Miracles

MIRACLES BOOK I Author John, Archbishop of Thessalonica.

Chapter I On Marianus, Prefect of Illyricum, afflicted with a most grave illness and restored to health through Saint Demetrius.

^A 1. Marianus, a man of noble birth and great wealth, and one of the senators serving under the emperors, was ordered by them to assume the government of the Illyrian nation. Upon reaching the God-guarded metropolis of the Thessalonians, he governed the reins of justice both righteously and piously, and being pleasing to God and praised by the people, he became an object of envy to the devil, who begrudges all good things to all people. At first, suggestions of gluttony and base, carnal passions were cast into him by the devil, inwardly smoldering the serene and temperate state of his soul; and from this, as the Apostle said, the root of all evils, avarice, was once again kindled like a flame—avarice, whose branches are a host of passions, and whose fruit is the second death, that of those who are cast into the lake of unquenchable fire.

2. Since, therefore, this great man was a friend of virtue, and adorned his dignity more than he was adorned by it, he tamed his flesh through frugality and completely eradicated its pleasures. Consequently, being wealthy and having a surplus of life's necessities, he shook off the snares of avarice as a defilement and a soul-destroying vessel. The all-evil demon, having studied these virtues of the man and knowing that the writer of Proverbs said that "rulers are prone to anger and agitation," attempted to incite him against his subordinates, if he might thereby show him to be displeasing to God, plying him also with distress because he was not, as it were, advancing to... ^B

what his anger had meditated. For failure, he said, generates the pain of vengeance.

3. But as he had severed both these snares through gentleness, and through the human kindness that arose from his knowing that both he himself and those who were subject to him were of the same clay, ^B at last the wicked Satan afflicted him with acedia, the sixth shoot of malice, and suggested that there would be no reward for those labors, secretly sowing distrust of the promises of our Savior, and overwhelming and as it were burying his mind in the forgetfulness of future eternal glory. At the same time, he also cast into the thoughts of that excellent man that great labor and no small sweat of soul are required for the virtues, and that this alone—the reputation of men—is the reward for quiet. Hence, turning himself to celebrate his virtues, he endeavored to make him easily overcome by the good opinion of those who obeyed him, and by the seventh of the afflictions of demons, I mean, namely, vainglory.

4. But since, by the help of Christ, he appeared to rule not so much over those who were subject to him as over himself, and was ever mindful of the rewards promised by God to those who patiently endure sufferings in this world, and no less of the eternal punishments that God threatens to those who lead a slothful life here, in a way making the contemplation of punishments ^C continuous, he drove away acedia indeed by patience through steadfast faith, and he subdued vainglory by the fear of Gehenna, changing it into humility, so that at last, having overcome the seven suggestions of that malice and their snares, and trampled them like heaps of chaff with the help of Christ, the enemy gnashed his teeth against him, and moved his own armor, as they say, from the navel of the belly—that most valid torment for overcoming souls—the primal shoot of malice, by which also the author of evils himself, the serpent, before all others, pierced himself by the distortion of his own thoughts; for which reason also he fell from the heavens and was cast upon the earth.

5. But what is this? Pride, beloved, is an incurable putrefaction, the head and crown of malice, the first and last disease ^D of the rational substance: first, because by it, as it is said, Satan was voluntarily pierced first; and last, because no passion exceeds it in malice. The enemy of the common nature of men excites this final and difficult battle against the man with his suggestions, secretly bringing into him meditations of this kind: Behold, he says, by your temperance and prudence you have overcome all the passions of the soul and the body, and you have wisely and intelligently reined in the rational part of your mind, and you have bridled the very surging of your own lust, and caused the cunning of all the demons to vanish into the air; by you gluttony has been reduced to servitude, the incontinence of the flesh and the passion of the love of pleasures have been subdued, avarice has been trampled underfoot, anger has been absorbed by gentleness, and sadness for worldly things has been broken by the hope of incorruptibility.

^A Since ^B by faith and contemplation, that is, by patience, the virtues have been nurtured; and vain glory, or to name it properly, ambition and the desire to please men, have perished by the concealment of one's virtues.

6. Being therefore superior to all these things, most blessed Prefect, and most glorious before God and men, how should you not be near to the saints, having been magnified by the virtue of your own soul (for surely not by outside help)? For if the assistance were from another source, no crown would be laid up for you. These things the wicked counselor, putting them into the thoughts of the aforementioned most blessed Prefect Marianus, was calling the man to an elated mind and trying to persuade him to possess the virtues we have spoken of, from himself and not from the help of God, so that if it happened that he consented to his plan, God, being grieved at being deprived of the owed thanksgiving, might deprive him of His own help, and the all-wicked one, having him alone, might work in him all his desire according to what is written.

7. But as in this matter too Belial ^C was overcome by Christ, with the most blessed Marianus calling upon the help from God and saying: "For You are God, who teaches man knowledge, the maker of the soul and the creator of the body, the joiner of their union, and the steward of their dissolution according to what is fitting, and again the provider of their restoration in the resurrection, and of their confusion-free and eternal mixture in the life of incorruptibility, and the worker of miracles"—and by many other such things humbling himself and assigning all glory and thanksgiving to God—the envious demon, finding no trap against his soul, turned at last to attack his body. And examining him just like Job (for he has no power even over swine, unless God allows it, as the Gospel shows, much less over a man, and a pious one at that), he struck the man with a blow of bodily paralysis, so that all his limbs lay immobilized on the bed, and not one of the parts of his body could be moved by himself at all, but even food had to be brought to his mouth by the hands of others.

8. Then, ^D since physicians were summoned—not only from the city, but from the whole region because of the nobility of his person—a diverse exhibition of the whole of medical art was performed upon him. Externally, there were the varied artificial mixtures of salves, softening the hardness of the surface of the body without disturbance; and various draughts of many things mixed together were given by mouth, reviving and strengthening the inner constitution, which was badly affected and collapsing, by a contrary conflict. Below, however, were introduced mixtures easily emitted and most cleverly devised, which easily dissolved the flatulence of the intestines that found no exit, and drove the black matter there, which was widely scattered and even carried up to the brain itself, down through the lower parts. And these and other similar things, when they had been done to the man, increased the sickness of the body, and put desperation into his mind,

^A so that from this dejection of soul the evil became twice as great; nor had the man any hope in any human aid, and those who were close to him were making preparations for his death.

9. Then one of those who seemed to bear the greatest affection for him, approaching quietly, said in his ear: "There is a man, my lord, who told me that you could be made whole if you would consent to suspend around your neck, and wear, a written parchment which he gives to you." The blessed Marianos replied: "And what is it that he says is written on the parchment?" The servant said: "Because I questioned him a little more curiously, out of my unspeakable concern for you, he did not hide even this from me, but said that he had inscribed certain letters upon it, and asterisks, and semicircles, and some other figures in Hebrew characters, and ^B many unknown names, written both inside and outside. For what need is there to learn the power and the figures of what is written? One goal is set for all of us, your servants: that you should recover your health, and that we all, and perhaps the whole city, may not, through your loss, go down to Hades while we are still alive."

10. "Take then, my lord, this little piece of parchment and wear it, and you yourself will be healed, and you will deliver all those around you from the soul-destroying grief and the sorrow caused by you." The truly faithful and, in the sight of God, most glorious prefect said to him, looking at him intently: "First of all, O most corrupt and soul-destroying counselor, whence is it manifest to me that I shall escape the disease by wearing the parchment, or rather, how is it not evident that there is nothing good written in it, since the one who wrote it does not wish the power of what is written to be revealed? For everything that is made manifest, according to the ^C Apostle, is light (Eph. 5:13). And if you claim that I will by all means obtain health by wearing that superstitious thing, I do not wish for my body to be strengthened if my soul is to be harmed; not even if it were proposed that I should win the whole world. Begone, then, and do not speak such words to me again." The servant said: "Have you then decided, O wisest one, to deprive yourself of life, so that you might kill us before yourself?" The prefect replied: "You, I do not kill, nor myself; even if I am to be separated from my body, I will save my soul through faith in Christ and [by refusing] to be treated with the curiosity of demonic mockery, and I will pay the penalty, in no way accepting a benefit ^D through the mediation of a foreign power. For how could they ever grant a benefit, those who have separated themselves from the truth through the excess of their wickedness? For since goodness is not present in them, how will they provide it to others? Their promise, therefore, is a deceit, and nothing else but a manifest imposture." Having dismissed the boy with these words—

And he did not look toward vanities. And he who does so has not hastened toward vain things, that is, toward the goods which appear as such to the many. And false frenzies. Once more, picking up from the preceding, "He did not look toward," he means, "frenzies that are false," that is, divinations; for the diviners, when they acted in a Bacchic frenzy, were both beside themselves from their normal state and were carried away acting like madmen; and they spoke falsely concerning the things they said. Through "divination," he hinted at the whole of idolatry, as the whole by a part.

Many things You have done, O Lord my God, Your wonders. The great David, struck with awe at the paradoxical mystery of the incarnation of Christ, and unable to find a word worthy of it, exclaimed only this: "Many things You have done, O Lord my God, Your wonders." This is what the Apostle Paul also experienced; for, greatly marveling, he cried out: "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!" By "wonders," he means not only those in the time of Moses, and Jesus Nave, and Samuel, and the miracles older than these, but even more so those concerning the incarnation of the Savior, which, foreseeing in the Spirit, he divinely proclaims the statement that follows.

And in Your thoughts, there is none who will be likened to You. There is none who will be likened to You in Your thoughts—I mean those concerning providence and salvation. For behold what a thing You have decided: to become man for the sake of man. I have declared and have spoken, they have been multiplied beyond number. "I have declared," he says, "and I have taught concerning many of Your wonders in many psalms; but they have been multiplied still further, and have appeared countless, not being able to be subjected to number." For what I have now known are incomprehensible, on account of the greatness of His nature. Or also, in another way: "Being able to say nothing else, I have declared and have spoken now only this concerning them, that they have been multiplied beyond number."

Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; but a body You have prepared for me. That these things were spoken from the person of Christ, the Apostle Paul taught in the Epistle to the Hebrews; for he says that the Son and God spoke to the Father after the incarnation, that "henceforth You have disdained the legal sacrifice, and the offering from there; but a body You have prepared for me from virginal blood, so that this might be sacrificed for the salvation of men."

Whole burnt offerings and those for sin You did not seek. In the book of Leviticus and Deuteronomy you will clearly find what are the whole burnt offerings...

^A into my house, and be recalled, and there you shall see the glory of God made manifest to you through me." The blessed Marianus, having awakened from sleep and narrated to those nearby what he had seen in his dream, said, lamenting: "And where shall I find you now, or your house, O my lord and most genuine Demetrius, when you are dwelling in the imperial city, and I am laid low in Thessalonica? Woe to me, wretched man! How great was the joy with which the dream gladdened me, and with how great a grief has the reality overwhelmed me!" Then one of those standing by, moved by God, answered: "I, sir, will point out to you your patron and genuine friend, and after God, your lord Demetrius, who is both now in the imperial city and dwelling here, and stands there before the King of all, and yet does not abandon this place."

15. This is impossible for those who bear flesh and blood, but for the all-holy and preeminent martyr of Christ, Demetrius, it is very easy. For by his immaterial soul and unclouded faith, he inhabits the royal city above, Jerusalem, and does not abandon Thessalonica, which nurtured him. He has, therefore, houses in both cities; and he urged you, my lord, to come to his house to obtain health. Let us consider, therefore, if it is possible for you, bearing a body, to arrive at his house which is in the Jerusalem above; for he promised to deliver you from your disease [in this way]. But indeed, it is not natural for us now, with an earthly tent, to reach those things. It remains, therefore, that the one who spoke to you in your sleep referred to his ^B venerable house which is in this God-protected metropolis of the Thessalonians.

16. "Why then do we delay, sir, and not go, and harvest the visitation from him?" And having said this, the servant raised his lord from the bed, and having carried him with the hands of other fellow servants, having improvised a seat for him with sides joined together on each side (for he could not easily be carried on a horse), they brought him into the all-venerable temple of the all-glorious martyr Demetrius. And having entered, and seen the decorum of the house, and the spiritual fragrance therein, nourishing the souls of the faithful like the paradise of God, he said to the servants carrying him: "Cast me down upon the floor." They were unwilling, because he was motionless in every part of his body; nevertheless, they obeyed him against their will as he commanded more strictly. And having been cast onto the marble, and having raised only his eyes—for he could not move his head, as his tendons were completely dissolved—he prayed thus:

17. "Holy and all-holy victor in the games, and genuine servant of Christ, you who gave your soul for Him, and gained the souls of many, and offered them to Him; you who saw your body wounded by spears for His sake, and being glorified, and snatching the bodies ^C of many from the teeth of the lion even until now,

and returning them full of faith, and bringing those who are venerated to God; but also for me, and for the grace given by Him, pour forth your healings upon me, the new paralytic, who have taken refuge in the pool of your compassion.

18. For even if I have been in infirmity for thirty-eight years, yet I have exceeded even those thirty and eight years in pains. But why? Assuredly because I have even surpassed him in sins. As, therefore, you have imitated Christ, your God, in gentleness and goodness and the exercise of doctrine, emulate Him also in mercy and humanity; and, emulating Him, pour forth upon me your mercy and your compassionate healings. For if my sins do not stand in the way of your will, He who crowned you has granted you the power and the capability to do so. Therefore, just as he, as soon as God said: «Arise and take up your bed ^B and walk,» found the power to respond to the word, so also you, like one of God’s household and clothed with His grace from the time you entered the struggle for Him and were crowned with victory, ^C may you desire that this also come to pass in me. And I shall proclaim your power, proven by its effect. I shall arise, and like the lame deer, I shall leap; and I shall take up not only my bed, as did that ancient paralytic, but also, as gifts, I shall offer to your house the actions of gratitude that come from grace.

19. For thus, through you, O most philanthropic martyr of the Lord, glory and honor and adoration will be given to Him, and to the Father, and to the Holy Spirit, by those who see me now and by those who shall remember me hereafter, by men and by the supernal powers, unto the ages of ages. Amen. And when he had said these things with tears, while all were listening, he instructed his servants ^D to lift him up and place him immediately upon the pallet prepared there for that purpose. And having been placed there, immediately, from the exhaustion of his body and the sorrow of his soul, he was seized by sleep; and behold, he saw again that same most glorious man, exceeding in every virtue, Demetrios, appearing to him in his sleep, saying: "Because you have obeyed correctly, and because you have correctly pondered the things spoken to you by me, you have come correctly; and therefore, what has been promised to you by God, I shall fulfill. But to restore your body to health is not, indeed, a great thing for me, but that your soul, after the healing of the body, should remain in the good-inclined state in which it is now—this is difficult."

20. For souls, when they are in some way pressed by adversities and by the sequence of evils and pains, according to what is written, {are ruled by tribulation}

} ^A to confess to Him, and to submit themselves to prayers and supplications, according to what is sung in the Psalms: "When He slew them, then they sought Him, and turned and sought God early." But when they have attained relief and prosperity, they become puffed up and arrogant, and speak injustice not only against men, but even against God. Again, it is written: "And Jacob ate and was filled, and the beloved kicked; he was fattened, and he abandoned God who made him, and departed from God his Savior." If, therefore, you render me secure by a certain and sincere promise, that, being healed in body, you will preserve intact the health of your soul which you now have (I mean humility and love toward God and your neighbor), the help of Christ through me is prepared for you. When he had said that "You know your genuine Marianus, never rejoicing in pride," that one adorned with the cultivation of all virtues, namely Demetrius, replied:

21. "You have no evil, most beloved, do not lose heart," and stroking his head with his right hand and raising his neck, and embracing his shoulders and chest, and touching his whole body with his hands, HE spoke in this manner: "Christ our God heals you, who raises up those who are bowed down." And immediately the prefect, with the voice as if still sounding to him, was awakened, and weeping sweetly with joy, wished to relate to his servants the things that had been seen by him. And indeed, what had happened up to the admonition and exhortation, and the promise made by him with tears, he narrated, with only his tongue moving while the rest of his body remained immobile; ^B but when he began to say that the man had said to him, "Christ our God heals you, who raises up those who are bowed down," before the word was even completed, he rose up of his own accord and sat upon the low bed on which he was lying. Not understanding what had happened—for he was as if beside himself with joy—he asked to dress and go out. And they, being more astonished at the miracle than he himself, and unable to answer anything, having with difficulty come to themselves, and having run to those dwelling nearby, because the praetorium of the prefects was far off, they borrowed a tunic, a belt, a cloak, and footwear. For they happened to have none of these with them, in that they did not even hope that their master, in such a state, would ever be in need of such things. ^C But he, having dressed, and being supported by no one, goes off to the so-called silver ciborium of the holy and all-glorious martyr Demetrius, where some say his most holy relic lies beneath the earth. Having arrived there, therefore, the prefect on his own feet, and having pressed his face against that which is there, as it were a silver bed where the God-like face of the same all-venerable victor is also depicted, bearing the likeness of a divine face, he said ^D with clamor and tears

^A: “Behold, O all-holy martyr of Christ, Demetrios, you have fulfilled what you yourself promised concerning my body. But what I, for my part, promised (I mean the humbling of the mental thoughts), it is yours again to grant through your intercession to God. For you know that man is changeable in both body and soul, and always has great need of help from God.”

23. ^B I, however, hastening to perform those things which I promised for your honor, immediately went out from that God-bearing temple; and not wishing to mount a horse, as is the custom for rulers, he proceeded on foot to his praetorium. Having taken what he required, he went back immediately to the venerable house of the martyr and brought there gold and silver vessels, precious and many, and no small amount in gold staters. Going out of the house for a little while and sitting upon a throne, he ordered it to be proclaimed through the city that all in need and those pressed by any necessities should come to him. When many had gathered, so many that they exceeded number, all became partakers of the gifts of God and of the all-glorious martyr Demetrios through this servant of his, Marianos the prefect. If anyone suspects that I am saying what is false, let him observe the writing placed in mosaic work there outside the temple on the wall facing toward the city stadium, and, having been convinced by the testimony, he will believe what has been said before. To our God be glory and honor and power for ever and ever. Amen.

CAPUT II. Concerning the prefect of the militia, healed of an incurable flow of blood by the Saint.

24. ^C A certain man, brilliant in lineage and more brilliant in faith, leading the honorable army that was under the authority of the prefect of Illyricum, suffered an unbearable flow of blood through his stomach. Since the whole city nearly grieved for the man because he was affable and gentle in his ways to all, and every medical art and science had been exhausted upon him to no effect, for the flow of blood did not remit at all, and he remained so that through the vehemence of the morbid ^D condition…

his strength was spent ^A and he lay at the very end of life, looking slowly upward, he said to his servants: “Carry me to the house of the protector of our city.” They, answering with fear, said to him: “To which protector’s house do you bid us carry you?” He said to them: “To the first.” They replied: “To which first? Tell us the name, master.” But he, looking at them, said: “If because of my illness I am less wise, how is it that you, being healthy, are so foolish? Do you not know how many protectors the city has before God? And that through Christ it has obtained as the first of them the one who always and eagerly fights on its behalf in all things, whom both the city and the entire region have obtained as an impregnable wall?” ^B 25. “Therefore, carry me to his house; for either he will visit me and have mercy on me, or even if I die there, he will receive my resolve, and in the future presence at the fearful tribunal of Christ, he will intercede and rescue me from eternal punishment.” Upon hearing these things, they understood that he was speaking of the house of the all-glorious martyr Demetrius, where gifts were accustomed to be brought to the saint, and having taken him up, they carried him there with the utmost speed. What tongue, then, brothers who love Christ, has the power to explain the greatness of the miracle? Or what mind will be capable of being lifted up to the thoughts of the very compassionate greatness of the martyr? For whom neither wealth, nor family, nor the brilliance of remedies, nor the science of medicine, nor the multitude of so-called amulets—for his relatives, who tried everything in their power, did not spare even these, although knowing that they were resorting to a forbidden thing, because of the difficulty and despair of the illness—could profit even in the slightest measure; to him, the imitator of his own Lord, the true savior of the city, and the victor in Christ’s own contests, in a very short interval of time, restored with health, sound, and strengthened, not only in body but also ^C in soul.

