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| Rejoicings and Festivities.
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Chapter
XIX.—Rejoicings and
Festivities.
And now, the impious being thus removed, the sun once more shone
brightly after the gloomy cloud of tyrannic power. Each separate
portion of the Roman dominion became blended with the rest; the Eastern
nations united with those of the West, and the whole body of the Roman
empire was graced as it were by its head in the person of a single and
supreme ruler, whose sole authority pervaded the whole. Now too the
bright rays of the light of godliness gladdened the days of those who
had heretofore been sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. Past
sorrows were no more remembered, for all united in celebrating the
praises of the victorious prince, and avowed their recognition of his
preserver as the only true God. Thus he whose character shone with all
the virtues of piety, the emperor Victor, for
he had himself adopted this name as a most fitting appellation to
express the victory which God had granted him over all who hated or
opposed him,3178
| 3178 Like very many other things which Eusebius tells of Constantine,
that which was entirely customary with other emperors as well as
Constantine has the appearance of being peculiar to him. Victor is a
common title of various emperors. | assumed the dominion of the
East, and thus singly governed the Roman empire, re-united, as in
former times, under one head. Thus, as he was the first to proclaim to
all the sole sovereignty of God, so he himself, as sole sovereign of
the Roman world, extended his authority over the whole human race.
Every apprehension of those evils under the pressure of which all had
suffered was now removed; men whose heads had drooped in sorrow now
regarded each other with smiling countenances, and looks expressive of
their inward joy. With processions and hymns of praise they first of
all, as they were told, ascribed the supreme sovereignty to God, as in
truth the King of kings; and then with continued acclamations rendered
honor to the victorious emperor, and the Cæsars, his most discreet
and pious sons. The former afflictions were forgotten, and all past
impieties forgiven: while with the enjoyment of present happiness was
mingled the expectation of continued blessings in the
future.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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