The False Friendship and New Gods of Licinius

The man who had lately fled before him now hid his real intentions and asked once more for a renewal of friendship and alliance. The emperor thought fit to grant his request on certain conditions, in the hope that such a step might be useful and of general benefit to the whole community. Licinius, however, while he pretended to accept the terms readily and swore oaths to prove his sincerity, was at that very time secretly gathering an army. He was planning war and strife again, and was even inviting the barbarians to join his side. He also began to look around for other gods, since he had been deceived by the ones he had trusted until then. Without giving a thought to what he himself had said in public about false gods, and without choosing to acknowledge the God who had fought on Constantine’s side, he made himself ridiculous by seeking out a host of new gods. [a]