In the year 1010 from the founding of the City, two emperors were created in the twenty-seventh place from Augustus: Valerian was hailed Augustus by the army in Raetia, while at Rome Gallienus was created Caesar by the senate; and Gallienus remained unhappily in the rule for fifteen years, while the human race breathed again for a little from that pestilence, more lasting and grievous than usual. Forgetful malice calls forth its own punishment. For impiety, when tormented, does indeed feel the scourges, but in its hardness it does not perceive by whom it is scourged.
1 Anno ab urbe condita millesimo decimo duo imperatores uicensimo septimo post Augustum loco creati sunt: Valerianus in Raetia ab exercitu Augustus appellatus, Romae autem a senatu Gallienus Caesar creatus; mansitque Gallienus in regno infeliciter annis XV, respirante paulisper ab illa supra solitum iugi et graui pestilentia genere humano. prouocat poenam suam obliuiosa malitia. impietas enim flagella quidem excruciata sentit, sed a quo flagellatur, obdurata non sentit.
To say nothing of earlier events: after the persecution of the Christians carried out by Decius, a great pestilence afflicted the whole Roman Empire. Iniquity lied to itself, ensnared to its own ruin by a perverse judgement, saying that the pestilence was a common misfortune, and that death arising from disease was the end set by nature and not a punishment.
2 ut de superioribus taceam, facta a Decio Christianorum persecutione totum Romanum imperium pestilentia magna uexauit. mentita est iniquitas sibi, prauo in perniciem suam circumuenta iudicio, pestilentiam communis casus esse accidentemque ex morbis mortem naturae finem esse non poenam.
So once again, and within a short time, it provoked the wrath of God by wicked deeds, only to receive a blow that it would be forced to remember for some while. For Valerian, the eighth from Nero, as soon as he had seized the empire, ordered Christians to be driven to idolatry by tortures and those who refused to be killed, and the blood of the saints was poured out over the whole breadth of the Roman realm.
3 rursus igitur atque in breui iram Dei sceleratis actionibus prouocat exceptura plagam, cuius aliquandiu meminisse cogatur. Valerianus siquidem mox ut arripuit imperium octauus a Nerone, adigi per tormenta Christianos ad idololatriam abnegantesque interfici iussit, fuso per omnem Romani regni latitudinem sanctorum sanguine.
At once Valerian, the author of the abominable edict, was captured by Shapur, king of the Persians, and, emperor of the Roman people though he was, grew old among the Persians in the most ignominious servitude, condemned for as long as he lived to the continual sentence of this infamous duty: that, stooping to the ground, he should always lift up the king when about to mount his horse, not with his hand but with his back.
4 Valerianus ilico, nefarii auctor edicti, a Sapore Persarum rege captus, imperator populi Romani ignominiosissima apud Persas seruitute consenuit, hoc infamis officii continua, donec uixit, damnatione sortitus, ut ipse adclinis humi regem semper, ascensurum in equum, non manu sua sed dorso attolleret.
And Gallienus, terrified by so clear a judgement of God and moved by the so wretched example of his colleague, restored peace to the churches with anxious amends. But the captivity of one impious man, however lasting and beyond measure abominable, did not make up the measure of injury and vengeance against so many thousands of tortured saints; and the blood of the righteous, crying out to God, asks to be avenged in the same land where it was shed.
5 et Gallienus quidem tam claro Dei iudicio territus tamque misero collegae permotus exemplo pacem ecclesiis trepida satisfactione restituit. sed non conpensat iniuriae ultionisque mensuram unius impii quamuis perpetua et super modum abominanda captiuitas contra tot milia excruciata sanctorum, iustorumque sanguis ad Deum clamans in eadem sese terra, ubi fusus est, uindicari rogat.
For punishment was being demanded, by just judgement, not of the author of the decree alone; it was also just that its executors, informers, accusers, spectators and judges — and lastly all who assented to that most unjust cruelty even by silent consent (for God is the knower of secrets), among whom the greatest part of humankind throughout all the provinces was to be found — should be seized by the same blow of vengeance. Suddenly, by God’s permission, the nations placed round about and left for this very purpose were let loose on every side, and with reins slackened they swept into all the territories of the Romans.
6 non enim de solo constitutore praecepti iusto supplicium iudicio flagitabatur sed etiam exsecutores delatores accusatores spectatores ac iudices, postremo omnes qui iniustissimae crudelitati uel tacita uoluntate adsentabantur - quia Deus secretorum cognitor est - quorum maxima per omnes prouincias pars hominum uersabatur, eadem ultionis plaga corripi iustum erat. soluuntur repente undique permissu Dei ad hoc circumpositae relictaeque gentes laxatisque habenis in omnes Romanorum fines inuehuntur.
