The Book of Emperors: A Translation of the Middle High German Kaiserchronik

XX. Diocletian and Maximian

182 urrection was not possible, nor that body and soul of the dead would ever be joined together again. Indeed, Christendom suffered great trials and tribulations, until Our Lord opened the wall for his very dear servants. They became living proof of sublime resurrection. Decius had Christendom’s people slain—we can have no idea about the total number—until devils broke up his rule, avenging the sublime martyrs . He held the Empire, it is true, no longer than a year and two months more. Devils are torturing his soul. XX Diocletian and Maximian Following Decius by a little more than thirty years, Diocletian (r. 284–305) outdid him in launching the most widespread and systematic of all the Roman imperial persecutions of Christians. In other ways, Diocletian was an efficient and successful administrator . He divided up the Empire into four more easily governable units and devised a much more rational succession system than what passed for one in the third century—one of free-foralls among military contenders, producing a sequence of “soldier emperors.” As the instigator of what Christian writers soon called “the Great Persecution,” however, Diocletian vied with Nero in the Middle Ages for being the worst Roman emperor of all. Diocletian’s succession system provided for two senior emperors , each called an augustus, and two junior emperors, each called a caesar. Maximian had risen through the military ranks—and after being named a caesar by Diocletian in 485—became an augustus the following year. Since Diocletian was the other augustus himself, it is correct enough to say they ruled jointly. Both Diocletian and Maximian 183 Diocletian and Maximian stepped down from the emperorship in 305—Diocletian’s system set limited terms for emperors—but Maximian ended up taking part in the succession struggles eventually won by Constantine. Maximian first allied with Constantine , then opposed him. Soon after losing to Constantine, Maximian was found dead. then Diocletian and his companion, Maximian, those evil and fiercely angry men, held the Empire. They turned all their thoughts to discovering how to persecute those faithful to Our Lord. All the same, believers began to multiply. The rulers’ bans flew through all the land. Wherever any Christian was found who stood by his faith, for him much suffering was in store. At that time they martyred good Saint Vitus. They also martyred Saint Pancratius and good Saint Maurice. We ought to include here some of the special blessings we receive through these gentlemen. Vitus was only a small child, but as he was being tortured he asked Our Lord that whoever was beset by epilepsy might all turn to him for a cure. Our Lord himself granted him this, so that now afflicted persons are freed from the disease after one year. But now let us hear about the blessing we have from Saint Pancratius, that holy man: whoever swears a false oath by his holy bones will live with pain and suffering for ever after that; and if he dies without doing penance for it, he will remain beyond help evermore. The third one I will tell you about from whom Christendom may enjoy great blessings is Saint Maurice, who drives out devils and to the blind restores sight. He has that power from heaven—Our Lord bestowed it on him. I have other things to tell you about him. He especially heals sinners, and he cleanses lepers. He is a very valuable martyr. All sinners should show him the love due a father, for they may very well want to flee to him. Now we will tell you about how this highly honored duke came to his martyrdom. He was, in fact, duke of the Moors, when he heard startling tales of how the Christians had been placed under the king’s ban, and that holy man was sorry for them. He then admonished his loyal followers who 184 Chapter Twenty wanted to earn eternal life through God that they should come quickly to him [for] he had great need of them. In a short time the lord gained the support of six thousand, six hundred and six men—they all formed one huge royal army. The duke told them what he wanted—to lead a military expedition to carry out God’s will. They all spoke up, affirming that this was also their will; they had every desire to fight for God’s cause. Now, we...