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IN the meantime, 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 the 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 Caesar; and lastly, he killed himself. 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 Diocaesarea also overran Palestine and the neighboring
territories; they took up arms with the design of shaking off the
Roman yoke. On hearing of their insurrection, Gallus Caesar, who
was then at Antioch, sent troops against them, defeated them, and
destroyed Diocaesarea. Gallus, intoxicated with success, could not
bear his prosperity, but aspired to the supreme power, and he slew
Magnus, the quaestor, 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.
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