. History of Rome and the Popes in the Middle Ages . citement. Itcould scarcely be due to theChristians of a later epoch;moreover, the position of thestatue must have rendered thedeed very In view of this unexpectedturn of affairs, Christians natur-ally prepared themselves for ac-tive persecution, and anxiouslyrepeated among themselves thethreat uttered to St. Ambroseat Milan by Arbogast and theusurper Eugenius. They hadannounced that as soon as theyreturned from defeating theadvancing forces of Theodo-sius, they meant to turn thechurches of Milan into stables,and to enroll all the
. History of Rome and the Popes in the Middle Ages . citement. Itcould scarcely be due to theChristians of a later epoch;moreover, the position of thestatue must have rendered thedeed very In view of this unexpectedturn of affairs, Christians natur-ally prepared themselves for ac-tive persecution, and anxiouslyrepeated among themselves thethreat uttered to St. Ambroseat Milan by Arbogast and theusurper Eugenius. They hadannounced that as soon as theyreturned from defeating theadvancing forces of Theodo-sius, they meant to turn thechurches of Milan into stables,and to enroll all the clergy,without distinction, among theirsoldiery. 3. Towards the close ofspring, 394, the EmperorTheodosius started for theAlps with troops from theEastern Empire and Gothicmercenaries. Though his forces werenumerically inferior to those 1of his rival Eugenius, the Christian leader confidently relied ondefeating his opponent with the help of the True God. Constan- 1 Cp. our 111. 25 with that in Lancianis Ruins and Excavations (London, 1897),p. 111. 1.—Theodosius the colossus at Barletta. no. 3] THEODOSIUS I 5 tines Labarum, with the Monogram of Christ, was borne aloftbefore his legions. Theodosiusl entered upon the campaign inboth a military and a religious spirit; he had at heart the defenceof his crown, but also the defence of the Christian religion. The pious monarch gave expression to this feeling in wordsaddressed to his Generals and preserved to us by saw that they were alarmed by the enemys preponderatingforce, but he said to them : We should not offer such insult tothe Cross of Christ as to fancy it has no power. Still less oughtwe to let ourselves be frightened by an image of Hercules. Well,then! the Cross goes before us; may the image of Hercules bethe enemys best protection ! 2 As a fact, Eugenius had had pictures of Hercules invictusattached to his ensigns. Flavian arrived from Rome in the camp of the usurpingEmperor, in order, as a
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