Month of April

MONTH OF APRIL. THE CONTEST OF THE HOLY MARTYRS OF CHRIST ACEPSIMAS, JOSEPH, AND AITHALAS.

^A 1. Sapor, the king of the Persians, raged against the Christians, and authorized the Magi, who were a part of the Persian people, to carry out the persecution against them. They, being more impetuous as zealots for their ancestral customs, set upon those being persecuted and forced them to render worship to fire and the sun. On this account, the blessed Acepsimas was also apprehended by them; he had originated from the country of Naesson, which happens to be situated within the borders of Persia, and he had been honored with the episcopal dignity. He was a man advanced in age, being around eighty years old, old in prudence, mild, free from anger, living in continence, distributing his own possessions to the needy, attentive to prayers, elegant in appearance, and yet more elegant in soul; by his outward manner he signaled his inward state to those who saw him, and by word and deed he proclaimed piety, becoming a teacher to the Christians in both life and doctrine. From this it came about that he aroused the whole battle-line of his adversaries against himself, as if against a most strong antagonist; regarding whom, even before he was captured, such a thing happened prophetically.

^B 2. A certain boy was rubbing his head, removing the lice ^C that were causing him annoyance. He therefore embraced him and said, "Blessed is this bald head, for it shall surely be martyred for Christ." And he was gladdened by the word, and immediately embracing the child in return, he said, "May it be for me, child, according to thy

word. And when a certain acquaintance and friend of Acepsimas was present while these things were being said (for he was also a bishop of a neighboring city), he asked the child, smiling, "Tell me, child, tell me if you know anything about us as well." The child, inspired by God, said, "To you, too, as you return to your city, it will not be permitted to see it, but you shall end your life in the village called Athradaran." And this, indeed, befell both of them according to the child's prediction. Yet these things happened before the martyr was arrested. ^A

III. And when he was taken, and was being led through his own house, one of his acquaintances approached and said to him in his ear, "Arrange something concerning your house." But pointing with his hand, he said, "This house is not my house; for I am already on the point of moving to my home on high." And when he had arrived in the city of Arbel and stood before the chief of the Magi (for his name was Adrachus), he was asked if he were a Christian. And when he confessed this with a loud voice, "Are then," he said, "those things true which are rumored about you, that you despise royal commands, and that you preach one God, contrary to the royal decree?" But that blessed old man, fearing nothing, said, "All such things as you have heard about me are indeed true. For I preach one God according to our holy Scriptures, and to those who come to me, I instruct them to be ambassadors of this doctrine." And the Magus said, "We have heard that you excel many in wisdom, which is proven better by long time and experience; but now, it is not as we have heard, as we are permitted to see. For you are no better affected than an unwise child. For what person of wisdom or sane mind would despise royal decrees and not be willing to worship the sun and the fire, which the King himself even worships?" ^B The high priest of Christ replied, "The authority of the Persians seems to me to be greatly senseless, because, having abandoned the Creator, it has known to worship created things. For who, being of a sound mind, would endure to give the worship of God to those things which have been made by God, as you do, doing impious things, and this very King of yours himself?" And he said, "Do you dare to say that we do impious things, who worship so great an element and worship the life-giving sun, you impious man, in truth, you trifler, and guardian of a vain religion? But if you will not yield to the command of the King, and worship those whom he himself also worships, neither will your old age save you from suffering most grievous things, nor the crucified God whom you worship." ^C

IV. Then the divine elder said, "May your wicked mouth be stopped, O cursed one, if you think you can persuade me with your threats to depart from the ancestral doctrine, which I have learned from childhood and have preserved unto this snowy age. And if, as you say, neither old age nor the God whom I worship will deliver me from your hands, I shall not for that reason trade the better for the worse. For what does it matter to me, even for the few days of life? Since, after a little while, this common debt of nature ^D

^A will be exacted of me as well. I will not worship the sun, I will not serve fire. No one shall mock my old age, no one shall reproach me for my love of life, as if I were one who, for a short existence, had bartered the blessedness of such great goods.» Filled with anger at these words, the wretch is immediately inflamed, and the holy old man is straightway cruelly beaten with scourges, so violently that the whole ground is flooded with blood, and no part of his body is left unscathed. But when he had been left a little while from the blows, he commands him to be bound again with chains and brought before the tribunal. He said, «Where is your God whom you worship, Acepsimas? Let Him come and rescue you from my hands.» «My God,» he said, «O most wicked one, who fills heaven and earth, is able to rescue me from your hands. But you, who are earth and ashes, ^B against whom do you dare to be proud, you for whom corruption shall be spread beneath, to whom life is more grievous than death, you who have not known the living God? Therefore you shall be withered like the flower of the field, and your life being miserably overturned, you shall be delivered to the fire that cannot be quenched; so that, being punished there in very deed, you may learn that the fire which you now worship is not God, but rather that you must recognize another as its Maker, who is also the God of all things that fall under our sight.»

V.

^A VI. We are indeed common and abject men, the priest of Christ replied, for Christ’s commandment so orders it, since it did not seem good to our God that the way of man should be directed in riches and pride. And therefore we often humble ourselves of our own accord, bestowing what we possess upon the poor, expecting in exchange to receive eternal riches and glory that never fails. But you, who swell with pride over fleeting wealth and vain glory, will pass away like smoke, and be scattered like dust by the wind. ^B The magus said, “You, enslaved by indolence and considering laziness a greater labor, go about the houses as wretched beggars, laying hold of what belongs to others. Yet that for which you ought to feel ashamed, you boast of all the more; for wealth is something terribly desirable and worthy of pursuit to all men—who among you will convince me that you do not love it?” The blessed one said, “Since you have reproached us with idleness and called us beggars, learn by asking those who know that if we had applied such zeal to the amassing of wealth, we would have gained more from our own hands than you have managed to gather for yourself from the poor, harvesting as you do the labors of others. For we, working with our own hands, share the fruits of our just labors with those in need; but you, bent on greed, not only do nothing yourselves, but even steal the property of others. But as for your saying that we love wealth, what good have you perceived in it for which we would be so bound to it? Is it not a fugitive and utterly untrustworthy thing? Does it not stay with one man today, only to migrate tomorrow to another, having, as it were, renounced its former master? Is it not the manifest creator of toils and wars? ^C Is it not what attracts the eyes of robbers and thieves? But if you say that pleasure or glory arises from it, and you consider this glory to be a great thing, how does it differ from dreams and shadows? It delights for a little while, then, when evening comes, it is extinguished and departs into nothingness. And even if it should remain a little while in the present life, death, already drawing near, holds it as well, only for it to depart along with the deceased; but bitter punishments will hold forever the man who has given himself over to pleasures here.”

VII. When these things had been said, the magus interrupted and said, ^D “Cease these tedious trifles, and render the worship that is due to the greatest god, the sun and the most shining fire.” To this the worshiper of Christ said, “Do not err, nor think that you will ever see this with your own eyes: that I, having abandoned the Creator of the sun and the fire, would worship His works, and so contradict my own words and teaching.” But the most cruel magus, when he heard these words, incensed with anger, immediately ordered him to be stretched out and beaten with rods of pomegranate, whose branches were thorny. And as the sons of perdition tore at those sacred reaches of flesh, “I give thanks to Thee,” said the athlete, lifting his eyes to heaven, “that Thou hast deigned to have me baptized in my own blood, to wash away the filth of sin purely.” The executioners, filled with even greater anger at what he had said, beat him with such blows that his voice was cut off. Then, binding him with two chains, they shut him in the prison, giving to Acepsimas a beautiful, albeit involuntary, consolation. For he happened to have been imprisoned there before.

