Κω. H. E. VII, 25] Τούτῳδὲπρώτῳκατὰγνώμηνπράξαντιπάντεςοἶλοιποὶτῶνἐντέλειτὰςὑπὸτὴναὐτὴνἀρχὴνπόλειςοἰκοῦντεςτὴνὁμοίανὡρμῶντοψῆφονποιήσασθαι, προσφιλὲςδεἶναιτοῦτοβασιλεῖτῶνκατἐπαρχίανἡγεμόνωνσυνεωρακότων, καὶτοῦταὐτὸδιαπράξασθαιτοῖςὑπηκόοιςὑποβεβληκότων.
And when this man had been the first to act thus of set purpose, all the rest of the officials who inhabited the cities under the same rule were eager to make a like decree, the provincial governors having perceived at a glance that this was pleasing to the Emperor, and having suggested to their subjects to do this very same thing.
And when the tyrant had most gladly assented to their decrees by a rescript, the persecution against us was once more rekindled from the beginning. Indeed, as priests of the images in each city, and over these as high priests, there were appointed by Maximin himself those who had especially distinguished themselves in the public services and had become renowned through every kind of them; and great zeal was instilled into these men concerning the worship of the gods whom they served.
At all events, the outlandish superstition of the ruler was inducing, in a word, all under him, both rulers and ruled, to do everything against us in order to gain his favour—they, in return for the benefits which they thought to obtain from him, bestowing on him this greatest of favours, namely, to thirst for our blood and to display against us some more novel acts of malice.