Grain and Chaff from an English ManorSavory, Arthur Herbert
History
Grain and Chaff from an English Manor
Savory, Arthur Herbert
Aldington (Worcestershire, England); Country life -- England; England -- Social life and customs
Britain was now divided into four Diocletian provinces, to which a
fifth--Valentia--was later added when the country north of Hadrian's
wall was re-occupied. The only other event of Diocletian's reign to be
noticed is the persecution of Christians in which, according to
tradition, St. Alban lost his life at Verulam about 303.
(19-20) On May 1, 305, Diocletian and Maximian abdicated. Constantius
and Galerius now became Augusti. Trouble arose over the two vacant
Cæsarships. It was the aim of Galerius to exclude Constantine, but the
latter escaped to his father's camp at York, a few weeks before
Constantius died on July 25, 306, after a victory over the Picts and
Scots. Constantine was in power under various titles in Gaul and
Britain for five years until, in 311, when Galerius died, he began his
march on Rome, during which he is said to have had his vision of the
cross with the words [Greek: en toutô nika]. In 314 the bishops of
York, London, and some other uncertain British see attended the
Council of Arles which sat to deal with the Donatist schism. The
British Church was also represented at the Council of Nicæa, called by
Constantine in 325 to consider the Arian heresy, when the Nicene Creed
in its original form was authorized; the British vote was orthodox. It
was Constantine who in 321 first made Sunday a holiday, but whether
Christianity or Mithraism prompted him to this is doubtful.
(22-23) When Constantine the Great died in 337 the empire was divided
between his sons. Constantius II. received the east; Constans, Africa,
Italy, and the Danuvian region; Constantine II., Gaul and Spain. In
340 Constantine II. attacked Constans and was killed. Constans then
ruled the united west; it seems that Constans and Constantius II.
visited Britain in 343. Constans was assassinated in 350; this left
Constantius II. alone. His policy of toleration towards the Arians led
to a great Church Council in 359. The eastern bishops met at Seleucia,
the western at Ariminum, where Britain was represented. By a certain
amount of coercion Constantius forced his views on the Western
Council. At this time the prosperity of Britain was great and corn was
exported in large quantities.
(24) In 367 Valentinian I. made his son Gratian, Augustus. Gratian was
later married to Constantia, daughter of Constantius II. Roman power
was now asserted once more against the Picts and Scots, and also
against the Saxon raiders by Theodosius, whose son became Augustus in
379. Gratian himself was occupied on the Continent. In 383 Magnus
Maximus was proclaimed emperor in Britain, and Gratian was murdered on
August 25.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account