The Germans, having passed through the Alps, Raetia and all Italy, reached as far as Ravenna; the Alamanni, roaming through the Gallic provinces, crossed into Italy as well; Greece, Macedonia, Pontus and Asia were wiped out by a flood of Goths; for Dacia beyond the Danube was taken away for ever; the Quadi and Sarmatians laid waste the Pannonias; the farther Germans scraped Spain bare and took possession of it; the Parthians carried off Mesopotamia and scoured Syria.
7 Germani Alpibus Raetia totaque Italia penetrata Rauennam usque perueniunt; Alamanni Gallias peruagantes etiam in Italiam transeunt; Graecia Macedonia Pontus Asia Gothorum inundatione deletur; nam Dacia trans Danuuium in perpetuum aufertur; Quadi et Sarmatae Pannonias depopulantur; Germani ulteriores abrasa potiuntur Hispania; Parthi Mesopotamiam auferunt Syriamque conradunt.
There still remain, in various provinces, amid the ruins of great cities, small and poor dwellings that preserve the signs of their miseries and the evidence of their names; among these we too in Spain can point to our own Tarragona, for consolation in our recent misery.
8 exstant adhuc per diuersas prouincias in magnarum urbium ruinis paruae et pauperes sedes, signa miseriarum et nominum indicia seruantes, ex quibus nos quoque in Hispania Tarraconem nostram ad consolationem miseriae recentis ostendimus.
And lest any part of the Roman body should by chance be spared this rending, tyrants conspired within, civil wars rose up, and everywhere a great deal of Roman blood was shed, as Romans and barbarians raged alike; but the wrath of God was quickly turned to mercy, and the vengeance begun was reckoned rather as a token than as punishment in the measure of its fullness.
9 et ne quid forte Romani corporis ab hac dilaceratione cessaret, conspirant intrinsecus tyranni, consurgunt bella ciuilia, funditur ubique plurimus sanguis Romanorum Romanis barbarisque saeuientibus; sed cito ira Dei in misericordiam uertitur et coeptae ultionis maior forma quam poena in mensuram plenitudinis reputatur.
So first Ingenuus, who had assumed the purple of empire, was killed at Mursa. Postumus seized the tyranny in Gaul — to the great advantage of the commonwealth, indeed, since for ten years, exercising great valour and moderation, he both drove out the enemies who were lording it there and restored the lost provinces to their former appearance; he was, however, killed in a mutiny of the soldiers.1
10 igitur primus Genuus, qui purpuram imperii sumpserat, apud Myrsam occiditur. Postumus in Gallia inuasit tyrannidem, multo quidem reipublicae commodo, nam per decem annos ingenti uirtute ac moderatione usus et dominantes hostes expulit et perditas prouincias in pristinam faciem reformauit; seditione tamen militum interfectus est.
1Ingenuus, governor of Pannonia, proclaimed emperor in 260; Orosius calls him Genuus.
Aemilianus was crushed at Mainz while plotting revolution. After the death of Postumus, Marius seized the empire there, but was at once killed. Then Victorinus was created by the Gauls of their own accord, and after a short while was killed.2
11 Aemilianus apud Mogontiacum cum res nouas moliretur oppressus est. post mortem Postumi Marius ibidem inuasit imperium sed continuo interfectus est. deinde Victorinus a Gallis ultro creatus et post paululum occisus est.
2The usurper at Mainz in 269 was Laelianus; Orosius calls him Aemilianus.
He was succeeded by Tetricus, who was then discharging the office of governor of Aquitania. He endured many mutinies of the soldiers. But in the east, through a certain Odenathus, who had gathered a band of country folk, the Persians were defeated and driven back, Syria was defended and Mesopotamia recovered; and the countrymen of Syria, with their Odenathus, came conquering as far as Ctesiphon.
12 huic successit Tetricus, qui tunc Aquitanicae praesidatus administrabat officium. multas seditiones militum pertulit. at uero in oriente per Odenatum quendam collecta agresti manu uicti repulsique Persae, defensa Syria, recepta Mesopotamia est, et usque ad Ctesiphontem rusticani Syriae cum Odenato suo uincendo uenerunt.
Gallienus, however, having abandoned the commonwealth and giving himself up to his lusts at Milan, was killed.
13 Gallienus autem cum rempublicam deseruisset ac Mediolani libidinibus inseruiret, occisus est.