^A VIII. Looking toward the most venerable Aeithalas, the judge, who was implacable in his spirit, said: "What do you say? Will you fulfill the king's command, and worship the greatest sun, and taste blood, and have relations with a woman, and be freed from the evils that threaten you; or will you also, like the others, be stubborn and disobedient?" But the martyr of Christ, Aeithalas, that truly ever-flourishing plant of piety and heavenly work, said: "This is the task of your own unclean and dog-like appetite, to taste blood and to worship the things of God instead of God. But may it never happen to me to be so wretchedly blinded in the eyes of both body and soul that, while seeing this sun, I stop at it and think that the visible thing is altogether God, without proceeding further with a clearer eye of the mind, and considering that which moves, God, and that which is moved, a creature. If, to me as I judge in this way, you threaten lashes and death, you will not thereby persuade me to learn your dogma and abandon the true religion." Enraged at these words, the impious one said: "But no man of sound mind would prefer death to life, and that for the sake of a stupid and thoroughly unconsidered stubbornness. Therefore, you are not to be believed when you say that you are prepared to die for your dogma and religion." The holy man replied: "Those of your sort, who hang upon empty hopes and have no expectation of an unending life after this departure, ^B might reasonably be thought to be lovers of life and lovers of the body. But for those whom true and firm hopes nourish in the soul, that it is itself immortal and is destined to reunite with its own body after the dissolution of death and to share in eternal life, for them this present life is a small and despicable thing, and death is not at all terrible. For true is our God and Master, who says: 'Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.'" (Lc. XII, 4).

^C IX. Then that savage man orders his hands to be bound to his hams, and a long piece of wood to be passed through between them; and six robust men, climbing from either end of the wood, were to press down forcefully and with deliberate leaps upon that sacred body, breaking and dissolving his bones, and in addition to these things, he was to be beaten mercilessly with Persian rods. But that adamant athlete, whose spirit was broken by nothing, just as if he felt no pain from such a great torment, looking with a noble and lofty mind toward the judge, said: "As it seems, the bodies of men that are torn apart provide you some pleasure, in the manner of dogs or ravens, desiring to be filled by them. Know, therefore, clearly, that I hold these torments brought by you of no account. Either devise, then, more novel ones, or know that I count these as nothing." And the Magus, immediately turning to the executioners, said: "Why do you show mercy ^D and spare the impious one with the scourges? For truly you see...

^A how, while being deemed worthy of leniency, he uses great freedom in his insults against us." But they, as if awakened by a goad by his words, attacked with such vigor that, from the weight of those who had climbed upon him, and the intensity of those pulling, and the cruelty of those scourging, the joints of his body were completely loosened, his bones were broken, and his flesh was shredded. Having therefore carried him, since he could not use his feet, they threw him like a burden into the prison, where also the pair of saints was confined.

^B X. Five days passed, and they brought them forth from the prison to a place called Paradise, where there also happened to be a temple of the fire worshipped by them, in which the wicked one sat enthroned and said to the saints: "Tell me quickly, do you still persist in the same foolish opinion, or have you changed your counsel to something better and salutary?" The saints answered immediately as if with one mouth: "Let it be known to you, judge, that the opinion we have had from the beginning, in this we still continue, and until the end we shall have the same; not by threats, not by tortures, not by gifts, nor by anything else at all are we changed. For we worship one God, and we have recognized Him alone to be the Lord of all things that are." ^C Hearing this, the Magus devised another new torture, and ordered them to be girded with ropes through their armpits, and their loins, and their shins, and upon each rope a wooden bar to be inserted, and to be turned around, and tightly twisted by the ropes; and when this was done, it was a grievous sight, and one worthy of tears even to gentle eyes. For the wooden bars were turned and the ropes were twisted, and consequently the flesh was compressed, and the crushing was very severe; for even to those standing far away, the sound was heard as if from the bones. And that which was said to them during the torture was: "Do not oppose the will of the King." Then that which was spoken in return by the saints: "Those who yield to the will of your king oppose the will of God." ^D And it was indeed the third hour when the torture began, and it was prolonged until the sixth hour while the athletes suffered in this way.

XI. Being frustrated, therefore, the judge ordered them to be taken back again to the prison. Wherefore they were carried off, not by their own feet, but carried by others because they were utterly deadened. And it was commanded to the guards that if anyone were caught sharing food or drink or clothing with them, he would be subjected to the ultimate punishment. Into this prison, therefore, the soldiers of Christ were cast, enduring every affliction and every vexation for His sake, and they remained imprisoned for three years, finding no relief from hunger nor consolation for the evils in the prison, unless some of those who were confined with them, taking pity on them, secretly offered them a little bit of food. For the guards who sat by the prison pitied them for their calamities and their old age,

unable to do anything for their relief because of their fear of the judge, they only sympathized with them and offered the tear of compassion.

^B XII. Then, after that bitter and long-lasting affliction, when Sapor was in that place (it was called Bithmada), he who had been entrusted with punishing them brought them out of the prison. Had you seen them, you would have said they were like shadows; so greatly had they wasted away from the long hardship. He then placed them before the tribunal of Ardasabor; this man was the prince of all the magi who were in Persia. And he straightway said to them, "What then, are you Christians?" The saints replied, "Yes, we are Christians, and we worship the only living God, and serve Him alone." The tyrant said, "You see how the torments brought upon you have caused you great affliction, and even more, I think, have the long-standing hardship and imprisonment. For this has transformed your features and caused such terrible wasting away. Wherefore I would advise you to obey me, as I suggest what is advantageous for you, and to spare yourselves, and worship the radiant sun. If not, it remains for you to be subjected to the most grievous death."

XIII. The holy Acepsimas replied: "I am not unaware that you have the utmost zeal for your ancestral dogma, and that this is your intention, if it were at all possible, to cause everyone, whether by force or by persuasion, to be drawn to the same religion. But let it never enter your mind regarding us, that you will persuade us, whether by flatteries, or threats, or by other inflictions of evils, to depart from the dogma and confession that has been once for all confirmed among us. For we are ready to suffer everything rather than depart from the faith in Christ." The tyrant said, "I do not ignore that for you Christians, death is considered to be a rest, and that all your zeal is toward this, so that you may enjoy those things for which you have conceived hope; but it shall not be permitted to you to attain that which you desire so quickly. For I shall first waste away your flesh little by little, and thus impose a bitter end to your life." ^C The saint replied: "You have already heard it from us before, and now learn regarding this with certainty, that we take absolutely no account of either your torments or your threats. For He who provided a helping hand in the previous evils, He will provide aid now as well, and will prepare us to bear without pain those things which are about to be brought upon us. And if you wish to make a trial of our fortitude in the depth of old age, nothing stands in the way; for you will know that you are laboring in vain and attempting the impossible."

