Page:History of the First Council of Nice.djvu/130

120 361, having been a bishop more than seventy years.

Melotius did not live long after the Council, and upon his death, Alexander resorted to coercive measures in order to bring the Meletians to submission. But they soon joined themselves to his great enemies, the Arians. The Meletian party was still existing in the fifth century.

On, it was stated that Maximian was put to death by order of Constantine. The fact was, he was ordered to commit suicide, or fare worse, and chose to die in that way.

As this history began with Constantine, so it shall end with him. He was probably born at Naissus (now Nissa), in Dacia. By the divorce of his mother when he was eighteen years old, he was reduced to a state of disgrace and humiliation. Instead then of following his father, he remained in the service of Diocletian, in Egypt and Persia. But his father sent for him just before his death, and Constantine left the palace of Nicomedia in the night to obey the summons. Gibbon further says,—"He ever considered the Council of Nice the bulwark of the Christian faith, and the peculiar glory of his own reign." Constantine's name in Latin is given as "Constantinus, Caius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Claudius." He assumed the titles of Cæsar, Augustus, Victor, and Maximus at different times. His nephew, Julian, was the last emperor of this family.