r Emperors than the enemy, he thought to
win back prosperity by causing all to return to the old worship, and
begun the worst persecution the Church had yet known. Rome, Antioch,
Carthage, Alexandria, and all the chief cities were searched for
Christians. If they would not throw a handful of incense on the idol's
altar or disown Christ, they were given over to all the horrid torments
cruel ingenuity could invent, in the hope of subduing their constancy.
Some fell, but the greater number were firm, and witnessed a glorious
confession before, in 251, Decius and his son were both slain in battle
in Maesia.

[Illustration: TEMPLE OF THE SUN AT PALMYRA.]

The next Emperor whose name is worth remembering was Valerian, who had
to make war against the Persians. The old stock of Persian kings,
professing to be descended from Cyrus, and, like him, adoring fire, had
overcome the Parthians, and were spreading the Persian power in the
East, under their king Sapor, who conquered Mesopotamia, and on the
banks of the Euphrates defeated Valerian in a terrible battle at
Edessa. Valerian was made prisoner, and kept as a wretched slave, who
was forced to crouch down that Sapor might climb up by his back when
mounting on horseback; and when he died, his skin was dyed purple,
stuffed, and hung up in a temple.

[Illustration: THE CATACOMBS AT ROME.]

The best resistance made to Sapor was by Odenatus, a Syrian chief, and
his beautiful Arabian wife Zenobia, who held out the city of Palmyra, on
an oasis in the desert between Palestine and Assyria, till Sapor
retreated. Finding that no notice was taken of them by Rome, they called
themselves Emperor and Empress. The city was very beautifully adorned
with splendid buildings in the later Greek style; and Zenobia, who
reigned with her young sons after her husband's death, was well read in
Greek classics and philosophy, and was a pupil of the philosopher
Longinus. Aurelian, becoming Emperor of Rome, came against this strange
little kingdom, and was bravely resisted by Zenobia; but he defeated
her, made her prisoner, and caused her to march in his triumph to Rome.
She afterwards lived with her children in Italy.

Aurelian saw perils closing in on all sides of the empire, and thought
it time to fortify the city of Rome itself, which had long spread beyond
the old walls of Servius Tullus. He traced a new circuit, and built the
wall, the lines of which are the same that still enclose Rome, though
t