How He Won the People’s Favor

But his generosity gave still further and more numerous favors to the pagan peoples and the other nations of his empire. The people of our eastern regions had heard of the privileges enjoyed in the other part of the empire. They had called those who received them fortunate and longed to share the same lot themselves. So now, when they saw themselves in possession of all these blessings, they declared their own happiness with one voice. They confessed that the appearance of such a ruler to the human race was indeed a marvelous event, such as the world’s history had never yet recorded. Such were their feelings. [a]