26. Thus, filled with understanding through the grace of the martyr, the man, while all were astonished and beside themselves at the unexpected healing and its speed, opened his mouth and said to those who stood by, steadily giving thanks to God, the Lord of all: “Who shall speak the mighty acts of the Lord, brothers who love God and are beloved? Who shall make all His praises heard? For the Lord, our God, who dwells on high, looks upon the lowly things both in heaven and on earth, who is glorified in the council of the saints, is great and terrible. Truly, in the council of the upright and in the congregation, great are the works of the Lord; He struck, and His hands have healed.” ^D

^A Someone once said to Job, “Six times He will deliver you from distress,” and as for me, He has delivered me countless times when I had fallen into unavoidable straits and tribulations, on account of His unspeakable and unutterable mercies. But in the seventh, He says, “Evil shall not touch you,” that is: into the head, or into the completion of spiritual amendment. Often, a man who navigates the billows of life is permitted by divine providence to be surrounded by the enemy in troubles and straits for the sake of his own conversion and benefit.

27. For nothing of what is done or allowed by God is wont to be without benefit. Since the divine providence, knowing our weakness, takes hold, relieves, and rescues man from calamities, as has been said before, the soul that is sober, considering its own sins with a certain natural congruity, is compelled to turn the abundance of God’s mercy toward amendment and to worship the Creator with a right manner of living. This is what was said above: that “evil shall not touch you in the seventh.” For at length man, being led to ^B knowledge and sobered by the conversion born of the unspeakable goodness of God, and living rightly and Christ-lovingly, is clothed, I might almost say, in the grace of the Holy Spirit, that is, in His overshadowing; at which time the holy Trinity also—the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit—comes to reside within him, so that evil, once he is guarded in a godly manner, may no longer touch him.

28. I, therefore, the wretched one, have fallen into straits through sins, not six times in number, but very many times more than that, and afterward I was delivered by the infinite mercy of God, which surpassed and inundated my sins. ^C The visitation of the victor that has now occurred regarding me leaves no room for uncertainty, for I imagine that no greater distress than this one has occurred before, and none such will ever recur. For what distress is greater than for me to descend into the depths of Hades in both soul and body—by reason of sins, I say, and an incurable disease—so that when I unexpectedly ascended, I might cry out openly those words of holy David: “For You have delivered my soul from the lowest hell”; and again with King Hezekiah, “For You have rescued my soul, that it might not perish, and have cast all my sins behind me.” ^D

^A For I trust in God who has worked wonders through him for me, that just as He has banished the despaired-of sickness of the body, so also will He heal the wounds of the soul, and not only this, but He will also guard against their return; for such diseases are prone to return to those who do not possess a shield against the better [power] through prayer and a pure manner of life. And having said these things, and having prayed by himself for a long time with tears, he went out with his own people, rejoicing and giving thanks to God, and to the mediator of His grace, the holy and all-glorious martyr Demetrios; for to Him is due all glory, honor, and worship now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Chapter III. On the prodigious deed performed by the Saint for the Thessalonians during the plague.

^B 30. To count the sand of the seas and the drops of rain, beloved brethren, according to what is written, or to set forth the miracles performed in bodily diseases by the victor-crowned and most glorious martyr Demetrios, is the same thing; and I do not mean those that appeared long ago or in very ancient times, nor even those accomplished in our own days—although we are sinners—through his unspeakable and fatherly love for the citizens. Having perceived this, and the miracle that has recently come to pass, I shall turn my speech to other matters, which I know well that almost all of you will recognize, and you will bear witness to the truth. For it happened but a few years ago, and it has not escaped the hearing of any at all; many even have known the martyr’s compassionate visitation by experience, either having felt the benefit themselves, or having relatives who escaped unexpected death. ^C Why do I delay and not make what I am saying manifest, especially when I have such reason not to be doubted, speaking as I am to those who know? You know surely, beloved, of the divinely sent wrath that came upon the city a short time ago—and not only upon the city, but upon the whole region as well—I mean that all-devouring and all-corrupting pestilence, the measureless one, the one that in its magnitude surpassed all the divine punishments ever sent, and was cast ^D [only by the provocations of our own actions].

Beginning from the light scourgings, and then proceeding to the moderate ones, when He saw our soul’s wounds had become calloused and hardened, and, according to Isaiah, yielding neither to bandages nor to poultices, being—as the best physician for those despaired of, and an exact examiner of things not seen—compelled by necessity, He rushed towards the ultimate inflictions. For first, indeed, instructing us like a father with divine guidance, He permits the corruption not to befall us, but the fruits of the earth, and then our cattle.

32. But when He saw that we had become nothing better, He laid the blow upon the suckling infants and those who were still quite young. And as He perceived that the swelling of our souls did not yield even to this incision, He then permitted the great, harsh, and insupportable cautery of the plague ^B to be brought upon the entire city by angels who were truly evil.... Everyone was snatched away, from infants to men, with only those fettered by advanced old age remaining. For lest anyone say that a natural intemperance of the air had occurred, bringing death upon the living, and that the Lord had not done all these things, for this reason the young and flourishing of age were destroyed, while the old and those near disappearance were preserved...

33. Since, therefore, those constrained by these and such-like maladies fled to the grace-endowed temple of the most holy martyr, ^C as has been said, which was accustomed to bestow healings, then both the magnitude of God’s love for mankind and the protective care of the victor’s efficacious power were displayed. For as many as he himself, like a father fond of his children, visited on each night, these same, immediately at dawn, both partook of food and walked about on their own feet, when previously they had appeared loathing nourishment, suffering terribly, and utterly motionless due to the magnitude of the diseases; within a very few days they also, restored to health and right mind, went back to their own homes without fear, having the security—worthy of faith, ^D since they had been released from those same diseases by the all-glorious martyr—that they would not be caught by them again. But as many as he passed by while visiting during the nights, either death immediately received these, or, laboring under the length of the malady, the relief from the disease was attained by them for long periods with great difficulty, or rather, not even by the aid of time, unless the martyr, in his mercy...

looked kindly upon the sufferer. ^A

34. Truly, those who were there and died were very few, while those who were afflicted for a long duration by these sufferings were fewer still. Moreover, those who were visited and obtained health immediately afterwards were far greater in number. But let no one, because of some weakness or unmercifulness or respect of persons, impiously condemn the martyr who is visiting, but rather let him weigh in his mind the actions of those who suffered at that time and fled to his temple, and let him piously ponder those things which befit and accord with a genuine servant of God; he will find, in every respect, rightly and as befits the providence of God, that those who were immediately freed from their diseases were rightly healed, and those who suffered for a long time from a lingering disease were appropriately punished in these things, and those who most quickly lost their lives suffered that which was fitting, so that the efficacy, providence, and mercy of the powerful martyr might be known everywhere. Whence, they say, do you persuade us that the most glorious Demetrius did these things? For we ourselves also acknowledge that he is great and powerful before God and a lover of the city; but we do not suspect that he visited any of those lying there at that time [who were] granted health, because that which happened in the city was a divine vengeance against it, and since, if he had sent it, he would not have been a defender against our actions, he in no way stood [as its author]. ^B

35. And who, O good and beloved [friends], of those lying inside, unexpectedly attained health, while those who were fewer in number were afflicted for a long time by diseases, and far fewer still lost their lives by chance, and it also came to pass that the disease sent upon them was conquered by the virtue of the sufferer? But, in the first place, to say that any of the good things happened by chance is not for Christians, but for atheists, who deny the providential governance of the one God, and imagine that all things come to pass without external impulse, and as chance brings. Tell me, then, how is it that those who were sick outside the holy temple in their own homes, almost all, with few exceptions, died, so that, as was said, many remained unburied; while those who fled to the venerable temple of the martyr were almost all saved, except for those who were subjected to punishment by Providence, [who were but] a few? For it was fitting here also, had he not brought proper aid, for the plague raging in the city to consume the many and leave only a very few. ^C

36. And that this happened to those who were in the streets and houses, but that to those alone who were in the all-holy temple of the martyr this did not happen, but rather the contrary, is a clear proof that the master of that house gave a specimen of his merciful power. Further, that we might all now believe that all things happen by the providence of God, and that nothing—as some babble—is born of its own accord, God, wishing to excise such malevolent suggestions from the very roots of our hearts, opened

^A the eyes of the mind of one of those then lying there, and at night, as if in an ecstasy, he saw the saint clothed in a chlamys, with a rosy and charming countenance, as one who had received authority from a king to go among the people and distribute gifts. He saw him looking at all those who were in danger, placing his hand upon some and attempting to sign them with the cross. Some, however, he merely regarded with a solemn face, while he passed over a very few with great dejection and sadness, as if he did not even wish to look upon them, due to the great grief he felt for them.

^B 37. Now these died in the morning or shortly thereafter, and certainly, whereas those who had been honored by the life-saving gaze of the martyr, even though with a solemn face, did not indeed perish, yet they were long tormented by the disease; but when they understood—from him who had had the vision—that they had all been visited, even if with sadness, they conceived a good hope. They placed faith in him who said these things, from the fact that those whom he asserted had not been visited died immediately, while conversely, those whom he indicated had been marked in cheerfulness, displayed the signs of health straightway in the morning, so that physicians no longer dared to approach such persons, fearing to apply human remedies after the sign had been impressed upon them by the martyr.

^C 38. Now he who had been deemed worthy to see these things was one of those who were long tormented by the disease, and he saw the outcomes of each of the aforesaid matters. For he rejoiced with those who were unexpectedly and immediately restored to health, and he wept, as was natural, for those who departed this life at once—even if such were but a few, through the benignity of the martyr—and he comforted those who were burdened with himself by the duration of the disease with words, counseling patience, and while lying there with them, he appeared a most credible advisor, as to the need to bear what was brought upon them with thanksgiving. For he used to say to those who lay with him: "Take courage, brothers; for I believe in God, that He also frees us from our sins through the duration of the diseases, and, seeing that we are accepting His chastisement with thanksgiving and readiness of mind and without grumbling, He will not delay in taking away our infirmities ^D and lifting our sicknesses from us." Why then, you might say, did such a man linger in the disease and remain for a long time lying in the most holy temple, he who appeared worthy of such a vision of God and had received, so to speak, the gift of prophecy? For not even if he had been burdened with sins would he have become a beholder of the all-glorious martyr!

39. Do you not remember what was said, beloved, that nothing that exists comes to be of its own accord, but everything is governed by the providence of God? In order, therefore, that, as I have said, no one might think that the aforementioned events happened merely by chance—I mean the fact that those who perished died more quickly, and those who were healed rose up at once, and those who

were tortured by diseases for quite some time, and that the events which took place there were not ordered by the discerning oversight of the martyr, pleasing to God. For this reason, the aforementioned man was preserved in his illness, so that by remaining, he might witness the whole matter and explain it to those who would come after. He himself, while lingering in his illness, was amazed at how he was suffering this, even though he was being sealed by that most holy hand; for while many others were suddenly being healed, he still remained gripped by the suffering. Nor did he obtain healing until he saw the outcome for everyone—both for those who were being strengthened and for those being led away to death. What praise, then, shall we give to the guardian of our souls after God, to the martyr Demetrius, glorified in heaven and on earth, who became the cause of salvation for all who, so to speak, remained in the city and escaped that divinely-sent wrath? ^B

40. For he never restricted his own visitation to a place or time, but he even frequents the houses of those who are suffering and heals those who are in need, and brings them always—and those who come to his most venerable temple with faith—back to their own homes, joyful and strengthened in faith, even more so than in body. For, as a grateful and fervent servant, he correctly administers the talent of teaching entrusted to him by God up to the present day, and by the healing of bodies, he effects the benefit of souls. ^C For by reviving the body, he makes the soul perceive the benefit, and from there, it is turned to inquire incessantly what the active power is; and having learned through experience that God alone knows how to bring to fulfillment the intercessions of his martyr in practice, it prepares [the soul] thereafter to be naturally drawn toward the thought of the knowledge of God, which is the healing of souls, radiating in a manner worthy of God from the wings of the sun of justice, according to what is written, for his is the glory, etc.

CAPUT IV. About those healed of possession by the patronage of the Saint.

41. This victor-martyr was not only glorified through the healing of bodies, but he also recalled many souls obsessed by demons and alienated from their minds to their natural state, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, and this he did many times—so much so that the demons did not even dare to utter a word, such great expulsive power against them did the grace of the victor beam forth. ^D

For just as a sword, flashing and sharpened sharply, covers the condemned man who is about to be struck with the vehemence of darkness and does not even allow him to send up his customary supplications in his distress, so too the divinely-descended grace of the martyr, shining through spiritually, blinded the shadowy powers of the devil—which prefigured the appearance of luminaries like the sun’s rays—as if they had chosen darkness by their own will and had moved far away from the divine light.

^B 42. But since the persons whose minds returned to sanity, after being liberated from the possession of demons through the invisible care of the most blessed and divine martyr, are many and, one might almost say, numberless, let us pass them over so as not to create weariness in the account, and hasten toward another narrative better suited to move the soul. Yet, so that we do not become entirely forgetful of such miracles, come, let us bring into the midst that which has recently taken place, as if displaying from the edge of the mantle the whole substance of the martyr’s victorious power. Certain soldiers, noble and brave, having seized one of their own legion, two of them tightly binding both hands of the sufferer, two others having taken hold of his head to prevent him from biting them as far as they were able, and others firmly grasping the middle of his body and pushing him forward, compelled him to walk, leading him to the temple of the all-glorious martyr while he was unaware of where he was being taken, nor recognizing those who were pushing him—though they were his very close acquaintances—nor having any vestige of a sound mind at all.

^C 43. For so did the indwelling of the evil spirits leave the wretch devoid of his reason, in such a way that irrational animals so far surpassed him with their sensory impulses, overcoming his rational capacity for self-guidance, as sensible men, by rational governance, surpass the disorderly manner of life of irrational animals with a beauty that is incomparable. But when the wretch had been brought with difficulty and much force by those pushing him, he was not permitted to enter the temple, the demons becoming so emboldened in their madness that all the soldiers who were crowding in with him were knocked flat onto the ground before the gate along with him. A clamor having arisen, and the servants of the holy shrine having come running together with many others, they carried him inside with great force and threw him upon the pallet spread out on the ground which had been made ready for him, binding him once again with more than eight men.

^D 44. What, therefore, shall I marvel at, or what shall I praise in the martyr? His hospitality? Or simply his philanthropy? Or his readiness to be heard by those who invoke him in faith? Or rather, his mercy even when not invoked toward those who are in distress? For this very man, of whom the discourse now speaks, could not have implored help even had he wished, because his tongue was bound by his malady, or rather, because even the desire to do so had been taken away from him by the malevolent spirits, moving beyond reason; but just as God, even while Moses was silent, because he led Israel

^A and the sea and the army of the Egyptians closed in the middle, yet answered, saying to him: "Why do you cry out to me?" (Exod. xiv, 15).

45. For He saw with His heart-knowing power the soul of the prophet flying up to the heavens and falling before Him intellectually because of the desperation arising from the sea and the enemies. Thus, he who had justly purchased by the blood of his own martyrdom the grace of knowing what is of God, hears even those who are silent, and hearing, he does not neglect them. For his love of mankind interceded with his own soul on behalf of their weakness and lack of perception; and this is what has come to pass in this new workshop of the legion. For since nothing suppliant could be uttered by the demon-possessed man (for along with his power, as it was said, his will had also been taken away because his mind was not sound), the Saint himself restored the soldier to his own in a very short time.

46. Thus, as has been said, the demons having been expelled from him—so that they had made neither a sound nor any cry upon departing, as they were accustomed to do with others, this having been brought about by the surpassing power of the trophy-bearer, as if by excessive fear he had closed their mouths—in the morning his kin again fell upon the patient according to their custom, wrapping his hands, shoulders, head, and knees. But he, having looked upon them not with a bloodshot and agitated gaze as before, but with one very steady and manifesting the peace of his soul, cast amazement mixed with joy upon them. And as they were greatly delighted by the sight of him, they forgot to utter any inquiry, being sufficiently gladdened in their souls by the vision alone; and he himself reached out first to speak to them in the Latin tongue, unexpectedly.

47. "Why," he says, "do you try to fall upon me and hold me, as if those who are shaken by severe chills upon their beds, or those who are twisted in body by a demonic spirit? Do you try to restrain me?" But they, astonished by the inquiry—for it was of a sound mind—and ashamed to speak the truth of the matter, answered thus: "We are holding you so that you may rise and get dressed, and we may go away to your house." And he to them: "For what reason have we come here, since there is no feast, nor anything else pressing?" For so, as it has been said, he had previously been altered in his senses, so that he did not even have an interval of time to know that he was sick. But those around him, astonished by the severity of the affliction and marveling exceedingly at the God-bearing power of the martyr, said to him out of philanthropy: "Why you came here is not for you to learn now; but give thanks to God, and glorify His holy martyr, for He who, not knowing why you came here, now sends you back knowing the return to your house." To God our glory, etc.

Chapter V. That Emperor Maurice requested the relics of the Saint, yet did not obtain them.

^A Beloved, let us come, if you please, passing over the many common things, to the visions of the great and God-bearing martyr, showing through them also the exceedingly great glory of his magnificence and ineffable power. For because the Christians who lived in this God-beloved city of Thessalonica, both during the time of idolatry and always, were exact and most faithful lovers of the martyrs, because they feared that the precious bodies of the holy martyrs might be delivered to the furors of the idolaters, they concealed them silently and mysteriously in the earth, so that even to the present day, of those who underwent martyrdom in this city, the sacred repository where they were deposited is known with certainty to no one at all, except for that of the most venerable and holy virgin Matrona.

^B 48. When the pious Emperor Maurice had learned of this, and partly indeed wished to test whether the fame of the citizens' solicitude for the martyrs was true, and partly was seized by divine love for the all-glorious martyr Demetrius because he had heard that many things had been written about him, as a pious emperor, he made his request—having employed divine petitions to the one who was then shepherding the Christian people of the city of Thessalonica—so that a relic of the Christ-bearing martyr Demetrius might be sent to him, wishing to harvest the aid from him through faith in battle. To him, the blessed Eusebius, who was then occupying the archiepiscopal throne (for he was the one who had received the aforementioned petition of the emperor), used the following letters:

^C 49. "Not so, O Emperor, do the children of God-beloved Thessalonica think, as is the custom in other regions to openly place the bodies of the holy martyrs, so that by the sight and touch of them they might insensibly and continually rouse souls to piety; but on the contrary, having planted faith intellectually in their own hearts, and fearing the literal sight of such things out of exceeding reverence, they considered the sincerity of faith to be sufficient for them to please God. And they thought it necessary to hide the relics of the martyrs, so that they were known to none at all except to those who ^D had seen the evidence.

^A 50. Indeed, Emperor, our Emperor of blessed memory, Justinian, also used similar letters to those which your Majesty now sends to us, to those who at that time were governing the throne of the episcopate here. For he, too, was possessed by a very divine and burning love for the most glorious victor in the games, just as you are. And they, wishing to respect the imperial and God-pleasing petition, excavated a place in his all-venerable temple, where they thought they would find the most holy relics, proceeding with hymns, songs, lamps, and incense, and having taken up other God-worthy priests with them. When they had finished a portion of the excavation and were attempting to enter more zealously, suddenly they saw fire coming out from the places ahead and moving towards them; and they heard a voice: "Cease from testing further."

^B 51. Seized with fear and trembling, they withdrew quickly. But for the excess of faith, in order to show the Emperor both their own obedience and the danger of the matter, they stooped down and, before the fire could arrive, took up as much dust from the ground as they could; it had caught the smell of fire along with an ineffable fragrance. They properly deposited this in the holy treasury of our Great Church, sending a portion of it to him who had piously requested it and informing him of what had happened; he received it with all joy, as if he had received the body of the martyr himself. And so we, who are insignificant in comparison to those who held the empire, but who revere those ancestors for their piety, have sent to you a portion of the blessing of this same holy dust; for we have realized that to test anything further after such a divine sign, as has been mentioned, is not only imprudent but dangerous. To our God be glory.

CAPUT VI.

De argenteo quem Sanctus, ciborio suo exusto instituendo destrui noluit throno.

^C 52. We have heard this truth-loving archbishop recounting this also, on account of the greatness of the victor in the games, ^D and on the matter of what is to be thought of it, you will find in the preliminary Commentary § 8.

