Omnium tirannorum finem esse mimriam ; et
The Inevitable End of Tyrants
God consistently judges and punishes tyrants throughout history, whether through direct intervention or human agents.
God takes vengeance on them if human hands fail, which is evident in the case of Julian the Apostate and many examples from Holy Scripture. The end for tyrants is confusion; it leads to destruction if they persist in malice, but to mercy if they are called back. For even the scourge itself is prepared for burning when the Father has used it for the correction of his children. He says, "Ahab has shown reverence for my face; I will not bring this evil in his days." But Jezebel, persisting in her savagery, provided her own blood to be licked by dogs as a fitting end to her cruelty, right where the dogs had licked the blood of the innocent Naboth. If the blood of the innocent Naboth is sought out in this way, will the blood of so many other innocents go unsearched? Impiety coveted the vineyard of the just man, and in exchange for it, it lost the rights to the entire kingdom. Malice is always punished by the Lord; but sometimes he uses his own weapon, and sometimes he uses the weapon of a human being, to punish the wicked. Pharaoh afflicted God's people and, as we read in Exodus, was struck by the most severe plagues himself. To help you remember them more faithfully, I’ve taken the trouble to include them here in verse: The first is the reddening water, the second the frogs and the decay. Then comes the wretched gnat, and after that the fly, more harmful than the rest. The fifth struck down the livestock, the sixth created the sores. Next comes the hail, and after that the locust with its wicked teeth. The ninth hides the sun, and the last kills the firstborn. I don't care who wrote these verses; I only note that they summarize the plagues of Egypt under Pharaoh quite concisely. Yet in all these things, his fury was not turned away from the people of God; instead, as he pursued them while they were leaving, he was drowned in the sea with his chariots and horsemen. The Lord used the waters as a wall to defend the people, and as a weapon to overthrow the tyrant. When Shalmaneser was reigning, he oppressed the Lord's people during the time of Hezekiah; the king turned to prayer, and against the tyrant's threats, he held up the shield of divine protection. Because of this, the Lord comforted him through the prophet, saying: 'He won't enter this city, nor will he shoot an arrow into it, nor will a shield occupy it, nor will a siege-work surround it.' 'He will return by the way he came, and he won't enter this city,' says the Lord. 'I will protect this city and save it for my own sake, and for the sake of my servant David.' And so it happened that very night. The angel of the Lord came and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp; and when he rose at dawn, he saw all the corpses of the dead, and he left and went away. And Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians, returned and stayed in Nineveh. And while he was worshipping his god in the temple of Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword and fled into the land of Armenia; and his son Esarhaddon reigned in his place. Don't let it bother you if he is called by different names in various histories, because according to Hebrew tradition—as Jerome is the authority—he was one and the same person with five names. For he was called Shalmaneser, Sennacherib, Pul, Tiglath-Pileser, and Sargon. Unless he is understood to have had many names, the authority of historians who disagree with one another will sometimes waver. The Lord therefore used the angelic sword first against the army, and then against the impious man by the hands of his sons. Nature itself sometimes stands in awe of the judgments of the Most High, and at the provoking malice of men, it submits in a miraculous way to the laws of its Creator. That is why Nebuchadnezzar, swelling with pride against the Lord, acted like a beast for seven years, and then, repentant, returned to being a man, restored to his affairs and his kingdom, although he later deserved to be stripped of them by a miserable end. I'll move on to Christian times, since the wickedness of tyrants and their evident punishment is manifest in every nation and people.
The Apostasy and Fall of Julian
The life and persecution of Julian the Apostate serve as a primary historical case study of imperial pride and divine retribution.
Julian, that vile apostate and sordid emperor, persecuted Christ more through deceit than by force, though he didn't hold back from using force either. For under him a most severe persecution of Christians arose, while he attempted with an impious effort to extinguish the name of the Galilean, as he called Him. But while he was leading an ill-fated campaign against the Parthians and, upon his return, was dedicating the slaughter of Christians as a sacrifice to his idols, God took pity on the prayers of the great Basil and other saints. He sent the martyr Mercurius, who, by the command of the blessed Virgin, pierced the tyrant in his camp with a lance. As he was dying, the impious man was forced to confess that the Galilean—Christ, whom he was persecuting—was the victor and had triumphed over him. For when the aforementioned bishop had gathered the faithful of Caesarea in the church of the perpetual Virgin, the Mother of God, to spend the night in prayer, the saint recognized the blessed Virgin in a vision that very night and received this consolation: "Call Mercurius for me," she said, "and he will go to kill Julian, who is arrogantly blaspheming against my Son and God." The saint, however, arriving with his armor, quickly departed and, calling upon the one who had appeared to him, the great Basil, gave him a book containing the entire history of the world's creation, and on the right side, man formed by God. At the beginning of the book, the inscription read: "Speak." At the end, with man already formed, it read: "Spare." Taking the book, therefore, he read from the beginning up to "Spare." Libanius, a quaestor under Julian, also had a similar vision that same night during the expedition. When Basil returned to the shrine of Saint Mercurius that night, he didn't find the saint's armor, but the next day he found it, along with a spear stained with fresh blood. Orosius, however, makes no mention of the martyr Mercurius, but reports that the tyrant was killed during the Parthian expedition by the spear of a soldier he encountered. Eutropius, who describes Roman history in an elegant summary, also admits that he was killed in the camp, but he does not name anyone as the author of the slaughter; yet it is clear that the persecution he carried out against the Christians to such an extreme degree, under that same author, caused him great harm. But the Tripartite History tracks Julian's crimes more diligently, covering in its entire sixth volume the sheer cruelty with which he persecuted Christ, whom he called the Galilean. From these accounts, I have briefly inserted some things to the praise of the Galilean, excerpted from what Socrates, Theodoret, and Sozomen recorded about him, as attested by Cassiodorus. Julian, born of royal blood and a nephew of Constantine the Great through Constantius—who named Byzantium 'Constantinople' after himself—was a Christian from the start. As he grew up in the schools of Constantinople, he was trained in the basilica where the teachers were, moving about in private dress. He had a tutor named Marconius and a grammarian named Nicocles the Laconian. He studied rhetoric under the sophist Eubolius, who was already a Christian through the work and diligence of the great Basil; for the emperor was taking care that by reading under a pagan sophist, he might not drift toward the dogmas of impiety. He made such progress, therefore, that his reputation brought him the power to govern the empire. Because of this, he fell under the emperor's suspicion and was ordered to stay away from the royal city; he was sent to Nicomedia and forbidden to meet with the Syrian pagan sophist Libanius, who was living there after being expelled by the teachers of Constantinople. He still made use of his books, however, and as he advanced in rhetoric, he became close to the Ephesian philosopher Maximus, whom the Emperor Valentinian later had killed for practicing what were considered magical arts. Once he had tasted his philosophical teachings, he began to imitate his religion, his desire for the empire growing ever stronger. Fearing the emperor and avoiding suspicion, he shaved his head and pretended to live a monastic life, acting the part of a traitor in Christian dress, and by being ordained a reader in the church of Nicomedia, he thus avoided the emperor's fury. In public, however, he read the sacred books of the Christians, while secretly he practiced philosophy, his ambition for the empire always growing; for this reason, he even told his friends that the times would be happy when he himself held the power of the empire. Indeed, he wouldn't have escaped the emperor's hand if the Empress Eusebia hadn't found him in hiding and interceded for him, obtaining permission for him to be sent to Athens to study philosophy. Theodoret reports that while traveling throughout Greece, he sought out seers to ask if he would ever reach the throne. After finding a man who claimed to be highly skilled in the magical arts, he was led into a place of idols so that, in the inner sanctum, he could consult the demons summoned by the magician himself. When they appeared with solemn ceremony, Julian was compelled to protect his forehead with the sign of the cross; at this, the demons suddenly vanished. The magician began to blame Julian, but Julian, feigning fear, said that the power of the cross had stunned them, since the demons had fled from that sign. “Don't think that, good man,” the