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| Death of the Tyrants Magnentius and Silvanus the Apostate. Sedition of the Jews in Palestine. Gallus Cæsar is slain, on Suspicion of Revolution.
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Chapter VII.—Death of
the Tyrants Magnentius and Silvanus the Apostate. Sedition of the Jews
in Palestine. Gallus Cæsar is slain, on Suspicion of
Revolution.
In the meantime,1295
| 1295Soc. ii. 32–34; cf. Philost. iii. 26–28;
iv. 1; Orosius, vii. 29; language and order like Soz.; Sulp. Sev. H.
S. ii. 38; Am. Marcel. xiv. 1, 7–9, 11; Zos. ii. 45–55;
Eutrop. Brev. hist. Rom. x. 12, 13.
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Magnentius made himself master of
ancient Rome, and put numbers of the senators, and of the people, to
death. Hearing that the troops of Constantius were approaching, he
retired into Gaul; and here the two parties had frequent encounters, in
which sometimes the one and sometimes the other was victorious. At
length, however, Magnentius was defeated, and fled to Mursa, which is
the fortress of this Gaul, and when he saw that his soldiers were
dispirited because they had been defeated, he stood on an elevated spot
and endeavored to revive their courage. But, although they addressed
Magnentius with the acclamations usually paid to emperors, and were
ready to shout at his public appearance, they secretly and without
premeditation shouted for Constantius as emperor in place of
Magnentius. Magnentius, concluding from this circumstance, that he was
not destined by God to hold the reins of empire, endeavored to retreat
from the fortress to some distant place. But he was pursued by the
troops of Constantius, and being overtaken at a spot called Mount
Seleucus, he escaped alone from the encounter, and fled to Lugduna. On
his arrival there, he slew his own mother and his brother, whom he had
named Cæsar; and lastly, he killed himself.1296
Not long after, Decentius, another of his brothers, put an end to his
own existence. Still the public tumults were not quelled; for not long
after, Silvanus assumed the supreme authority in Gaul; but he was put
to death immediately by the generals of Constantius.
The Jews of Diocæsarea also overran Palestine and
the neighboring territories; they took up arms with the design of
shaking off the Roman yoke.1297
On hearing of their insurrection, Gallus Cæsar, who was then at
Antioch, sent troops against them, defeated them, and destroyed
Diocæsarea. Gallus, intoxicated with success, could not bear his
prosperity, but aspired to the supreme power, and he slew Magnus, the
quæstor, and Domitian, the prefect of the East, because they
apprised the emperor of his innovations. The anger of Constantius was
excited; and he summoned him to his presence. Gallus did not dare to
refuse obedience, and set out on his journey. When, however, he reached
the island Elavona he was killed by the emperor’s order; this
event occurred in the third year of his consulate, and the seventh of
Constantius.1298
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