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Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died

Chap. XXXIX.

Now Daia, in gratifying his libidinous desires, made his own will the standard of right; and therefore he would not refrain from soliciting the widow of Galerius, the Empress Valeria, to whom he had lately given the appellation of mother. After the death of her husband, she had repaired to Daia, because she imagined that she might live with more security in his dominions than elsewhere, especially as he was a married man; but the flagitious creature became instantly inflamed with a passion for her. Valeria was still in weeds, the time of her mourning not being yet expired. He sent a message to her proposing marriage, and offering, on her compliance, to put away his wife. She frankly returned an answer such as she alone could dare to do: first, that she would not treat of marriage while she was in weeds, and while the ashes of Galerius, her husband, and, by adoption, the father of Daia, were yet warm; next, that he acted impiously, in proposing to divorce a faithful wife to make room for another, whom in her turn he would also cast off; and, lastly, that it was indecent, unexampled, and unlawful for a woman of her title and dignity to engage a second time in wedlock. ¹ This bold answer having been reported to Daia, presently his desires changed into rage and furious resentment. He pronounced sentence of forfeiture against the princess, seized her goods, removed her attendants, tortured her eunuchs to death, and banished her and her mother Prisca: but he appointed no particular place for her residence while in banishment; and hence he insultingly expelled her from every abode that she took in the course of her wanderings; and, to complete all, he condemned the ladies who enjoyed most of her friendship and confidence to die on a false accusation of adultery.

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De mortibus persecutorum

39.

[1] Denique cum libidinibus suis hanc legem dedisset, ut fas putaret quicquid concupisset, ne ab Augusta quidem, quam nuper appellaverat matrem, potuit temperare. [2] Venerat post obitum Maximiani ad eum Valeria, cum se putaret in partibus eius tutius moraturam eo maxime, quod habebat uxorem. [3] Sed animal nefarium protinus inardescit. Adhuc in atris vestibus erat mulier nondum luctus tempore impleto, legatis praemissis in matrimonio postulat eiecturus uxorem. Si impetrasset, respondit illa libere quae sola poterat: [4] primo non posse de nuptiis in illo ferali habitu agere tepidus adhuc cineribus mariti sui, patris eius; deinde illum impie facere, quod sibi fidam coniugem repudiet, idem utique facturus et sibi; postremo nefas esse illius nominis ac loci feminam sine more, sine exemplo maritum alterum experiri. [5] Nuntiatur homini quid esset ausa. Libido in iram furoremque convertitur. Statim mulierem proscribit, bona eius rapit, aufert comites, spadones in tormentis necat, ipsam cum matre in exilium relegat nec in locum certum, sed huc atque illuc praecipitem cum ludibrio exturbat et amicas eious afficto adulterio damnat.