magician replied, “because they were afraid, as you say; rather, they withdrew because they loathed that sign.” And so, ensnaring the wretch, he filled Julian with a hatred for the Christian sign. After this, as Socrates is the authority, the emperor summoned Julian, appointed him Caesar, and, having given him his sister Constantia as a wife, sent him off to Gaul against the barbarians. He succeeded, therefore, and made for himself a start at defeating the barbarians, which won him the love of the soldiers. It's also said that when he entered a certain city, a laurel crown—the kind cities usually use for decoration—was hanging between some columns, and when the rope broke, it fell right onto his head and crowned him perfectly. When this happened, everyone shouted that it was a sign that he would be emperor. Then, as he went to meet the enemy, he was so successful that his soldiers called him Augustus. Since there was no imperial crown, one of the standard-bearers took the necklace he was wearing and placed it on Julian's head; that's how he became emperor. As for what that philosopher did afterward, let the listeners judge for themselves. From the start, he managed everything according to his own whims, rejected the Christian religion, and by opening the temples in every city, he offered sacrifices to idols, claiming that he himself was the high priest of the pagans. He would have torn the empire apart with civil war, too, if news of Emperor Constantius's death hadn't reached him while he was staying in Thrace. But to win the favor of the masses, he granted everyone the right to choose their own religion. He made it his goal to be all things to all people. On one hand, he was generous for the sake of empty glory; on the other, he was stingy, affecting the simulation of a philosopher. He was approachable through a feigned civility, yet stern from the weight of his imperial office; and, most importantly, he feigned a gentleness so that he wouldn't be seen as cruel. However, he made it clear what his religion really was. He therefore ordered the bishops who had been sent into exile to be recalled and their confiscated property returned to them. He also commanded that the pagan temples be opened quickly for their own necessary uses, and he decreed that whatever had been taken from them should be restored without delay. He expelled the eunuchs, barbers, and cooks from the palace. He got rid of the eunuchs because his wife had died and he hadn't taken another; the cooks, because he lived on simple food like a philosopher; and the barbers, because, as he himself said, one is enough for many. He greatly venerated writers and those who cultivated the disciplines, but especially those who practiced philosophy. Consequently, his reputation drew such men from everywhere to his court—men who were revealed to be philosophers more by their cloaks than by their teaching. These men were grave seducers to all Christians, and they were always favoring the emperor's religion. He would stay awake at night writing books, which he then recited publicly in the Senate. He was the only emperor since Julius Caesar to recite speeches in the Senate. He stopped the public transport of mules and horses, ordering them to be used only for public service. Few people praise these actions of his, while many criticize them, because once the splendor of the palace is removed, the imperial office seems contemptible. According to Sozomen, it is reported that from the very beginning he denied the Christian faith so openly and shamelessly that he sought to wash away his baptism and renounce his ecclesiastical confession through certain sacrifices and invocations—which the pagans call 'expeditions'—and by offering blood. From that time on, pagans celebrated these sacrifices both in secret and in public, even in the temples. It is reported, however, that while he was sacrificing one day, the sign of the cross surrounded by a circle appeared to him in the entrails of the victim. Seeing this, some were terrified and grasped the power of the true religion and the eternity of the Christian faith, for a crown is a sign of victory, and a circular path returning to itself is a symbol of the infinite; the prince, however, encouraged them, claiming that these were signs of prosperity shown to him, and that the sign of the Christian faith was being restrained so that it wouldn't be allowed to spread, being hemmed in by the boundary of a circle. It's said that while Gallus and Julian were still boys, they divided the work between them to compete in building a basilica over the tomb of the martyr Mamma, and a wondrous and perhaps incredible thing happened. Gallus’s portion grew and increased successfully, but Julian’s work was different: some parts were dug up, others were filled with rubble as the earth itself seemed to vomit it out, and at times the foundations laid in the ground couldn't be joined, as if some violent force from below were pushing them back and repelling them. This was seen as a prodigious event by all who believed that the man was not sound in the Christian religion. And it wasn't false, as was proven after the fact. For he stripped churches and their ministers of their possessions and privileges, and—what is most grave and clearly injurious—he ordered the clergy to be drafted into the military to serve the provincial governor, and handed many of them over to the civil courts. He even ordered the Christian populace, along with their wives and children, to be registered and stripped of their piety, as if they were mere villagers. The emperor, however, departed in silence, feigning the philosopher, so that by the display of patience he might strengthen paganism. By law, he forbade the children of the Galileans from studying the disciplines of the poets, rhetoricians, and philosophers. “We’re being wounded by our own weapons,” he said, as the proverb goes; “for they’re armed with our own resources and wage war against us using our own writers.” He also established another law, ordering that the Galileans be expelled from military service. He added another, that the goods of the Galileans should be confiscated, since Christ had commanded them to be poor. Apollinaris, a learned and ingenious man, wrote the Hebrew history in heroic verse to replace the poems of Homer, and in another work, he imitated the comedies of Menander, though stripped of their fables. He also followed the tragedies of Euripides and the hymns of Pindar; and it must be said absolutely that, by drawing his arguments from the divine Scriptures, he composed all the liberal studies in a short time, in number, virtue, character, composition, style, and arrangement, being quite equal to the Greeks. He also wrote a noble book addressed to the Emperor himself—or rather, Against the Philosophers—in which he proved by irrefutable reason, using the silent testimonies of the Holy Scriptures, that they were foolish and that he himself held the true view concerning God. Upon reading this, the Emperor wrote to the famous bishops of the time: “I have read and I have condemned.” The bishops wrote back to him: 'Even if you've read it, you haven't understood it; because if you had, you never would have criticized it.' It's believed that this letter was written by Basil of Cappadocia. When the emperor arrived in Antioch, he was mocked because he had such a long beard, with the people of Antioch saying: 'Let it be trimmed, so that his beard can be used for ropes.' And because he was accustomed to sacrificing bulls, he ordered a bull and an altar to be fashioned on his throne. So, tearing into him, they said: 'This bull is turning the world upside down,' and if Libanius hadn't called him back, he would have severely afflicted the people of Antioch, against whom he then wrote a rather witty book. But to encourage the Jews once more and arm them against Christ, he ordered them to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. When those he had summoned from all over the world arrived, he provided them with many supplies and sent a governor—a most worthy executor of the wicked—to lead them. They say they used silver shovels, baskets, and buckets for the clearing; and by the time they began digging on the appointed day, a great multitude was already at work. At night, earth grew spontaneously from the valley. So, after clearing away the remains of the previous foundation, they prepared everything anew. And when they had gathered many thousands of bushels of gypsum and lime, a powerful wind suddenly blew, and storms and squalls arose, scattering everything they had collected. Yet they still raged on, and since they were in no way corrected by God’s patience, a massive earthquake first occurred; and whoever had not been imbued with the divine mysteries was severely crushed by it. When they were not terrified even by this sign, fire emerged from the foundations they were digging up, burning many of the workers and dissolving the limbs of others. At night, while many were sleeping in the nearby portico, the portico itself suddenly collapsed with its roof, crushing those who were asleep. On another day, a shining sign of the saving Cross appeared in the sky, and the garments of the Jews were also filled with the mark of the Cross—not marked, however, in a shining color, but in black. Considering these things, the rebels against God trembled at the divine scourges and returned to their own lands, confessing that He is God who is proven to have been hung on a tree by their ancestors. Yet for all this, the fury of the wicked man was not turned aside; instead, with a hardened heart, he commanded that anyone who refused to offer sacrifice could not enter the palace, nor participate in any guild, forum, public office, rank, or any kind of administration. When Christians were tortured or plundered, he would urge them to be patient, because the Galilean had taught his followers