CHAPTER XV

OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN WRITING BY THE EMPEROR THEODOSIUS UPON THESE OCCURRENCES

WHEN the excellent emperor Theodosius had heard of the proceedings of Valentinian, and of the letter of Maximus, he wrote to the young fugitive, and told him that the confidence of the usurper of the government, as contrasted with the intimidation of the lawful emperor, ought not to excite surprise, because the emperor waged war against religion, while the usurper had taken up arms in her defence. The opponent of religion is always defeated, and obliged to escape naked, while he who defends her is invariably victorious; for the Author of piety is ever present with piety. Such were the truths contained in the letter of Theodosius. At a subsequent period, when the young prince threw himself upon his protection, Theodosius extricated him in the first place from the depths of impiety, and led him back to the religion of his father: he then took up arms on his behalf against the usurper, and restored the prince to his dominions; and, to revenge the death of Gratian, who had been unjustly murdered, he put the usurper to death.