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IN consequence of his continual wars the emperor was compelled to
impose heavy taxes on the cities of the empire.
The city of Antioch refused to put up with the new tax, and when the
people saw the victims of its exaction subjected to torture and
indignity, then, in addition to the usual deeds which a mob is wont to
do when it is seizing an opportunity for disorder, they pulled down the
bronze statue of the illustrious Placilla, for so was the empress
named, and dragged it over a great part of the town. On being
informed of these events the emperor, as was to be expected, was
indignant. He then deprived the city of her privileges, and gave her
dignity to her neighbour, with the idea that thus he could inflict on
her the greatest indignity, for Antioch from the earliest times bad
had a rival in Laodicea. He further threatened to burn and destroy
the town and reduce it to the rank of a village. The magistrates
however had arrested some men in the very act, and had put them to
death before the tragedy came to the emperor's ears. All these orders
bad been given by the Emperor, but had not been carried out because of
the restriction imposed by the edict which had been made by the advice
of the great Ambrosius. On the arrival of the commissioners who
brought the emperor's threats, Elebichus, then a military
commander, and Caesarius prefect of the palace, styled by the Romans
magister officiorum, the whole population shuddered in consternation.
But the athletes of virtue, dwelling at the foot of the hill, of whom
at that time there were many of the best, made many supplications and
entreaties to the imperial officers. The most holy Macedonius, who
was quite unversed in the things of this life, and altogether ignorant
of the sacred oracles, living on the tops of the mountains, and night
and day offering up pure prayers to the Saviour of all, was not in the
least dismayed at the imperial violence, nor at all affected by the
power of the commissioners. As they rode into the middle of the town
he caught hold of one of them by the cloak and bade both of them
dismount. At the sight of a little old man, clad in common rags,
they were at first indignant, but some of those who were conducting
them informed them of the high character of Macedonius, and then they
sprang from their horses, caught hold of his knees, and asked his
pardon. The old man, urged on by divine wisdom, spoke to them in the
following terms: "Say, dear sirs, to the emperor; you are not only
an emperor, you are also a man. Bethink you, therefore, not only of
your sovereignty, but also of your nature. You are a man, and you
reign over your fellow men. Now the nature of man is formed after the
image and likeness of God. Do not, therefore, thus savagely and
cruelly order the massacre of God's image, for by punishing His
image yon will anger the Maker. Think how you are acting thus in your
wrath for the sake of a brazen image. Now all who are endued with
reason know how far a lifeless image is inferior to one alive and gifted
with soul and sense. Take into account, too, that for one image of
bronze we can easily make many more. Even you yourself cannot make one
single hair of the slain."
After the good men had heard these words they reported them to the
emperor, and quenched the flame of his rage. Instead of his threats
he wrote a defence, and explained the cause of his anger. "It was
not right," said he, "because I was in error, that indignity
should be inflicted after her death on a woman so worthy of the highest
praise. They that were aggrieved ought to have armed their anger
against me." The emperor further added that he was grieved and
distressed when he heard that some had been executed by the
magistrates. In relating these events I have had a twofold object.
I did not think it right to leave in oblivion the boldness of the
illustrious monk, and I wished to point out the advantage of the edict
which was put out by the advice of the great Ambrosius.
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