this through the clear word of the law and the testimony of his work. As a result, many Christians turned back, either broken by fear or caught by deceit, and the cruelty of the pagans grew stronger. But to help the soldiers more easily grow accustomed to idolatry, he made an effort to restore that most exalted Roman sign to its ancient form—the one Constantine had changed into the shape of a cross. He depicted Jupiter in public images as if he were defending a crown and purple robe from heaven for himself, and he also portrayed Mercury and Mars looking toward him, as if in testimony to a wise and strong man; he did this in the images so that, under the pretext of imperial authority, the gods might be secretly worshipped, and those subject to this way of life might be deceived on the sly, and thus, once caught, might more easily fulfill what he wanted. If they refused, they were tortured for showing contempt for the empire. He did, however, approve of the practices of the Christians, even while he persecuted their faith; he lied, claiming that the exercises of virtue among the Galileans were fake rather than real, so that he might strengthen the error of the pagans. He decided, therefore, to strip them of these virtues and wanted the pagans to be followers of philosophy, without the faith and morals of the Christians, just as a letter he wrote to Arsaces, the high priest of Galatia, teaches: 'The rite of the pagans is not yet being carried out according to our intention, because those who worship it have been negligent.'
The Judgment of the Galilean
Julian's pride leads to his ignominious death at the hands of the very Christ he sought to eradicate.
For the brilliance, greatness, and sublimity of the gods are beyond all speech and all hope. But may the gods be merciful to us for the negligence we have shown, since in such a short time, their providence has brought about a change greater than anyone could have dared to pray for at the start. Since, therefore, we believe this is enough, we fail to see how the care for pilgrims—along with the many comforts provided for the dead and their burial sites, and the display of an honest way of life—has increased the superstition of the Christians, showing their practices to be not true, but fake. I believe these matters must be handled among us with integrity. It is not enough, therefore, for you alone to be this way; all the priests throughout Galatia must be as well. You must either win them over, persuade them with reason, or remove them from the priestly ministry without delay, unless they submit themselves to the gods along with their wives, children, and servants. I will no longer tolerate their servants or children acting in contempt of this, or Galileans acting impiously against the gods and preferring their own impieties to true piety. Furthermore, warn everyone that a priest must not attend public spectacles, drink in taverns, or preside over any shameful or shameless arts and works. Honor those who obey; expel those who are disobedient. Establish hostels in every city so that travelers may experience our mercy—not just our own people, but also strangers who are in need of money. To ensure you have the means for this, I have decided that thirty thousand bushels of wheat and sixty thousand sextarii of wine should be distributed across all of Galatia each year. A fifth of these supplies should be spent on the poor who serve the temples, and the rest should be distributed to travelers and those in need. It is shameful that the impious Galileans do not cast out the Jews but rather support them, and their own people as well, and even ours, while we abandon our own people to their own misery. Therefore, teach the pagans to contribute to such ministries, and instruct the pagan villages to offer the first fruits of their crops. Establish them in these good works, teaching them that this was once the practice of our ancestors. Homer proves this by showing Eumaeus doing such things. We don't imitate the good deeds of our ancestors, but leave them to others; we aren't moved by our negligence, but rather we reject the reverence due to the gods. If, therefore, I find that you are doing these things, I will be filled with joy. Host the provincial governors less often, but send them written instructions frequently. When they enter the city, don't let any priest go out to meet them. And when they come to the temples of the gods, let no soldier or official who happens to be leading the way go before them inside the doors, but let whoever wishes follow behind. When he reaches the very threshold of the temple, he should appear as a private citizen. For you, as you know, are the judge within; in fact, even sacred law seems to demand this. Those who obey for the sake of truth are proven godly, while those who resist are proven to be seeking empty glory. For what help can he suffer or deserve, if he refuses to keep the Mother of the gods favorable? Those who neglect it won't just be without excuse; they'll also face the full force of our indignation. It's not right to spare anyone who has made the gods their enemies. Persuade them, then, that if they want to enjoy my protection, they must all strive to worship the Mother of the gods. He wrote these things, and in imitation of the Church, he established temples for demons and appointed ministers in various ranks like clergy. He did this so there would be people to teach others the worship of perfidy and to reform penitents after their faults with moderate correction, following the tradition of Christians. Yet nothing the pagans committed against Christ seemed outrageous to them. It reached the point where even raging against the dead didn't seem inhuman or cruel to the pagans. That is why they opened the tomb of John the Baptist in the city of Sebaste and consigned it to the fire, scattering his bones and dust. If I were to try to recount even the main points of his crimes, or summarize what he did throughout the world against the Church, it would take many large volumes to cover the subject. But let's move on to the end that the holy Galilean—the Son of the undefiled Virgin—powerfully inflicted upon his impious persecutor, for the consolation of His Church and for the glory of that majesty by which He is coequal and consubstantial with the Father. Preparing for the Persian expedition, he sent to Delphi, Delos, and Dodona as usual, asking whether it was advisable to go to war. The oracles all promised him victory, encouraged by one response among others, which I don't mind including here as an example of lying and seduction. It goes like this: 'Now we all attack, bringing back the trophies of God's victory around the river Thiras; of these I, Mars, will be the leader and warrior.' Whoever, therefore, believes that Phicius is the prince of the Muses and the lord of reason, let him interpret the force and meaning of this poem. Encouraged by this, the wretch dreamed of total victory for himself and even prepared to wipe out the Galileans. Yet, as was fitting, the vile apostate was despised by many. For in Antioch lived an excellent teacher of young men, and the very famous sophist Libanius was there, awaiting Julian's victory and keeping his threats before his eyes. So, mocking the true faith, he said, "What do you think the carpenter's Son is doing now?" But the teacher, filled with grace, replied, "O sophist, the Creator of all things, whom you called the carpenter's son, is preparing a coffin for Julian." A few days later, news of Julian's death arrived; he was brought back in a coffin, and the fear of his threats vanished. At that same time, the deeply religious Julian, known as Saba, was asked by his attendants why he was suddenly so cheerful, and he answered, "The savage destroyer of the sacred vineyard has paid the penalty for his devastation and lies dead, his terrors and threats brought to nothing." But the story of how the impious persecutor died must be told. When he had afflicted both citizens and enemies with the labors and famine of the Persian war, he came to the city of Ctesiphon and besieged the king so intensely that the king offered him a portion of his kingdom through frequent embassies, if only he would leave, freed from the war; but the emperor, puffed up with pride, rejected this, not realizing that while it is good to win, it is highly odious to over-win. For he trusted in magic arts, and believing in the Pythagorean view that souls wander through different bodies, he thought he possessed the soul of Alexander, or rather that he was another Alexander in a different body. The Romans, therefore, complained about the leader who refused to end the war, yet they resisted the persistent Persians in such a way that frequently now one side, now the other, was turned to flight. Meanwhile, Julian was riding on horseback, encouraging his army. He was unarmed, relying on the hope of his own success, when a spear was suddenly thrown, piercing his arm and burying itself in his side. He died from this wound. But who exactly struck that most just blow remains unknown to this day. Some say it was one of the invisible powers who struck the blow, others say it was an Ishmaelite shepherd, and still others claim it was a soldier exhausted by hunger and the march; but whether it was man or angel, it is clear that they were acting on divine command. They say that when he was wounded, he immediately filled his hand with his own blood and threw it into the air, saying, "You have won, Galilean, you have won." In that very act, he confessed the victory, even though he was a blasphemer. He died in the third year of his reign at the age of thirty-one, yet he seemed to have lived too long for the good people who were proclaiming the victory of the Galilean not only in the churches but even in the theaters. Everyone was shouting, "You great fool, where are your prophecies now?" God and His Christ have won.
