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WHEN the illustrious emperor Theodosius had heard of the emperor's
doings and what the tyrant Maximus had written to him he wrote to the
fugitive youth to this effect You must not be astonished if to yon has
come panic and to your enemy victory; for you have been fighting
against piety, and he on its side. You abandoned it, and are running
away naked. He in its panoply is getting the mastery of you stripped
bare of it, for He who hath given us the law of true religion is ever
on its side.
So wrote Theodosius when he was yet afar off; but when he had heard
of Valentinian's flight, and had come to his aid, and saw him an
exile, taking refuge in his own empire, his first thought was to give
succour to his soul, drive out the intruding pestilence of impiety,
and win him back to the true religion of his fathers. Then he bade him
be of good cheer and marched against the tyrant. He gave the lad his
empire again without loss of blood and slew Maximus. For he felt that
he should be guilty of wrong and should violate the terms of his treaty
with Gratianus were be not to take vengeance on those who had caused
his ally's death.
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