^A providence, and the care of the city, which we shall endeavor to explain hereafter, God willing, we have heard recounted. It happened, he says, that the ciborium which was in his most holy temple, being entirely resplendent with silver, was set on fire by night, so that all the silver was melted down, and a certain part of it was defiled. The aforementioned most holy archbishop, therefore, being anxious to reconstruct the aforementioned holy ciborium from scratch, and not finding the weight of the melted silver proportionate to the completion of the entire work, was deliberating to dismantle the silver throne in the same most venerable temple and to complete the construction of the aforementioned ciborium as more necessary, because it is said to contain the sanctified monument of the martyr, and otherwise it was also, in truth, the greatest ornament of the whole house. ^B 53. And when he had considered this to himself, with no one else knowing his plan (for there was no other pretext from which the remainder of the silver for the completion could be obtained), the helper of us all, the great martyr of Christ, Demetrius, appears in a dream to a certain man, most excellent in his way of life and deemed worthy of the rank of presbyter, by name Demetrius, saying: "Go, tell the bishop of the city: Do not dare to dismantle the throne of my house." And when the presbyter had done this, the archbishop was first struck with amazement, because his thought was revealed—for as he said, no one else knew what he had secretly deliberated within himself; but then, having supposed out of a certain suspicion that the presbyter had invented this (for he happened to be the administrator of the aforementioned most venerable temple), he dismissed him shortly, saying with somewhat angry words: "For what did you hear within me, brother?" ^C 54. But again after some days, when he had inquired much and found no source from which the rest of the work could be accomplished, he was held fast by the same plan concerning the throne, and when he had commanded the silversmith to be summoned in order to give him orders to take away the throne, at that very hour someone announced, saying: "Demetrius the presbyter desires to enter to your holiness." And having entered, he said to him: "The victor in the games, who protects us, has appeared to me, a sinner, again in a dream, in a manner and with a sorrowful countenance, and has commanded me to announce these things to your beatitude in these very words: Out of love, do not grieve me by the removal of the throne." ^D

^A Hearing this, the archbishop was angry with the presbyter (for he thought he was pretending); he dismissed him rather sternly, and finally, having made his intention clear, he said: "And from where do you suggest the remainder of the silver material should be given? Do you know of any other way? Speak. But if you have nothing to say, do not judge rashly, philosophizing about the troubles of others."

*55.* The man went away troubled; for the Saint had not yet spoken to him of what needed to be done, but had only forbidden the throne to be taken down, and from this the presbyter was considered an untrustworthy counselor. For while he said that the Saint commanded that the throne should not be moved from its place, he could not say how the completion of the ciborium was to be achieved. When a delay of about eighteen months had passed in the matter, and no other way appeared to make up what was missing, the archbishop finally determined in his own mind to carry through what he had decided, and not to overlook the whole temple being so unseemly, because its beauty was being extinguished by its incompleteness. Then, by the benevolence of God, the most glorious victor of the contests opened his generous hand, and appeared for the third time to the presbyter, saying: "Go, tell the bishop: Do not be discouraged; my house and the city are a greater care to me than to you; be anxious about nothing."

*56.* Having heard this, the presbyter, with swift speed and great joy, made it known to the archbishop and brought him the good news that he should remain free from care. ^C Then the archbishop, weeping and struck with wonder at such condescension and providence from the victor of the contests, believed with his whole heart in his promise, which he had not earlier made known, because, I suppose, our souls were being tested by a greater anguish. A short time after the presbyter had stepped out, a small while having elapsed, he said to those present who had heard the words spoken at that time by the presbyter: "Let us wait a little, brothers; for the promise of the victor of the contests is truthful." ^D He had scarcely finished his speech when one of his household said: "Lord Mennas is standing below and wishes to embrace your feet, claiming that he wishes to offer you certain things of his own; for this reason he says he has come at this present time" (it was indeed the fifth hour of the day).

*57.* He came up and said to the archbishop: "Since I owe much to the most glorious martyr Demetrius, who has frequently rescued me from dangers and from death itself, I have often felt the urge to offer a modest portion from the wealth God has bestowed upon me to his most holy temple, and in my soul I felt as if someone were speaking to me: 'Wait, it is not the time.' Today, however, most blessed Father, from the morning until this hour, my thoughts have been pressing me, saying: 'Offer it; you have often promised the victor of the contests, for now is the acceptable time, and let the gift be in silver, and not in gold.' I beg, therefore, your holiness, do not turn away your servant,

but as the two mites of the widow, receive what has been brought by me, and add it to the ciborium of the Lord of our city after God; for I am firmly convinced that this is pleasing to the martyr." And having called the servant, he brought seventy-five pounds of silver, saying, "Let it be between you and God, if you do not spend them there."

^B 58. He, having known the dispensation of God and the most swift providence of the victor of the contests, answered, saying: "The Lord, child, bless you; I shall do as you have asked." And he dismissed him. But having waited a short time, and having proceeded a little as if to depart, he received one who sought an audience, John, one of the ancient advocates of illustrious Thessalonica, who used words similar to those which the lord Mennas had used, and who offered forty pounds of silver for the same cause of the consecrated ciborium. And others, whose spirit God stirred, brought [offerings] secretly, known to none but the archbishop, from which was formed that most beautiful work which is seen even today, so that finally the diverse care and providence of the victor of the contests was proclaimed throughout the whole city in Christ Jesus our Lord. For to Him is due glory, honor, and adoration with the immortal Father and the most holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

CHAPTER VII.

59. But it is not right to pass over that which was narrated in all truth by the aforementioned most blessed archbishop. For it rouses the souls of those who hear with understanding and fear of God to think on things above, and not on things upon the earth, but also while it manifests the ineffable care of the most glorious victor of the contests, it shows how variously He works for the salvation of those who serve Him, through the utmost watchfulness of works, not allowing them to offend even in the least. Onesiphorus was a keeper of the temple of Demetrius the martyr, who was adorned with beautiful victories. This man had this sign of his piety, that he was a genuine friend of the aforementioned most blessed archbishop, who at that time was a reader.

60. One day, therefore, as he was traveling to the all-

-holy house of the most venerable victor, he found the aforementioned man before the silver doors of the structure situated there—which is called a ciborium—gaping and almost lifeless, in no way differing from those who are dead. When the man had looked upon his friend, sympathizing and grieving exceedingly for what had happened, Onesiphorus returned to himself only after many hours. Discerning the reader, who was mourning like a genuine friend and was defiled with tears, he said to him, "Are you weeping, my lord Eusebius, because of what has happened to me?" When he nodded—for he was unable to speak because of his grief—he said to him, "You ought not to weep; but if you love me, dig a grave and bury me alive."

^A 61. When he was disturbed by the paradox of his words and asked with a gloomy face, "For what reason, brother?" he replied, "Because I have fallen into a transgression, the likes of which you would not believe even a boy to have ever been corrupted by, by which I have greatly provoked the victor, such that I no longer have the face to even look upon the archways of his temple, let alone touch his holy and sanctified ciborium." When the reader had at that point restrained his great despondency and confusion with his gentle and exhortative words, and had persuaded him to recount what had happened, he began to speak in this manner: "You know, most beloved, the custom that it is strictly necessary for the interior of this sanctified ciborium to be illuminated with candles?"

^B 62. "I know," he says. And Onesiphorus said, "Are you also not unaware of this, that each person according to what intent he possesses, offers either small or large candles there?" And the reader said, "That too is true." "I, therefore," he says, "as the *paramonarius*, thinking it more profitable for both the Saint and myself—for I shall speak the truth, since all things are known to God—would immediately extinguish the large ones among the candles being offered, and in their place would set thin and small ones to be burned. The Saint appeared to me, the sinner, in my sleep, and he said with the sweet voice of his boundless condescension, 'Brother Onesiphorus, that which you do does not please me; for I am not appeased by myriad pounds of gold, as by the salvation of one soul. Or do you not know that as long as the thing offered remains ministering ^C and visible, by that much it moves the saints to intercede on behalf of the one who offered it?'

63. "Allow, therefore, the candles that are offered to burn until another one is brought." I, wretched, having awoken and considered my own sins, thought that I had seen a fantasy; for to a sinner, the saint is not manifested.

^A Since I had received such a command twice and three times in my sleep, I hastened to observe it, and by doing so I have remained until this day. On this very night, someone came bearing very large candles; and after having prayed and the man had departed, I cast my mind upon the candles, as Achar had upon the devoted object, and as I rushed to pick them up and extinguish them, and in their place to light smaller ones, the Saint himself from the holy reliquary released a very loud voice, shouting to me: "Again these?" ^B 64. But I, miserable one, was lifted from the ground by the trembling at the voice in such a way that I was thrown outside the doors, where you, having come, found me breathless and stunned, and having no sign of life. These things, indeed, our blessed Father and archbishop recounted that he had seen and heard; but we ought to pay attention, since it is necessary to obey those things commanded by the saints in accordance with the will of God; but if not, we grieve them to our own destruction. For you see to what indignation the matter moved the Saint, so that he even cried out with a sensible voice to the offender while he stood present. But his goodness will be propitious to us, making us obedient in every respect to his gracious wishes in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom is due glory, honor, and power unto the ages of ages. Amen.

CHAPTER VIII.

whole region, firstly because that multitude of barbarians, like the sand, had devoured everything outside the city, so that—as it is written—not even the dust of the earth was left intact; and secondly, because when it was bruited about everywhere that the city had been captured, none of those who engage in seafaring trade would look towards it. Thus, a danger equal to the war hung over them once again, following their escape from it, with everyone perishing together from famine, both in their homes and in the public square.

66. ^B But the friend of the city, he who is merciful and full of all goodness, the most glorious victor in the contest, did not slumber in the face of this calamity, nor did he neglect us his servants, unworthy though we may be of mercy and compassion due to the multitude of our transgressions. Indeed, he appeared in broad daylight to a certain shipmaster named Stephen—who was carrying a very large cargo of grain and was sailing towards the Queen of Cities—near the coast of the island of Chios, assuming the appearance in which he is depicted in icons. At that time, Stephen was preparing to hoist the right-hand sail of his ship in order to sail towards Byzantium, as has been said. Standing, therefore, in the ship, he said to Stephen: “Listen to me, and hoist the left sail, and sail to Thessalonica calmly and with speed.

67. ^C For it is in need of this type of goods, and you will do well to act thus, while I myself precede you there.” And when he, as if in an ecstasy from the miraculous vision of the martyr, had with difficulty spoken to him, saying: “We have heard, master, that that city has been captured by the barbarians; how then do you command me to go there?” the victor in the contests replied: “Truly, it was captured by men, but not by God. For all things are possible with God. Sail there, therefore, and announce to the merchant ships you encounter that Thessalonica has been saved by the mercy of God.” And having said these things, he descended from the ship onto the sea, walking upon the water, saying to Stephen: “Behold, sail in this way, as you see me preceding you.”

68. ^D And immediately Stephen stood up, hoisted the other sail of the ship, and sailed for Thessalonica, watching for a long time the most glorious martyr journeying across the sea. But when Stephen also saw many others sailing past, he shouted to them, according to the command of the victor in the contest, that the city had been saved by the help of God, and persuaded them, having changed their course, to put in there. Having arrived before all the others, he related these things to many of the city, backing his story with an oath and by the very works themselves.

^A For immediately the all-glorious martyr, by his most philanthropic care, turned the lamentation of the city into joy, as within a few days many merchants arrived, carrying diverse goods, and forestalling the return of the city’s envoys who had departed to the emperor regarding the necessity of the famine. From which, if you assemble these facts among yourselves, you may learn how great the severity of the evil was, since the city at that time troubled even the emperor's ears through an embassy. To God be glory, etc.

CAPUT IX.

70. While the great city of the Thessalonians was being pressed by such misery, and while everyone was dreading not only the famine then present, but also the expected disturbance which was a greater evil than the present one, the common intercessor of the whole region before God, the lover of the city and unmindful of our sins, who expresses the ineffable mercies of the most compassionate God and our Savior Jesus Christ through commiseration, and clearly displays to all the intellectual bosom of his mercy, the all-glorious martyr Demetrius, by divine ^D nod from out of the more...

^A distant and various regions, sent forth ships abundantly laden with diverse fruits, both wet and dry, and with every goodness for human sustenance, so that the hope of those who were expecting nothing but grievous events so soon—even as the winter season drew near—was immediately broken; and the city was turned to hymns of God, not having been saved by human providence, but by the sole care and abundant grace of the martyr.

71. But you ask, how did the matter come to pass? We reply: we cannot refuse to confess what we saw with our eyes. But how shall we be persuaded that these things occurred through the providence of the contest-victor, when none of the merchants who sailed in at that time confessed that any vision from the martyr had occurred to them upon their arrival here? Yet, even if the martyr did not reveal himself clearly to the merchants who sailed in, as you said, he spoke intellectually in their hearts by a diviner overshadowing and persuaded them to set sail for us; and this will convince the faithful listener that the event then truly happened with all veracity. For a faithful man, serving the magnificent count at Abydos, and having received the island of Chios to govern by his command, being grieved and very despondent at the departure and delay of the ships and the scarcity of those sailing up, sees in his sleep—and afterwards, while awake, hears a voice similar to the dreams—the following being spoken to him:

72. "Why, you say, are you despondent and grieving? Know exactly that Demetrius is sitting, pre-earnesting all the ships and sending them to Thessalonica." ^B He then, arising and going to the martyrium of the beautiful-victorious martyr Isidore, being obligated to learn more accurately from the locals who this Demetrius was—at the same time praying with tears at the aforementioned holy martyrium that the precise truth of the matter be revealed to him, so that he might not be judged reprobate and rejected by the one who sent him—hears again from those suffering there under the higher power of the demons speaking within them, unwillingly revealing the truth to him. For they cried out that it was that Demetrius. ^C But they also reproached him with the violent death he had undergone by the spear, just as they once did to the holy Forerunner and Baptist of Christ, John, regarding the beheading of his head. ^D

^A And here, too, they were shouting, as has been said, that this man, pierced by a spear and meeting a violent death—adding also the holy name of the martyr—it was he, they said, who diverted all the ships to Thessalonica.

73. When the man heard these things, along with those who were with him, he was more firmly convinced that his dream and the voice he had heard were true. Not discerning the reality, however, but suspecting that the prefects of Illyricum had sent their own man, named Demetrius—as it was plausible that one might be—to persuade or even force the merchants they happened upon to sail for Thessalonica, he immediately sent a letter to the one who then held the office of prefect of Illyricum, denouncing the injustice and adding the name of the man who had supposedly been sent by him, Demetrius, for the forced solicitation of the ships. He did not stop there, but he also wrote to the one who had sent him to Chios and who held the principate of Abydos, complaining of the governors of Thessalonica and informing him of the details and the name of the sent Demetrius, so that he, being moved to anger, might report these things to the emperor, and the Christ-loving emperor, in turn, might issue rebuking commands to the governors ^B regarding these matters.

74. But these events, by God's dispensation, caused such a disturbance that the God-pleasing providence and merciful guardianship of the all-glorious athlete were proclaimed to the ends of the earth, and the whole world knew that no parent, however loving of their children, had ever cared for their true-born sons as the most merciful and God-imitating benevolence of the martyr cared for us sinners and his servants after God, snatching us from such danger when we had not even contemplated it. These things the most glorious prefects narrated to us and to many others, confirming with oaths: to us in person, to the man on the island of Chios by letter, and to the emperor himself by a formal ^C and sworn report, as has been said, that no one had sent anyone for this purpose, except to Sicily alone by imperial command; and they said that he had not yet returned, nor did he have any man serving him at all who was called Demetrius.

75. But it was the lord of the city of Thessalonica after God, the most glorious martyr of Christ, Demetrius, who, having seen his own city afflicted by famine, had pity on it and, through his own providence, saw to it that they did not all perish utterly. But why do we hasten to greater things and linger on these ^D minor ones? For those things too are great and wondrous, and manifest.

^A For how is it not great that the city and the nation's region were, by the grace of God, delivered from dangers and deaths ^B unexpectedly, not once, nor twice, but again and again, and many times? But when compared to the things that are yet to be told, these will be thought to diminish greatly the transcendent glory of the martyr. Wherefore, having touched briefly upon two chapters, I shall turn my speech to the things promised, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom glory and honor are due, etc.

CHAPTER X

How the Saint even aided Thessalonica in domestic war and popular sedition.

^B For not only has this city-loving and most glorious victor in the games, from ancient times even to this day, effectively shown his compassion for the region in times of pestilence and famine, but he has also, at various times, scattered countless waves of civil wars and popular turbulence within it, sprinkling and soothing the effervescence of frenzied passions with his confidence before God. And of these, I shall recall just one single incident, rekindling your hearts toward the praise of God and the glory of the martyr; for I will not cease to ignite your spiritual thirst with the concise and swift account of his mighty works.

^{C D} 77. Under the empire which followed that of Maurice of pious memory, you all know almost as if you were there, what dust the devil stirred up through the city, cooling charity and sowing mutual hatred throughout the entire East—Cilicia, Asia, Palestine, and all the regions bordering those parts, even up to the queen of cities herself—so that it was not enough for the crowds to be intoxicated by the blood of their fellow citizens in the marketplace, but they now broke into each other’s houses, and were slaughtering those inside most miserably, or throwing them down while still alive from the higher stories to the ground—women, children, old men, and young, as it were, the weak, all those who, due to physical infirmity, could not escape...

but were plundered by them after the manner of barbarians, just as if they were messmates, acquaintances, and, as is likely, kindred; and besides all this, they set fire to the very houses, so that not even those who had been worn down and were earning their living by begging might remain hidden.

78. ^B All the regions in those climates were, as has been said, full of this demonic slaughter and pillage, and were, according to what is written, a den of thieves. But just as when a place has been consumed by fire and the flame prevails over those who resist it with water, the surrounding houses, heated by the intensity of the smoke, themselves turn as black as charcoal and become most ready for ignition, catching at any slight and not unexpected cause; so too did the report of the evils of the East, spreading to all the cities around Illyricum, darken some with the passions of avarice and kindle civil flames within them like tribal brushwood. Already, the rumors of the deeds of their neighbors were surrounding even the metropolis of the Thessalonians, which is guarded by the martyrs, and the bright light of their love—which even the Apostle praised in his epistles—was being blackened by the infiltration of envy.

79. ^C It was pitiable to see, at that time, the metropolis of concord turned into a sea of discord. No one any longer looked upon his neighbor with a healthy gaze (O unexpected evil!), nor could the bond of kinship heal the sickness that had descended upon them. But just as a flame hidden in a heap of straw smolders, kept in check only by its own smoke, and desires but a small stirring of the straw lying above it, so that its omnivorous force, once roused, may burn everything and reduce the surroundings to ash, needing only a motion; so too was the city, hidden under the demon, laboring with mutual destruction in such a way that it too, after the example of the straw, lacked only a small cause to stir up mutual slaughter and to brandish the sword of mutual destruction against everyone.

80. ^D But even with the city in such an ill state, the all-glorious victor of Christ did not allow any of the things that were expected to come to pass, but the rages of the mobs were extinguished even while they were devising evils. Now, it is sufficient for those who have a mind to understand the sudden and unexpected calming of the angers to see that it was a certain divine providence and the secret overshadowing of the saints that brought such a thing to completion. For He who alone created hearts turns them as water wherever He pleases. But so that the minds of those contemplating these things may not doubt, hear what happened; hear, I beseech you, and do not stir your minds only to marvel and to give glory to the martyr; but having carefully examined what is choice and dear to the victor, do you yourselves also grasp it with all your soul and power according to the intent.

^A For in order that the mind of those deliberating on these matters may not fluctuate, as has been said, whether this stream of such immense evils, which was expected sooner or later, was quelled spontaneously or by whose providence this came to pass—and again, in order that there may be no doubt as to by whose intercession the city was snatched from the gates of death—there appeared in a dream to a certain man, who had recently arrived in Thessalonica from Greece, a modest man and a kinsman of those who were then prefects of Illyricum, who had first sailed to the city and was not yet aware of what was being stirred up and spoken of within it, a certain dream-vision. ^B He saw himself ascending to the fountain of healings—I mean, the most holy shrine of the victor—according to the custom of those sailing to the city, since indeed he himself was also entering it for the first time.

Then, having entered the temple as it were, and having prayed, he saw that sacred and most beautiful work, erected in the middle of the temple toward the left side, fashioned in a hexagonal shape with six columns and as many walls, of fine, carved silver; and the roof likewise, rising in a circle from the hexagonal sides and terminating in one round connection, as if from a base, and bearing a silver sphere of no small size above it, under which are contained marvelous shoots like those of a lily, over which entire structure the trophy fixed against death radiates—the life-giving, I say, and precious cross of our God and Savior—making the eyes of the body astonished at the silver work, and illuminating the eyes of the mind with heavenly graces by the contemplation of Christ.

