The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. XXIII. Concerning the Reign of Gallienus.

NOthing hinders but we may hear his own words which run thus:

[a 1.1 Macrianus] therefore, having treacherously betrayed one of the Emperours which preceded him, and made War upon the other, was immediately extir∣pated, and together with his whole family became extinct. Gallienus was now proclaimed, and by com∣mon consent received Em∣perour: he was both an old Emperour, and a new: for he was before * 1.2 them, and also survived them: for ac∣cording to that which was spoken by the Prophet E∣saias, † 1.3 Behold the former things are come to pass, and new things shall now rise up. For as a cloud rising up be∣fore the rays of the fun, overshadoweth it for a while, and appears to be substituted into the place thereof: but when the cloud has gone over it, or is dissolved; the sun, which before was risen, seems then to arise again: so Macrianus, who set himself before, and b 1.4 approacht the very Empire of Gallienus, now is not, for he never was: but Gallienus as he was Emperour before, so he now continues to be. And the Empire it self, having deposited its old Age as it were, and being cleansed from the dregs of its former improbity, now flourisheth with grea∣ter vividness; is seen and heard of at a larger distance, and spreads its fame in all places.

He afterwards declares the time when he wrote these things, in these words:

It now again comes into my mind to contemplate the years of our Emperour: For I see how those most impious persons who had so great a name, are in a short time become most obscure. But our most Pious and Religious Emperour, having passed his seventh, is now in the ninth year of his Empire, in which we are about to solemnize the Festivals.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Though we find here bare∣ly, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 he therefore; yet we must understand Macrianus; for by his treachery it was that Valerian was delivered into the hands of the Persians. Other Historians assert that he was delivered to them by his own Captains; so Aurel. Vict. Syncel. and others. These words of Dionysius are to be joyned with those in Chap. 10. of this Book; for they are fragments of one and the same Epistle to Hermammon; we also find a piece of it in Chap. 1. of this seventh Book. Vales.
• * 1.2

  He means Macrianus, and his two sons. See Chap. 1. of this Book; at the close of the Chapter.
• † 1.3

  Esai. 42. 9.
• b 1.4

  Dionysius here speaks of Macri∣anus's Empire, because he was owned, and received as Emperour by Aegypt, and the Eastern Pro∣vinces: Which his Coins de∣clare, for on the fore-side there is this inscription, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; And on the reverse this, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Vales.