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| Of Valentinianus the great Emperor.
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Chapter XII.—Of Valentinianus the great
Emperor.
Valentinianus,637
| 637 Valentinianus, a native of Cibalis (on the Save) in Pannonia
(Bosnia) was elected Feb. 26, 364, and reigned till Nov. 17, 375.
Though a Christian, he was tolerant of paganism, or the peasant’s
religion, as in his reign heathenism began to be named (Codex Theod.
xvi. ii. 18). The “shortly after” of the text means some
two years. | who shortly
afterwards became emperor, was at that time a Tribune and commanded the
Hastati quartered in the palace. He made no secret of his zeal for the
true religion. On one occasion when the infatuated emperor was going in
solemn procession into the sacred enclosure of the Temple of Fortune,
on either side of the gates stood the temple servants purifying, as
they supposed, all who were coming in, with their sprinkling whisks. As
Valentinianus walked before the emperor, he noticed that a drop had
fallen on his own cloak and gave the attendant a blow with his fist,
“for,” said he, “I am not purified but
defiled.” For this deed he won two empires. On seeing what had
happened Julian the accursed sent him to a fortress in the desert, and
ordered him there to remain, but after the lapse of a year and a few
months he received the empire as a reward of his confession of the
faith, for not only in the life that is to come does the just Judge
honour them that care for holy things, but sometimes even here below He
bestows recompense for good deeds, confirming the hope of guerdons yet
to be received by what he gives in abundance now.
But the tyrant devised another
contrivance against the truth, for when according to ancient custom he
had taken his seat upon the imperial throne to distribute gold among
the ranks of his soldiery, contrary to custom he had an altar full of
hot coals introduced, and incense put upon a table, and ordered each
man who was to receive the gold first to throw incense on
the altar, and then to take the gold from his own right hand. The
majority were wholly unaware of the trap thus laid; but those who were
forewarned feigned illness and so escaped this cruel snare. Others in
their eagerness for the money made light of their salvation while
another group abandoned their faith through cowardice. E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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