^C This divine work of art, being the ciborium sanctified among us, when the man saw it in the temple, he asked those nearby: "What is this, brothers, this new and marvelous work, set in the middle along the length of the temple? For it would not have taken this place if it had not been deemed worthy of a great cause." And when they answered that, "We heard from our fathers that the most glorious victor Demetrius lies there in a manner worthy of God," the man said: "I desire to see what is within." They pointed out to him the servant standing by the silver doors, saying that not even through him was it possible for anyone to reach those inside. ^D Approaching him as well, the man asked that it be opened for him, as he wished to venerate and be sanctified by the grace of the monument provided by God. When he had opened the doors, the man, not yet having entered, saw indeed that which is seen by us also, a silver structure set in the middle, like a couch, and at the part toward the head, a certain throne fashioned from gold and precious stones, and the most glorious victor of Christ, Demetrius, sitting upon it, in such a form as in

pictured, sitting in that posture; and at the part of the bedstead toward the feet, he saw another throne, brilliant also, but fashioned entirely of solid silver, upon which was seated a woman of most decent appearance, beautiful to behold, dressed in a dignified and unadorned manner, and gazing fixedly at the martyr. ^A Having seen these things, the man was struck with awe and feared to enter, suspecting that the martyr was alone there with some supposedly pious and illustrious lady.

85. But as the man remained outside in a state of consternation, being astonished at the beauty of the woman and of the martyr, the woman, as if arising, attempted to exit the ciborium. With the greatest vehemence of motion, the martyr also arose and restrained her by the hand, and having drawn her back, he seated her again upon her throne, saying: "By the Lord, do not go out from here, nor abandon the city; for you are needed by me always, but especially at the present time." ^B Having heard these words, and having seen the woman seated once again upon her throne, and the most glorious victor of the struggles likewise upon the golden throne, the man dared not go out, nor say anything at all; but offering reverence from the outside, he departed, having asked this alone of the attendant who stood by: "Tell me by God, who is this woman sitting alone with the Saint?" The other answered: "Are you the only one who does not know her? The entire city knows her, and that she always abides with the martyr." He replied: "But I am a stranger and do not know her. Therefore, for the sake of charity, do not begrudge me, but reveal her name to me."

86. The attendant answered: "This is the 'good order' (eutaxia) which God long ago committed to the victor of the struggles. He himself keeps her, ^C allowing her in no way to go out of here, just as you saw." While the attendant was saying these things, the man awoke; but understanding nothing of the things he had seen—since he did not know the movements then occurring in the city, being as he was a foreigner—he recounted these things to the eparch, who was, as has been said, his kinsman. But the eparch himself, not accurately grasping what had been seen, took the man who had seen it and led him to a certain pious monk who was an acquaintance of his, and recounted to him the things that had been revealed to the man; and for the sake of a greater assurance of the truth, he presented the one who had seen it, that he might confess it under oath. The monk said to them: "Blessed be God, ^D and the intercessor and guardian granted to us by Him, the most holy martyr Demetrius."

87. "For I trust in Him, the true God, our Lord Jesus Christ, that the city shall no longer fear the danger of civil sedition that hangs over it and is expected, since the victor of the struggles holds the 'good order' (eutaxia) in his own keeping, refusing either to let her leave his church or to abandon the city."

^A To our God be glory and power unto the ages of ages. Amen.

CHAPTER XI

Regarding the prefect of Illyricum, who blasphemed the Saint and was punished by him for this.

88. Since Peter and Paul, the leading apostles, manifested the grace of the Spirit that was in them not only by doing good and healing, but also by punishing those worthy of chastisement and those who walked with contempt regarding the Divine—as Peter did with Ananias and Sapphira and Simon, and Paul with Elymas the sorcerer and many others—come, let us see if anything of the sort has occurred in the case of the most genuine foster-child of the apostles, the most glorious martyr. ^B For because of his ineffable forbearance and his God-imitating goodness, it has proven difficult for us, while seeking such a thing about him, to find it, since he forgives many transgressions to all, as God does to the world.

89. But since everyone who is entrusted with a certain quantity of talents of the intellect is required by God to perform work, and while for the simpler ones a great deal of pardon is usually granted, for the more cunning ones, when caught in the act of transgression, punishment most often follows, it is appropriate that in the case of a man thought to possess the greatest strength of mind, yet who sinned after the manner of children, we should examine—and set forth to your pious ears—the single instance of ^C vengeance that was barely extorted from the victor of the struggles; and we exhort and urge you at the same time not to seek to trample upon the goodness of the saints, or upon their God-imitating long-suffering, but with all vigilance to guard, as it is written, first of all your own hearts; or if not that, then at least to refrain from letting any word of blasphemy or folly escape through your mouths.

90. For listen to what a pitch of anger a word of madness provoked in the most glorious martyr; ^D so that, as if immediately oblivious to his innate gentleness, he inflicted vengeance upon the one who had sinned. For the man who

held the primacy of the prefects of the Illyrian nation (for what need is there to tell a name that remains in everlasting disgrace?), boasting nonetheless that he possessed the greatest intelligence and exalting himself over those nearby as if they were base creatures—a state of mind which, I believe, brought forth blasphemy upon his tongue out of folly, since we have learned that for the most part temptations are brought upon us because of our pride—summoned certain men who were in charge of the city's public business and demanded that a certain regulation be carried out by them. ^A

91. When they grieved at the gravity of the injunction and, falling at his knees with tears, testified that it was impossible for them to do this, he yielded in no way, asserting that they were feigning impossibility when the matter was easy, if only they wished it. When they said, "Certainly there remains no other way, O Excellency, for us to persuade you, provided we have the power to do so, than to prevail upon your illustrious throne through the terrible and incomparable power of the most glorious martyr Demetrius," the enemy uttered a voice through him. For the words I have to say themselves clothe a boundless blasphemy; for when they, as if in a supreme confirmation by oath, brought the fear of the victor of the struggles into the middle, the prefect replied thus: (But be gracious to me, O most merciful martyr of Christ. For I cannot bear even to speak with my lips, nor even to inscribe in letters, the magnitude of such blasphemy; yet how else shall I explain my meaning through circumlocution?) ^B For he said that the most glorious martyr was conspiring in some trickery with his citizens, who wished to provide him with a confirmation of the matter at hand. But they, unable to endure the extremity of the blasphemy, stopped their ears and went out. ^C

92. After two days, or perhaps not even two full days, the man's entire body from the shoulders down to the extremities of his feet was seized by so grievous a disease that the malady could not even be diagnosed by those skilled in the medical art. And when he had persisted for about eight months in the aforementioned ravenous disease, at last, after much had occurred and he had somehow recovered a little, the punishment ended in such a way that he was debilitated in half of his whole body, so that while he had all his limbs in appearance, in reality he possessed only one hand, one shoulder, half of his chest and belly, and likewise one thigh, knee, and foot. And having remained thus for another four months, so that his year was completed, he was not considered worthy of a visitation from the victor of the struggles—merciful though he is—until, with many tears in his most venerable temple, he had confessed with his whole mind that he had sinned and had made pacts with him: that he acknowledged his power which no one can despise, and that he would not dare henceforth to utter such a word of folly even with his tongue. To God, etc. ^D

Chapter XII. How, after the ciborium fire was ignited, Thessalonica was liberated from the enemy through the providence of the Saint.

^A 93. Indeed, the whole of our time will not suffice for those who relate the miracles of the martyr, and I fear that, while hastening to kindle your longing for the martyr through these narratives, I may bring about satiety through the multitude of the writing and deliver your eager hearing to unbridled nausea. For all things, as the saying goes, human nature will bear, but satiety by no means. And although for those who are of sound mind, and who are such as drink in through their hearing those narratives about holy things—which rather burn with the thirst of the intellect—there is no satiety, nevertheless, lest we also cause the incredulity of some to offend, let us sparingly commemorate the numberless miracles of the martyr, and, raising ourselves to the climax of these, let us write of his providences in wars and his aids.

^B 94. But even here again, if we should set out to commemorate the things we have learned and heard, we will impose an unspeakable length upon the writing. For while we arrange the past events, deeds encounter us on each day, or rather, the things that were once accomplished will not cease to occur, even if we and those after us should choose to write for our whole lives. Therefore, having set forth only two chapters of military assistance, we will fall silent; for by insisting on the narrative we would not be able to finish our goal. But I rejoice, beloved, to set before you the achievements of the all-glorious victor, having acquired you yourselves as the audience and witnesses of what happened (for most of you have been spectators of these things), so that, even if the magnitude of the things that will be told would entirely strike both the hearing and the mind, there will be no need for me to labor to win the faith of you who are listening.

^C 95. The whole region was celebrating, as it was accustomed to do, the feast of this glorious and city-loving martyr Demetrius on the twenty-sixth day of the month of October. And indeed, while everyone was rejoicing spiritually, as the Lord had fulfilled the desire of His servants and had deemed them worthy of the joy of the martyr in abundant peace, with no barbarian voice sounding anywhere at that time, on the second day of the feast, suddenly in the middle of the night, by the dispensation of the Victor (for so the outcome of the matter persuaded me to speak), the silver ciborium of the

same—concerning which we have spoken often above—was set ablaze by fire. This, however, being heard in a short time throughout the whole city, all of the younger age in particular were gathered, who also easily cast off sleep due to their vigor. And since they had become so numerous that the most holy temple was blocked by the throng, the silver itself, having been melted by the fire, lay upon the ground like water; while the multitude of vessels surrounded it like a river—by which also, through the providence of God, the danger of the flame was overcome.

96. For the burning of the ciborium did not plunge all into such helplessness by despondency, as much as the expectation that the flame would reach the vault of the temple melted the hearts of those beholding it; and when this also happened (for the fear which they had dreaded came upon them, as it is written), from the iron chain hanging through the summit of the ciborium—from which a certain multi-light lamp and a silver bowl were hanging at that time, through which, in the manner of a creeper, the fire having spread to the roof, began to consume the things called baskets—then some, having climbed in ^B along the beams with many vessels filled with water, by the cooperation of God overcame the conflagration. After these things, therefore, because the multitude of the crowds would not depart but remained inside, and those who were driving them away—or even bidding them to retire because of the late hour of the night—were unable to persuade the crowd, a fear entered into some of the guardians of the most holy temple, lest some, not known to them, because of the multitude of the crowd and because it was night, might attempt an act of plunder of the silver, not only of that which had been melted by the fire, but also of all that was hanging for the decoration of the feast. And indeed a certain man, worthy of being remembered and honorable, serving in the esteemed army of the office of the most illustrious prefects of Illyricum, ^C as if there would be no way to draw the crowd out of the temple without pain and with a plausible pretext unless someone might feign a sudden incursion of barbarians—the winner having moved his heart to this—began to shout: "Barbarians have appeared suddenly at the wall, O fellow citizens; but with your arms all of you rush forth for the sake of the fatherland." And indeed, he, ostensibly feigning these things and acting only for the sake of leading the crowds out of the temple and securing the gates, so that the collection of the melted silver might take place in quiet; the matter, however, by the providence ^D of the most glorious martyr...

^A fixed as it was, ensured that the city would not be caught unaware during the night. For the entire populace, having heard this unexpected cry, ran to their homes, and having taken up their arms, ascended the walls.

98. Then, on the plain of the venerable temple of the Christ-bearing martyr Matrona, they saw a barbarian multitude—not indeed very great (for they were estimated by us to be only up to five thousand)—but intense in strength, because they were all picked men, seasoned in war. They would not have attacked such a city in such a throng if they had not possessed a vigor and courage exceeding those who had ever campaigned against them. And when the city, having seen its adversaries from the wall (for it was now dawn, and the day was breaking), cried out, the greater part went down, and opening the gates, took up the engagement with them outside, with Christ and the victorious athlete strengthening them, for they had already reached—in the madness of their savagery—the venerable precinct of the three holy martyrs Chione, Irene, and Agape, which, as you know, stands at a very short distance from the city wall.

99. Now when both sides had clashed for a large part of the day, and those of the victorious athlete had made the pursuits and the withdrawals more dangerous—because, as has been said, the chosen flower of the entire Sclavinian nation were those who had arrayed themselves against them—eventually, through the epiphany of the care of the martyr himself, the barbarian army was driven away that very day, with not a few retreating from the very part where they had entered. And thus the unexpected and savage incursion that occurred at that time was brought to an end. But let us return in our account to the time of night, when the entire multitude of the city, leaving the holy precinct of the most glorious martyr, had rushed to the walls, believing the one who had cried out that the barbarians had arrived. For the sequence of the narrative would ^B both demonstrate the undeniable guardianship of the glorious athlete over us sinners, and inflame our souls with a longing for him, reminding them ever of this fatherly intervention.

100. For that brilliant, martyr-loving man who cried out in the temple, and who had feigned the arrival of the barbarians, when he saw everyone rush ^C out, ^D and meditating upon the engagement, were Sclavi. This nation, indeed, is known to have burst into the territories of the Roman Empire no later than the sixth century, having crossed the Ister, as becomes manifest from the things which Procopius records in book III of the *Gothic War*, chapter 40. Through various disasters thereafter, spanning a long period of years, they exhausted the empire, frequently extending their arms even to the Long Walls, which were but a day’s journey distant from Byzantium, not yet even then entirely abstaining from devastating the regions, when, as occurred with the passage of time, they had obtained settlements from the emperors in the lands of the empire. The reality of these things, from what will be noted in the two immediately following chapters, as well as in the third chapter of the second book of miracles, will become clear.

^A and seeing the temple of the victor in peace, with only those of his service remaining within, and some few genuine friends of the aforementioned man whom he himself had voluntarily kept behind, as one who knew what had happened, he said to those remaining in the temple: "Behold, with Christ and God helping, and with the most glorious martyr cooperating, the fire has been extinguished, and nothing of what pertains to this place has perished. Therefore, close the doors of the temple and collect the melted silver in quiet; for again, I know rightly, the beauty of this place will be restored through the holy martyr." But as those who had secured the doors were collecting the silver and clearing away the debris of the conflagration, a terrible and far-reaching shout of the barbarian phalanx and the city’s army engaging in a spontaneous clash was raised.

^B When those in the temple were disturbed by the shout and were neglecting what they had in their hands, that wonderful man said to them: "You, brothers, do your work and have no concern about the barbarians; for it is because I proclaimed this out that you have a troubled hearing, and you do not know from whence the present shout has arisen, and plausibly you imagine it to be the barbarians because of your preconception. But it is not so, it is not so; for I, at the prompting of the holy martyr, feigned the report of the barbarians so that I might disperse the crowd from here, and you might quietly attend to the matters regarding the adornment and security of the temple." And the ministers of the holy house and the friends of the man who had said these things said as if with one mouth: "May the God of the holy and most glorious martyr Demetrius bless and increase your life in good things, first because as a perfect Christian you have greatly cared for the sacred vessels and the security of the temple, and then because you have brought our souls back from the netherworld to the light, as if truly revealing the truth of your pretense."

^C For, truth be my witness, since we firmly believed you about the barbarians, we did not see with our eyes or with our whole mind those things that were in our hands, imagining things pertaining to a war; and now, however, we shall all set our hands with readiness to the tasks at hand. As he, together with the ministers of the temple and those younger ones who were with him, with faithful readiness helped in the cleansing of the burnt items and the carrying out of the charred remains, they perceived more clearly the shout of the war, and through their accustomed hearing they recognized certain signs of the barbaric screaming. And he, seeing them disturbed again, said: "Why, O mindless ones, do you stand neglecting the work? I told you, care for the temple, and have no word about the war. This, as I said before, I feigned intentionally so that it might be quieted—

^A now therefore, being without anxiety, attend to what is at hand as servants of the Victor—

^A 83. But as they began once again, taking heart from these words, to collect things regarding the temple, and to cleanse and remove, and to sweep the floor with water, some arrived announcing that, by the grace of Christ our God, the enemies had been put to flight after having dared to make an incursion upon the gates. And the alliance of the Victor alone brought the whole of the war to a successful conclusion; first, indeed, by having gathered the citizens to his temple, using the fire as a pretext (for they would not otherwise have risen from their beds in the untimely night with such haste, ^B had not reverence for the temple, combined with alarm, roused them). And then, as if for battle, having gathered and prepared them, and filled them with courage through the voice of a single man, he caused them to rush out from the gates in an unprecedented manner. And even until now, from the dawn, having clashed twice and thrice and more often, he showed them to be victors through the memory of him, which is now being performed among us, for his own servants.

84. As those relaying these things testified that they had seen them with their own eyes at the time, and swore oaths (for they would not have persuaded the one who had lied intentionally in any other way), that marvelous man—whose heart lied while his mouth uttered the truth, through whom God, while he intended other things, bestowed other salutary benefits upon the city—this new Abraham, having lied to the city about the barbarians and being about to procure its salvation against his will through the martyr, just as that other lied to his servants promising to return straightway with Isaac, ^C but by his tongue, without his own consciousness, prophesied what was to come to pass—this man, having heard what had happened to the city, praised God and the Victor together with those present there, saying: "O Lord God, Who art before the ages, Who art Almighty, Who art the knower of hidden things and the searcher of things unknown, Who art inscrutable in Thy benefits, ^D incomprehensible in Thy philanthropy, Whose will is a deed and Whose nod is the result of a matter; Thou callest, and all things obey Thee with trembling—why? Because all things are Thy servants, Thou Who alone hast fashioned our hearts, and Who orderest them according to what is necessary for the sake of the purpose before us."

85. For even if Thou hast granted free will to them, yet in the dispensations of Thy benefits Thou dost steer them toward what is profitable; even as now Thou hast done for me, the new Balaam, my Master, a sinner and one who gave no thought to following his example, having had mercy upon our lowliness for the sake of the memory of the most glorious martyr, and having preserved the whole city from an unexpected and unknown captivity. For just as Thou didst cause that man, when he desired to utter other things with his tongue, to pray other things and to bless Thy people through the Holy Spirit, so too hast Thou caused me, Thymine unworthy servant, when I intended to accomplish other things through the rumor of the foreigners, to perform a benefit greater than measure for the city.

For what is equal to that the silver ^A should not have perished, and again that such a city should be snatched away from slavery and from death itself?

105 O the intercession of your athlete and your insurmountable kindness, O Lord! My mind kept the silver safe, and my tongue ^B saved the city; one was the utterance of the Word, and the effect was divided into two benefits by your philanthropy. Ignorant of what I was doing, I saved the city through the temple, and the truth of what was said; and we are at a loss for how to give thanks to You, Master and God, and what is worthy to offer You, since You are Lord of all and receive nothing from us as a debt of gratitude. Behold, these things we have before You according to the Psalm-given command ^C, so that You, having had compassion all the more, might preserve us, not only from those wild beasts having human form, but much rather from the spiritual enemies who constantly strive to reduce our souls to slavery. We keep watch, because You are the creator of all things, both spiritual and sensible, as You are the Lord of all, and yours is the power, and the authority, and the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, to the ages. Amen. ^D (76) In this way did the men, after they had given thanks to God and to our great intercessor and most glorious martyr, all depart to their homes, praising God; for to Him it is fitting that glory and honor and majesty be given, now and into infinite ages of ages. Amen.

CHAPTER XIII

That Avaritus resisted those attacking Thessalonica unexpectedly, and that the city was nevertheless thereafter reduced by them to the greatest straits (77).

107. Now it is truly the time to touch upon the miracles of the most venerable and city-loving martyr, which, being by far the chief of the rest as if a great ^C light, shone forth in the war, which Thessalonica encountered at some time, in the greatest deluge of danger, and which unexpectedly saved us from the perilous and inevitable siege, and, so to speak, raised us almost from the dead. For this narrative—that which is wonderful and incredible and great—will demonstrate clearly, if (76-77) skipping technical editorial notes concerning the collation of codices Mazarinæi, Vaticani 797, and the MS 193 of the author (Metaphrastes) as per the source text provided in the apparatus/notes section

^A nothing else had been stated beforehand, the incomparable power of the trophy-bearer and his God-imitating philanthropy, and his care for the city.

