Constantinus enim cum limatius superstitionum quaereret sectas, Manichaeorum et similium, nec interpres inveniretur idoneus, hunc sibi commendatum ut sufficientem elegit; quem, officio functum perite, Musonianum voluit appellari, ante Strategium dictitatum, et ex eo percursis honorum gradibus multis, ascendit ad praefecturam, prudens alia tolerabilisque provinciis, et mitis et blandus, sed ex qualibet occasione, maximeque ex controversis litibus (quod nefandum est) et in totum lucrandi aviditate sordescens, ut inter alia multa, evidenter apparuit in quaestionibus agitatis super morte Theophili Syriae consularis, proditione Caesaris Galli, impetu plebis promiscuae discerpti, ubi damnatis pauperibus, quos cum haec agerentur, peregre fuisse constabat, auctores diri facinoris exutis patrimoniis absoluti sunt divites.
For when Constantine was closely investigating the different religious sects, Manichaeans and the like, and no suitable interpreter could be found, he chose him, as a person recommended to him as competent; and when he had done that duty skilfully, he wished him to be called Musonianus, whereas he had hitherto had the name of Strategius. From that beginning, having run through many grades of honour, he rose to the prefecture, a man intelligent in other respects and satisfactory to the provinces, mild also and well-spoken, but on any and every occasion, and especially (which is odious) in hard-fought lawsuits and under all circumstances greedily bent upon filthy lucre. This became clearly evident (among many other instances) in the investigations set on foot regarding the death of Theophilus, governor of Syria, who, because of the betrayal of Gallus Caesar, was torn to pieces in an onslaught of the rabble upon him; on which occasion sundry poor men were condemned, although it was known that they had been away when this happened, while the wealthy perpetrators of the foul crime were set free after being stripped of their property.
final_alignments\Ammianus_Marcellinus_Book15.json