Witnesses to Divine Justice
The pattern of divine judgment continues through the ages, as seen in the fates of those who oppressed the Church and the saints.
After the wicked man died, they found in the temples astonishing idols of the prince, along with remarkable symbols of his celebrated wisdom and his most famous piety. For in Carrhae, when a temple was opened that he had ordered to remain closed until his return, a woman was found hanging by her hair, with her hands outstretched and her womb cut open; in her liver, he had been observing the outcome of the Persian war. In Antioch, too, they found many chests in the palace filled with human heads, and countless bodies of the dead submerged in wells. The Tripartite History describes at greater length the monstrous and wicked deeds of that man—deeds unworthy of an emperor or a philosopher, but fitting for a godless sorcerer, an enemy of God and humanity. In the land of the Britons, too, as a certain history of our people testifies, the hand of the most glorious martyr and king, Edmund, was at work to restrain and punish the madness of tyranny. For when Sweyn was ravaging and plundering the island of Britain—which he had occupied in large part—and afflicting the members of Christ with many persecutions, he burdened the province with the imposition of a tax that the English call 'Danegeld,' and he ordered the possessions of the aforementioned martyr to be contributed to this tax. Supplication was made to him, but he scorned their prayers. A religious brother, sent by the martyr, warned him under threat that the tyrant should not oppress the Church of Christ—the home of the martyr—and its free household with unjust servitude. But his wickedness ignored all prayers, grew defiant at any prohibition, and hardened against threats. By heaping insults and injuries upon God’s humble messenger, he hastened the avenging hand, provoked the lash, and in his blindness, by scorning God’s patience, he rushed headlong into death. And there was no delay. While alone among his soldiers in the camp, as he himself confessed, he saw blessed Edmund appear with a weapon, rebuking him most harshly and striking him toward death. For the tyrant expired on the spot. And from that day on, although the island had to endure harsh tyrants, the church of blessed Edmund remained exempt from that aforementioned tax. For none of them dared to provoke the martyr or risk their own safety by oppressing his church. In our own time, however, Eustace, son of Stephen, who had decided to act cruelly against the Church of God, plundered everything he could; and seeing the land of blessed Edmund—which all other raiders had spared—to be wealthy, and having no money left of his own after exhausting the kingdom's resources to pay his soldiers (for the gifts had already run out), he plundered the estates of that same church. Yet he had not even finished digesting the food he had taken from the resources of that place, and on that very day, before he could return to his own home, which was quite nearby, he was touched by the martyr's hand and struck by a lethal disease; about eight days later, he departed from his possessions and his life. Why should I dwell on a few? Where are they—to speak of those in my own household—Gauf ridus, Milo, Ranulfus, Alanus, Simon, and Gilebertus, who were not so much nobles of the realm as public enemies? Where is William of Salisbury? Where is Marmion, who, urged on by the Blessed Virgin, fell into the very pit he was preparing? Where are the others, whose names alone would fill a book? Their malice was certainly notorious, their infamy celebrated, and their end wretched—a fact that the present age cannot ignore. If, therefore, someone is ignorant of ancient history, or doesn't know how Cyrus—to whom kings once bowed—was struck down by Tomyris, queen of the Scythians, or if he doesn't recall the falls and ruin of past tyrants, let him simply pay attention to what is happening right before his eyes; he will see, more clearly than light, that all tyrants are miserable. Here.
Read the original Latin
quod in eos Deus vindidam exercet, si manus cesset humana, et hoc in luliano apostata et multis sacrae Scripturae patet exemplis. Finis enim tirannorum confusio est; ad interitum quidem, si in malitia perseuerant; si reuocantur, ad ueniam. Nam et ipsi flagello paratur incendium, cum in correctionem filiorum eo fuerit usus Pater. Et inquit: Acab reueritus est faciem meam; non inducam malum hoc in diebus eius. At lezabel in seuitia perseuerans condigno crudelitatis exitu sanguinem suum canibus lingendum praebuit in loco ubi sanguinem innocentis Naboth linxerant canes. Quod si ita innocentis Nabuthae sanguis exquiritur, numquid tot innocentum sanguis irrequisitus erit? Vineam iusti concupiuit impietas et in permutationem eius totius regni iura amisit. Punitur autem malitia semper a Domino; sed interdum suo, interdum quasi hominis utitur telo in penam impiorum.
Afflixit Pharao populum Dei et ab eodem grauissimis, sicut in Exodo legitur, flagellatus est plagis. Quas breuiter ut fidelius teneantur, metro comprehensas curaui inserere: Prima rubens unda, ranae tabesque secunda. Inde culex tristis, post musca nociuior istis. Quinta pecus strauit, uesicam sexta creauit. Pone subit grando, post brucus dente nefando. Nona tegit solem, primam necat ultima prolem. Nec curo quis uersus fecerit, hoc solum attendens, quia plagas Egipti sub Pharaone satis compendiose comprehendit. In his tamen omnibus non est auersus furor eius a populo Dei, sed egredientem persequens cum curribus et equitibus suis in mari submersus est.