108. For I have composed this as the final part of my writing, so that, with your attention kept undistracted and the memory of what has been said preserved in your thoughts by meditation, I may prepare the hearts of all to keep their confessions of gratitude indelible, not only in the flesh but also after their departure, toward the trophy-bearer who turns away evil and saves our homeland. Thus might you harvest not only the martyr's protection in this life, but also, at the fearful judgment seat of Christ, obtain through his prayers petitions for us from Him who is the Judge that cannot be deceived, who loves those whom He asks through His saints, and who bestows their requests in a manner worthy of God.

109. It is said that the leader of the Avars at that time had asked for something, having sent envoys to Maurice, who was of pious memory and held the scepter of the Roman empire at that time. But when he was unsuccessful in his request, he was inflamed with unruly rage and, being unable to do anything to him who had refused to grant it, he devised a way by which he surmised—most truly, as it turned out—that he could most deeply cause him pain. ^B For having observed that, of all the cities throughout Thrace and the entire Illyricum, the God-protected metropolis of the Thessalonians excelled inordinately in variegated wealth, in men distinguished and wise, and most Christian, and, to speak simply, having recognized that this aforementioned metropolis lay in the heart of the Emperor because it shone everywhere with its advantages, and that if it suffered something unexpected, the one who was crowned with Roman power would be pained no less than by the slaughter of his own children, he summoned to himself the whole religion of the Slavinians and their savage tribe (for the entire nation was subject to him), and having mixed in with them some other foreign barbarians, he ordered them all to take up arms against the God-protected Thessalonica. ^{C D}

^A 110. This was the greatest army seen in our times, beloved. For some estimated them at over one hundred thousand armed men, some at a little less, and others at many more. Since the truth could not be grasped because of the multitude, the opinions of those who saw them were divided. We saw this as a new army of Xerxes, or of the Ethiopians and Libyans who had previously armed themselves against the Jews. We heard that rivers and springs had failed where they had encamped in their march, and they rendered the entire land through which they passed a "plain of desolation," according to the prophet.

111. And this great multitude was ordered to complete the journey so quickly that we had no knowledge of their arrival until one day before. For since these things were announced on Sunday, the twenty-second of the month of September, and the people of the city were in doubt, thinking they would barely arrive here in four or even five days, they remained somewhat negligent regarding its defense. On that very night, at the onset of the second day of the week, they arrived at the city walls without noise. Immediately, the first divine overshadowing of the all-glorious martyr Demetrius occurred, in the blinding of those during that night, and they busied themselves for hours around the fort of the victorious martyr Matrona, thinking it to be the city. But when morning finally dawned and they recognized the city near at hand, they rushed upon it with one accord, like a roaring and ravenous lion. Then, having raised ladders against the wall (for these had been carried along by them, and their armed men were preparing to ascend), at that moment, yes, at that moment, the famous and great miracle of the holy champion occurred. ^B

112. For no longer by mental overshadowing, but by a visible action in the guise of an armed soldier, he appeared on the wall. The first one ascending by the ladder, who had already set his right foot upon the wall, he struck with a spear through the middle of the two battlements and pushed [off... ^C ...and his rear did he render as a plain of desolation.

...that these things should be cited, than because his prophecy in chapter v, 3, has: "After him is the desolation of the wilderness." For in these words in the Greek text of the Holy Scripture, the following things correspond: but as the action fell under sight, he appeared on the wall in the guise of an armed soldier. Striking the first one ascending by the ladder, who had already set his right foot upon the wall, with a spear through the middle of the two battlements, he pushed him off. It is not without cause that these are attributed to those momentary incursions of the enemy, which, among historians—who are usually accustomed to commit to writing matters of greater moment—you will find not rarely suppressed in silence. And hence you may conclude that what is narrated in the preceding chapter by John alone, with all other writers silent, concerning the sudden and unexpected eruption made by the Slavs into areas adjacent to Thessalonica when the burning of the ciborium of Saint Demetrius occurred, should not be held as doubtful or fictitious. ^D However that may be, as to the expedition—both this one and that of the Avars, which is mainly discussed here—being considered an indubitable fact, the authority of John of Thessalonica—the author, surely serious and relating matters he witnessed himself, as he indicates in more than one place—suffices for me, being furthermore a contemporary. John was therefore contemporary to the Avar expedition, which he relates in this chapter; but that this will appear much more clearly from the things he mandates in writing in the following chapter.

(84) In the formerly Mazarin codex, the prophet is called Joel here; but there is no other reason for him to be included here, as is clear from this place in John. For these things, as is clear from the notes to be remarked on shortly, certainly occurred between the year [579] and the year 605; but of the years that passed between this and that, only in the said year was the twenty-second day of September a Sunday, as will become manifest to anyone who starts the calculations. Regarding the Avar expedition, or if you prefer, the expedition of their leader or chagan, it is plain from this passage of John that it must be bound to the year 597. It is that "at the onset of the second night of the week"; for that which John adds here shortly after, that it happened on the night which followed immediately upon the Sunday, is clear from the context of the narrative; for the weeks can be started from the night which precedes Sunday, and each of their days can be distinguished by the name of the Sabbath, as is clear even from [the Gospel of] Saint Mark alone, ch. XVI, v. 2, where it is held: "Very early on one of the Sabbaths, they come to the monument, with the sun already risen."

^A And he cast the dead body off to the outer side; as it rolled down the ladder, it dragged down with it those who were upon it, while he himself fell to the ground dead, leaving drops of his blood among the thorns, that it might be manifest both where he had climbed up and whence he had fallen. That this feat was the work of the trophy-bearer is evident from the fact that no one to this very day has dared to oppose the truth, nor even to contend for it by feigning out of some love of glory that they had dealt the fatal blow to the bold barbarian, even though those who at that time held authority over the city inquired much and proposed to honor the one who had slain the barbarian. ^B 113. Let no one, therefore, doubt that such a feat was of the trophy-bearer alone, first from the fact that all the barbarians who were present there, though they were a sufficient multitude, were immediately seized by an immeasurable cowardice and retreated far from the wall; and then because there were no men of the city upon the wall either, except for a very few, and these too had descended very quickly near dawn and were resting at home, because, as has been said, they thought the multitude of barbarians would arrive only after a few days. And that a great confusion suddenly arose throughout the city, so that all the soldiers without exception rushed to the wall—who could doubt that the operation of this was of the divine impetus and the overshadowing of the saints? For when day had at last dawned, those wild beasts had safely surrounded the entire wall in a circle, so that, as the saying goes, they did not even allow a bird to fly out of the gates or to enter the city from without. ^C 114. Then, indeed, then was the innumerable multitude seen clearly; for from the extremity of the wall toward the sea at the east to the end of the wall toward the sea at the west, they encircled the city like a deadly crown, with no place of the ground being visible that the barbarian did not tread; but it was possible to see, instead of the ground or trees or grass, the heads of the adversaries, because they were crowded together and crushed, and because they were brandishing before us the inevitable death of the morrow. And what is truly astonishing is that of that day they did not only circle the wall like the sand of the sea, but very many of them also occupied the forts and suburbs around the city, plundering everything, and devouring and breaking to pieces, and trampling the remainder with their feet. ^D There was no need then to lay a palisade around the city, or a rampart, for their own company was a fortification to them.

115 What discourse, brethren, will be able to bring before your eyes the tribulation which then took hold of us by our deeds, not by chance, but truly by our own sins? For it is good, brethren, to confess the truth. Perhaps even now our mercy will fly before the Lord; for if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, that He may forgive us our sins. ^B And it was the sight of the barbarian phalanx that then brought an unspeakable fear upon the city; for never before had the enemies been seen encamped so close to the citizens, nor had the common people, unless you except those enrolled in the military registers, ever beheld them. Therefore, the heart of both the braver and the more cowardly had become one; for in the desperation of salvation, the difference between them was not recognized, but tears flowed from all like a river, and a terrible gloom and alteration darkened everyone, so that the prophetic saying was then fulfilled which declares: "All faces are as if towards the burning of a pot."

116 For everyone thought it impossible that the city could be saved, since all hope among men seemed to have vanished at that time: first, because a horrible plague had afflicted it up until the month of July, and after a remission of about fifty days, by the mercy of God, the attack of those barbarians, sent by God, immediately arrived, and those found in the city were few in number and exhausted by the recent grief of the buried. ^C Secondly, because of the number of those besieging it, equal to the sands; for even if one were to suppose that not only all the Macedonians, but also the Thessalians and Achaeans had been gathered together in Thessalonica at that time, they would not have amounted to the thousandth part of those who had encompassed the city from without. And thirdly, what brought us the greatest helplessness of all was that even the small part of the citizenry and soldiery that remained after the plague, and perhaps even the weaker part, happened to be in the city at that time, while the many were locked out in the fields and unable to enter the city because it was the time of the vintage, and the enemies had suddenly and unexpectedly encompassed it, clinging to the wall.

117 ^D Indeed, those who remained in the outer parts were saved, rather than those who wished to take refuge in the city. And many even of the chosen youths of the military order, and of those in the greatest

^A number who served in the praetorium, together with him who at that time held the authority of the prefect over the region of Greece—departed as they were for the sake of public business—and even the multitude of those who remained, as many as were distinguished by wealth and prudence, and by servants in their prime and men skilled in warfare, and who held first place in the offices of the prefects of Illyricum, had betaken themselves with their friends and a great retinue to the queen of cities, in order to make application to the emperor who at that time held the government.

118. Thus, therefore, by various means, the city having been stripped of its people, helplessness cut off every hope of safety. And let no one reproach me for magnifying the greatness of the danger, nor let anyone imagine that I am raising up the necessity of the situation by my words more than is appropriate; for what discourse will be found so capable that it could match the magnitude of the things that have occurred? As for me, I fear even that any writing of such haste might, through the weakness of my speech, diminish the measure of that crisis. If only I had such a power of words, and more tongues, so as to be able to converse on an equality with those things that happened in those days; for by my representing the magnitude of the necessity, the overflowing wealth of the goodness of God would also have ^B been demonstrated. But even if my speech fails, let thanksgiving abound among you, and in as much as we are unable to express the magnitude of those dangers, by so much the more do you believe in the omnipotence of the Lord, and praise the common intercessor of our fatherland.

CHAPTER XIV.

119. For as to how great and intolerable the calamity and the tragedy of evils were that surrounded the city at that time, hear what sort of vision he saw in his sleep.

^A Eusebius, who was archbishop at that time, saw it; hear me, I exhort you, and be struck with compunction unto piety, and admire God, the King of all, for His manifold providence. For I do not think that those visions appeared to the archbishop at that time for any other reason than that, having foreknown the magnitude of the evils that were to come, he might appease God through unceasing prayers by the athlete of Christ; which he also did, wailing and lamenting from the time he saw the dream until the moment God took pity on us and did not deliver us into the hands of our enemies.

120. For eight or ten days before the barbarian clouds of war broke upon us, the archbishop saw himself in a dream inside the theater of the city, sitting with a great multitude present. ^B And while he was uncertain for what reason he was sitting in a place so inappropriate to his dignity, and was planning to get up and leave, he saw a tragedian entering onto what is called the *logeion* [stage] of the theater and saying to him, "Wait, for I must lament for you and for your daughter." But he said to him, "Do not trouble yourself, for I have neither a daughter, nor is there anything in me for which you ought to lament." But he replied, "You truly have a daughter, and one who acts as a mother to many children, and it is necessary for me to lament for you as well on her account." Then the archbishop understood that he was calling the city his daughter. And as that man was about to begin his lament, the archbishop rose from his throne and cried out to him with a loud voice, "By the God of things on high, do not lament either me or the one you call my daughter." ^C And when that man, being troubled because he was hindered from beginning, said to him, 121. "Is it not necessary for me to lament both you and your daughter?" And as he was preparing to begin again, the archbishop cried out with an even louder voice, saying to him, "By the God who was born in the flesh from the immaculate Theotokos for our salvation, do not lament either me or my daughter." And he notes that for many hours he insisted, saying that he had to perform his lament, and the archbishop adjured him not to do so, until suddenly the tragedian was dragged away from the stage and disappeared, being unable on account of the oaths to lament the city and the archbishop. ^D When he had awakened and discerned that these laments were omens of great calamities, he besought God night and day with tears to avert in His mercy the divine scourge that was threatening the city. And indeed, after a few days, as I said, that beast-like nation, which exceeded in number all counting, surrounded the God-guarded city of Thessalonica, and he immediately knew that the tragedian had foretold this lamentation.

122. How, therefore, could I not call the calamity immeasurable, and how could I not call the omnipotence of God infinitely greater? "For My power," He says, in weakness is perfected.

^A For just as in the time of Gideon God ordered only three hundred men to be sent out into the battle against a myriad of ten thousand enemies, so that the victory of the Lord might be shown plainly, and they might not say, "Our own hand is high, and it is not the Lord that did all these things"; so too, in this war, it happened by divine dispensation, for the reasons already set forth, that the city was left with few men, so that no one might doubt that it was not by the prayers of her lord after God—I mean the all-glorious martyr Demetrius—that Christ alone, our God, rescued her from the lowest depths of hell; for she had neither weapons nor wealth, but the right hand of the Most High was everything to her.

^B 123. For immediately, while the men of the city were divided, we saw the wall filled with unknown men, whom no one among the citizens had ever seen; and who would not call this event the result of divine oversight and succor? But were we alone imagining that we saw this, or did the same not appear to the barbarians as well? For many of them, in the final days, when they despaired of victory, defected to the leaders of the city and confessed unequivocally, saying that the leader of the Avars, having learned precisely from many that the city had very few combatants, because a plague had also recently occurred here, sent us, saying that we would conquer the city that very day; but from the time we arrived, we saw so many and such combatants on the wall that they far exceeded our own army in both number and courage, and from that, we despaired of capturing you, and decided, not without good reason, that it was better to seek our own safety among you.

^C 124. And these things happened later; but on the very day of our arrival, they were busy with the things outside, gathering food, captives, and wealth, as well as a great abundance of grain and other crops that had been seized by them; for all the produce of agriculture and what had been stored from previous years was then outside, and barely lasted them for that day. ^D After this, they consumed the fruits of the trees and their shoots, and their roots, and all garden herbs; then they ate the cultivated grass, and the wild-growing herbs, and what are called green thistles, and finally they even ate the soil of the earth, and yet they remained hungry, the earth not bearing the weight of them. In the evening of their first day, these things occurred: they piled up dry wood and lit fires around the city, so as to imitate the river of fire in Daniel, concerning which Habakkuk said: "The earth shall be cleft by a river." Then, along with that fearful fire, [the text breaks off].

^A they sent forth a voice with one accord, more fearful than the fire, concerning which, having been clearly taught by experience, we say that the earth was shaken, and indeed the heavens dropped.

125. Then we also heard noises round about during the whole night. And on the next day, as they were constructing their siege engines, iron rams, and very large stone-throwers, and the so-called tortoises—which they had at first covered with dry skins—they changed their plan again, so that they might not suffer damage from boiling pitch, and they fastened to those machines the bloody skins of oxen and camels recently slaughtered, and in this way they brought them close to the wall; and from the third day onward they began throwing stones, or rather, mounds in size, and arrows like a winter storm, so that no one of those who were on the wall could show themselves without danger or observe anything of what was being done outside. Furthermore, having pressed the tortoises against the outer wall, they shook its foundations greatly with levers and axes.

126. ^B While these things were happening, what words could describe the hearts of those in the city, the fear, the despair, the death seen before their eyes, or—if this had any slight consolation in comparison with other evils—the servitude and captivity, and that among merciless and bloodthirsty masters who—and this was the greatest evil—did not know God? But He who spares the humble, who strikes and heals again, who knows the thoughts of men, the Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of His champion and genuine servant, ^C looked upon the hearts of those calling upon Him. He saw them leaping toward heaven and grasping mentally at His feet as their Master; and as they showed Him their weakness, their lack of counsel, and the inevitability of what was hanging over them, they cried out with a voice heard by God alone: "We shall not rise from Your footprints, O most merciful One, until You have had mercy upon us."

127. For the eyes of all hope in You, who have delivered us from Hades and rescued us from destruction according to Your wonders; ^D for if You save us, the present miracle shall stand second to none of those from eternity.

no miracle of the present time shall be considered inferior. For if we are indeed worthy of punishment because of our sins, much more are You worthy of philanthropy because of Your compassion. Do not, therefore, despise us, O Good One, for we have lifted up our hopes to You alone. O Lord, we acknowledge that we are unworthy to obtain intercession, but for this reason we implore that the supplications of Your athlete on our behalf may not be rendered ineffectual by the multitude of our provocations; for we know him to be a compassionate guardian who offers up to You requests on our behalf. ^A But do not let there be heard from You, O God, what You once answered to Jeremiah: "Do not pray for this people, for I will not hear you." Do not, O heavenly King, for even if we are guilty of all other evils, we know no other God apart from You, but we invoke Your name always, which has also been called upon us. Let not our iniquities overcome Your goodwill toward Your martyr.

128. ^B Do not grieve, on account of the multitude of our evils, for him who was slain by lances for the sake of Your name, because sins exist in measure, but the fountain of Your philanthropy is infinite; and You have no greater and more admirable grace to bestow upon Your athlete than by gifting him a city and nation of Christians who have trespassed against You. Then is great grace granted to friends, not when one makes petition on behalf of those worthy of mercy, but when the judge himself releases those already condemned and grants them favor. Therefore, grant us to him, O Master Christ, and just this once, so that upon having obtained from God that salvation which is impossible among men, standing together in his temple, we may raise a voice of praise and confession to Him who overlooks iniquities and passes over injustices, and does marvelous and unsearchable things, glorious and extraordinary, of which there is no number.

129. ^C These things all cried out with an inward voice; for the distress of their helplessness blocked their speech. But He who searches the hearts heard the groaning of those in bondage, and having accepted the supplications of the athlete, He showered upon the city a rain of goodness. But perhaps you will say, "Whence is this manifest? Who has seen God, or who has heard Him promise salvation, such that you affirm it to have been rained down upon the city?" Hear, O beloved: no one has seen God at any time, nor indeed has anyone heard the voice of God in His essence; but from His works, both those which are established in our minds and those which are perceived by the senses, both the so-called wrath of God and His natural goodness are made known to those who are studious and wise. ^D Lend me your ears, I beseech you, and I undertake to prove to the faithful hearers, in a way that manifests power, that the facts themselves make it as if to cry out how suddenly God rained mercy upon the city.

130. For immediately those who were dead both in soul and body from the evils they had witnessed and the worse ones they awaited, unexpectedly found courage around the third day of the siege,

^A and even more so, to the point of laughing and mocking their opponents; and by exhortations and promises, they persuaded many of them to come over to the city, so that the public baths, which were not in use, were filled with those deserting from the barbarian multitude. When, from this, the greatest joy and courage arose for those in the city, could anyone doubt that these were the accomplishments of divine power, which loosens those in bonds, raises up those cast down, opposes the proud once again, and scatters the counsels of nations? For my part, even if there were no other proof to offer of the succor that then came to the city from God, I would think it sufficient for those of sound mind, as they judge these things, to show that the city was saved at that time by nothing other than the aid of God.

^B ρλα'. For who but God alone raises the dead? And how then did the citizens differ from the dead? For not only were they unable to engage in battle for the first two days, but they were unable even to speak a word in reply, chilled as they were by the frost of fear. Who, then, could change such people into bravery, if not God? And behold the dispensation, beloved, and adore His merciful providence. For if, immediately upon the barbarian’s arrival, He had clothed the people of the city in bravery, they would not have attributed their salvation to God, but would have been condemned for being ungrateful and proud. For this reason, then, Providence left them to their own nature for the first few days, and then displayed ^C its help, so that they might both recognize their own weakness, behold the magnitude of the necessity pressing upon them, and perceive the presence of the dignity of the Most High that overshadowed them.

ρλβ'. But since the mind of many wishes for a narrative to be set forth of certain other events that occurred, which will show that the city was saved at that time by the hand of God and the intercessions of the victor, we are at no pains to satisfy your desire; yet to speak in detail of what happened in the northern and western parts of the city, and the violent and numerous machines that they say were brought against them there by the enemies, whom we know well were the strongest and fiercest in battle of the Barbarians, and when they endeavored ^D to place a wooden and broad structure on the sea, by which they might force their way into the city's harbor—and how it was torn apart, dragged by a mechanism into the open sea, which God alone and not man contrived—would be a matter for a long discourse and a lengthy narrative, exceeding the present scope. But those things which I saw with my own eyes and touched with my own hands in the eastern city

^A part, and which were brought about by the enemy, yet dispersed by God alone, these I shall recount in detail, anxious lest, by the length of the account, I should burden the eagerness of my hearers with weariness.

