CHAPTER IV

WAR ARISES BETWEEN CONSTANTINE AND LICINIUS ON ACCOUNT OF THE CHRISTIANS

BY this perfidy he drew upon himself the emperor Constantine’s heaviest displeasure; and the pretended treaty of friendship having been so flagrantly violated, it was not long before they took up arms against each other as declared enemies. After several engagements both by sea and land, Licinius was at last utterly defeated near Chrysopolis in Bithynia, a port of the Chalcedonians, and surrendered himself to Constantine; who having taken him alive, treated him with the utmost humanity, and would by no means put him to death, but ordered him to take up his abode and live in tranquillity at Thessalonica. He could not however remain inactive; and having in a short time managed to collect some barbarian mercenaries, he made an effort to repair his late disaster by a fresh appeal to arms: and the emperor being made acquainted with his proceedings, directed that he should be slain. On this being carried into effect, Constantine became possessed of the sole dominion, and was accordingly proclaimed sovereign Autocrat; a circumstance which secured to Christians the peaceful profession of their faith,—this monarch seeking still, in a variety of ways, to promote their welfare. But unhappily this state of repose was of short duration, owing to dissensions among themselves, the nature and origin of which I shall now endeavour to describe.