Disaster Strikes the Usurper John’s Barbarian Allies

After the usurper’s death, the barbarians he had called to his aid against the Romans prepared to lay waste the Roman provinces. When the emperor was told of this, he at once, as was his custom, committed the matter to God; and continuing in earnest prayer, he quickly obtained what he asked. The disasters that befell the barbarians deserve attention. Their chief, whose name was Rougas, was struck dead by a thunderbolt. Then a plague followed that destroyed most of the men under him; and as if this were not enough, fire came down from heaven and consumed many of the survivors. This filled the barbarians with the utmost terror, not so much because they had dared to take up arms against a nation as brave as the Romans, as because they saw that the Romans were helped by a mighty God. On this occasion Proclus the bishop preached a sermon in the church in which he applied a prophecy from Ezekiel to the deliverance God had brought about in the recent danger, and he was greatly admired for it. These are the words of the prophecy: [a] “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. For I will judge him with death, and with blood, and with torrential rain, and with hailstones. I will also rain fire and brimstone on him, and on all his troops, and on the many nations that are with him. And I will be magnified, and glorified, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord.” [b] As I have said, this application of the prophecy was received with great applause, and it raised the esteem in which Proclus was held. The providence of God also rewarded the emperor’s gentleness in various other ways, one of which was the following.