^D XIV. Filled with anger at these words, the judge orders whips made of raw hide to be brought and placed before their eyes. Then, addressing the saints, he said, "I swear by the great god and the glorious fortune of Sapor, if you do not obey his command, I shall consume your flesh with these, without feeling any pity. And if it should come to pass that you die all the more quickly,

then I shall still punish you even when dead, and having cut you limb from limb, I shall cast you to the birds and dogs. ^A The holy Acepsimas said: Since you have sworn, not by God, but by a created thing and even by the fortune of a man, I fear that you will not care about the oaths, nor will the things sworn be kept inviolable. But if you have these things securely and firmly, behold our bodies for you; use them according to your judgment, without showing us, as you say, any pity or forbearance. After he had spoken thus, the wicked judge ordered him, with his hands stretched out, to be beaten severely on his back and chest. And the torturers reached such a degree of cruelty that they did not relent at all, until the flesh was torn from his bones and flowed down to the ground together with his blood. And the herald cried out: "Obey the king’s will, and live." But the priest of God, as long as he had strength, shouted in return: "I shall fulfill the will of my God, being strengthened by him; as for your king, I do not receive it even with the tips of my ears." And when his voice was being cut off, and his strength was already failing little by little, and death was all but present, lifting his eyes on high, and confirming by a nod that he kept the confession into God unchangeable, in that very endurance of terrible things he committed that invincible soul to God, the judge of the contest.

^B XV. Furthermore, the bitter torturers, breathing fury, vented their rage even upon the now dead body after the fashion of crows. Then, having pushed it headlong and cast it out into the square as something profane, the wretches posted guards so that he might not be deemed worthy of burial by any of those who love Christ, since those who were the most eager worshipers of demons were striving to dispel the strongest fear of the demons. But three days later, the guards being occupied with the arrival of the daughter of the king of the Armenians—I mean the one who was given as a hostage of peace to the one then reigning over Persia—the treasure, which is truly never spent, was stolen by the Christians.

XVI. Thus, then, when the blessed Acepsimas had received the end of his life on the tenth of October, in the manner that has been told, the most holy Joseph was brought in after him. ^C The unholy judge, turning his attention to him, said: "You have seen, to what a bitter end your companion departed from life. You, therefore, if you do not obey my words, once you have been subjected to similar tortures, will undergo the same death as he." But the divine priest of God said: "What I said before to him who held the office of judge before you, the same I will now say to you: that I shall never prefer a created thing to the Creator, nor shall I worship a creature instead of the One who established it, as long as I am in my right mind." With these words, the governor, seized with great rage, ordered that he too be stretched out in the same way as the former one and scourged with ox-hide thongs, and that the herald cry out that he would be safe if he obeyed the king's will. ^D But he cried out: "There is one God, and besides him there is no other, in whom we also live and move and are, to whom also the lo-

loyal service we offer, caring little for the king's commands." Since he was beaten for many hours and was now almost dead, believing him to have expired, they lifted him up and threw him into the forum. Then, having learned that a tiny remnant of breath still remained in him, they shut him up in prison.

^A XVII. After him, a third man was introduced, the wise Aithalas, to whom the judge said: "With both life and death set before your eyes, as well as glory and shame, do not choose the worse, leaving behind the better, nor tread the same path as those who went before, who by their own folly received the end they deserved. But if you follow my advice, you shall be deemed worthy of the greatest honors and you shall obtain such rewards from the king. If not, having become the cause of innumerable punishments for yourself, you shall then be violently deprived of the light that is most desirable to all." But the divine Aithalas said: "I should be ashamed before heaven and earth if, while my friends, who were burdened with old age and advanced in years, fought most bravely, I myself were seen to be a lover of life and afraid of your tortures, I who am of a more vigorous age. No, by the death of my Christ, I will not be a lover of this present life, nor will I betray my piety for those goods that are seen, nor for the sake of harsh things." Because of these words, great fury seized the governor, and lashes were brought against the holy man. He, however, called him a filthy dog and base, and said: "Just as your mind, as you said, is rotten and weak, so also are torments merely bugbears to miserable and base souls, but not to noble men whose minds are inflamed with the desire for Christ."

^B XVIII. Stupefied by these things, the mad judge said to those sitting with him: "What is this? How is it that these who are called Christians despise the present life and so intensely thirst for death?" ^C They replied: "Because, attending to the doctrines handed down by the fathers, they believe that there is another world, far better and more wonderful than the present, for the sake of which they also despise the present life." And while these things were being said, both through the length of time and the most violent application of lashes by those torturing him, the structures of the athlete's body were being dissolved, and his flesh, as it was being lacerated, flowed to the ground together with his blood. ^D When the judge had ordered him to be let go for a little while, as if he felt pity for him, he said: "But if you would wish to obey the royal command, there are physicians among us who will quickly heal your wounds." To whom the blessed one immediately replied: "Even if you could heal my wounds with a single word, O you who are wounded in mind and soul, not even then would I pay heed to you regarding things you so foolishly advise." "I said it as a test," the judge said; "for even if you were willing to obey the king's command, this would be of no profit to you, since your wounds are already procuring death for you. Therefore, I myself will ensure that you become an example to all Christians, so that they may not use such insults against the rulers without fear. But if even in other matters, the most holy

martyr said, you have often spoken what is foreign and false, now, even if you did not wish it, you have spoken the truth, and that which will entirely come to pass before long. For you will in truth establish me as a good example of fortitude and greatness of soul for those who come after, who, looking to our patience as to some archetype, will easily endure the torments of you and those like you.

^A XIX. The judge was seized with astonishment at what had been said, and having summoned one of those who had great power with him (who was called Adesche, and had originated from the city that is called Arbel), he said: "Take these men, and lead them to your city to be stoned by the hands of Christians; for I wish your ingenuity to accomplish this for me, for which reason I did not wish to inflict death upon them by the sword." Immediately, therefore, having loaded them onto pack animals as if they were some inanimate objects and having bound them fast, he set out for his country; since they could not sit on the animals, suffering the utter paralysis of their limbs, they were cast upon the ground in the places where they had to stop, like dead bodies. And indeed, when they had been brought to the city of Arbel, a dark and sunless prison received them, in which, as putrefaction of their flesh arose from their wounds, much sanies flowed forth, and the saints were afflicted with the most bitter pains, especially because it was not permitted to any of the Christians to enter to them and vouchsafe them even the smallest care. ^B But a certain woman who was pious and fearing the Lord, dwelling in the borders of that same city, arrived at the prison at an unseasonable hour of the night, and with sufficient money having appeased the guards, she succeeded in taking the saints away secretly and bringing them to her own house, which was not far off, being carried in the hands of her own servants. Then, having set them down—they were not even able to speak—she wiped away the sanies from them, and with certain mild medicines she consoled their pains, bound them with clean linens, anointed them with precious ointments, and in all ways showed how pious she was and Christ-loving, kissing the members of the martyrs, weeping over them, and anointing herself with the sanies that dripped from them.

^C XX. When the blessed Joseph had at last and with difficulty come to himself, he said: "Your compassion and generosity toward us, O most holy woman, is acceptable both to God and to us who struggle for His sake; but to weep for us so immoderately is far from the true hope of Christians and our faith." To him, that most venerable of women replied: "My soul is filled with joy, considering how Christ has endued you with such fortitude, that you have endured the bitterness of such great pains; though I would have been even more glad if I had seen you perfected by martyrdom. But to weep is peculiar to human nature, which is moved by compassion for one who is of its own kind. But you must not be grieved," the divine Joseph replied, "nor is it fitting to weep for our sake, knowing fully that those who for Christ's sake

endure afflictions are procuring for themselves eternal joy and the kingdom of heaven." As the day waned, they were again secretly returned to prison.

