GALERIUS
341
GALILEE
Clinton. Fasli Romani, II; Goyait, Chronotogie de I'empire
romain (Paria — ); Bebnhahd, Politische Geschichte Roms von
Valerian bis Diocletian; Biirckhardt, Die Zeit Constanlins dea
Orossen (3d ed., 189S); Schiller, Geschichle der romanischen
Kaiserzeit (2 vola Gotha, 1883); Seeck. Geschichle des Unter-
gangs der antiken Welt (2 vols., Berlin, 1897).
IvARL, HoEBER.
Galien, Joseph, Dominican, professor of philosophy
1762 in the Dominican monastery at Le Puy — or,
according to other accounts, in 17S2 at Avignon. He
entered the order at Le Puy. He studied philosophy
Biblioth. Lot. Med. ^vi. III (Florence, 1858), 6 sqq. ; Esser in
Kirchenlex,, s. v. Petrus Gttlalinua.
Thomas Plassmann.
Galerius, Valerius Maximiands, a native of lUyria, was made Ca;sar 1 March, 293, by Diocletian, whose daughter Valeria he married and who in turn adopted her husband. The latter began his career as
an illiterate shepherd, was a man of violent character, , , ^ _. , ..^t—j
fond of pleasure and politically insignificant; but he and theology at the University of Avignon, meteorolo- was an efficient soldier and a loyal and devoted bench- gist, physicist, and writer on aeronautics; b. 1699, at man of Diocletian. When about this time the latter Sairit-Paulien, near Le Puy, in Southern France;' d. divided the empire between the two Augusti, Diocle- tian and Maximinian, and their two Ca?sars, Galerius
received the countries on the Danube. His official ^. j,.„.„>,„f... ,
residence was at Sirmium, but he was especially active and theology at the Dominican institution in Avignon in the East, Diocletian's share of the empire. From '"'ith such success that he w'as sent to Bordeaux as 293 to 295 he conducted campaigns against the Ger- professor of philosophy as early as 1726. From the mans on the lower Danube and defeated them repeat- year 1745 on he held the chair of theology at Avignon, edly. On the other hand, he was vanquished at and frorn 1747 the chair of philosophy. He seems to Carrha; by the Persians, who under King Narses had have resigned his professorship in 1751 to devote his invaded the Roman territory. He retrieved himself, energies entirely to the study of meteorology and however, in a second battle to such good purpose that physics. He published: "Lettres theologiques tou- he forced a treaty which gave the Romans the greatest chant I'etat de pure nature, la distinction du nature! expansion of empire they ever secured in the East, et du sur-naturel, et les autres matieres qui en To Galerius are ascribed the four edicts against the sont de cons<^'quences " (Avignon, 1745); also the Christians published after 303 by Diocletian, who "Explication physique des effets de I'^Iectricite " was himself a strong believer in the heathen supersti- (Avignon, 1747). But Galieu's most important con- tions. The Christians had been constantly increasing, tribution was a booklet that he issued anonymously both among the soUiers and the civil officials. Mag- in 1"55 at Avignon under the title: "Memoire tou- nificent churches were being erected in the large cities, chant la nature et la formation de la grele et des and the time seemed not far distant when the new autres m^teores qui y ont rapport, avec une conse- religion would gain the ascendancy over the old. quence ult^rieure de la possibilite de naviger [sic] dans Christianity had, therefore, to be rooted out, the Holy lair a la hauteur de la region de la grele. Amusement Scriptures abolished, the churches destroyed, and the physique et geometrique ". The second edition of cemeteries confiscated. The Christians themselves this booklet, this time with the name of its author, were degraded to the condition of pariahs. The appeared as early as 1757. The change in its title edicts, ever increasing in severity, were enforced much renders it easy to discern what made the monograph more strictly in the East where Galerius was in com- so interesting. It was now called: "L'art denaviguer niand than in the West. It was in the East that the dans les airs, amusement physique et geometrique, decisive struggle between paganism and Christianity pr^c^d6 d'un mdmoire sur la formation de la grele." was fought out. When Diocletian voluntarily aban- After propounding his theory regarding hail storms, doned the imperial throne at Nicomedia in May, 305, Galien calculates how large an air-ship would have to he named Galerius his successor. The latter thence- be in order to transport an entire army with its equip- forth passed most of his time in lUyricum. ment to Africa. His scheme was to construct a gigan- Constantius Chlorus, the Caesar in Gaul, who was tic cube-shaped vessel of good, strong canvas of older than Galerius, was really his superior in mental double thickness plastered with wax and tar, covered gifts. At the death of Constantius in 306 the soldiers with leather and reinforced in places with ropes and in Britain proclaimed his son Constantine, Imperator rigging; its edge was to be 1000 toises (roughly 6,500 and Ca?sar; consequently Galerius was forced to rec- feet), and each surface 1,000,000 sq. toises (approx. ognize him. When JIaxentius, son of the retired Em- 42,250,000 sq. feet) in area. In both length and peror Maximian, and son-in-law of Galerius. had been breadth it would be larger than the city of Avignon, chosen Ctesar by the Senate and the Pra?torians, di.s- and would resemble a fair-sized mountain. This vessel satisfied with Galerius's extension to Rome of pro- wouldhave to float in the atmospheric strata of the hail vincial taxation, the latter led an army against Rome belt, as the atmosphere there is a thousand times lighter to uphold the partition of the empire as ordained by than water, while in the strata above this, into which Diocletian. But some of his troops deserted him, and the top of the cube would extend, the air is two thou- Severus, whom he had appointed ruler of the Western sand times lighter than water. For the scientific Empire with the title of Augustus, was killed at the principles of his proposal Galien relied on Lana, S. J., instigation of JIaxentius. Meanwhile at Camuntum perhaps also on Schott, S.J. His chief claim to im- Valerius Licinianus Licinius, a countryman and friend portance lies in the fact that the Montgolfier brothers of Galerius, was proclaimed Caesar of the Western were acquainted with him, or at least his booklet. His Empire. Nevertheless, Galerius was unable to master birthplace was very near to theirs, and like Galien the the situation either in Italy or the East, and never Montgolfiers began with meteorological observations; attained the supreme imperial dignity which Diocle- moreover, the elder of the Ijrothers made a first ascen- tian had held. One part of the empire after the other sion at Avignon in 1782. In aeronautical works rebelled and became autonomous. He finally ceased Galien is, for the most part, unfairly treated; as the his persecution of the Christians, for the sanguinary w'riters assume that his scheme was meant seriously, character of which he was personally responsible; it contrary to his statement given on the title page.
had lasted eight years and had disgusted even the
pagan population. Menaced by the alliance between
Constantine and Maxentius, he issued an edict 30
April, 311, in Nicomedia permitting the Christians to
practise their religion without let or hindrance. A
few days later Galerius died on the Danube. The
Christian authors of his time, Lactantius in particular,
condenmed him violently as the author of the last
great persecution of the Christians.
G. B. WiLHELM.
Galilee (Sept. and N. T. TaXiXala- Heb. ijifjj), the native land of Jesus Christ, where He began' His ministry and performed many of His works, and whence He drew His Apostles. Originally, the He- brew word Gdlil, derived from gdlal, " to roll ", meant a circle or district, and in its feminine and plural forms was applied indifferently to several regions in Pales-
