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Thus when Maximinus, who alone had remained of the enemies of
religion and had appeared the worst of them all, was put out of the
way, the renovation of the churches from their foundations was begun by
the grace of God the Ruler of all, and the word of Christ. shining
unto the glory of the God of the universe, obtained greater freedom
than before, while the impious enemies of religion were covered with
extremest shame and dishonor. For Maximinus himself, being first
pronounced by the emperors a common enemy, was declared by public
proclamations to be a most impious, execrable, and God-hating
tyrant. And of the portraits which had been set up in every city in
honor of him or of his children, some were thrown down from their
places to the ground, and torn in pieces; while the faces of others
were obliterated by daubing them with black paint. And the statues
which had been erected to his honor were likewise overthrown and
broken, and lay exposed to the laughter and sport of those who wished
to insult and abuse them. Then also all the honors of the other
enemies of religion were taken away, and all those who sided with
Maximinus were slain, especially those who had been honored by him
with high offices in reward for their flattery, and had behaved
insolently toward our doctrine. Such an one was Peucetius, the
dearest of his companions, who had been honored and rewarded by him
above all, who had been consul a second and third time, and had been
appointed by him chief minister; and Culcianus, who had likewise
advanced through every grade of office, and was also celebrated for his
numberless executions of Christians in Egypt; and besides these not a
few others, by whose agency especially the tyranny of Maximinus had
been confirmed and extended. And Theotecnus also was summoned by
justice which by no means overlooked his deeds against the Christians.
For when the statue had been set up by him at Antioch, he appeared to
be in the happiest state, and was already made a governor by
Maximinus.
But Licinius, coming down to the city of Antioch, made a search for
impostors, and tortured the prophets and priests of the newly erected
statue, asking them for what reason they practiced their deception.
They, under the stress of torture, were unable longer to conceal the
matter, and declared that the whole deceptive mystery had been devised
by the art of Theotecnus. Therefore, after meting out to all of them
just judgment, he first put Theotecnus himself to death, and then his
confederates in the imposture, with the severest possible tortures.
To all these were added also the children of Maximinus, whom he had
already made sharers in the imperial dignity, by placing their names on
tablets and statues. And the relatives of the tyrant, who before had
been boastful and had in their pride oppressed all men, suffered the
same punishments with those who have been already mentioned, as well as
the extremest disgrace. For they had not received instruction,
neither did they know and understand the exhortation given in the
Holy Word: "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of
men, in whom there is no salvation; his spirit shall go forth and
return to his earth; in that day all their thoughts perish."
The impious ones having been thus removed, the government was
preserved firm and undisputed for Constantine and Licinius, to whom
it fittingly belonged. They, having first of all cleansed the world
of hostility to the Divine Being, conscious of the benefits which he
had conferred upon them, showed their love of virtue and of God, and
their piety and gratitude to the Deity, by their ordinance in behalf
of the Christians.
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