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After the death of the usurper, the barbarians whom he had called to
his assistance against the Romans, made preparations for ravaging the
Roman provinces. The emperor being informed of this, immediately,
as his custom was, committed the management of the matter to God; and
continuing in earnest prayer, he speedily obtained what he sought; for
it is worth while to give attention to disasters which befell the
barbarians. For their chief, whose name was Rougas, was struck dead
with a thunderbolt. Then a plague followed which destroyed most of the
men who were under him: and as if this was not sufficient, fire came
down from heaven, and consumed many of the survivors. This filled the
barbarians with the utmost terror; not so much because they had dared
to take up arms against a nation of such valor as the Romans
possessed, as that they perceived them to be assisted by a mighty
God. On this occasion, Proclus the bishop preached a sermon in the
church in which he applied a prophecy out of Ezekiel to the deliverance
effected by God in the late emergency, and was in consequence much
admired. This is the language of the prophecy:
'And thou, son of man, prophesy against Gog the prince of Rhos,
Mosoch, and Thobel. For I will judge him with death, and with
blood, and with overflowing rain, and with hail-stones. I will also
rain fire and brimstone upon him, and upon all his bands, and upon
many nations that are with him. And I will be magnified, and
glorified, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations: and they
shall know that I am the Lord.'
This application of the prophecy was received with great applause, as
I have said, and enhanced the estimation in which Proclus was held.
Moreover the providence of God rewarded the meekness of the emperor in
various other ways, one of which was the following.
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