Διοκλητιανός
Diocletian
Translated by Ross Scaife ✝7 Nov 2002Vetting: high9 revisions
Translation
Emperor of the Romans. During his reign1 and that of his in-law Maximian2 a horrific persecution against the Christians occurred.3 For they gave the order by territory and city that the churches of Christ be destroyed and their sacred writings burnt, and that any Christians discovered be forced to worship pagan deities. Overwhelmed by the number of Christians seized, they made an ordinance that any Christians who were discovered should have their right eye gouged out, not only for the pain, but for the dishonor and the mark and the distinction from the Roman way of life. Divine justice came upon them and justly struck them down: the one had his throat slit by the Senate, the other was strangled.4
This mad and Christ-hating man, angry in his memory of those who had plotted trouble concerning the empire, did not seek to rule in Egypt moderately or gently, but rather he went there defiling [the land] with proscriptions and murders of the notables. After seeking out the books written by the ancient [Egyptians] concerning the alchemy of gold and silver, he burned them so that the Egyptians would no longer have wealth from such a technique, nor would their surfeit of money in the future embolden them against the Romans.5
In regard to his character he was capricious and evil, but with his sharp and intelligent mind he often covered up the shortfalls of his inner nature, and blamed each hard act on other people. But he was careful and quick when it came to applying what had to be done and he transformed many aspects of devotion to the emperor to something far more presumptuous than had been the ancestral custom for the Romans.6
[It is said] that Diocletian and Maximian gave up their imperial positions and returned to private life.7 Diocletian went to an Illyrian city named Salonai, whereas Maximian went to the territory of the Leucanians.8 And whereas Maximian came to regret this out of longing for his rule, Diocletian grew old peacefully for three years, demonstrating his abundant virtue, though not completely abandoning Hellenic religion.9
This mad and Christ-hating man, angry in his memory of those who had plotted trouble concerning the empire, did not seek to rule in Egypt moderately or gently, but rather he went there defiling [the land] with proscriptions and murders of the notables. After seeking out the books written by the ancient [Egyptians] concerning the alchemy of gold and silver, he burned them so that the Egyptians would no longer have wealth from such a technique, nor would their surfeit of money in the future embolden them against the Romans.5
In regard to his character he was capricious and evil, but with his sharp and intelligent mind he often covered up the shortfalls of his inner nature, and blamed each hard act on other people. But he was careful and quick when it came to applying what had to be done and he transformed many aspects of devotion to the emperor to something far more presumptuous than had been the ancestral custom for the Romans.6
[It is said] that Diocletian and Maximian gave up their imperial positions and returned to private life.7 Diocletian went to an Illyrian city named Salonai, whereas Maximian went to the territory of the Leucanians.8 And whereas Maximian came to regret this out of longing for his rule, Diocletian grew old peacefully for three years, demonstrating his abundant virtue, though not completely abandoning Hellenic religion.9