacrifice the children of wretched fathers, and to search the bowels of new-born babes, and to mutilate and dismember the creatures of God, as if by doing this they should obtain great felicity." To this account he also subjoins the following : " Macrianus, therefore, returned them handsome rewards for his desired accession to the government, who before was generally called, from his character, the empe ror's steward and receiver-general, now did nothing that could be