The Fate of Diocletian

Diocletian, however, after showing relentless cruelty as a persecutor, gave evidence that he knew his own guilt. Suffering from a disordered mind, he endured confinement in a poor and lonely dwelling. What, then, did he gain by his active hostility against our God? Only this, I believe: that he spent the rest of his life in constant dread of being struck by lightning. Nicomedia bears witness to the fact; eyewitnesses, and I am one of them, declare it. The palace and the emperor’s private chamber were destroyed, consumed by lightning, devoured by fire from heaven. Men of understanding had indeed foretold where such conduct would lead. They could not keep silent or hide their grief at such shameful deeds, but boldly and openly spoke their feelings, saying to one another: “What madness is this? What an insolent abuse of power, that a man should dare to fight against God; should deliberately insult the most holy and just of all religions; and should plan, without the slightest provocation, the destruction of so great a multitude of righteous people! What a rare example of moderation to his subjects! What a worthy teacher for his army of the care and protection owed to their fellow citizens! Men who had never seen the backs of a retreating enemy plunged their swords into the breasts of their own countrymen!” [a]

So much blood was shed that, had it been shed in battle against barbarian enemies, it would have been enough to buy a lasting peace. In the end, indeed, the providence of God took vengeance on these unholy deeds, but not without serious damage to the state. For the whole army of the emperor I have just spoken of came under the authority of a worthless man who had violently seized supreme power at Rome, and it was destroyed in several battles one after another, when the providence of God restored freedom to that great city. And when we remember the cries with which the oppressed, longing eagerly for their native liberty, begged for God’s help; and their praise and thanksgiving to him when the evils under which they had groaned were removed, when that liberty was won back and free and fair dealings among people restored; do not these things afford convincing proof in every way of the providence of God and of his loving care for the good of mankind?