Section 371
The text on this page is estimated to be only 28.78% accurate
340 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. one time he would cut open pregnant females, at another examin ing the bowels of new born babes ; sometimes also slaughtering lions and performing any kind of execrable acts, to invoke the daemons, and to avert the impending war. For all his hope now was that victory would be secured to him by these means. It is impossible then to say, in what different ways this cruel tyrant oppressed his subjects, so that they were already reduced to such extreme want and scarcity, such as they say has never happened at Rome, or elsewhere in our time. But Maximinus, who was sovereign of the east, as he had secretly formed an alli ance with Maxentius, his true brother in wickedness at Rome, designed to conceal his designs as long as possible. But being at length detected, he suffered the deserved punishment. It was wonderful how nearly allied, and similar, rather how vastly be yond the tyranny of the Roman, were the cruelties and crimes of this tyrant. The first of impostors and jugglers, were honoured by him with the highest rank. He became so extremely timo rous and superstitious, and valued the delusion and supposed in fluence of daemons above all, so that he was hardly able to move his finger, one might say, or undertake any thing without sooth sayers and oracles. Hence, also, he assailed us with a more vio lent and incessant persecution than those before him. He ordered temples to be erected in every city, and those that had been de molished by time, he commanded in his zeal to be renewed. Priests of the idols he established in every place and city ; and over these a high priest in every province, some one of those who had been particularly distinguished for his skill in the ma nagement of political affairs, adding a military guard. He granted to all his jugglers the same reverence as if they were the most pious and acceptable to the gods, freely bestowing on them governments, and the greatest privileges. And from this time forth he began to vex, not merely a single city or region, but harassed all the provinces under him, by ex actions of silver and gold and money, by the most oppressive seizures and confiscations of property, in different ways and on various pretexts. Despoiling the wealthy of the substance in herited from their fathers, he bestowed vast wealth, and heaps