Chap. L.
Thus did God subdue all those who persecuted His name, so that neither root nor branch of them remained; for
Licinius
, as soon as he was established in sovereign authority, commanded that
Valeria
should be put to death.
Daia
, although exasperated against her, never ventured to do this, not even after his discomfiture and flight, and when he knew that his end approached.
Licinius
commanded that
Candidianus
also should be put to death. He was the son of
Galerius
by a concubine, and
Valeria
, having no children, had adopted him. On the news of the death of
Daia
, she came in disguise to the court of
Licinius
, anxious to observe what might befall
Candidianus
. The youth, presenting himself at Nicomedia, had an outward show of honour paid to him, and, while he suspected no harm, was killed. Hearing of this catastrophe,
Valeria
immediately fled. The Emperor
Severus
left a son,
Severianus
, arrived at man’s estate, who accompanied
Daia
in his flight from the field of battle.
Licinius
caused him to be condemned and executed, under the pretence that, on the death of
Daia
, he had intentions of assuming the imperial purple. Long before this time,
Candidianus
and
Severianus
, apprehending evil from
Licinius
, had chosen to remain with
Daia
; while
Valeria
favoured
Licinius
, and was willing to bestow on him that which she had denied to
Daia
, all rights accruing to her as the widow of
Galerius
.
Licinius
also put to death
Maximus
, the son of
Daia
, a boy eight years old, and a daughter of
Daia
, who was seven years old, and had been betrothed to
Candidianus
. But before their death, their mother had been thrown into the Orontes, in which river she herself had frequently commanded chaste women to be drowned. So, by the unerring and just judgment of God, all the impious received according to the deeds that they had done.