without a moment's breathing-time or
delay, while the question was still being asked whether they deserved to
be punished at all; in fact, men were slaughtered like sheep in all
directions.

41. After this, innumerable quantities of papers, and many heaps of
volumes were collected, and burnt under the eyes of the judges, having
been taken out of various houses as unlawful books; in order to lessen
the unpopularity arising from so many executions, though in fact, the
greater part of them were books teaching various kinds of liberal
accomplishments, or books of law.

42. Not long afterwards, Maximus, the celebrated philosopher, a man of
vast reputation for learning, from whose eloquent discourses the emperor
Julian derived his great learning and wisdom, being accused of having
been acquainted with the verses of the oracle mentioned above, and
confessing that he had known something of them, but that he had not
divulged what he knew, as being bound to keep silence out of
consideration for his promise; but adding that he had of his own accord
predicted that those who had consulted the oracle would perish by public
execution, was conducted to Ephesus, his native place, and there
beheaded. And thus by his own forfeiture of life, he found that the
injustice of a judge is the worst of all crimes.

43. Diogenes, too, a man of noble family, great forensic eloquence and
pre-eminent courtesy, who had some time before been governor of
Bithynia, being entangled in the toils of wicked falsehood, was put to
death in order to afford a pretext for seizing on his ample patrimony.

44. Alypius also, who had been governor of Britain, a man of most
delightful mildness of temper, and who had lived a tranquil and retired
life (since even against such as him did Injustice stretch forth her
hands), was involved in the greatest misfortune; and was accused with
Hierocles his son, a youth of most amiable disposition of having been
guilty of poisoning, on the unsupported information of a low fellow
named Diogenes, who had been tortured with extreme severity to force him
to make confessions which might please the emperor, or rather, which
might please his accuser. When his limbs could no longer endure their
punishment, he was burnt alive; and Alypius, after having had his
property confiscated, was condemned to banishment, though by an
extraordinary piece of good fortune he received back his son after he
had been condemned, and had actually been l