§7. General Characterization. Before trying to gather into
continuous statement the traits of character which have been
examined, a few general characterizations must be mentioned at
least. Beginning at the bottom, the unfriendly, or hostile, or
at the least unsympathetic, heathen testimonies generalize him
as at least relatively and on the whole both great and good. The
general tendency of heathen testimony is to represent him as
admirable in the early part of his reign, but execrable, or less
admirable, in the latter part; that of Christian writers is to
represent a growth of excellence, which raises him to saintship
at the end. This is most natural. Favoring Christianity was
itself a moral fall to a heathen, and bestowing money on
Christians would be robbery. The turning of his character was
with his changing face towards Christianity, and culminated in
the overthrow of Licinius. Licinius fought really as the
champion of heathenism. The adherents of a lost cause are
characterizing their victor. It is like