Aquis ergo pro muro ad populi defensionem et pro telo ad subuersionem tiranni usus est Dominus. Salmanasar quoque regnante Ezechia premebat populum Domini, conuersusque rex in preces aduersus minas tiranni clipeum diuinae protectionis opposuit. Vnde et eum per prophetam confortauit Dominus dicens: Non ingredietur urbem hanc nec mittet in eam sagittam nec occupabit eam clipeus nec circumdabit eam munitio. Per uiam qua uenit reuertetur, et ciuitatem hanc non ingredietur, dicit Dominus. Protegamque urbem hanc et saluabo eam propter me et propter Dauid seruum meum. Factum est ergo in nocte illa. Venit angelus Domini et percussit castra Assiriorum centum octoginta quinque milia; cumque diluculo surrexisset, uidit omnia corpora mortuorum et recedens abiit. Et reuersus est Sennacherib rex Assiriorum a et mansit in Niniue.
Cumque adoraret in templo Nesarach Deum suum, Adramelech et Sarasar filii eius percusserunt eum gladio fugeruntque in terram Armeniorum; et regnauit Eseradon filius eius pro eo. Nec moueat si alio et alio nomine censeatur in diuersis historiis, quia pro traditione Hebreorum, sicut leronimiis auctor est, idem pentanomius extitit. Dictus est enim Salmanasar et Sennacherib et Phul et Teglad Phalasar et Sargon. Nisi enim polinomius habeatur, historicorum quadam contrarietate dissidentium quandoque uacillabit auctoritas. Hic ergo angelico gladio primum aduersus exercitum usus est Dominus, deinde aduersus impium manibus filiorum. Ipsa quoque natura uindictas stupet interdum Altissimi et hominum prouocante malitia Creatoris sui legibus mirab biliter adquiescit. Hinc est quod aduersus Dominum Nabugodonosor intumescens exacto septennio bestiam egit et penitens est denuo reuersus in hominem rebus restitutus et regno, licet eo postmodum meruerit misero exitu spoliari. Ad tempora transeo Christiana, quoniam in omni gente et populo manifesta est nequitia tirannorum et euidens pena.
lulianus uilis apostata et sordidus imperator dolo potius quam uiribus persecutus est Christum, nec tamen uiribus temperauit. Nam sub eo grauissima Christianorum exorta est persecutio, dum Galilei, quem dicebat, conatu impio nomen moliebatur extinguere. Verum dum aduersus Parthos infaustam expeditionem ageret et idolis in reditu suo pro sacrificio cedem deuoueret Christianorum, magni Basilii aliorumque sanctorum precibus misertus est Deus, Mercuriumque martirem destinauit qui tirannum in castris mandato beatae Virginis lancea perforauit morientemque coegit impium confiteri Galileum Christum scilicet, quem persequebatur, esse uictorem et de se triumphasse. Cum enim praefatus episcopus fideles Cesariae in ecclesia perpetuae Virginis genitricis Dei pemoctantes in orationibus collegisset, ipsa nocte beatam Virginem in uisione sanctus agnouit et huiusmodi consolationem accepit: Vocate, inquit illa, michi Mercurium, et abibit interficere lulianum in Filium meum et Deum tumide blasphemantem. Sanctus autem, cum armatura sua adueniens, uelociter abiit et aduocans quae apparuerat magnum Basilium, dedit ei librum habentem in historia omnem mundi facturam dextrorsum uero hominem a Deo plasmatum. In principio autem libri superscriptio erat: Dic. In fine, homine iam plasmato: Parce. Suscipiens itaque librum legit ab initio usque ad Parce.
Similem quoque uisionem uidit eadem nocte quaestor luliani in expeditione Libanius. Rediens Basilius ad martirium sancti Mercurii nocte ipsa Mercurii arma non repperit, sed die sequenti inuenit eadem et lanceam recenti sanguine cruentatam. Orosius tamen de Mercurio martire non facit mentionem, sed in expeditione a Parthica tirannum refert obuii militis telo esse peremptum. Eutropius quoque, qui Romanam eleganti compendio describit historiam, peremptum fatetur in castris, sed nullum exprimit cedis auctorem; persecutionem tamen, quam eodem auctore in Christianos supra modum exercuit, ei constat plurimum nocuisse. At Historia Tripartita diligentius persequitur flagitia luliani et quanta immanitate persecutus sit Christum, quem Galileum nominabat, toto sexto uolumine comprehendit. Ex quibus ad laudem Galilei nonnuUa inserui compendiose decerpta ab his quae de eo Socrates Theodoritus et Sozomenus teste Cassiodoro tradiderunt. lulianus ergo, e regio sanguine oriundus et ex Constantio nepos Constantini Magni, qui Bisantium a suo nomine Constantinopolim appellauit, ab initio extitit Christianus, crescensque in auditoriis Constantinopolitanae urbis exercebatur in basilica, ubi doctores erant, habitu priuato procedens. Pedagogum habebat nomine Marconium, gramaticum Niclodem Laconensem.
Rethoricam uero legebat apud Eubolium sophistam iam opera et diligentia magni Basilii Christianum; prouidebat enim imperator ne apud paganum sophistam legens ad impietatis dogmata declinaret. Profecit ergo ut ei fama deferret uires imperii gubemandi. Vnde in suspicionem ductus imperatori, ab urbe regia iussus est abstinere missusque Nicomediam prohibitus est conuenire apud Libanium sophistam Sirum paganumque, qui ibi a pedagogis Conc stantinopolitanis expulsus morabatur. Vtebatur tamen lectione librorum eius, et, in rethorica proficiens, Maximo philosopho Ephesio, quem postea quasi artes magicas exercentem Valentinianus imperator fecit occidi, familiaris effectus est. Cumque ab eo uerba philosophica praegustasset, coepit eius imitari religionem, magis et magis cupidine succensus imperii. Imperatorem uero timens suspicionemque cauens, tonsus monachicam simulabat uitam, agens proditorem in habitu Christiano, et in ecclesia Nicomediae lector ordinatus sic furorem declinauit imperatoris. In manifesto autem sacros Christianorum legebat libros et latenter exercebatur in philosophia, inualescente semper ambitione imperii; unde et amicis dicebat felicia fore tempora quibus ipse rerum potiretur imperio. Et quidem manus non euasisset imperatoris, nisi imperatrix Eusebia inueniens latitantem et pro eo intercedens optinuisset ut ad philosophandum mitteretur Athenas.
Refert Theodoritus quod exinde discurrens omnem Helladam uates quaerebat, consulens an ad imperium perueniret. Inuentoque uiro qui se potentissimum in magica fateretur, introductus est ab eo in locum idolorura, ut in adito euocatos a mago demones praesens consuleret. Quibus sollemniter apparentibus compulsus est lulianus frontem suam crucis munire signaculo; a quo facto repente demones disparuerunt. Magus itaque coepit culpare lulianum; at ille, praetendens metum, crucia Be dixit obstupuisse uirtutem, eo quod signum hoc demones fugerint. Non suspiceris hoc, bone uir, inquit magus, quia timuerint sicut ais, sed abhominati hoc signum potius abscesserunt. Et ita capiens miserum, odio Christiani signaculi repleuit lulianum. Post haec, sicut Socrates auctor est, imperator, euocans lulianum, eum constituit Cesarem, et, data sorore Constantia in uxorem, ipsum contra barbaros destinauit ad Gallias. Successit ergo ei fecitque sibi initium uincendi barbaros, quod amorem suum apud milites coUocauit.