^A XXI. When six months had passed, the magistrate who had received the holy men to be stoned was removed from office, and another, more savage than he, succeeded him, by name Zeroth, to whom the king had also given orders that the captured Christians be put to death by being pelted with stones by the hands of Christians. When he arrived at the city and had entered the fire temple to worship the fire, the fire-worshippers said to him, "There are some here who have for a long time now been Christians, locked away in safe custody, who, as we learned earlier, were subjected to most grievous punishments and torments, yet could not be persuaded to deny their own religion." Upon hearing this, he immediately ordered the holy men to be brought before the tribunal, and says to them, "Since King Sapor has overthrown well-fortified and powerful cities, and has brought under servitude very many nations that were difficult to subdue, how is it that you, who are indeed under his power and enjoy the fruits of his land, despise his commands so greatly, just as if you were defectors from him?" To this, the admirable Joseph said, "If we had instigated any tyranny or rebellion against your king, it would have been necessary for him entirely to invade us with armed forces and an assembled army, or at least to send against us someone who was strong of hand, experienced in affairs, and most capable of leading an army. ^B But we are so far from attempting such things that he has not sent another against us, but you, who are more accustomed to fighting with women living in chambers than with men. For we have given ourselves up like sheep for the slaughter, as we have learned to be subject to all authorities."

^C XXII. The governor said, "It seems you are provoking my anger in order to have me take your life more quickly with these insults against us. But you will not attain what you desire. For I shall stretch you out over a long time and delay, and I shall consume you little by little with many tortures." He therefore orders him to be bound by the feet with ropes and to be hung head downwards, and to be struck with dried ox-sinews. Thus, then, the veins, having been opened by the violence of the tortures, provided a flow of blood as if from a spring. ^D The crowd that stood around, accusing the judge of inhumanity, was moved to pity and tears, marvelling at the endurance of the holy old man. Some of the great men who were standing around, approaching the martyr in secret, said, "Enter secretly with us into the temple of our god, if you are ashamed to be seen by the many, and by sacrificing, be freed from these punishments." But he, with a clear voice, said, "Depart from me, depart, you who work iniquity, for the Lord has heard my prayer." Then, when three hours had already passed, he orders him to be released from his bonds and brought before him, and says, "What, are you persuaded by the king's command, and do you choose life over death, or not?" The holy man answered:

^A Absit, may it never happen to me to desire such a life as would see me offering adoration to the sun rather than to its Creator. "What then," he said, "is death to be preferred by you to life?" The holy man said: Yes; for this death becomes to me the procurer of eternal life and establishes for us the cause of many good things, which things are neither to be seen by eyes, nor heard by ears, nor even grasped by the mind. To these words, that mocker and scoffer, as if ridiculing the martyr’s apology, said: "You owe us, therefore, great thanks, if we have procured for you so many good things. And surely you will arrange for us also to become partakers of them, since we have been your abettors toward the acquisition of such blessedness." ^B The holy man said: Do not deal ironically with us, O judge. For we have been taught by the divine commandment to love even our enemies and to do good to those who hate us; but yet, as long as we are alive in the present life, we also pray that you, departing from error, may repent and learn piety, so that there may be a portion and lot for you also in the future among the ineffable good things of God; but in the age to come it is not given to us to remove punishment or to grant good things; for this lies with God alone, who has also the authority to judge the living and the dead.

XXIII. ^C The governor said: Setting aside such contentions for the present, and these good things of yours that you dream of, obey the king’s command. For I will subject you to such great tortures that through you other Christians may also be persuaded not by any means to exchange the things they hold in their hands for those that are in hope. The holy man said: For this is my desire, as you yourself have also known: to be sent with speed to the eternal mansions. Even if you bring upon me ten thousand other tortures, even if another comes after you, I shall be found perfected in the love of Christ; for I have God strengthening me, for whom I have chosen to endure these things. And I will not, as you say, be an exhortation to Christians to deny piety through your torments, but rather an incitement to the true worship of God. For they, seeing me in such advanced age making light of your tortures, will have a beautiful example of courage, and they will not be lacking in imitation. Having heard these things, the governor, stunned by the fearless constancy of the blessed elder, commands him to be carried by some—since he could not walk—and locked up in prison again.

XXIV. ^D Then looking toward the blessed Aithalas, he says: And you, are you possessed by the same madness, and do you refuse the adoration of the greatest luminary? The herald of the truth answers: The Lord Jesus Christ lives, the Son of the living God, in whom I have hoped from my youth, as I have an unchangeable mind; and no one will persuade me to accord the honor of God to his creatures. When that arrogant and barbaric man heard these things, he commands the holy man to be stripped of his footwear, to be hung upon a tree, and to be scourged with ox-hide thongs. And he with a loud

^A voice proclaimed himself a Christian. But the ungodly man had grown weary of scourging, rather than the holy man expressing anything relaxed or unworthy of his endurance for Christ. He commands, therefore, that he be brought down from the tree, and that some Manichaean, who had been caught in some improprieties, be brought into the midst, and, "Look," he says to the martyr, "at him openly abjuring his own religion." Having therefore given leave for the Manichaean to be tormented, he forced him to deny it. He held out at first, and seemed to contend against the blows. But when the scourgers pressed more violently, and the blows struck him forcefully, overcome by the pains, he immediately becomes an apostate, and cried out, "Anathema to Manes and his dogmas!" And they then bring him an ant, commanding him to kill it. He, having taken it, killed it immediately. ^B Upon which the holy man, overflowing with joy and as it were smiling at what had occurred, said, "The worshipper of Manes is in misery, and he has been caught having committed murder, as one who has killed his own god. But I consider myself blessed, according to Paul, because being openly strengthened by the power of Christ, who said, 'I have overcome the world,' I preserve my resolve unconquered."

XXV. Filled with anger at this, the mad judge commands the holy man to be beaten with thorny rods of a Persian apple tree. And the blows so worked upon him that he became almost mute and did not even perceive the blows that were being inflicted; for which reason, as if he were already dead, they dragged him and cast him out. But one of the magi, when he happened to see that body stripped bare, and having been moved by compassion for his nature, covered it with a rag. But those of that same religion, having seen what had occurred, accused him to the governor, and he was immediately punished with bitter lashes, and ^C receives this as a reward for his compassion from those who were utterly uncompassionate. However, they deliver the blessed Aithalas, who was still breathing, into custody. When the judge learned that a certain governor of the highest rank, Saborius by name, had arrived at his village (this was called Marcellaria, from the name), he entrusts to him the examination of the martyrs. He, being no less impious and savage than his predecessors, looking upon the holy men, said, "Reverencing your gray hair, and pitying your affliction, I counsel you to worship the sun and taste the blood of the sacrifices, that having been saved from a bitter death, you may gain the life which is sweet to all." The holy men as if with one mouth said to him, "It is the custom for flesh-eating dogs to taste blood, not humans. But it is fitting for you rather to be satiated with such things, for you possess the madness of a dog, and bark and rage against Him who made you."