^B 133. For my sole purpose is to demonstrate to the God-loving ear that the salvation of the city at that time came from God, and from nowhere else, and to stir the minds of all to divine compunction, and to a confession pleasing to God, and to perpetual thanksgiving to the Victor in the struggles. We have said that on the first and second days of the siege the enemies themselves gathered their provisions, and prepared against the city many formidable and diverse engines. On the third day, and up to the seventh (for the most glorious martyr did not permit them to besiege the city beyond these days), as time passed, they brought everything right up to the walls—the siege towers, the rams, the stone-throwers, and the ground-crawling hooked machines of the tortoises. First, having readied their assault against the gate called the Casandreotic, when they saw hanging from it by those within the city an iron hook—a small thing, and indeed something like a child’s scarecrow—seized with fear of such a machine (I mean the ram), they shrank back, and retreated to their tents, committing both it and those like it to the fire.

134. Did the power of the city accomplish this, or was it entirely the power of God, who is able to strike terror even into the bold as if they were infants? ^C Then, approaching the outwork under cover of leather-clad tortoises like serpents, they attempted to dismantle it from the foundations with mattocks, as has been said, and with levers. This was even being accomplished according to their design, had not the heavenly Providence again shone upon the citizens, shielding their hearts with courage like a breastplate, and suggesting that they go out against the outwork and strike terror into those beneath the tortoises, who had nearly razed the whole thing. For it was not possible to throw anything from the wall against those who were encroaching within and remained covered by the outwork, and were not even seen by those above.

135. Therefore, a few armed men, whose eagerness God had enkindled, went out through the gate—on which the so-called portcullis had indeed been hanging, ^D but had been raised at that time—and having merely ascended upon the

^A bulwark, they struck the enemy with such panic that, seized with an unspeakable fear, they abandoned all the instruments which had been fashioned by them for the undermining of the bulwark, and fled; even though the men who had gone out against them had nothing in their hands save for spears and javelins, and—as you know—shields covered with the fresh skins of oxen and camels, nor could the flinging of stones, due to the protection, or the pouring of fire and burning pitch, do them any harm because of the dampness of the skins, let alone could the men, few in number and armed—as is likely—only with spears or bows.

136. Therefore, let the fair-minded auditor judge: if those who appeared on the bulwark only with spear and bow, and were seen by those under the tortoise-shells to be doing ^B any harm or shaking the earth, were mere fools, whence—and from whom—did the cause of their slaughter arise? Clearly, it was the boldness which God inspired in the Macedonians. For where the will (the inclination) of God is, there surely the support for the enemy is laid bare. And it was then that the energy of the devil, having been brought to naught, showed that the city was worthy of divine providence. For know that even as He deemed Adam, and Job, and all the saints worthy of divine assistance, He immediately cast off that squalor and surrounded them with successive dangers. Therefore, when the enemy perceived through the events—through the miracles—that the intercessions ^C of the all-glorious martyr had caused the rain of divine mercy to pour down upon the city, the malevolent and envious demon, who rejoiced in the misfortune of others, began to scheme how to turn the joy that had accrued to the city from the defeat of the tortoise-shells and the barbarians into grief.

137. For it made use of the obliquity of the aforementioned portcullis—which was also very large, containing within itself both the height and the breadth of the two doors—so that, after the exit of those who had gone out, it would not descend when lowered, because one side was fixed to a stone doorpost ^D (4), and it would not descend; and because the crowd of many, wishing to raise it upward, could in no way do so—since its right side was attached to the other doorpost (5). And so, as it could neither be raised upward nor depressed downward, the gate remained open (6) for the whole day and even the following part of the night. But God, through His own mercy, just as He had then poured forth tears there in the manner of floods, when we were crying out, "Christ is with us," through a certain divine inspiration, the portcullis...

was drawn up above, and having been leveled, it was lowered, and finally the hearts of those who were wavering were quieted.

^B 138. Hence, indeed, a flood of tears was also stirred up among them, because the enemy was suggesting wicked thoughts, as if God wished the city to be captured and therefore the gate was not being closed. And what he himself had contrived through his malice, this he also suggested to their minds to attribute to God. But glory to the holy God; for his deceit did not prevail in the end. Do you wish [to hear of] other miracles of Christ that occurred then? I shall propose one not less than the other miracles; for since, by divine impulse, the enemies had abandoned their tortoises, levers, and mattocks and had fled, with no one pursuing, they later made use of stone-throwers on the following day.

139. These were square, tapering from wider bases to narrower tops, upon which were very thick cylinders, iron-plated at the ends, and wooden beams fastened upon them like the beams of a great house, holding slings which, when raised, sent forth stones both large and numerous, so that not even the earth could endure their impact, much less a human dwelling. But they had shielded only the three sides of those square stone-throwers with planks, so that those sleeping inside might not be wounded by arrows launched from the wall. And since one of them was incinerated along with the planks by a fire-bearing bolt, they took up the instruments and retreated; but on the next day they brought the stone-throwers again, ^C covered with fresh hides, as we said before, along with the planks, and having set them closer to the wall, they cast mountains and hills against us—for what else could one call those enormous stones?

140. Then, what of those in the city in response to this? What are they to do? I say. They did not become cowardly, nor did they think of fleeing any of the things being brought against them; for they had, as was said before, a certain courage sown in them by divine impulse. For what human firmness would not have cowered and been deadened by the sight of that stony hail and the unbearable roar of that man-made thunder? But nevertheless, strengthened by God, they decided to prepare before the battlements [curtains] woven out of thin rods like certain tapestries, and the mattresses made of papyrus and sacking—the kind placed under diners in dining rooms—so that when the stone struck, the force of the impact might be softened, tempered ^D as it was by either the tearing apart or the softness of the resiliency.

141. But the people of the city devised these things as men, while God helped as the Almighty, and He showed us that it was not human help, but His right hand alone that saved the city, according to what is written, and His holy arm. For what indeed happened? From dawn until the seventh hour, while the enemies were hurling those enormous stones each and every day, scarcely one of them struck the wall, but they fell either outside the wall or inside; and where they did fall,

they formed a pit—even though many stones launched from the city through the narrow opening at the top of the Barbarians' stone-throwers seemed to descend by command, killing those inside. But so that no one should suppose from what happened that it was not God, but the inexperience of the Barbarians, that caused the stones to be launched inside or outside the wall, for this reason He destroyed the whole structure with one blow down to the walkway. ^B 142. Indeed, when the compassionate God saw those who were on the wall seized with unspeakable fear, He no longer permitted any stone to strike it, although there were more than fifty of the aforementioned stone-throwers trained only against the eastern part of the city. When, therefore, those who were hurling them grew weary and accomplished nothing, and had spent that day to no purpose, they returned to their camp, having labored in vain through the invisible protection of Christ. Yet the Lord so revived those who were dead with fear to such a degree of courage that, after this, they even rushed out through the gate that leads to the sea and slaughtered some of the Barbarians who were bathing in the sea, and made a quick retreat before the masses knew what had happened; for it was a fearsome thing not only to go out against them, but even to open the small bolt of the gate a little. 143. Who would not say that these were feats of divine ^C intervention? Who would not acknowledge that His mercy was then brought down upon the city? But why, I ask myself, do I not come to the main point and set forth the self-evident assistance of the Victor of the struggle, which occurred in the war—assistance which is able to move even the most incredulous to accord with the fact and to glorify the martyr, although we are not lacking in ten thousand other narratives which make clear to us the invisible and heavenly help? For the Lord worked this miracle against the enemies through His own martyr. The seventh and final day of our siege happened to be the holy Sunday, and because the enemies had rested on this day, as though from the labor of the previous days, they were planning to carry out the next day a struggle of life and death against the city, with all of them attacking the wall in a circle, so that either the violence of the assault might strike terror into the guards on the battlements and cast them down, or, if this did not happen according to their purpose, they might gain a useful trial, ^D so that they would know henceforth that fighting was of no avail. 144. And indeed, as we were able to learn from those who fled to us, when this had been decided by them—and all of us were seized with fear regarding the trial that was due to happen the next day—suddenly, around the eighth hour of that same day, all of them [the Barbarians] gave a shout in unison, and fled to the mountain peaks, abandoning their tents together with their equipment. Such was the terror that seized them—the whole of it—so that they [left]...

^A even fled without their arms. Then, having remained for about three hours on the summits of the nearby mountains, having seen what they saw, as we later learned, when the sun set, they returned again to their tents, having stripped one another in the foresight of the victor, so that most of them were wounded. Then, that night having passed in great quiet—and not as the previous ones had—when the dawn appeared, many of the enemy were seen approaching the gates, but of that measureless multitude, no one appeared.

145. Then, because the city feared that some deception or ambush might be set, they neither opened the gates nor received those of the adversaries who had approached at that time; but when they shouted greatly and swore that all the enemies had fled without a sound during that night, ^B they opened the gates with difficulty around the fifth hour of the day and received them. And when they asked them to report truthfully the intentions of the enemies, and for what reason they had approached them, they said: "We fled to you so that we might not be destroyed by the plague, and also because we knew that you had won the war; for we were well aware that you had hidden your army in the midst of the city until now, and that only yesterday, at the eighth hour, when you saw us fleeing entirely to the mountains, did you arm all of them at once through all the gates against us."

146. "Having returned, therefore, in the evening, when we learned that the same army was entering again through the ^C gates, having conferred with one another and taken counsel, they fled throughout the entire night; for they said that before dawn the army would again rush out against them. Those, therefore, having fled, we remained. But those of the city, having understood that an angelic reinforcement had been sent to them from God, contemplated this in silence, sending forth hymns from their heart and thanksgivings to God, but they said to those others: 'Indeed, until yesterday we had not led the army out against you; but so that we may know if you are speaking the truth, tell us whom you saw leading it.' And one of them answered: 'A fiery and glorious man, sitting on a white horse, and wearing a white garment; behold, one such as this'—and he pointed, having grasped the ^D chlamys of one of the consulars standing by."

147. Then all with one accord knew him to be the one who had led the invisible army, and they praised him, and it was possible to see tears shed with joy, and all exulting, saying: "To Thee glory is due, O Lord, to Thee the adoration, O heavenly King. For Thy mercy shone upon the city through the patronage of the victor; grace, indeed, as the Psalmist says⁹, is poured out on thy lips, but upon our heads—

⁹ Ps. XLIV, 3.

^A you have poured out your mercies. For through the afflictions of Egypt your name was made known in all the earth; but for us, the heavens proclaim your mercy. Blessed are you, who rescued us from the mouth of the dragon, which was already crushing our bones with its teeth; truly the Lord has broken the jaws of the lions, and the snare is broken, and we have been delivered.

148. After these things, however, they—the horsemen having been sent out and the enemies having fled—having learned, through the darkness, by fear and perturbation of mind, so that they abandoned their supplies and animals and captives on the road, that they had covered a great distance, while engaged in flight. But, O best of men, I would say, first of all, that even they themselves, who, when they see the Hyperborean storms of winter, are perpetually blinded, because they never see the sun—the vision ^B of the Barbarians, ^C who saw him clothed in a cloak, riding on horseback at the head of their army, made them see clearly that this was the very holy and most glorious martyr Demetrius. Yet, lest anyone perhaps think that some saint was the cause of things of this sort, but not entirely the most glorious Demetrius, come, let us bring into the midst that renowned and much-bruited vision, to rouse your mind and kindle the desire for the victor in the contests.

CAPUT XV.

^D Having been honored by a heavenly vision at the time of the siege of Thessalonica—a man distinguished in dignity and virtue—and having been taught that the holy Demetrius stands for Thessalonica, he excites the citizens to courage, by which boldness was added to the city from above.

149. For as the third day of the foretold war was dawning, in which also the courage of the divinely inspired [the text continues with the critical apparatus following, which we omit as instructed].

we have previously recorded in the history of the city, that a certain man, noble and distinguished in his life, and even more distinguished by his guileless heart, and honored with the rank of those called illustres, concerning whom it perhaps was also written: "Innocent and upright have adhered to me" (Ps. XXIV, 21), saw himself, as he said, in his sleep—or, as it was more accurately explained to those more intimate, he was in an ecstasy—standing before the tribelon of the holy temple of the all-glorious martyr Demetrios. And behold, he says, two men, fair of appearance and of great stature, appeared to me, having entered from outside into that very tribelon; these I also took to be the emperor's bodyguards, and one of them cried out with a voice, "Where is the lord of this place?" And ^A one of the servants of the holy place appeared in the royal part of the temple, and answered saying, "What need do you have of him?" 150. They said, "The Master has sent us to bring back an answer to him." And he showed them the holy ciborium, saying, "He is there." The men, whose aspect was like that of the angels of God, having approached the place, said to the servant, "Knock and announce us to him." I myself, seized by trembling, followed them from the tribelon and stood before one of the intercolumniations of the holy ciborium, expecting to learn what they would announce from the emperor to the holy one. And the servant knocked at the doors of the ciborium, and immediately the all-holy and glorious martyr of Christ opened from within and stood near the doors, so that he appeared even to me, unworthy as I was. ^B I fell upon my face, not enduring to behold his angelic countenance, for he was in his form according to the writing inscribed in his more ancient icons; the complexion of his face emitted radiance like the rays of the sun, such that, as I lay upon my face, my countenance was illuminated by the reflection of the floor, the light flashing around me. And lying prone, I carefully attended with my ears to what they might say to one another, and I heard the men greeting the holy one kindly. 151. And he says to them, "The grace be with ^C

^A you, and for what reason have you come to me?" The men say, "The Master has sent us to your holiness, declaring these things to you: 'Come out quickly to me, for the city is being delivered to the enemies.'" But I, upon hearing this, being disturbed and confounded by the pain of the word, rose up upon my hands, and looking up a little, I behold that philanthropic and compassionate face of the truly merciful and city-loving martyr, clouded with grief and sorrowful, and bowed down to the earth; and when much time had passed ^B and an ineffable silence had occurred, I saw his tears falling down those godlike cheeks, which carry a certain image of divinity, so that the servant said to the men, "Why did you overwhelm my master with grief? Truly, if I had anticipated your purpose, I would not have announced you to him." Then the saint, opening his mouth accustomed to speak of God, said to the servant, "Let them be; they are my fellow servants, and what they were commanded, that they also reported."

152. And he says to them, "Truly, has the Master declared these things to me? Has it thus seemed good to His power that such a city, built up in faith for so many generations by His labors and by the blood of His precious side, should now be torn apart by these wild beasts? Do these things please His philanthropy?" The men answered, "If these things had not seemed good to Him, He would not have sent us to the revered ^C excellence of your soul." Then, the saint, having bowed his face even more on account of the grief, and keeping his head quiet for a long time as if he were deliberating, gave this response with great anxiety; for his groaning speech and the weakened voice of his tongue made manifest the compassion he had for his fatherland, which was generating excessive sadness in him. Therefore, he answered the men: "Go, brethren, tell the good Master: These things says your servant and genuine slave Demetrius:

153. "You, Master, are Lord of me and of the city, and of the whole world, and as one having authority, you commanded me to dwell here with your servants; how then can I abandon them in such great necessity, and depart, or with what face shall I behold the destruction of my fatherland? And what life is there for me with the citizens perishing? But rather, just as when they were enjoying prosperity I was spiritually with them, so too, as they are in danger, I will not leave them; but either as they are saved, I am saved, or as they perish, I will die together with them. For you yourself also, although being Master, did lay down your soul as a shepherd for the sheep; but I know well that our sins will not overcome your tender mercy, because your mercy is great upon us, and your just anger seeks our repentance, not our destruction; having therefore the authority over all things, good Master, what you command, do to us; for I, as I said before, will either be saved with them as they are saved, or die together with them as they are destroyed."

154. As these things were being spoken by the merciful martyr,

my wretched soul recovered a little from the pain that was holding it. ^A The men then replied, as if they were his own people, saying to the Saint, "Do you order us to say these things to the Master?" The Saint says, "Yes, I entreat you." They asked, "Why then do you not come with us? Consider whether he who sent us might be grieved at being disobeyed." The Saint replied, "I know that his mercy always forestalls his wrath, and having understood his goodness, I have given an answer appropriate to it." Having said this, he greeted the men, and having closed the silver doors in which he had been standing, he remained inside, not departing from us by the grace of Christ God. And immediately, I, a sinner, came to myself; for I was not completely asleep. ^B That most excellent and God-loving man saw these things, and immediately ran through the entire wall, encouraging the citizens, saying only this to them: "Take courage, brothers, the Conqueror is with you; let us hope in Christ, and no evil shall touch us." From then on, as was written before, the people of the city put on the boldness of courage, and those who at first were unable to utter a sound because of the magnitude of their fear, attacked the enemies.

155. Later, he explained the entire vision mentioned above clearly to his close acquaintances; and he did this under compulsion, having been pressured by us to disclose the reason for which he had been walking along the wall, assuring everyone of the salvation of the city. Since the most glorious martyr Demetrius has displayed these things to us, and has proven the truth of the vision by its outcome, what praise or doxology shall we render to God on his account? ^C Or what honor or affection shall we show the martyr, who has imitated our Lord and God Jesus Christ in his infinite mercies toward us, and laid down his soul for us unworthy and sinful ones, and who, not only by looking toward the divine mercy [regarding] the Master's command, caused a delay, but also replied that he himself was most mercifully ready to die together with us! O holy, city-loving, and compassionate soul! O intellect pleasing to God, and will favorable to God, and providence befitting a Saint!

156. For since he knew that God, the Lord of all, does not destroy the just man together with the wicked, nor leave the rod of sinners upon the lot of the righteous, ^D and since he saw also that our sins surpassed the power of all intercession—and, as I think, fearing that if he interceded for us, he would not be heard—he both devised and carried out this divinely-given purpose of remaining in his own house and not departing from the city, so that he himself would not suffer anything untoward, and so that the city would not experience the looming evils; but just as a crown made of refined gold, having a precious stone, so that...

the goldsmith, wishing to smelt it in the fire for the purification of the debased gold, yet the master of the house did not permit it, so that the fire purifying the gold might not damage it through the brightness of the stone; so too then, although we were worthy of ten thousand deaths on account of our many transgressions, the Lord did not destroy the city, so that nothing unworthy might befall the victor who dwells with us. ^B 157. But let us all pray earnestly, beloved, and direct our paths toward pleasing God, so that until the end we may retain the victor as our fellow-dweller, through prayers and works. For if we are deemed worthy of this, we shall have the divine favor undoubtingly, saving us, and walling us in first against the spiritual enemies, and then against those that are sensible, and liberating us from eternal punishment, and bestowing upon us the kingdom of heaven. I entreat you, therefore, brothers, that the God-gathered Church, with all your soul and strength, may cry out to the merciful God both for our God-guarded city and for the whole pious commonwealth of the Christians; and as you remember me, a miscarriage, and my lowliness, granting me this greatest favor in return, because, to the extent that it was possible, I have written down—truly and as best I could—the merciful and ever-to-be-remembered miracle-working of our fellow-citizen and advocate and, after God, our master, the most glorious martyr Demetrius, and have set it before your God-loving and martyr-loving ears in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the King God and Father, together with His life-giving and Holy Spirit, be glory, and honor, and adoration sent up by every creature from the beginning, and now, and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Having finished this, the all-blessed Father, who is of the same name and in his ways and works and zeal a follower of the virgin and beloved John, after his many teachings, which are God-given and surpass all reason—the miracle-working of the true savior of the city and victor of Christ, Demetrius, as it is contained in his very own account—he wrote down, as I believe, in part, having not reached the point of compiling the unspeakable sieges of the barbarians that occurred in the Great City during our times, either because these happened near the time of his departure from us to God, or rather because, having written them, they were hidden by the priests who succeeded him. ^C Thus, John of Thessalonica concludes his work, having set forth only two arguments that pertain to the war and illustrate the holy Demetrius, of which one he completes in chapter 12, and the other in the present chapter, as well as in the two immediately preceding it. And those things which he treats there were done when John was not yet bishop; but many more prodigies were performed by holy Demetrius in favor of the Thessalonians when they were pressed by enemies, which, however, that author did not commit to writing. He declares this not obscurely in the aforementioned chapter. Hear also how the author who continued the work of John of Thessalonica, in the codex formerly in the Mazarin library, page 135, speaks immediately after the words where you see this work terminated here: "Our most blessed Father," he says, "who is of the same name and in his customs and works emulates the virgin and beloved John according to his dogmas, in number exceeding many, having finished the miracle-working of the true savior of the city and victor of Christ, Demetrius, which are given by God and surpass all speech—he wrote them down, as is understood from his own deposition, only in part, not coming to the point of writing down the ineffable sieges of the barbarians which, as I think, happened to our great city in his times, either because they occurred near his migration from us to God, or rather because those who succeeded him as archbishop, who received him, hid them." Therefore, John did not commit to writing the Thessalonian sieges that occurred in his times and were illustrated by the miracles of Saint Demetrius, as is clear from these words of the anonymous writer, just recited, who continued him; when, however, he notes that they occurred during the times of John—not those which comprised his entire life, but as he writes at the beginning of his work, which is submitted here immediately below—it indicates most clearly that the sieges of the city of Thessalonica happened when John was already Archbishop of Thessalonica, and yet they were not all committed to writing by him. Furthermore, that John of Thessalonica is the true author of the work which we have already given in his name, gather also from the words recently recited of the anonymous writer, who in those parts of his preface, not to be transcribed here, through which he prefaces his own work in the mode of John, declares that he is about to continue the work of John of Thessalonica already given.

