DIOCLESIAN., 
veyed toa place of fafety, and treated _ every mark of ten- 
cernefs and re pa that was due fro 
the pri ride of Galerius. The i interview of fie, oman princes 
at Nifibis was accompanied with every expreffion — re Lg 
on one fide, and of efteem on the other ey 
foon afterwards gave audiences to the aa balaee of the 
great king. In the conference that enfued, ace eriu 
felted the fiercenefs of his paffion, as well a 
boras, or as Xenon calls it, the Araxes, fhould 
be ie boundary betwee € two monarchies: and not 
the Tigris, as fome ne have ftated in confequence of 
an error.of the geo de dre o removed the po- 
fition of Singara from o the Tigris; by this 
article : - treaty Mcfopotamias which ad been the ob- 
jet o wars, was ceded to the empire. and ae — 
fians oa ell pretenfions to that great provi 
that the limits of Armenia fhould be extended to the Gare 
a, on the confines of Media :—that th 
king of Iberia fhould receive his crown from the Roman 
emperors, and be no 
Perfia: 
ce) 
in providi the 
fecuring its uae by caftles _ upon the Rhine, 
; mealures of perfecution. 
o 
e Danube, and the Euphrates, 
particole y mentions Cereufium i 
tamia, a frontier town, at the confluence d 
the Euphrates, which he en fortified, ond thus dees 
an important poft. It was alfo, during this fame Do 
of tranquillity, that Dioclefian ereéted his magnificen 
rae hi buildings at Nicomedia, and that baths were con- 
ructed by Maximian at Carthage. In the year 302, a Mag 
ee prevailed in moft provinces of the empire ; and Pre 
copius fays, that’ Dioclefian ordered two millions ‘of buthels 
Ammianus Marcellinus 
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e firft favourable opportunity of 
converfing with the ae and difpofing him to concur in 
circumftance is faid to have 
moted the vi 
c 
of a 
cerning the events of futurity, the Chriftians ditnbed the 
priefts in the performance of their office ; an thefe mi- 
nifters of fuperftition and delufion were unable to give the 
emperor the fatisfaction which he defired, they alleged the 
ae eae of profane perfons, as they called Chriftians, 
charged upon them the failure of their fuccefs. The: 
emperor was incenfed ; and punifhed both the officers of the 
to in im to mence and afterw 
horrid ak of pelccunon, The e himfelf was 
rather inclined to meafures of lenity, and though he readily 
confented to exclude the Chriftians from holding an y em- 
ployments in the houfehold A the army, he urged in the 
ftrongeft terms the danger, as well as cruelty, of thedding 
the blood e thofe deluded fanatics, as he feemed to regard 
t length, however, Galerius prevailed ; a council 
re 
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ete 
and on the next. day the general edi@ was publithed ; 
was enaGed, that the churches of the Chriftians, in all the 
provinces of the empire, fhould be demolifhed to their 
foundations ; and the punifhment of death was denounced 
induce individuals, 
who were found to be obttinate in their acc to their 
Chriftian profeffion, to putas it, ane to prevent others from 
h. sees the religion cf nature, o oe “— of their an- 
ceftora, fae meatures of various kin ere purfued. 
Perfons of a liberal birth were aoaneed eet of holding 
any honours or employments ; flaves were for ever eee 