XXVI. When he ordered the holy men to be scourged, those who stood by, moved by compassion for them, said, "By tasting a decoction instead of the blood, according to the secret intent, be saved, and be rid of the punishments that threaten you." But they answered, "God forbid that we should, either by taste or in any other way, tarnish the purity of ^D our faith and this long-lived old age

^A. That crafty and altogether wicked ruler said, "But if pure meat were brought to you, would you not even taste that?" The saints said, "What can be clean from an unclean source, and what could ever be unpolluted from your defiled hands? Therefore, abandon these devices of yours and be eager to bring a speedy verdict against us; for you labor in vain, beating the air and ignorantly striking him who cannot be tamed." Having therefore consulted and decreed common with those seated in counsel that the saints should be stoned by the hands of Christians, they gather a multitude of Christians, among whom they also seized the admirable Isdandul. And having again carried the blessed Joseph to the judgment hall, they present him. The saint gestures to the governor to come closer to him, as if he were about to hear something secret. When he had immediately come up and approached, the martyr, filling his mouth with saliva, spat upon that detestable face, saying, ^B "Are you not ashamed, you most shameless one, to be treating this common nature so savagely and hostilely, and to be dragging a body already affected by death back to examination?" He, having been thoroughly reproached by those who were sitting with him for this excessive cruelty, and having been mocked to a degree beyond words, returned to his own seat, affected with shame.

^C XXVII. When they had moved the saint a little further off and bound his hands behind his back, they dug a pit for him and, having lowered him into it, buried him up to the waist. Then they surrounded the Christians who had been arrested and, striking them, commanded them to pelt the illustrious man with stones. Among them they also urged the holy Isdandul to do the same, but she said, "Never in all time has such a thing been heard of, that a woman should be forced to stretch out her hand against holy men, as you are doing now; you who abstain from contending against your enemies, but lift up your weapons against us and fill with blood and slaughter the motherland that lives in peace." They fastened a spike to a long reed and commanded her to prick the saint with it. But she said, "God forbid that I should do such a thing; for I would gladly drive this into my own heart ^D sooner than touch the holy body of the saint with it even in the slightest." Thus, showing a manly steadfastness, she appeared more powerful than the parricides had imagined; and they covered the saint with such a flurry of stones that only his head was visible, the rest of his body being buried in the pile of stones. When one of the impious leaders saw that it was still moving, he ordered one of the executioners to take a stone, as large as his hand could hold, and cast it upon it from above. When this was done and his head was crushed by the weight of the stone, the blessed one commends his precious soul to Christ. His venerable body was then guarded by sentries as if it were some treasure. When three days had passed and the fourth had already arrived, a great and terrible earthquake took place; then, as lightning appeared and great claps of thunder lowered down...

^A fire from heaven—this being sent down, it reduced the guards to ashes, while the heap of stones it scattered like dust, making manifest to all the honor God awards to the martyr. But the body became invisible, whether God had willed to transfer it in ways known only to Himself, or whether human hands had taken it away.

XXVIII. When they had led the venerable Aithalas to the village called Patrias, they brought it about that he too should be overwhelmed with stones by the hands of Christians. Some monks who lived in that place came by night ^B and, without the guards knowing, took away his body, committing a truly praiseworthy theft, a deed worthy of the light and not of darkness. Then, after performing the customary rites for him, they laid him in a notable spot. In the very place where it happened that the saint was slain, God wrought a wonder worthy both of His own power and of the glory of the martyr. A myrtle plant sprang up there, which became a deliverance from every kind of illness. When for five years miracles were thus wrought through this plant, those who held to the false religion of the Gentiles, being smitten with envy in their souls and unable to bear seeing these wonders ^C as a refutation of their own religion, cut down the plant by its very roots and cast it into the fire. But many of those whose souls had been purified saw for a long time lights around that spot, and divine powers ascending and descending, and sending forth glory to Him who glorifies His saints. The martyr of Christ, Aithalas, was perfected in the month of June, having displayed the same steadfastness and endurance even unto death as those who were perfected before him, by the aid and grace of Christ our true God, to whom belongs all glory, honor, and adoration, together with His ^D unoriginate Father and the life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

THE LIFE AND CONVERSATION OF OUR HOLY FATHER AMBROSE, BISHOP OF MILAN

^A This holy Ambrose was a man most worthy of praise, who flourished in the Roman senate having held very many dignities, and who was also entrusted with the governorship of all Italy by the pious emperors Constantine and Constans, sons of Constantine the Great. Though he was not yet initiated in divine baptism, he possessed a most pure and virtuous life; furthermore, he was endowed with divine wisdom and an understanding of the knowledge of the Scriptures, being experienced in both secular learning and the divinely inspired Scripture. Having become a just judge and one who showed no partiality in the beginning of his governorship, he checked and corrected every evil and illegal act. I shall now relate how he was appointed to the rule of the episcopacy by divine decree.

I. When Valentinian, after the death of Jovian, had received the scepter of the empire, he brought his own brother Valens from Pannonia and made him a partner in the empire. Handing over to him the scepters of Asia and also of Egypt, he kept Europe for himself, and upon reaching Rome, he instructed all the peoples of the West in due order, beginning with the proclamations of piety.

B II. For when Auxentios, who had embraced the schism of Arius and had been entrusted with the Church of Milan, was deposed in many synods and had departed this life, the Emperor Valentinian summoned the bishops and addressed them with these words: "You know clearly, as those nourished in the divine words, what kind of man it behooves one promoted to the honor of the high priesthood to be, and how he ought to govern those under him not only by word, but also by life, and to set forth himself as a prototype of all virtue, and to have as a witness of ^C

his conduct the instruction of his life. ^A Place such a one, therefore, even now upon the episcopal throne, so that we, by whom the empire is governed, may sincerely bow our heads to him, and may welcome the reproofs which come from him as a medicinal cure; for since we are men, it is altogether necessary that we also stumble.

III. ^B When the pious emperor Valentinian had spoken these words, the convention asked him that he himself should cast his vote, inasmuch as he was adorned with wisdom and piety. But he said: "Such an undertaking is too great for us; for you, who have been deemed worthy of divine grace and have received that radiance, will vote better." They, having gone out, deliberated among themselves. The citizens of that city, however, were causing a sedition among themselves, some contending for this man to be elected, and others for that one. For they who were infected by the disease of Auxentius voted for those who thought as they did; but they who were of the sounder party sought to have a prelate who was of one mind with themselves. ^C Ambrosius, illustrious in the Roman senate, after many other high honors, had at that time obtained from the pious emperors the prefecture of Italy. He was indeed a man pure in life, and a lover of virtue, approved in word and in deed; he was nourished by the wisdom which is drawn from the holy Scriptures, although he was not yet initiated. Furthermore, he was exercised in Greek eloquence and poetic faculty, an equitable and sound arbiter of affairs, and also an accurate inquirer into every evil action.

IV. ^D Ambrosius, having been informed of these tumults and fearing lest some novel disaster should occur, went with much speed to the church and calmed the movements of both parties. They, having put aside their contention, sent forth a common voice, asking that the blessed Ambrosius himself be appointed as their shepherd—though he was still uninitiated. When the emperor learned this, he immediately ordered that this praiseworthy man be both initiated and ordained. For he knew his mind to be more upright than any balance, and his judgment more accurate than any canon. He also suspected that this had happened not without the calculation of God, inferring the matter from the consensus of those who had previously differed in their opinions.