BOOK II OF THE MIRACLES BY AN ANONYMOUS AUTHOR. CHAPTER I. The Sclaves are driven back from the siege of Thessalonica by the appearance of Saint Demetrius, and their leader is captured and subsequently put to death.

^A It came to pass, then, as has been said, in the time of the episcopate of John of blessed memory, that the nation of the Sclaves—an infinite multitude gathered from the Drogobites, Sagodates, Belegezites, Baonites, Berzites, and other nations, who first learned to construct dugout ships from a single log—having armed themselves by sea, became arrogant. They ravaged all of Thessaly and the islands situated near it, as well as those of Greece, and furthermore the Cyclades islands and all of Achaia, and Epirus, and the greatest part of Illyricum, and parts of Asia, rendering many cities and provinces uninhabited. They conspired with one accord to array themselves against this aforementioned Christ-loving city of ours, and to ravage it as they had the others. The ships which they had constructed out of single logs, which were infinite in number, they stationed along the quarter that faces the sea. The rest of their numberless host began to surround this God-guarded city from every side, out of the east, the north, and the west, having with them their families and their goods, intending to settle them in the city after its capture. ^B

^C ...[The text here consists of a scholarly apparatus providing historical context regarding the authorship and chronology of the work, noting that the events described occurred in the seventh century under emperors such as Constantine Pogonatus or Justinian II. The text notes that these names of the Sclavic nations or tribes are not found elsewhere in Byzantine historiography, yet this does not render the author's account suspicious, as the Sclavic gens was widely distributed. Historians from Theophanes to Simocatta confirm the movements of these tribes, and it is historically well-established that these nations often settled in lands they conquered, driving out the previous inhabitants.] ^D

^A Tears were then shed in the manner of a river, and the lamentations of the entire populace of the city were heard, for they were struck dead by hearing alone, having learned of the unspeakable devastations of cities and the infinite massacres and captivities that had occurred; and because there were none of the local ships left over, neither those that might have been saved from nearby regions, nor any remaining to guard the entrance of the harbor here. Greater fear was instilled in the citizens by the fugitive Christians who had been captives and thus experienced that same merciless battle. And then, the spirit of both the cowardly and the brave was one, and each had before his eyes either the bitterness of captivity or death, having no other place to flee according to the divine Scripture which says: "If they persecute you in one city, flee into another 11," ^B because the barbarian nation of the Slavs surrounded the city like a deadly crown. But He who does not desire the death of us sinners, but our conversion and life, did not disregard the prayers of his truly genuine servant, our guardian though we are unworthy, the ever-memorable martyr Demetrius, even in this matter; rather, in such a siege, He repeated the miracles performed before.

160. For when the nation of the Slavs had made all preparations, so that they might attack the wall simultaneously and unexpectedly, the Slavs who were in the ships made this plan, to cover them from above with boards and what are called hides, so that, when they were about to approach the wall, they might keep the rowers safe from those who would hurl stones or missiles at them from the walls. ^C And this first stupidity was cast into them by the Martyr from above, so that they did not approach the city in a straight course, but arrived at a certain winding place of the station called Cellarion from of old, landing there so that they might carry out the work of deceit they had planned. And while the Barbarians were detained by this, it happened that those who were in the city regained a little courage, as if some respite had been granted to them, and they constructed wooden steps in the harbor, upon which they installed the chain, and likewise, they took up some sharp rods, some of which were sharpened like swords out of wood, others being iron-studded ones, in their hands, having clothed themselves not with shining iron, but internally having fastened wooden ships for transport, which they called *cubais*, held by chains at the mouth of the harbor, they opened a way for the future conflict. ^D

161. But they made a trench then near the all-hymned temple of the undefiled Theotokos, which was situated near the same harbor, since that place, as everyone knows, was not fortified by a wall,

^A and a machine of pulpits with nailed knee-joints had been constructed, secretly placed in the earth and fashioned from a small amount of material, so that the enemies, who were planning to make the impetus of their assault, might, in the invisibility of such apparatus, stumble upon them. And in the harbor there, which was at that time also unfortified, they fashioned it with planks and certain pieces of wood, so as to form a breastwork up to the chest, and the rest of the defenses—that is, the engines for the battle—were prepared. Finally, having placed all their hope in God and in Demetrius, the defender of the city, they showed the eagerness of their zeal, encouraging those who were weaker in spirit concerning the expected battle formation.

^B 162. And when three days had thus passed, and the Slavonian ships were sailing by about two miles from the wall, and in each day were scouting for places easy to capture, on the fourth day, with the rising of the morning star, the whole barbarian tribe, having cried out with one accord from every side, attacked the city's wall. Some were hurling stones by means of constructed stone-throwers, others were bringing ladders against the wall and attempting to sack it, others were bringing fire to the gates, and others were sending arrows against the walls like wintry snows. And it was possible to see that marvelous cloud of weapons; just as a multitude of hail obscures the sun's rays, so did it cover the air with arrows and the casts of stones.

163. When, therefore, such and so great an assault had taken place, those among the barbarians who were more daring in their voyage and braver for battle sailed quickly in their ships to the locations they had observed. Some moved to the tower toward the west of the ecclesiastical stairs ^C where a small postern also exists, and others to the unfortified part where the moat—and the machine of so-called hidden nailed defenses—occurred. The former placed their hope of expectation on entering from there, as such instruments were unknown to them; the latter, thinking it easier to break the said small postern and through it to bring about the capture of the city. Then, indeed, then did the entire city pour out its tears like rain-giving clouds to the Lord and God of all, instead of stones and arrows, ^D saying: "And now deliver us, O God, from the snare of the hunters,

that our enemies may not say, Where is their God, in whom they have hoped?" And we, too, shall cry out through your triumphant winner, O Lord: "Our soul, like a sparrow, has been delivered from the snare of the hunters; the snare has been broken, and we have been delivered. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

164. But then, this defender and true lover of his country, the most glorious martyr Demetrius, was clearly seen by many, wearing a white chlamys, first running along the wall, and then walking quickly upon the sea as if upon dry land. And these things were seen not only by the many who were initiated ^B into holy baptism, as ones worthy to do so, but also by innocent children of the Hebrews at the place called the Brochthoi. And because of the disorder that occurred among the said ships through the martyr, and their falling upon one another, it happened that some of them were overturned and the Slavs who were in them were cast out. Whoever wished to save himself by swimming at another boat would grab it and capsize it, throwing those who were in it into the sea. And then, others among the shipmasters, when some reached out their hands to them, cut them off with swords; one sent a sword against another’s head, another wounded another with a spear, and each, striving for his own safety, became the enemy of the other. As for those who had fallen ^C into the hidden *triboli* and were held fast there, and for those others who, due to the great agitation of the ships, were stuck outside the sea upon the shore and unable to pull them back, some of the citizens who were strong leaped down, and others broke down the small gate through which the enemies had hoped to storm the city, and through this they won the victory, with the triumphant winner fighting alongside them.

165. And it was then possible to see the entire sea reddened with the blood of the barbarians, and to behold ^D a revelation of the drowning of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. For at once the mercy of God gushed forth; for before the time for the wind had even arrived (since it was just about the second hour of the day), a wind immediately blew from the outside, so that those of the barbarians' boats that remained could not even maneuver to turn back. Indeed, some struggled out toward the east, and others toward the west. The sea cast up a vast number of the bodies of the slain barbarians near the wall and the shore. Finally, all those who lived near the sea went out armed, cut off the heads of the most hostile enemies, and displayed them to the barbarians on the land wall.

The survivors narrated the ruin brought upon them from God through the Athlete [the martyr], and with their task unaccomplished, and with heavy mourning, they abandoned most of their engines and plunder and departed in disgrace. ^B 166. But the people of this God-guarded city of ours, the Thessalonians, rushed to the all-holy temple of their protector, defender, and most glorious martyr Demetrios, and sent up hymns of thanksgiving to God, saying: "We give thanks to You, O Master of heaven and earth, because, unworthy though we are of the salvation from You on account of the sins within us, You did not give us over as prey to the teeth of our enemies; but You saved us, having accepted the petitions of Your genuine servant Demetrios." And this also was a most great miracle, worthy of being recorded: the chieftain of these same Sclaveni, by the name of Chatzon, had sought, according to his custom, to learn through divination whether he should enter our God-guarded city, and it was told to him that he would enter; but the "how" was not revealed to him. And so, as if from the given divination, having what appeared to be good hopes, he boldly incited the affair. ^C

167. But He who changes times and seasons, and who scatters the counsels of enemies, delivered him alive as a captive to the citizens through the aforementioned postern gate. Some of the first men of our city, however, hid him in their own homes for the sake of some profit or reasons not to be approved; yet not even in this did the Christ-loving providence of the Athlete remain idle. But, having stirred up women to brave audacity, He led him out from the house where he was being hidden, and they dragged him through the city and stoned him; and thus he paid a death worthy of his most hostile intent. Let none of you, therefore, who love the martyrs, be skeptical of these things narrated in these few words in a rustic manner. For if anyone considers that I have written these things as false, let him observe that they are displayed in a painting before the all-holy temple of the ever-memorable martyr Demetrios, at the place called "the Wood [Xylon]," showing the entire battle array and the salvation brought to us through the Athlete, ^D through whom is sent up glory, honor, and adoration to the Father and to the Son.

CAPUT II. Sclavi again attack Thessalonica, and having found God and the holy Demetrios opposed to them, they are compelled to withdraw.

168. And miracles are superior to miracles, and things to things, and

compositions of writings demonstrate the difference; and labors are more useful than labors, and teachers are more instructive than teachers; and each one will obtain virtue from its own consistent harmony as a result of the well-being that follows thereafter. The occasion, therefore, for these present matters, and the cause, has been the previously mentioned father of ours, John, who even after his departure from here to God, discourses with us as if present, co-supplicating with his fellow countryman and genuine friend, the all-venerable martyr of God, Demetrios, sending up prayers on our behalf to the merciful God, concerning whom it is worthy to mention for constant remembrance his Christ-delighting and soul-saving exhortations to us. It is just, therefore, that we remember him constantly; for the safety of his homeland was divinely secured for him, and he held it in firm assurance; and since he knew that Demetrios had been given to the city ^B by the Savior Christ as its curator, he requested this constant repayment from us, inasmuch as our city, by God’s grace, has been unshakable and unmoved at all times; for which reason, I believe, he did not record the other sieges, as we previously mentioned elsewhere.

169. For after the already narrated onset of the Sclaveni—that is, of Chatzon—with their countless army, and the just slaughter that took place among them through the Trophy-bearer, because of which the war against us became shameful to them and they suffered no small damage, in that those who had been taken captive by them were liberated through their guide and our own savior and caretaker, Demetrios, fleeing to our God-protected city—from this, there arose in them a source of bitterness, because not only were they deprived of their slaves, but even some of the spoils of their plundering were taken and fled to those who are here. A plan, therefore, was formed by them out of great pain, and having gathered very many gifts, they sent them ^C to the Chagan of the Avars through apocrisiaries, adding a promise of a great weight of money, along with the contents of what they alleged they would plunder from our city, declaring that if he would provide them with allied forces for this—since the city was acknowledged by him as easy to capture—it would be taken by them, and not left alone in their midst.

Concerning the war of the Chagan

[Remaining text in lower margin and column, as per instructions, provides scholarly notes and editorial commentary:]

(53) That is, messengers or legates; but as for the Greek term, which is used more than once by Theophanes, Cedrenus, Nicetas, and others to signify a messenger or legate, I have translated it here into Latin as *apocrisiarius*, because this term is found used in the same signification among the said Greek writers as it is among the writers of medieval and late Latin (see the entry for this word in Du Cange’s Glossary); and thus, the Latin version is rendered ^D somewhat more conformably to the Greek text. What occurs up to this point from the words in the Greek text reflects the sense rather than the [literal] words...

^A and not only ^B established in their midst, because all the cities and provinces under it had been rendered uninhabited by them, while this one alone, as has been said, existed in their midst and received all the refugees from the regions of the Danube, of Pannonia, Dacia, and Dardania, and of the remaining provinces and cities, and relied upon itself.

170. The aforementioned Chagan of the Avars, therefore, eagerly desiring to fulfill what was requested of him by them, gathered all the barbarian tribes from his interior, together with an innumerable host of all the Sclavini and Bulgarians and countless other nations. After an interval of two years, he drew up his battle lines against this city of ours that is guarded by the martyrs. He armed choice horsemen and, with the swiftest speed, sent them ahead to arrive at the city unexpectedly and all at once, in order to seize its people outside or slaughter them, and then, waiting, to join the aforementioned Chagan along with the host gathered by him, which was bringing various contrivances of siege engines for the sacking of our fatherland. And by this counsel and method, the entire barbarian host, once armed, set out. At the fifth hour, the horsemen—clad in iron on all sides—suddenly attacked, and because those of the city were not aware, they caught them all at the harvest; they slaughtered some and took others as captives, and with them, they also found a great number of cattle and the rest of the tools used for the work of the harvest.

171. ^C When, finally, the people of the city realized the unexpected approach of the barbarians for the threatened siege and fell into great despondency—because they were also at a loss as to what was needed for the battle—one gave words of encouragement to another. But others of those who were from Naissus and Sardica, as they had already experienced the siege craft of the barbarians, said with lamentations: "We fled from there and came here to perish with you; for one stone cast from them will shatter the wall." But he who then held the episcopate, our previously mentioned Father John, exhorted them not to be faint-hearted, but to prepare enthusiastically for what was necessary, asserting that one should not bear the situation with bitterness or sluggishness, but should rather cast one’s hopes upon God and the martyr. With these and suchlike words, the holy Father provided confidence ^D to those in the city through his exhortation and assurance, and

remained with them on the wall. A few days later, the Chagan of the Barbarians himself, with another multitude of Bulgars and all the aforementioned nations, approached this city guarded by the Saint like a winter storm, falling upon the walls from every side of the mainland. He encircled the entire city so that it appeared as one single head from every direction, and the land could neither bear the multitude of their invasion, nor could the water of the conduits or wells suffice for the consumption of them and their irrational animals.

172. Then, those who were in the city, seeing the ^B incomparable multitude of the Barbarians all clad in iron, and the heaven-high expanse of stone-throwers from every side, which exceeded in height the battlements of the walls within; seeing others who prepared the so-called tortoise-sheds made of wickerwork and hides, others, against the gates, rams of great logs and easily rolling wheels, others still who had constructed wooden towers exceeding the height of the wall, with vigorous armed youths stationed atop them, and others who had set up the so-called hooks, and others bringing up mobile ladders on wheels, and others contriving fiery engines—all this being seen, the city was seized by such a measureless distress that they said: "Even if God delivered the city from previous sieges, we do not believe we shall be saved from this one; for never has anyone seen such a multitude of Barbarians ^C attack the city." And this, and much more, was said especially by those who had no experience in war.

173. But the aforementioned Father and bishop exhorted them not to lose heart, but to beseech the Victor for his aid now as well. Then, in a dream, that most blessed Father beheld a certain radiant man who said to him, and in a way urged him to be of good cheer: "I exhort you not to be dejected," he said, "because if the entire city together cries out with one voice, 'Lord, have mercy,' you shall even be delivered from this siege." ^D Henceforth, therefore, being in the greatest care and distress because of what he had seen, and revolving various ways in his mind, and saying, "How can this come to pass? For as all the people are scattered along the walls of the city, and the Barbarians are making a tumult here and there," he bedewed the ground with his tears, supplicating the most merciful God and saying:

(38) Since under the three emperors recently mentioned, the Bulgars not rarely, as one can see in Theophanes, Cedrenus, and Zonaras, made incursions into the lands of the Roman empire, it would not have been difficult for the Chagan of the Avars, who was then undertaking an expedition against Thessalonica, to add some of them to his own forces. (39) Thus I have interpreted these two Greek terms *horpēkas empepēgotas*, because, although the word *horpēx*, besides other meanings, signifies the same as the Latin *jaculum* [javelin], I do not clearly perceive which, among those [meanings], is more appropriate in this place.

^A You, Lord of all things, being a lover of mankind, were pleased to become man for our sake, and to endure the cross and death on behalf of our race; you offered yourself to your Father as a pure sacrifice for us, and you redeemed us for yourself with your own blood, choosing us as your elect people, a holy nation. Let not the nations enter into your inheritance, let them not defile the holy places in which you yourself were pleased to dwell; let them not be exalted over us, as the boastful Goliath was once against David; but give to us, your humble and unworthy servants, just as to your servant David, a saving stone—your invisible assistance in war—so that, casting our slings with it, we may beat back the cunning phalanxes of the barbarians arrayed against us. Do not render fruitless the prayers brought forth for us through your victor-athlete; let not the idol-worshipping, lawless, and incestuous nation prevail against us; do not, O Lord, but show us even now to be your new people of Israel, as one saved from the Egyptians.

^B These things, and many others in his prayers, he encouraged the citizens to hold themselves worthy before God, and to rise up for their fatherland, for the most holy churches, and for the faith, and to draw up in battle array against the barbarians. The siege having then begun, and the catapults throwing not merely stones from all sides, but mountains and hills, one of the citizens within, being divinely inspired, inscribed the name of Saint Demetrius upon a small pebble and threw it, crying out, "In the name of God and Saint Demetrius!" And when the stone was released, and likewise another was released from the barbarians outside—one three times larger or more—it happened that the former met the latter and drove it back to the very place where the barbarian catapult was, and both falling, they killed those who were there, along with the engine-operator who was in it. And after such a miracle, when it was already midday, a great earthquake suddenly occurred, such that all the people of the city cried out, "Lord, have mercy!"

^C The barbarian multitude, having seen the wall completely collapsed, rushed forward to take the city; and having drawn near, they saw the wall standing just as it had at first. From this, the archbishop, who had seen such a promise, recognized that the Lord had visited the city through his victor-athlete. For it has been found, as very many have observed, among the arrows that had been showered like snowflakes by the barbarians, that some of them had their feathered parts stuck fast into the wall, while their iron heads were turned back against those who had launched them. From that time on, therefore, because the bishop had declared to the city the visitation that had occurred from God through the disturbance of the earthquake, and because the barbarians outside were struck with fear, those in the city were clothed with even greater courage against the enemy. Some...

of the more timid, however, were restrained only by the despondency of their spirits from the merciless force that threatened them from every side.

177 Then did the Savior of those oppressed and the harbor of those tossed by the storm work a miracle, causing ships laden with corn and other various kinds of provisions to arrive daily and without interruption from invisible sources as long as this struggle with the barbarians lasted. So much so that the whole harbor and the entire coastline were filled by this great multitude of ships. And as for their crews—since they were experienced in artillery—they served the military machines and other weapons that had been prepared, to such an extent that the barbarians used to say that those in the city were sending out the ships by night and that they were returning in the daytime by some illusion. The ship-masters, moreover, would spread about the divine miracle, saying that they were invited hither by some unknown chancellor ^B—this person being the savior of the fatherland, Demetrius, because the winds had also been favorable to them for their voyage. Thus, everyone was ignorant of such an incursion of the barbarians against the city, and not even the lord to whom the lot had fallen to hold the scepter knew of it.