Fertur etiam quod, dum in aliquam ciuitatem fuisset ingressus, corona laurea, quibus solent ornari ciuitates, inter columnas pendens, rupto fune super caput eius decidit eumque aptissime coronauit. Quo facto cuncti clamauerunt quia ei signum foret imperii. Congrediens deinde cum hostibus tanta felicitate prouectus est ut a militibus appellaretur Augustus. Cumque corona deesset imperialis, unus signa portantium torquem, quem habebat, capiti eius circumposuit; et hoc modo factus est imperator lulianus. Quae uero postea gesserit ille philosophus, iudicent audientes. Nam in ipso principio omnia pro libito disponebat figmentumque Christianae religionis abiecit et singularum urbium templa aperiens idolis ofFerebat, dicens seipsum ease pontificem paganorum. Intestino quoque bello lacerasset imperium, nisi ei degenti in Tracia fuisset mors imperatoris Constantii nuntiata. Vt uero fauorem multitudinis sibi conciliaret, ius sibi praeferendae religionis omnibus indulgebat.
Studebat ob hoc omnibus omnia fieri. Hinc uanae gloriae causa largus, hinc afiectata simulatione philosophi parcus, hinc a ciuilitate fictitia comis, hinc grauis a mole imperii et, quod maxime erat, ne crudelia haberetur mansuetudinem mentiebatur. Ceterum qualis esset religione monstrabat. Episeopos ergo in exilium deportatos iussit euocari et confiscatas eorum sibi reddi substantias. Templa quoque paganorum uelociter suis necessariis praecepit aperire, et quae eis ablata fuerant incunctanter restituere sanciuit. Palatio expulit eunuchos tonsores et cocos; eunuchos quidem eo quod uxor eius obierat, post quam non duxit aliam; cocos autem quia more philosophi cibis simplicibus utebatur; tonsores quoniam, ut ipse ait, unus sufficit multis. Scriptores plurimum uenerabatur cultoresque disciplinarum, sed maxime philosophantes. Vnde et fama uiros huiusmodi undique congregabat circa palatia, qui circumamicti palliis magis habitu quam magisterio pandebantur.
Erantque graues uniuersis Christianis seductores uiri et imperatoris semper a religioni fauentes. Noctibus uigilans conscribebat libros, quos in senatu publice recitabat. Solus enim imperatorum a lulio Cesare in curia recitauit orationes. Publicum cursum mularum et caballorum inhibuit, iubens eos utilitatibus publicis ministrari. Haec eius opera laudant pauci plurimique uituperant, quia remoto fastu palatii contemptibile uideatur imperium. Apud Sozomenum fertur quia mox in ipso principio sic aperte et impudenter negauit Christianam fidem ut quibusdam sacrificiis et inuocationibus, quas expeditiones pagani uocant, et sanguine immolato nostnun baptisma studeret ablui et abrenuntiare ecclesiasticae confessioni. Ex illo enim tempore tam secretim quam publice et in templis pagani hcenter sacrificia celebrabant. Fertur autem quia, dum aliquando sacrificaret, ostensum sit ei in uisceribus hostiae signum crucis corona circumdatum.
Quo uiso alii quidem perterriti uerae religionis uirtutem et Christiani dogmatis etemitatem int llexerunt, eo quod corona uictoriae indicium est et ambitus circularis in se rediens est finis ignarus; princeps autem, confortans eos, sibi prospera monstrari asseruit et quia signum dogmatis Christiani coherceretur, ne ei dilatari liceret circuli termino esse conseptum. Cum autem adhuc pueri Gallus et lulianus ad sepulturam Mammae martiris opere inter se diuiso certatim basilicam fabricarent, res dictu mirabilis et forsitan incredibilis accidisse narratur. Galli namque pars augebatur utiliterque crescebat; luliani uero labores alii quidem fodiebantur, alii terra ipsa euomente ruderibus implebantur, aliquotiens terrae deposita fundamenta copulari non poterant, ac si quaedam uiolenta uirtus ab inferiore loco ea repercutiendo depelleret. Res prodigiosa uisa est omnibus existimantibus quia non esset uir ille in Christiana religione salubris. Nec falso; quod patuit ex post facto. Nam ecclesias et ministros possessionibus et priuilegiis spoliauit et, quod nimis graue et plane iniuriosum est, clericos iussit militibus aggregari duci prouinciae seruituros, plurimosque eorum curiae tradidit. Populum uero Christianum cum uxoribus et filiis inscribi praecepit et tamquam uicaneos pietate nudatum. Imperator autem silens abscessit, philosophum simulans, ut ostentatione patientiae paganitatem roboraret.
Lege autem inhibuit ne Galileorum filii poetanim rethonim et philosophorum legerent diseiplinas. Propriis, inquit, telis secundum prouerbium uubieramur; ex nostris enim armati, ex nostris conscriptoribus contra nos bella suscipiunt. Posuit et aliam legem, praecipiens Galileos expelli militiis. Adiecit et aliam ut Galileis bona auferrentur, quoniam Christus eorum eos pauperes esse praeceperat. Scripsit Apollinaris, uir doctus et ingeniosus, eroycis uersibus pro Homeri poemate Hebraicam antiquitab tem et in alio opere imitatus est comedias Menandri fabulositate deducta. Euripidis quoque tragedias et Hram Pindari secutus est; et absolute dicendum quia, ex diuinis scripturis argumenta sumens, omnes enciclias lectiones tempore paruo composuit, numero uirtute moribus conscriptione karactere et dispositione Grecorum ualde pares. Fecit et librum nobilem Ad ipsum Imperatorem siue Contra Philosophos, in quo tacitis sacrae Scripturae testimoniis illos irrefragabili ratione desipere probauit et se uera sentire de Deo. Quae legens imperator claris tunc scripsit episcopis: Legi et reprehendi.
Cui episcopi rescripserunt: Etsi legisti, non agnouisti; si enim agnouisses, nequaquam reprehenc disses. Basilii autemCapadoceni creditur haec fuisse epistola. Veniens Antiochiam imperator eo quod ei esset barba ualde promissa derisus est, dicentibus Antiochenis: Tondeatur, ut ad funes barba eius proficiat. Et, quia taurum consueuerat immolare, taurum et aram suo formari praecepit in solio. Lacerantes ergo dicebant: Iste taurus euertit mundum; et, nisi eum Libanius reuocasset, grauiter afilixisset Antiochenos, aduersus quos tum librum satis urbanum seripsit. Vt autem etiam ludeos denuo animaret et armaret in Christum, templum lerosolimis eos instaurare praecepit. Concurrentibusque quos de toto orbe conuocauerat, plurima ministrauit, misitque praesidem impiorum executorem dignissimum praeceptorem. Aiunt enim quoniam ad repurgium faciendum argenteas amas et cophinos et scaphas habuerint; cumque fodere iam coepissent, statuta quidem die hoc multitudo plurima faciebat.