V. [E] Since Ambrosius had also enjoyed the gift of the most holy baptism and had received the episcopal grace, the excellent emperor is said to have offered this hymn to the Savior and Lord (for he was present at these events): "Grace to you, Lord Almighty and our Savior, because to this same man I indeed entrusted bodies, but you souls, and you have shown my votes to have been just."

VI. [F] Since, after a few days had passed, this divine Ambrosius, speaking with the emperor with the greatest freedom, reproved him as though some things had not been done rightly by his prefects, the emperor said: "I have long known this freedom of yours, and being clearly aware of it, not only did I not oppose it, but I became a fellow-voter in your ordination. Therefore, heal, as the divine law commands, the wounds of our souls."

VII. [G] Having said and done these things in Milan, the great and pious emperor Valentinian, and

having administered all matters of the empire well and having shone forth in orthodoxy, rested, having reigned for sixteen years. ^A He left as successors his children, Gratian and the younger Valentinian. Valens, brother of Valentinian the Great, who participated in the Arian plague, was reigning over the East. This man, having joined battle with the Goths, was defeated, and fleeing to a barn, he was burned to death inside it. Gratian, the son of Valentinian but nephew of Valens, took over the entire Roman dominion. For first he had received from his father the scepter of Europe and all of the West; and he received also Asia and the remaining parts of Libya, Valens having been removed childless. Being pious like his father, he called back all the bishops whom Valens, his uncle, had ^B exiled while fighting in defense of the Arian heresy. And Gratian, having learned that Thrace was being plundered by the barbarians who had burned Valens, left Italy and arrived in Pannonia.

VIII. At that time, Theodosius was most renowned both because of the prominence of his ancestors and because of his own valor; and for this reason, being assailed by the envy of his peers, he resided in the Spains. For he was born and raised in those regions. ^C When the emperor Gratian was at a loss as to what he ought to do (for the barbarians, being puffed up by victory, were and appeared to be difficult to fight), he then considered the generalship of Theodosius to be a solution to his troubles. Immediately summoning the man from the Spains and appointing him general, he sent him out with the army that had been gathered. He, having fortified himself with faith, set out boldly; and having stepped into Thrace and joined battle with the barbarians, he defeated them with great force. For they, unable to bear it, some fled, while others were pursued. A great fear of the barbarians arose; for they were being slain not only by the Romans but also by one another.

IX. And so, with almost all the barbarians destroyed, a few who were able to hide themselves crossed the Danube. The emperor Gratian, having ^D considered that he had acted for the best, appointed him emperor and handed over to him the scepters of Valens' portion. And he himself set out for Italy, while he sent that man to the assigned dominion. Immediately upon taking over the empire, he concerned himself with the concord of the Churches before other matters, and he urged the bishops of his own dominion to hasten to Constantinople; for this city alone had been filled with the Arian plague, since the West had remained free of this disease. For Constantine and Constans, the sons of Constantine the Great, kept the paternal faith uncorrupted, and again, Valentinian preserved piety intact; but the eastern part, from many sides

received this plague, which had begun first in Alexandria and was progressing into more distant regions.

^A X. These things were done while Gratian was still alive. But afterwards, when he had already shown his character in military affairs, and was ruling the cities with modesty and justice, he perished by treachery, leaving no sons to succeed to the kingdom, but having left his brother—who was quite young and bore his father’s name—as his successor in the empire. Then a certain Maximus, despising Valentinian's youth, usurped the throne of the Western empire.

^B XI. At that time, Justina, the wife of Valentinian the Great and mother of the younger one, who had long before received the seeds of Arian doctrine, made them manifest to her son. For, knowing the zeal of her husband for the orthodox faith, she had striven to hide it as long as he was alive; but, knowing that the mind of her son was tender and easily led, she did not hesitate to bring her fraud into the open. The youth, considering the suggestions of his mother to be useful—and looking upon the bait of nature as if it were a desirable meal—suddenly fell into the snare. Wherefore the great Ambrose, who had already long since cast the whole Arian delusion out of all Italy, upon learning that the young Valentinian was also falling into this disease, hastened to dispel this sickness from the soul of the youth; but the latter considered the man to be his adversary.

^C XII. Then he recalled to him his father's piety, and exhorted him to preserve intact the inheritance which he had received. He taught him also what the difference was between the dogmas, and how some things were in accordance with the teaching of the Lord and the preaching of the Apostles, while others were exactly contrary and opposed to the spiritual law. But the youth, being a youth, and beguiled by his deceived mother, not only would not accept what was said by the high priest, but became full of anger and began to surround the church precincts with companies of soldiers and peltasts.

^D XIII. But when nothing he did terrified that great champion, the divine Ambrose (for he regarded these things as mere boogeymen presented to children by some people), then he became openly enraged and ordered him to go outside the sacred portals. He, however, replied: "I will not do this of my own will, nor will I abandon the sheepfold to the wolves, nor will I deliver the holy temple to those who blaspheme. But if it is your will to kill me, bring the sword or the axe inside against me; for I will gladly welcome such a slaughter." And these were the words of the divine Ambrose.

XIV. After a considerable time had passed, Maximus, having learned of the attempts which were being made against that most famous herald of the truth, sent to Valentinian, who, while warring against

^A his father's piety, advised him to depart from the enterprise he had undertaken, and exhorted him not to cast off his ancestral religion. But if he did not comply, he threatened him with a very great war; and indeed he added action to his words. For, having gathered an army, he rushed toward Mediolanum, for that was where the man [Valentinian] was residing. But he, having learned of the invasion, fled toward the Illyrians, having learned by experience of what benefit his mother's counsel had been to him.

^B XV. When Theodosius, the most praiseworthy emperor, learned of what had been done by the young Valentinian and what had been written by the tyrant Maximus, he wrote to the young man who had fled, saying that he ought not to wonder if fear was conjoined to the king [Valentinian], while strength was conjoined to the tyrant. For, he said, the king has waged war against piety, while the tyrant has assisted it; and the former, abandoning it, flees naked, while the latter, armed with it, prevails over him who has been stripped; for the Lawgiver of piety is Himself present to aid it.

XVI. These things he sent by letter, although he was far distant. But when he came to his aid, and saw him, having left his own empire and come into his [Theodosius's] presence, he first applied medicine to his soul, and, expelling the disease of impiety from which he was suffering, brought him back to his ancestral piety. Then, encouraging him to take heart and to march against the tyrant, he restored the empire to the youth without bloodshed and put the tyrant to death; for he considered that he would be acting unjustly, and violating the pacts made with Gratian, if he did not exact punishment for the slaughter from those who had killed the prince. ^C This most faithful emperor turned all his zeal against the error of the Greeks, and wrote laws ordering the shrines of the idols to be destroyed.

