surging upon its borders, and at times it seemed as if the former had
quite succumbed to the heresy of Arianism. It was the most deadly battle
that the Church has ever had to wage. After the question of who should
rule, theology was the most important item in the politics of the time.
Varying metaphysical definitions which baffled the acumen of the wisest
philosophers were confidently espoused in a spirit of partisanship by
mechanics and ignorant persons of both sexes. It was the difference of
an iota--_homoousios_ or _homoiousios_.

Valentinian favored orthodoxy, not because of sturdy convictions (he
said it was a question for bishops), but because the Church in the West
was mainly Catholic; but in Justina, his wife, the Arians were
compensated by a powerful champion. Socrates, the historian, describes
the marriage of Justina as having taken place under most remarkable
circumstances. The story is interesting, though of somewhat doubtful
veracity: "Justus, the father of Justina, who had been governor of
Picenum under the reign of Constantius, had a dream in which he seemed
to himself to bring forth the imperial purple out of his right side.
When this dream had been told to many persons, it at length came to the
knowledge of Constantius, who conjecturing it to be a presage that a
descendant of Justus would become emperor, caused him to be
assassinated. Justina, being thus bereft of her father, still continued
a virgin. Some time after, she became known to Severa, wife of the
Emperor Valentinian, and had frequent intercourse with the empress,
until their intimacy at length grew to such an extent that they were
accustomed to bathe together. When Severa saw Justina in the bath she
was greatly struck with the beauty of the virgin, and spoke of her to
the emperor, saying that the daughter of Justus was so lovely a creature
and possessed of such symmetry of form, that she herself, though a
woman, was altogether charmed with her. The emperor, treasuring this
description by his wife in his own mind, considered with himself how he
could espouse Justina, without repudiating Severa, who had borne him
Gratian, whom he had created Augustus a short time before. He
accordingly framed a law, and caused it to be published throughout all
the cities, by which any man was permitted to have two lawful wives. The
law was promulgated and he married Justina, by whom he had Valentinian
the younger, and three daughters--Justa, Grata, and Galla..