Nocte uero spontanea terra de ualle crescebat. Solutis itaque prioris fundamenti reliquiis, noua omnia praeparabant. Cumque gipsi et calcis multa modiorum milia congregassent, uis magna uentorum repente respirans tempestates atque procellae subito factae quicquid congregatum fuerat disperserunt. Adhuc autem uesanientibus eis et nequaquam diuina longanimitate correptis, maximus primo terrae motus factus est; et quisquis non fuerat diuinis misteriis imbutus, uehementer attritus a est. Cum uero neque hoc terrerentur indicio, ignis ex fundamentis quae sufFodiebantur egrediens plurimos fodientium concremauit, aliorum membra dissoluit. Nocte plurimis in uicina porticu dormientibus cadens subito cum tecto ipsa porticus dormientes oppressit. Alia uero die in celo signum splendens crucis salutaris apparuit, sed etiam ludeorum uestes crucis signaculo sunt impletae, non signatae tamen splendenti colore sed nigro. Haec itaque Dei rebelles considerantes et diuina contremiscentes flagella, ad propria sunt reuersi, confitentes esse Deum qui ab eorum progenitoribus ligno probatur appensus.
In his tamen omnibus non est auersus furor impii, sed indurato corde praecepit ut, quicumque sacrificare noUent, palatium non intrarent et neque collegio neque foro neque arbitrio neque dignitate nec qualibet administratione participarentur. Cum uero torquebantar Christiani aut spoliabantur, eis patientiam indicebat quoniam hanc Galileus eorum expresso uerbo legis et testimonio operis suos docuerat sectatores. Vnde et multi Christianorum retrorsum abierunt aut strati metu aut capti dolo, et inualescebat seuitia paganorum. Vt autem ad ydolatriam milites facilius assuescerent, studuit ad priscum scema reformare illud signum sublimius Romanorum quod Constantinus in formam crucis mutauerat. Venmi in publicis imaginibus louem, quasi de celo sibi coronam defendentem et purpuram, Mercurium quoque et Martem in se respicientes, uelut pro testimonio sapientis et fortis depingebat; hoc agens in imaginibus ut sub occasione imperii latenter adorarentur Dii et hoc modi subiecti clanculo fallerentur, exinde sic capti facilius impleturi quod uellet. Si uero detrectarent, torquerentur tanquam imperii contemptores. Approbabat autem studia Christianorum, licet persequeretur fidem; et exercitia uirtutum, quo paganorum roboraret errorem, apud Galileos non uera mentiebatur esse sed ficta. Decreuit ergo eis uirtutes praeripi et paganos Christianis absque fide moribus institutos philosophiae uoluit esse cultores, sicut Arsacio pontifici Galatiae scripta ab eo in hunc modum docet epistola: Paganonmi ritus nondum agitur secundum intentionem nostram propter cultores eius in negligentia positos.
Nam deorum claritas magnitudo atque sublimitas omni oratione omnique spe maior est. Sed propitii sint nobis dii propter negligentiam quam habemus, cum illorum prouidentia in paruo tempore tanta mutatio facta sit quantam neque orare primitus quiscumque praesumpserat. Cum ergo credimus hoc posse sufl&cere, nequaquam respicimus quemadmodum superstitionem Christianorum auxit cura peregrinorum et circa sepulturas et mortuos multa solatia honestaeque conuersauel ostendentem tionis studia non uera sed ficta. Quas res arbitror apud nos debere sub ueritate geri. Non itaque sat est te talem esse sed omnes absolute circa Galatiam sacerdotes. Quos aut a deprecare aut ratione flecte aut certe festinanter a sacerdotali ministerio remoue, nisi diis cum coniugibus et filiis atque seruis colla submiserint, non ferentes ulterius eorum seruos aut filios hoc facere contempnentes aut Galileos impie contra deos agentes et impietates pietatibus praeponentes. Deinde cunctos admone ut sacerdos neque ad spectacula procedat neque in tabernis bibat aut cuilibet arti operibusque turpibus aut impudentibus praesit. Qui obediunt honorentur, inobedientes expelle.
Xenodochia constitue per singulas ciuitates, ut nostra peregrini clementia fruantur, non tantum nostri, sed etiam extranei pecunia indigentes. Vt habeas unde fiat, interim decreui singulis annis triginta milia tritici modios per uniuersam dari Galatiam et sexaginta milia uini sextarios. Horum quinta pars pauperibus templa obseruantibus debet expendi, reliqua peregrinis indigentibusque distribui. Turpe namque est ut ludeos non abiciant sed potius nutriant impii Galilei et suos pariter nec non etiam nostros, nostri uero nostrorum solatio deserantur. Quapropter doce etiam collationes facere paganos ad talia ministeria paganorumque uicos offerre primitias frugum. Eosque huiusmodi benefactis institue docens eos hoc opus olim fuisse nostrorum. Homerus enim hoc probat introducens Emenium talia facientem. Nos ergo neque bona nostrorum imitamur, sed aliis remittimus, negligentia non confusi, magis autem deorum reuerentiam respuentes.
Si igitur haec te facienc tem ego cognouero, letitia plenus ero. Praesides prouinciarum rarius domi suscipe, frequenter eis scripta transmitte. Ingredientibus eis ciuitatem sacerdotum nullus occurrat. Cumque ad templa uenerint deorum, intra ianuas eos nemo praecedat militum forte aut praecedentium officiorum, sed qui uoluerit subsequatur. Cum ad ipsum limen templi peruenerit, priuatus existat. Tu enim, sicut nosti, intus es iudex; hoc enim etiam sacra sanctio uidetur exigere. Obedientes igitur pro ueritate pii sunt, reluctantes uanae gloriae comprobantur. Quid enim patiatur aut quod mereatur auxilium qui Matrem deorum propitiam habere noluerit?
Qui ergo eam neglexerint, non solum sine querela non erunt sed etiam nostrae indignationis impetum sustinebunt. Neque enim fas est ut illi parcatur qui Deos habuerit inimicos. Suade siquidem eis ut, si mea uolunt frui tuitione, omnes Matri deorum studeant oiFerre culturam. Haec quidem scripsit, et ad similitudinem ecclesiae demonum templa constituit, et instituit ministros in diuersis gradibus ad instar clericorum, ut essent qui ceteros docerent cultum perfidiae et penitentes post culpam secundum traditionem Christianorum correctione mediocri reformarent. Nichil autem quod a paganis committeretur in Christum enorme uidebatur. Adeo quidem ut nec seuire in mortuos inhumanum aut crudele paganis uideretur. Vnde in ciuitate Sebasta lohannis Baptistae sepulchrum aperuerunt ignique tradia derunt, ossa uero ac puluerem disperserunt. Si uel capita flagitiorum eius uel summatim quae per ipsum in orbe aduersus Ecclesiam gesta sunt, uoluero enarrare, multis magnisque uoluminibus tanta egebit materia.
