‘It was no more than he deserved for seeking to destroy his father.”
“No doubt,” Dacius agreed. “But the Jews have another explanation. They claim it was all the will of their god, so another son named Solomon could inherit the kingdom and build a temple to him in Jerusalem.”
“Is this the same god whose son was supposed to have been crucified?”
Dacius gave him a quick, probing glance. “Where did you hear about Jesus of Nazareth?”
“Minervina was a Christian, and my mother leans toward them. In Drepanum I once went to a Christian church.”
“When you write your mother again, tell her to keep her feelings about the Christians secret,” Dacius advised. “Things are not going so well with these new edicts of Diocletian’s setting prices and wages and the amount of gold and silver in the coins. I hear that some of the chamberlains charged with enforcing them are seeking to throw the blame on the Christians, claiming they use spells and evil spirits to stir up the people.”
“I told the Emperor more than two years ago it wouldn’t work,” Constantine said.
“Then let us hope it is the Christians he blames and not you. The man called Jesus of Nazareth taught in this part of the world and had many followers, particularly around the Sea of Galilee north of here. It was a rebellion of Galileans in Jerusalem that cost him his life on the cross.”
“But the Christians say he came to save the world and gave his life for those who believe in him.”
Dacius gave a snort of disgust. “Then why didn’t he save his own people? Some forty years after he died, they rebelled against Rome and had to be treated as you just finished treating Busiris and Coptos.”
Philadelphia and Dacius
At Philadelphia or Amman Constantine and his troop of horsemen made camp in the caravansary, a resting place for travelers on the outskirts of the city. Several of the troopers were from Philadelphia and Dacius gave them leave to spend the night with their families. Constantine was surprised to see one of them talking to Dacius hardly an hour after he had left the camp. Shortly the two men came over to where Constantine’s tent had been pitched by his servant.
“Josiah here has brought a strange story,” the centurion reported. “His father is a merchant and heard it from a caravan driver who arrived this morning to trade in the marketplace.”
“What is it?”
“The caravan master says he heard that a Roman army under Caesar Galerius is moving eastward from Antioch to attack the Persians.”
“That’s hardly news. The Emperor knew it before we left Egypt.” “But the man says Galerius took the road to Carrhae, instead of farther north through Armenia.”
“Carrhae! Why would he risk that route?”
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