Page:Historical Works of Venerable Bede vol. 2.djvu/346

 APPENDIX. Maximus, the Roman general, and having beaten the army of Valens, they poured themselves over Thrace, settle in desolating all with fire, sword, and rapine.

A.M. 4338 [387].

Gratian, with his brother Valentinian, reigned 6 years. Theodosius, made emperor by Gratian, overthrew in many and important battles the Scythian nations, the Alans, Huns and Goths; the Arians, rather than confom to him, vacated after forty years the churches of which they had violently possessed themselves. A synod of 150 fathers is held in the city The Synod of Augusta uudcr Dauiasus, bishop of Rome, against the Macedonian heresy. Theodosius associates his son Arcadius with him in the empire. From the second year of Gratian, in his fifth consulate with Theodosius, Theophilus composes his calculation of Easter. Maximus, in other respects a brave and upright man, and worthy of the purple if he had not attained it by the violation of his oath, having been made emperor against his will by the army in Britain, passed over  into Gaul, and there slew the Emperor Gratian, circumvented by treachery at Lyons, and drove his brother Valentinian out of Italy; who nevertheless, together with his mother Justma, justly merited exile, because he was both himself infected with the Arian heresy, and had perfidiously and vexatiously besieged Ambrose, the most distinguished bulwark of the Catholic faith, and did not cease from his wicked attempt till the remains of the blessed martyrs Gervase and Protasius were exposed to view, fresh and uncorrupted, God himself having revealed the spot where they lay.

A.M. 4349 [398].

Theodosius, who had now ruled the East for 6 years