XVII. For Constantine, the man most worthy of all praise, who was the first to adorn the empire with piety, seeing that the world was still in a frenzy, strictly forbade sacrifice to demons, but did not destroy their temples; he ordered, however, that they should be inaccessible. And indeed his sons followed in their father's footsteps. But Julian renewed the impiety and rekindled the flame of the ancient deception. Jovian, having received the empire, again prohibited the worship of idols. ^D The great Valentinian, too, governed Europe using the same laws. But as for Valens, he allowed all others to worship as they wished and to practice their rites openly; but he never ceased to wage war only against those who championed the apostolic dogmas. Thus, throughout the entire time of his reign, the fire placed upon the altar was kept burning, and they offered libations and sacrifices to the idols, and held public feasts in the marketplace; and those who had been initiated into the rites of Bacchus would run about with goatskins, dragging dogs along with them, and raging, and acting like Bacchanals, and doing other such things which clearly manifested the wickedness of their master.

^A XVIII. The most faithful Emperor Theodosius removed all these things from the midst as if they had never existed at the beginning, and brought in many other things for the Christians instead. But for the enemy of the human race since time immemorial, it is not easy to escape all his snares; for often one who has escaped the passion of licentiousness is perhaps caught in the snare of avarice. And if he appears superior to that one, the pit of envy again springs up from another side; and even if he should leap over this, he will find the net of anger spread before him; and that wicked one, who hunts for the ruin of men, sets ten thousand other traps for them. Indeed, he has the passions of the body serving as collaborators for the machines he constructs against the soul; but the mind that is vigilant alone prevails, by turning toward divine things and refuting the malice of his machinations. Now, the marvelous emperor, being a participant in human nature, did not remain untainted by its passions; but a certain excess associated with righteous anger gave birth to something cruel and lawless, as will presently be told. For the subject contains not only the reproof of the marvelous emperor, but also a commendation most worthy of record, and especially the boldness of that noble Ambrose which ensued here, and the great zeal he was accustomed to use in matters pertaining to piety—yet the narrative itself will make this clear.

XIX. Thessalonica is a great and populous city, pertaining to the Macedonians, but holding authority over Thessaly and Achaia and many other nations so far as they lie under the praefect of the Illyrians. ^B A sedition having broken out there, certain of the magistrates were stoned and dragged through the streets, and thus ended their lives in a most disgraceful manner. The emperor, therefore, inflamed by the reports of what had happened, did not bear it with moderation; but pouring out all his wrath upon all, and unsheathing unjust swords, he slew the innocent with the guilty—seven thousand, as it is related—without even a single judgment having preceded it on his part.

XX. When the great Ambrose learned of this lamentable calamity, he went to meet the emperor who was coming to Milan and wishing to enter the church of God according to his custom, and, progressing to meet him from afar, he did not allow him even to set foot within the holy doors. ^C “You do not know, as it seems, O Emperor,” he said, “the magnitude of the impious slaughter that has been carried out, nor has your reason recognized, even after your anger has ceased, what a crime you have dared to commit. For perhaps the power of the empire does not allow you to recognize your sin, but the authority presents an obstacle and dims the light of reason. Yet one must needs know nature, and its mortal and fleeting quality, and the ancestral dust from which we were made and into which we dissolve, and not, being fascinated by the flower of the purple, remain ignorant of the weakness of the body that it covers. You rule, O King, over those who are the same by nature, and indeed your fellow-servants; for the Creator of all is the one Lord and King of all. With what eyes, therefore, will you behold the temple of the common Lord? With what

feet will you tread upon this holy pavement? How will you stretch forth your hands, still dripping with warm blood? With what hands will you receive the all-holy body of the Lord? How will you raise to your mouth the precious blood, having so lawlessly shed the blood of so many in your anger? Withdraw, then, and do not try to add a second transgression to the first, and accept the bond which God, the Lord of all, has ratified from above. This is intended to be medicinal and a bringer of health, unless you have chosen to suffer an incurable wound.

^B XXI. Yielding to these words (for having been reared from boyhood in divine laws, he clearly knew what belonged to the priests and what to the kings), the emperor returned to the palace with groans and tears. When eight months had passed since that time, the festival of our Savior’s nativity arrived; but Theodosius sat in the palace, weeping most bitterly. A certain Rufinus, the master of the palace at that time, seeing this, approached him as a man who was useful and familiar to his lord, and inquired the cause. He, with a bitter cry and shedding even hotter tears, said: "You, Rufinus, play, for you do not feel my evils; but I groan and lament, pondering my own misfortune, how the divine temple is opened to servants and beggars, and they enter without fear and entreat their own Lord, whereas to me it is closed, and besides this, heaven is closed; for I remember the Lord's voice, which says: 'Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven.'"

^C XXII. Rufinus, wishing to minister healing to the emperor and to offer him a timely favor, said: "I will run, if it pleases you, and I will persuade the bishop with many prayers to release you from these bonds." "But he will not be persuaded," said the emperor; "for I know the justice of Ambrose’s judgment; nor will he ever commit the fault of transgressing the divine law out of respect for imperial power." But after Rufinus promised that he would surely obtain the favor from great Ambrose by employing many other reasons, the emperor ordered him to depart with all haste; and he himself, lured by hope, followed after a short while, trusting in the promises of Rufinus. Immediately then, upon Rufinus approaching him, Ambrose said: "You imitate the impudence of dogs, Rufine, and you neither blush nor fear, having raged so much against the image of God?" But when Rufinus implored him, and said that the emperor would arrive in a short time, Ambrose, inflamed with divine zeal, said: "I tell you, Rufine, that I will forbid him to step upon the sacred thresholds; but if he turns the empire into a tyranny, I will welcome the slaughter with pleasure."

^A XXIII. When Rufinus heard these things, he immediately informed the emperor through someone of the high priest's opinion and advised him to remain within the palace. The emperor, however, having already learned of these things in the middle of the forum, said: "I will go, and I will accept the just penalties." When he reached the sacred enclosures, he did not enter the divine temple, but sat in the greeting-house, imploring to be released from his bonds.

^B XXIV. The bishop called his arrival tyrannical, and said that Theodosius was raging against God and trampling upon His laws. But the emperor, in contrition of heart and a spirit of humility, said: "I am not emboldened against the established laws, nor do I seek to step unlawfully upon the sacred thresholds; but I ask you to release me from the bond, and to consider the philanthropy of the common Master, and not to shut against me the door which the Master has opened to all who use repentance." And the high priest said: "What repentance, then, have you shown after such disobedience? And with what medicines have you healed the wounds that were so difficult to cure?" And the emperor, in a contrite spirit, replied again: "It is for you, in every way, both to prescribe and to mix the medicines." Then the divine Ambrose said: "Since you allow rage to judge, and not reason, but passion brings forth the sentence, I wish you to enact a law that makes the decrees rendered in a fit of rage idle and void; and let the sentences of death or exile remain in writing for thirty days, awaiting the judgment of reason. ^C When the thirty days have passed, let those who wrote the decrees bring them forward, and then, with the rage having subsided, let reason, judging by itself, examine the decrees and consider whether they are just or not. If it finds that they are unjust, let it tear up the writings and declare the vote void; but if they are just, let them remain; and thus the number of thirty days will not harm those correctly judged."

