“Then is Rome doomed?”
“Hardly, though I would not be sad to see it wither away. The Empire needs a symbol to represent it in the minds of the subjects who pay taxes to support it. Rome will always be that, and by staging a triumph, there occasionally in honor of his victories any emperor can keep it thus. You can be sure Diocletian understands this and Maximian too, as well as your father.”
‘“What about Caesar Galerius?”
“Galerius is a pompous ass, but he is married to Diocletian’s daughter, so his position is secure. My advice to you is to stay out of his way.”
“Why?”
“You are remarkably like your father, Flavius, and Constantius is beloved by every man who wears the short sword. Seeing you will remind Galerius that if there should be a contest for control when Diocletian and Maximian step down, your father could win without even trying.”
“Do you think both Emperors will really abdicate at the end of twenty years?”
“Diocletian will keep his word; I never knew him to break it. Maximian is younger and probably wants to stay in power. Besides his son, Maxentius, is training at Nicomedia and probably aspires to wear purple one day, so there’s likely to be trouble.”
They were approaching the capital now and the shores of the gulf, at whose head it stood, were lined with villas and country houses, surrounded by elaborate gardens. Many piers extended out into the water with here and there an elaborate pleasure barge, roofed over with a canopy and large enough for an entire family to live upon, moored beside them. The main channel appeared to be silting up, however, for the galley they had seen moving upstream was now being moored to a pier well below the main part of the city itself.
As far as Constantine
Located on rolling ground, the main architectural feature of Diocletian’s capital, as far as Constantine could see, was the sprawling bulk of the imperial palace. Across a low vale from it on a rounded elevation stood a much more beautiful structure, though built of wood. It appeared to be a temple, but when they passed close by it Constantine saw no statue of a god to identify the deity to whose worship it was dedicated.
Only the Christians would dare build one of their churches almost on the Emperor’s doorstep,” Marios said.
“They must be very strong in Nicomedia.”
“There have been Christian churches in Bithynia since a few years after the death of their god.”
“The god, or his son? Mother says they worship both.”
Marios shrugged. “What can you expect from people who argue among themselves over whether their god is one person or three? But I’ll say this much for the Nazarene’s followers among the legions. They are steadfast and dependable, and not afraid to die.’
Read More about Restricted Constantine
