Kitap 29
3.4
A man in charge of a smithy brought to the emperor a breastplate artistically embellished, and expected a reward for it; but Valentinian ordered him to be put to death with equal cruelty because the pieceFor species, cf. xiv. 9, 7. of iron armour had a little less weight than he had stipulated. An elder of the Christian faith from Epirus, who was a favourite of Octavianus,Cf. xxiii. 1, 4. the former proconsul, . . . and the author of the charges was sent back, although somewhat tardily, to his home.The sentence is corrupt. The earlier editors inserted words from the Chronicle of Hieronymus of 372, meaning was executed because he had concealed Octavianus . . . who had taken refuge at his house.
3.5
Constantianus, an officer of the stable,A strator was appointed in the provinces to buy choice horses. Another class of stratores were grooms; see Index of Officials, Vol. I. was sent to Sardinia to test horses to be used for military service, and because he had dared to exchange a few of them, he was stoned to death by the emperor’s order. Athanasius, a favourite charioteer of the day, so suspected by him for his general light-mindedness that he was ordered to be burned alive if he should try anything of the kind,On elogium see also xiv. 5, 5, note. not long afterward used magic arts and was charged therewith; and without indulgence being granted to a man who was an artist in entertainments, he was condemned to be burned to death.
