|
GALLUS and the other rulers, having held the government less than
two years, were overthrown, and Valerian, with his son Gallienus,
received the empire. The circumstances which Dionysius relates of him
we may learn from his epistle to Hermammon, in which he gives the
following account:
"And in like manner it is revealed to John; 'For there was given
to him,' he says, 'a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy; and
there was given unto him authority and forty and two months.' It is
wonderful that both of these things occurred under Valerian; and it is
the more remarkable in this case when we consider his previous conduct,
for he had been mild and friendly toward the men of God, for none of
the emperors before him had treated them so kindly and favorably; and
not even those who were said openly to be Christians received them with
such manifest hospitality and friendliness as he did at the beginning of
his reign. For his entire house was filled with pious persons and was
a church of God.
But the teacher and ruler of the synagogue of the Magi from Egypt
persuaded him to change his course, urging him to slay and persecute
pure and holy men because they opposed and hindered the corrupt and
abominable incantations. For there are and there were men who, being
present and being seen, though they only breathed and spoke, were able
to scatter the counsels of the sinful demons. And he induced him to
practice initiations and abominable sorceries and to offer unacceptable
sacrifices; to slay innumerable children and to sacrifice the offspring
of unhappy fathers; to divide the bowels of new-born babes and to
mutilate and cut to pieces the creatures of God, as if by suck
practices they could attain happiness."
He adds to this the following: "Splendid indeed were the
thank-offerings which Macrianus brought them for the empire which was
the object of his hopes. He is said to have been formerly the
emperor's general finance minister ; yet he did nothing praiseworthy
or of general benefit, but fell under the prophetic saying, 'Woe
unto those who prophesy from their own heart and do not consider the
general good.' For he did not perceive the general Providence, nor
did he look for the judgment of Him who is before all, and through
all, and over all. Wherefore he became an enemy of his Catholic
Church, and alienated and estranged himself from the compassion of
God, and fled as far as possible from his salvation. In this he
showed the truth of his own name."
And again, farther on he says: "For Valerian, being instigated to
such acts by this man, was given over to insults and reproaches,
according to what was said by Isaiah: 'They have chosen their own
ways and their abominations in which their soul delighted; I also will
choose their delusions and will render unto them their sins.' But
this man madly desired the kingdom though unworthy of it, and being
unable to put the royal garment on his crippled body, set forward his
two sons to bear their father's sins. For concerning them the
declaration which God spoke was plain, 'Visiting the iniquities of
the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of
them that hate me.' For heaping on the heads of his sons his own evil
desires, in which he had met with success, he wiped off upon them his
own wickedness and hatred toward God."
Dionysius relates these things concerning Valerian.
|
|