Such were the things that extended throughout the whole persecution, which in the tenth year, by the grace of God, was entirely brought to an end, though it had begun to abate after the eighth year. For when the divine and heavenly grace showed its visitation toward us to be gracious and propitious, then indeed our rulers also—those very ones through whom of old the deeds of the wars against us had been wrought—most marvellously changed their minds and sang a recantation, quenching with kindly proclamations concerning us and most lenient edicts the great-kindled conflagration of the persecution.
But it was not anything human that became the cause of this, nor pity, as one might say, nor humanity on the part of the rulers; far from it. For more and more grievous things were devised by them against us each day from the beginning up to that point of time, contriving anew, with more varied devices now in one way and now in another, the maltreatments against us. But the visitation of divine Providence itself became manifest, being reconciled to its own people, but proceeding against the author of the evils and venting its wrath upon the ringleader of the wickedness of the whole persecution.
For even if these things had to come about according to the divine judgement, yet, says the word, woe through whom the offence comes. Therefore a God-sent punishment came upon him, beginning from his very flesh and proceeding even unto the soul.
For there came upon him suddenly an abscess about the midst of the hidden parts of his body, then a deep fistulous ulcer, and of these an incurable spreading corruption among the innermost inward parts, from which an unspeakable multitude of worms swarmed forth, and a deadly stench was breathed out, since the whole bulk of his body had, from his excessive feeding, even before the disease, been changed into an excessive abundance of fat, which then, having putrefied, presented to those who came near an unbearable and most horrible sight.
Accordingly, of the physicians, some, not being able at all to endure the surpassing offensiveness of the stench, were put to death; while others, since the whole swollen mass had begun to fester and he had fallen into a state hopeless of recovery, being able to render no aid, were pitilessly slain.