He is put to death by Philip, who succeeds, and makes peace with Sapor the next year. About this time flourished Censorius, and Gregory Thaumaturgus 244 Philip killed, and succeeded by Decius. Herodian flourished 249 The seventh persecution against the christians 250 Decius succeeded by Gallus 251 A great pestilence over the empire 252 Gallus dies, and is succeeded by Æmilianus, Valerianus, and Gallienus. In the reign of Gallus flourished St. Cyprian and Plotinus 254 The eighth persecution against the christians 257 The empire is harassed by 30 tyrants successively 258 Valerian is taken by Sapor and flayed alive 260 Odenatus governs the east for Gallienus 264 The Scythians and Goths defeated by Cleodamus and Athenæus 267 Gallienus killed, and succeeded by Claudius. In this reign flourished Longinus, Paulus Samosatenus, &c. 268 Claudius conquers the Goths, and kills 300,000 of them. Zenobia takes possession of Egypt 269 Aurelian succeeds 270 The ninth persecution against the christians 272 Zenobia defeated by Aurelian at Edessa 273 Dacia ceded to the Barbarians by the emperor 274 Aurelian killed, and succeeded by Tacitus, who died after a reign of six months, and was succeeded by Florianus, and, two months after, by Probus 275 Probus makes an expedition into Gaul 277 He defeats the Persians in the east 280 Probus is put to death, and succeeded by Carus, and his sons Carinus and Numerianus 282 Diocletian succeeds 284 The empire attacked by the Barbarians of the north. Diocletian takes Maximianus as his imperial colleague 286 Britain recovered, after a tyrant’s usurpation of 10 years. Alexandria taken by Diocletian 296 The tenth persecution against the christians, which continues 10 years 303 Diocletian and Maximianus abdicate the empire, and live in retirement, succeeded by Constantius Chlorus and Galerius Maximianus the two Cæsars. About this period flourished Julius Capitolinus, Arnobius, Gregory and Hermogenes the lawyers, Ælius Spartianus, Hierocles, Flavius Vopiscus, Trebellius Pollio, &c. 304 Constantius dies, and is succeeded by his son 306