not Caesar, but emperors; acting indeed in this respect with great
kindness. Nor had any one yet ever created a colleague with powers equal
to his own, except the emperor Marcus Aurelius, who made his adopted
brother Verus his colleague in the empire without any inferiority of
power.

VII.

A.D. 368.

Sec. 1. After these transactions had been thus settled to the delight both
of the prince and of the soldiers, but a few days intervened; and then
Avitianus, who had been deputy, accused Mamertinus, the prefect of the
praetorium, of peculation, on his return from the city whither he had
gone to correct some abuses.

2. And in consequence of this accusation he was replaced by Rufinus, a
man accomplished in every respect, who had attained the dignity of an
honourable old age, though it is true that he never let slip any
opportunity of making money when he thought he could do so secretly.

3. He now availed himself of his access to the emperor to obtain
permission for Orfitus, who had been prefect of the city, but who was
now banished, to receive back his property which had been confiscated,
and return home.

4. And although Valentinian was a man of undisguised ferocity, he
nevertheless, at the beginning of his reign, in order to lessen the
opinion of his cruelty, took all possible pains to restrain the fierce
impetuosity of his disposition. But this defect increasing gradually,
from having been checked for some time, presently broke out more
unrestrained to the ruin of many persons; and his severity was increased
by the vehemence of his anger. For wise men define passion as a lasting
ulcer of the mind, and sometimes an incurable one, usually engendered
from a weakness of the intellect; and they have a plausible argument for
asserting this in the fact that people in bad health are more passionate
than those who are well; women, than men; old men, than youths; and
people in bad circumstances than the prosperous.

5. About this time, among the deaths of many persons of low degree, that
of Diocles, who had previously been a treasurer of Illyricum, was
especially remarked; the emperor having had him burnt alive for some
very slight offence, as was also the execution of Diodorus, who had
previously had an honourable employment in the provinces, and also that
of three officers of the vicar prefect of Italy, who were all put to
death with great cruelty because the count of Italy had complained to
the emperor that Diodorus