Sed progrediamur ad finem, quem pius Galileus, intemeratae uirginia Filius, impio persecutori suo ad consolationem Ecclesiae suae et ad gloriam maiestatis, qua Patri coaequalis et consubstantialis est, potenter inflixit. Procingens ergo se ad Persicam expeditionem pro more misit Delphos et Delum atque Dodonem, consulens an expediret ad bella procedere. Vates itaque uniuersi uictoriam promittebant, uno inter cetera animati responso, quod pro exemplo mendacii ac seductionis inserere non pigebit. Est autem huiusmodi: Nunc omnes aggredimur Dei uictoriae trophea ref erentes circa fluuium Thirem; horum ego dux ero belligerator Mars. Quisquis ergo Phicium Musarum principem et dominum rationis credit, uim et mentem carminis huius interpretetur. Quo miser animatus, omnimodam sibi uictoriam somnians, etiam Galileos delere praeparabat. A plurimis tamen, ut oportuit, uilis apostata contemptus est. In Antiochia namque uir quidam optimus pedagogus adolescentium habitabat, eratque ibi famosissimus sophista Libanius, expectans uictoriam luliani habensque prae oculis minas eius.
Ait ergo ueram deridendo religionem: Nunc fabri Filius quid putas agit? At pedagogus completus gratia dixit: O sophista, Creator omnium, quem tu fabri filium nominasti, locellum sepulturae luliano componit. Post paucos dies mors nuntiatur luliani, et in locello aduectus est, minarumque timor euacuatus. Eodem quoque tempore uir religiosissimus lulianus cognomento Saba subitae hilaritatis causam a ministris interrogatus respondit: Ferus sacrae uineae deuastator penas exactus est uastationis suae iacetque mortuus terroribus minisque frustratus. Sed exprimendus est ordo quo decessit impius persecutor. Cum ergo tam ciues quam hostes bello Persico laboribus et fame multipliciter afflixisset, ueniens Thesiphontem ciuitatem in tantum obsedit regem ut crebris legationibus ei offerret partem regni, dum solutus bello discederet; quod contempsit imperator elatus nec attendens quia uincere quidem bonum est, superuincere nimis inuidiosum. Confidebat enim magicis artibus, et, arbitratus secundum Pithagoream opinionem animas diuersa corpora peragrare, se credebat possidere animam Alexandri aut quod potius in altero corpore esset alius Alexander. Querebantur ergo Romani de principe qui bellum finire nolebat, resistebant tamen insistentibus Persis ita ut frequenter nunc ii nunc illi uerterentur in fugam.
Porro lulianus in equo residens exercitum confortabat, inermis quidem, spe felicitatis suae praesumens; contra quem iaculum repente delatum discurrens per brachium in eius latus immersum est. Ex a hoc uulnere suscepit terminum uitae. Qui uero iustissimum intulit uulnus, hactenus ignoratur. Sed alii quendam inuisibilium hoc intulisse ferunt, alii unum pastorum Ismahelitarum, alii militem fame et itinere fatigatum; sed, siue homo siue angelus fuerit, patet quia diuinis iussionibus ministrauit. Aiunt enim quia, cum fuisset uulneratus, mox manum compleuit sanguine suo et in aerem proiecit dicens: Vicisti, Galilaee, vicisti; et in eo ipso conf essus uictoriam est, etsi blasphemus. Defunctus est autem tertio anno imperii sui, uitae tricesimo primo; nimium tamen uixisse uisus est J5 bonis; qui non modo in ecclesiis sed etiam in theatris praedicabant uictoriam Galilaei. Omnes enim clamabant: Maxime fatue, ubi sunt uaticinia tua? Vicit Deus et Christus eius.
Defuncto impio inuenta sunt in templis simulachra stupenda principis et mira insignia sapientiae conclamatae et famosissimae pietatis. Nam in Carris aperto templo, quod usque ad reditum suum clausum esse praeceperat, inuenta est mulier a capillis appensa, manus extensas habens, aperto utero, in cuius iecore euentum belli Persici fuerat speculatus. In Antiochia quoque archas in palatio plurimas humanis capitibus plenas inuenerunt et demersa puteis innumera corpora mortuorum. Prodigiosa et scelesta illius, quae nec imperatorem nec philosophum decuerunt, sed impium et magum, Dei hostem et hominum, Tripartita latius pandit Historia. In gente quoque Britanniarum, sicut quaedam nostratum testatur historia, ad compescendam et puniendam tirannidis rabiem gloriosissimi martiris et regis Eadmundi manum exercuit. Cum enim Suanus Britanniae insulam, quam ex magna parte occupauerat, uastaret spoliaret et membra Christi persecutionibus multis affligeret, indictione census, quem lingua Anglorum Danageldum nominant, prouinciam onerauit, praecepitque possessiones memorati martiris conferre in censum. Supplicatumque est ei; contempsit preces. Missus a martire religiosus frater sub interminatione inhibuit ne ecclesiam Christi, domum martiris, et liberam familiam eius tirannus indebita premeret seruitute.
Sed impietas ad preces absurduit, intumuit ad prohibitionem, ad minas induruit, et conuitiis et iniuriis afficiens humilem nuntium Dei ultricem accelerauit manum, flagellum prouocauit, et patientia Dei contempta temeritate cecus incurrit in mortem. Nec mora. Inter milites agens in castris solus, sicut ipse confessus est, cum telo uidit adesse beatum Eadmundum increpantem eum durissime et caedentem ad mortem. Nam tirannus e uestigio expirauit. Et ab ea quidem die, licet insula graues tirannos habuerit, ecclesia beati Eadmundi a praefata indictione fisci mansit immunis. Nemo enim eorum martirem ausus est prouocare aut in opprimenda ecclesia eius periculum facere sui. Nostris tamen temporia bus Eustachius filius Stephani, qui in Ecclesiam Dei seuire decreuerat, cum omnia pro uiribus depopulatus esset, et terram beati Eadmundi, cui omnes praedones detulerant, uideret opulentam, sibique non esset, consumptis opibus regni, unde semel et secundo militibus era procederent (iam enim defecerant donatiua) praedia iam dietae ecclesiae depopulatus est. Nondum tamen digesserat cibum quem de facultatibus loci acceperat ipsaque die antequam se domi suae reciperet, quae nimis uicina erat, tactus est martiris manu et letali percussus morbo die circiter octaua rebus cessit et uita.
Quid moror in paucis Vbi sunt, ut de domesticis loquar, Gauf ridus, Milo, Ranulfus, Alanus, Simon, Gilebertus, non tam comites regni quam hostes publici? Vbi Willelmus Saresberiensis? Vbi Marmio qui impellente beata Virgine incidit in foueam quam parabat? Vbi alii, quorum uel nomina conficerent librum? Horum utique malitia insignis est, infamia celebris, infelix exitus et quem praesens etas ignorare non potest. Si ergo quis antiquas nescit historias, si ignorat quomodo Cirus, cui reges terga praebebant, a regina Scitarum Tamiri prostratus est, si casus et praecipitia praecedentium non recolit tirannorum, uel ea quae oculis ingeruntur inuitis attendat, et luce clarius intuebitur omnes tirannos miseros esse. ic
Policraticus companion
Study the argument weekly; pray the tradition daily
Pair the outline with the Chosen Portion app, which serves short daily portions from the same royal devotional tradition — free on iOS.
John of Salisbury argued that rulers must keep the law of God before their eyes daily; Chosen Portion gives modern readers that same daily discipline in five minutes a morning.
- 8 weeks, one book per week, with the 3-4 key chapters flagged in each
- Discussion questions usable for a reading group from week one
- A daily 5-minute companion portion in the app alongside your weekly study