Section 420
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 389 CHAPTER, VIII. The events that occurred after these ; famine, pestilence, and war. RAINS and showers which usually fell in the winter season, now withheld their accustomed contribution upon the earth. An un expected famine came on, and pestilence after this. Another kind of sickness also followed, which was a species of ulcer called by an epithet the carbuncle, on account of its inflammatory ap pearance. This spreading over the whole body, greatly endan gered the lives of those afflicted with it. But as it prevailed mostly about the eyes, it deprived great numbers of men, women, and children of their sight. In addition to these calamities, the war with the Armenians threatented the tyrant. These men had been the friends and allies of the Romans from ancient times, and as they were Christians, and greatly valued piety toward the Deity, and as the profane and impious tyrant had attempted to force them to sacrifice to idols and daemons, he made them enemies instead of friends, and belligerent foes instead of allies. And all these troubles suddenly concurring at one and the same time, refuted the tyrant's boasting and blustering audacity against God. When, indeed, in his great zeal for idols, and his hostility to us, he boasted that neither famine nor pestilence nor war had happened in his times. All these then coming upon him at once, presented also the preludes to his own death. He, therefore, together with his army, was defeated in the war with the Armenians. But the rest of the inhabitants of cities under him were dreadfully afflicted both by famine and pesti lence, so that a single measure of wheat was sold for two thou sand five hundred Attic drachms.* Immense numbers were dying in the cities, still more in the country and villages, so that now the vast population in the interior was almost entirely swept away, nearly all being suddenly destroyed by want of food and pestilential disease. Many, therefore, were anxious to sell their * About 175 dollars.