XXV. The emperor, accepting this suggestion and believing it to be excellent, immediately ordered the law to be written, and confirmed it with the letters of his own hand. This having been done, the divine Ambrose released the bond, and the emperor, taking courage to enter into the divine temple, did not pray to the Master standing or kneeling, but fell prostrate on the bare floor and uttered that Davidic voice: "My soul," he said, "hath cleaved to the pavement; quicken me according to thy word." ^D And tearing his hair with his hands, beating his forehead, and watering the floor with drops of tears, he sought to obtain forgiveness. When the time also called for the gifts to be offered at the sacred table, he arose with the same tears and ascended to the chancel; and having offered them, he remained within, as was his custom, by the railings. But the holy Ambrose could in no way bring himself to overlook these things, but he instructed him regarding the difference of the places. And first he asked if anyone...

he desired anything. And when the emperor replied that he was waiting for the participation in the divine mysteries, he—making use of the archdeacon as his minister—clearly declared: "The interior, O emperor, must not be approached except by priests alone. Depart, therefore, and maintain the same station as the other laity; for purple makes kings, but it certainly does not make priests."

^B XXVI. The most faithful Theodosius, accepting this admonition with pleasure, explained in turn that he had not remained within the chancel out of presumption, but because he had so learned at Constantinople. How brightly both the emperor and the bishop shone with such virtue! I, at least, admire both: the former for his noble liberty, and the latter for his ready obedience; indeed, the fervent zeal of the one and the sincere faith of the other. Furthermore, he retained whatever the emperor had learned at Milan under that admirable Ambrose, and, upon returning to Constantinople, he observed it and omitted nothing of it.

XXVII. For on one feast day, when he went to the temple of God where he offered the gifts to the sacred table, he returned immediately. But the president of the church—at that time this was Nectarius—asked why he had not remained inside. The emperor, being vexed, said, "I have learned, though with difficulty, the difference between an emperor and a priest; for I have found it difficult to find a teacher of truth—Ambrose, that is, who alone is worthily called a bishop." To such an extent does a rebuke profit, when it proceeds from a man who is illustrious in virtue.

^C XXVIII. The emperor also had another cause for benefit. For his wife incessantly reminded him of the divine law, in which she herself had been diligently and accurately schooled. For the power of the empire did not puff her up; rather, it kindled in her all the more the love of God; for the magnitude of the benefit excited in her a greater incentive of love toward the author of that benefit. Wherefore, from the very beginning, she took the utmost care of those who were afflicted with corporeal blindness or with the weakness of all their limbs, not making use of the services of household servants or attendants, but applying her own hands to the work; and she did not disdain to enter their huts, and she supplied what was necessary to each one. She herself also visited the hospices of the churches, ministering to the sick and extending to them service and care—namely, heating pots, tasting the broth, bringing the dish, offering bread, washing cups, and performing all other things which are judged to be the work of manservants and maidservants. ^D She was also accustomed to address her husband incessantly: "It is fitting for you always, O husband, to consider in your mind both what you once were and to what rank you have now attained; for if you constantly reflect upon these things with yourself, you will never turn out ungrateful to your benefactor, but you will administer the empire which you have received with just laws; because, in this way, you will also pay the debt of service due to the One who bestowed it upon you."

XXIX. When she always used words of this kind...

^A to imbue him with the seeds of virtue and to provide increase for them, she herself passed away before her husband. It happened, however, some time after her death, that such a thing occurred which clearly showed what kind of disposition the emperor had toward her, and with how much charity he was affected. For as the frequency of wars compelled the emperor, and as he was suffering from a lack of money, he imposed taxes upon the cities. The city of Antioch, therefore, seeing that other cities were subjected to those taxes—and that the money was being exacted by force and without any excuse being admitted—endured this common tribute in no way. Instead, finding an occasion for disturbances, as the mob is wont to do, it did this: it cast down the bronze statue of the most famous Placilla (for this was the name of the empress) to the ground and dragged it through many of the city's streets.

XXX. The emperor, when this matter was reported to him, feeling as much annoyance ^B as was fitting, deprived that city of its own laws and placed the neighboring city of Laodicea, which is located by the seashore, in authority over it, believing that this was the way to grieve them most of all; for Laodicea had long envied Antioch. Furthermore, he threatened that he would burn and destroy it, and that he would reduce the city to a village. The magistrates, however, having apprehended some persons in the very act of the crime, had inflicted death upon them before the prince could learn of the tragedy. Indeed, Theodosius threatened all these things, but he did not carry them out immediately, because this was prevented by the law which, by the urging of the great Ambrose, had been enacted. But after those who were ordered to carry those threats arrived in the city of Antioch ^C (the military commander was then Hellenicus, and Caesarius was the prefect of the praetorians—for the Romans call the one who holds this authority 'Magister'), everyone was in fear, dreading the outcome of the threats. But those athletes of virtue who lived at the roots of the mountains, of whom there was a great multitude at that time, felt compassion for those whom the threats were striking, and running about everywhere, they comforted the others as much as they could regarding those men who had been punished.

XXXI. One of them, however, was a holy man, adorned with every virtue, who day and night offered pure prayers to the Savior of all. He, fearing neither the emperor's wrath nor considering the power of those ^D who had been sent, came into the middle of the city, and taking hold of the cloak of one of the legates, ordered both of them to descend from their horses. They, seeing a small little old man clad in a vile rag, were at first indignant. But when, afterwards, some of those who were following revealed the virtue of the man, they immediately leaped down from their horses and, embracing his knees, begged for pardon. But the holy man, filled with divine wisdom, used this entreaty with them: "Tell the emperor, dear heads: You are not only an emperor, but also a man. Do not, therefore, look only to the empire, but also consider nature itself; for since you are a man, you rule over those who are consorts of the same nature. Moreover, human nature has been created according to a divine image and likeness

^A; therefore, do not command so cruelly and inhumanly that the image of God be slaughtered; for thus you provoke the Creator, while punishing His image. Consider then how you also, being distressed on account of a brazen image, do these things. As for how much the breathing, living, and rational image differs from the inanimate one, it is clear to all who are endowed with both mind and sense. Furthermore, let him also consider this: that for us it is easy, instead of this image, to create many others of bronze; but for Him, it is clearly impossible even to bring forth a single hair of those who have been slaughtered.

^B XXXII. Having heard these things, those admirable men signify to the emperor what had been said and extinguish the flame of his anger; so that, in place of those threats, he directly wrote an apology for himself and declared the cause of his wrath. For it was not fitting, he said, that while I was the one who had erred, my wife, who was worthy of every praise, should suffer such outrage after her death; but rather, it was necessary for those who obeyed their own temperamental impulses to arm their anger against me. He added to this that he was distressed in spirit and grieved because he had learned that certain persons had been put to death by the prefects. In this way, therefore, the emperor became a friend of Christ, and having been instructed by such precepts from the admirable Ambrose, he received from him such great grace and spiritual benefit.

^C XXXIII. Now this divine Ambrose, as has been said, shining in the Church of Christ with orthodox dogmas, having become a zealot and champion of the truth, and having built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and having set forth words of orthodoxy and discipline, and having put to flight every heresy newly introduced by Arius and Apollinarius, and having ordered all things of his own church well, and having reached a deep old age, and being full of days, he rested in peace. He was entombed in the church of Milan, leaving behind a true remembrance of himself, his own life, and his righteous deeds; of which may we also be found imitators, and may we be deemed worthy to attain the same rewards and crowns as him, through the grace and philanthropy ^D of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power unto the ages of ages. Amen.