178 But he sent a prefect hither, by the name of Charias, who, himself, until he had entered the harbor of this God-guarded city, did not know of the situation of the enemies, as has been said. Having learned of the situation and of the unspeakable din arising from the assaults and the clashing of the fully-armed men against one another, he prostrated himself in the temple of Demetrius, the savior of the city, and then, having himself armed, he went up to the wall with all the others. Then, the siege engines which had been constructed by the adversaries were finally treated with ridicule ^C and rendered useless by the opposition and by the aid of the Victor in the contests, as was made manifest to all.

179 For as for their wooden tower, which they deemed to be more terrifying than anything else and suitable for the purpose, when they had armed it and were attempting to move it up to the wall, by divine providence it came about that its rudder, which directed the machinery within it, was spontaneously broken while it was being moved; and those men in arms who were inside it perished. Others, who were approaching the wall in tortoises, were thrown into confusion by the throwing down and planting, from the upper part of the walls, of pieces of wood which were equipped with iron points resembling a ploughshare ^D, such that those within, now exposed, were wounded by the arrows shot by the armed men who were upon the wall. Whence the citizens, who had previously been fearful, now found in the enemy's own instruments a source of amusement and laughter.

^A When the barbarian at last saw that the assault they had made against the city was rendered powerless, they begged that they might at least be sent away with gifts. But the others, not accepting this petition of theirs, continued their customary watches. Since the enemy leader, the Chagan, had finally been utterly spurned by those of the city, and was incensed with an irrepressible bitterness of soul, he commanded that all the venerable temples outside be delivered to the fire, and likewise that all the houses of the suburbs be burned, threatening that he would not depart from that place, but would pull in very many other nations to his aid against our city, on account of his own disgrace.

^B Following these events, when thirty-three days had passed during this unyielding siege, all those who were of the city, having taken council to appease the nation of the Barbarians themselves, offered certain things that might conduce to peace, so that they might be rid of the shameless intent held against them; and so, peace having been arranged, they departed to their own stations. For after the settlement of peace, then they came to the wall without fear and sold the captives who had been taken by them for a small price or in exchange for various provisions. They also made public the salvation which had come to the city from God and the miracle which had occurred in the earthquake of the walls, and that their array of weapons and engines had become idle and ineffective through a vision; because, although these things had been practiced by them in various ways beforehand and had seemed suitable and necessary to them, after the appearance of the saints to them, they had become unfit and inappropriate for the assault of the city. ^C And it was altogether necessary to record these things, so that we might have a clear understanding that the city will be preserved from all dangers and from the Barbarians through the persistent intercessions of our guardian, fellow-soldier, warrior, and savior after God, Demetrius, ceaselessly glorifying the Father and the Son, etc.

CAPUT III. Concerning the earthquakes sent by God and the burning of the temple

^D 182. He petitioned the good and merciful God... [The text which is recorded here and in the three preceding numbers is of such a kind that it is intended to persuade everyone that Thessalonica, with the miraculous aid of Saint Demetrius, was liberated from the siege of the Barbarians related in this chapter. I, meanwhile, leave the whole matter to the judicious judgment of the reader. This chapter is one of those that, due to the brevity of the time during which the Mazarine codex was at hand, could not be copied out in its entirety. Meanwhile, I present to the reader what we have copied from that literary monument, teaching in a summary in the subject annotations what the remainder, which occurs in the said codex in the places distinctively marked by the placement of dots, contains in its narrative. Furthermore, this chapter, which I have likewise retained here, bears the following title at its head in the same codex, in which it extends from fol. [blank] to fol. [blank]. The author, at the beginning of the chapter (in whose place dots are placed here), in the Mazarine codex first proclaims the magnitude and multitude of all kinds of miracles that Saint Demetrius performed, and then, making a transition to the miracle, or rather the miracles, which occurred after those already related above, asserts that a heavenly vision was divinely offered to John, the archbishop of Thessalonica already often mentioned by him, when Thessalonica had already been liberated from the two previously related sieges of the Slavs, by which he understood that Thessalonica would be most severely shaken by earthquakes; and then he adds those things which follow here.]

^A that this punishment might not befall us. And it did come to pass, and a short time before, that is, perhaps about a month after that holy Father of ours departed to God, this God-instructed city of ours was overtaken by those unutterable earthquakes, the divinely sent wrath as it is called, so that the greater part of the city, etc.

183. Therefore, those ineffable miracles being celebrated, and the city, having been proclaimed even by the barbarians, was in joy; and later, with tranquility, the city, renewing its salvation year by year for God and the martyr, gathered with hymns in the life-giving temple of their guardian. But after a very short time, an ineffable affliction from our sins again befell the city, in that the temple of our lord after God, the holy martyr Demetrius—the temple which brings health to bodies and souls, and which has been mentioned many times—was burned in an invisible manner....

184. The Spirit, having illumined the structure as He did in the tabernacle, prayed that God would send down the one whom He Himself saw as the souls, that He might again establish his house in splendor for his own citizens. And this also came to pass, and through the zeal and cooperation of the athlete, as you see even now, this most beautiful and healing house was consecrated, a salvation for strangers and citizens, and it was deemed worthy of its former honor, having become a joy to all, and providing petitions fittingly to all, in which also we keep festival ^B and enjoy the divine mysteries, and we celebrate his annual memory, and... ^C

enjoying without ceasing his God-given graces, through his interventions, we glorify the Father and the Holy Spirit, etc.

CHAPTER IV

^B 185. Having already briefly traversed the multitude of the miracles of our celebrated protector and ally and guardian Demetrius, the genuine servant of the incomprehensible God, the creator of all, which I had decided to set forth in part, I shall pass over the care that is afforded to us in our own age by the martyr Demetrius who laid down his soul for us, explaining what dangers and hardships he underwent for his unworthy servants, and how he saved the city from unavoidable dangers beyond all hope. For as the aforementioned Sclaveni, who often lay adjacent to this God-saved city, appeared to be keeping the peace, the man who was then ordered to hold the prefecture of the places here, in a certain manner and for a certain cause, having become skilled in divine matters, and knowing the ways of the one who was then allotted by God to rule over us, stirred up the ears [of the emperor] against the king of the Runchini, by name Perbundus, as one who, with a treacherous disposition and an evil mind, was plotting against our city.

^C 186. The God-crowned emperor sent his divine missives to the prefect’s authority, commanding that he should send that king to him, bound in whatever way he thought fit. And when such pious letters were privately shown to those who were prominent among the leaders, they immediately seized him while he was staying in the city and sent him off, bound in iron, in accordance with the [instructions regarding] the famine and the unyielding siege under Perbundus.

^A 187. And so, when the aforementioned Barbarians had rested on the first day after their circuit of the walls, our deliverer and defender, the much-suffering martyr of God, appears not in a dream, but in a waking state, in the places by the so-called Arion [Gate], where there is a small postern, traveling on foot. He was dressed with his cloak thrown back over his shoulders, carrying a rod in his hands, and as if he were driving out those Slavs who were bursting into the city there from the aforementioned postern, and striking them with the rod, he was saying: "God has brought these [people] here evilly; therefore, what am I to do here?"

188. And thus he was seen to have driven them out of the city through the aforementioned postern. This miraculous vision, when it was immediately recounted, gave the citizens a little bit of courage.

^B Those things which have been recited up to this point in the present chapter having been set forth, our author now relates that, when the captivity of King Perbundus was heard of, two Slavic nations, namely the Runchini and the Strymonii, demanded by envoys that he should not be killed, but sent back to them by the Emperor, who was waging war against the Agarenes. And when they had received a reply in which the Emperor promised that Perbundus would be restored to liberty after the Agarene war, they were recalled from the anger in which they had previously been burning. Furthermore, he adds that Perbundus, with the persuasion and help of one of the Imperial interpreters, had escaped by flight, and nevertheless was captured again in a place situated not far from other Slavs, to which he had fled; and that this, since he had not fled to those other Slavs—as he could have done without any trouble—occurred by the singular providence of God and the intercession of Saint Demetrius, as he maintains, especially since, if Perbundus could have returned to his own people, he would have intended to rage with a cruel and persistent war upon the territories of the Empire, and thus, having been happily brought back from flight, he could not be ordered to execution by the Emperor's command. Nevertheless, not even so was it permitted for the Thessalonians to be at rest from the misfortune of war; for, at a time different from the death inflicted upon Perbundus, as our author proceeds to narrate using the words extant in the Mazarine codex, the Slavic peoples, and above all the Strymonii, Runchini, and Sagodatae, attacked Thessalonica with war. And first, indeed, they plundered all the places neighboring the city for two whole years, with the inhabitants even being led away into captivity. Hence, when the citizens were at the same time enclosed by a very tight siege, and could procure no provisions for themselves by land or by sea, and those who attempted to do so were killed by the enemy, a famine so strong invaded the city that, although many had slipped away on account of this, yet those who remained in the city were forced to eat not only the meat of asses and horses, but also other foods much more unpleasant. The Emperor, in the meantime, since he could not send an army, because it was detained in another war, submitted to the Thessalonians for their aid ten smaller war-vessels (which in Greek are called *karaboi*), loaded with victuals of various kinds. But although the famine was indeed slightly diminished for a time by those victuals, it was by no means lifted; nay, those who had been brought in by the ships sent by the Emperor even increased it afterwards, [so that they went] to the parts of Thebes and Demetrias, where they bought other provisions from the Belegegitae—who, although they themselves were a Slavic nation, yet, as it appears, were then at peace with the Thessalonians—the aforementioned ten ships which the Emperor had sent, and at the same time some other smaller ones that remained to them, [were manned] with the stronger men of the city and every flower of the youth, [and] it seemed good to send them to the city's leaders and citizens. But when they had set sail from the port of Thessalonica, the princes of the Dragobitae, having learned of this, and holding in contempt those who had merely been left in the city—men less robust and having fewer numbers—decided to attack Thessalonica, which they had hitherto kept only almost enclosed, with all their forces, and to make an assault on the walls so that they might take it. Therefore, to this end, with military instruments of every kind prepared, the Runchini and Sagodatae, Slavic nations whom the Dragobitae then had joined to themselves, moved against the city all at once, the Sagodatae indeed by land together with the Dragobites, but the Runchini by sea through ships. And at first, indeed, they surrounded the walls on all sides, and running about, they explored in which part it could be taken more easily, and did nothing else at that time; but when they had done this and were at rest, God, who had already miraculously turned the Strymonian Slavs away from attacking Thessalonica—lest they should have to do so with the others, as was required by the compact entered into with them—roused the Thessalonians, who, terrified by the approach of the enemies, had asked for help from Him with suppliant vows, to fortitude by the vision of Saint Demetrius offered to them. How this last deed happened is set forth in the present chapter by describing the Greek words from the Mazarine codex, which follow here next to the interposition of the dots.

^C It is seen that he drove them out of the city. This prodigy of a vision, when it had been immediately narrated, [the citizens] ... The fame of the apparitions or visions related here, soon spreading far and wide, gave fresh heart—in some way or other—to the Thessalonians, as our author narrates in the Greek words not copied here by us from the Mazarine codex; nevertheless, they spent the night sleeplessly; but as the day was dawning, the Slavs on all sides, both by sea and by land, attacked the walls with every kind of weapon, and threw fire at the *parapolion*, or smaller gate or postern mentioned in the vision related shortly before, so that they might open a way for themselves into the city; but how unsuccessfully for them both this [attempt] and the attempted capture of the city turned out, our author sets forth in the words extant in the formerly Mazarine codex, folio 179 recto and verso, and which follow here next to the interposition of the dots.

^A ...and placed before the citizens those shieldsmen who were strong and radiant to behold. Others again saw this mighty martyr and savior of his country running outside the wall and inviting certain bold strangers, and that they should stand in certain places on the walls, and marshal themselves and keep watch..., and although all the wood inside had been burned, the iron joints were in no way loosened; rather, they had become as if fused or joined into another state. ^B 189. Thus the same little gate remained safe, so that the Barbarians, struck with terror, withdrew from such a place, and many stripes and wounds and slaughters occurred among the Barbarians themselves in an invisible manner, not only in that same place but also over all the land and sea. When, therefore, for three days they had in this way... near the gates, and at the places which they had deemed easy to capture and to take with no labor, they had fought in a similar manner and with similar adverse fortune, with wailing and lamentation, and having taken with them the princes who had been divinely slain by the Victor in the contests, and those who had been struck by Him, they departed fighting against one another to their own lands. 190. The Barbarians, however, fighting against one another, said to those who had incited them: "Did you not tell us that no one was in the city, except some old men and a few little women? Whence, then, is so great a multitude of people in the city that has arrayed itself against us?" That this was the military aid of the saints, brought to the city for us by the Victor in the contests, was manifest to all. ^C And this again through the ambushes by which this very city was sometimes attacked, making forays into other places of the same city adjacent to the walls, by which it came to pass that many captives were carried away, and not a few other damages were inflicted upon the Thessalonians. ^D Furthermore, just as the author continues, it came to pass that, while the Barbarians were continuously thinking about occupying Thessalonica, and were striving to devise various instruments of war to this end, one of them, more skilled in the construction of such instruments—although he was a Sclav by nation—devised a wooden tower of of wondrous artifice, by which he asserted Thessalonica would certainly be taken. But when the outline of that tower had been proposed to the princes of the Sclavic nation and approved, and the necessary supplies for its construction had been furnished to him by those who had already unexpectedly moved their forces toward the city in order to risk the danger of constructing this machine, and he was already about to set his hand to the work, with many lending him aid, suddenly Saint Demetrius presented himself to his view, and with a slap rendered him, easily struck, bereft of his senses, so that he most swiftly took to flight and withdrew into the desert mountains, with others pursuing him in vain and calling upon him to begin the work, he disappeared from the sight of men, avoiding them just as a wild beast avoids it. There, furthermore, he remained until the Sclavi, with the machine of war by which they had hoped Thessalonica would be taken remaining unfinished on account of the flight of the architect, sent word of the abandonment of the expedition they had undertaken against the Thessalonians; but then he recovered the sound mind which...

by the agency of the Saint, he had lost, he received [it], and Demetrius appeared to him again and commanded that, having left the solitary places, he should enter Thessalonica: and when he had done this and had caught sight of the effigy of Saint Demetrius in that city, he felt himself to be struck by the man represented through it, and was hindered from constructing the wooden tower [he had] sketched out by himself; he proclaimed [this] to all, and embracing the Christian faith, he was washed in the sacred waters of Baptism. Thus then concerning the expedition undertaken by the Sclavi against Thessalonica, by which they would take by storm this city through a warlike machine of a new device, and also concerning the prodigies, through which it came about that this [expedition] lacked a happy success, the codex formerly of Mazarin [speaks] much more diffusely in the place cited above; these things, however, are all narrated also in our Greek manuscript codex 193, contracted into a compendium by John Stauracius. But since this writer most verisimilarly yields the palm of antiquity to our anonymous author, by whom those things were sent in letters (see the previous Commentary, no. 25 and following), he can add no weight at all, or certainly very little, to the sayings of our anonymous [author]; these things, indeed, are of such a kind that it is not likely they will easily find credence among all. Be that as it may, I append the remaining Greek words, by which he completes the present chapter in the Mazarine codex from page 148 up to page 187, to the interposition of points. ^A

^B From what Theophanes, Cedrenus, and Zonaras record in their memory concerning Justinian Rhinotmetus, who was then moderating the reins of empire, it is understood. I shall describe the words of the first three of these writers, which are relevant to this. They stand thus: "In this year (namely 689) Justinian led an army into Bulgaria and Thrace, and he repelled the Bulgarians, who had come to meet him in arms, at that time for the first time; and having made incursions continuously as far as Thessalonica, he decided to make a vast number of Sclavi, partly subdued by the virtue of war, partly coming over to him of their own accord and surrendering, dwell in the parts of Opsikion, having crossed the strait of Abydos." Nor is there any reason why you should object against Justinian Rhinotmetus that the Sclavi, who are understood from these recited words of Theophanes to have dwelt not very far from Thessalonica, had been deported from their fatherland, just as that author also teaches in these same words, into the Opsikion Theme, situated in Asia, and [conclude] therefore that the Sclavi in the eighth century, or at that time when the siege of Thessalonica mentioned in the present chapter occurred, did not have seats in places not far removed from Thessalonica, contrary to what our anonymous author indicates in not one place in the present chapter. For even if Theophanes, and also Zonaras, Cedrenus, and other writers support [the claim] that an immense number of Sclavi were abducted by Justinian Rhinotmetus into the Opsikion Theme, he does not assert anywhere that, although he says clearly in the words already given, the same lot happened to all the Sclavi dwelling not far from Thessalonica. ^C And indeed it is right to gather that the Sclavi, while Irene still reigned, or while the eighth century was waning, had seats not far from Thessalonica, from those things which the same Theophanes records in his memory concerning the affairs managed under that empress. Hear him who speaks to the year 782: "In this year Irene, having concluded peace with the Arabs and being free from the care of wars, sent Stauracius the patrician and logothete of the drome with a numerous army against the nations of the Sclavinians: who, when he had arrived at Thessalonica and Greece, subjected the whole region to the empire and compelled [it] to pay tribute. Indeed, even penetrating the Peloponnese, he brought back a huge crowd of captives and spoils under Roman rule." Add also Constantine Porphyrogenitus, already lauded more than once, in *De administrando imperio*, ch. 49 et seq., and you will learn from those things which he writes in the same place that under the emperors Nicephorus and Theophilus, of whom the former died in the year 811, the later in 842, in the Peloponnese, a region not very far removed from Thessalonica, the Sclavi still had seats. I pass over here John Cameniates, who writes in his letters concerning the ruin of Thessalonica, that is, its storming by the Saracens in the year 904, from which it becomes manifest that the Sclavi dwelt not far from Thessalonica even then. ^D Therefore, that the Sclavi in the waning of the eighth century, or at that time when they pressed upon Thessalonica with the siege mentioned in the present chapter, had seats in places not very far removed from Thessalonica, as our anonymous author indicates more than once, appears indubitable from all that has been said; and that even then those who were the Sclavi of the Strymon, according to our anonymous author, dwelt by the river Strymon or in the Strymonian theme, which is located not far from Thessalonica. Furthermore, that the Runchini were adjacent to the Strymonians is most verisimilarly gathered from those things which I observed above in note 61 and in what was stated there.

part of these regions are partly at rest and partly separated, and they plundered very many of the mariners who were returning to the imperial city to transport fruits, from the islands and the narrow sea, and from the places situated towards Parium and Proconnesus; having captured even those who were at the toll-station, together with what belonged to the navigation, they would return with very many ships to their own houses. ^A

191. Then the master of affairs, our emperor, crowned by Christ, seeing the persistence and arrogance of the enemies not only against our city, but also their daring to array themselves against those in authority, deemed it right to command those from his own Christ-loving army to encamp against those having their seats by the Strymon, through Thrace and the opposing regions, not secretly or furtively, but having even announced to them beforehand the expedition against them; who, foreknowing the matter, having occupied the passes and the stronger places so as to resist the Roman armies, armed themselves in opposition, having urged all the barbarian aid from diverse kings into a league of war.^B

192. But even in this, the doughty martyr, as has been said, having armed himself along with the rest of the saints, showed the Roman camp victorious against the Sclaveni, and in the ambushes which they themselves had prepared, he slaughtered their brave ones and their best and armed men; and every barbarian race took to flight, to such a degree that, as for some who had fled secretly to our God-guarded city, he moved them to go out to their houses situated near it, and to gather their fruits, because through the unspeakable fear and the slaughter that had taken place among them, they had left their families altogether and approached those regions; and it was possible to see the defeated and fugitive citizens, together with wives and children, departing to the houses of those around the city and other neighboring places, and carrying wheat, legumes, and other supplies, and the rest of what is needed for sustenance, bearing them upon their shoulders, unarmed and as best they could—on account of the journey and the heat—half-clad; and what they themselves had plotted against our city, this, through the martyr, the providence from above brought back upon them altogether. ^C

193. For the army having been sent thither by the one who happened to reign over us justly and piously for the battle against the Sclaveni, he sent grain-bearing vessels hither even before our request. Those in charge, even in this, having been idle on account of fear—lest those who were stripping the produce of the land, knowing the matter, might be indignant and resist them, and if they did not… ^D

^A satisfy the city with fifty thousand measures of grain, our aforementioned Master, divinely inspired, commanded sixty thousand measures of grain to be sent to us. Then, after the dispatch of the grain and the other goods, and after the cargo ships, which had sailed in to guard these, had arrived, the barbarians, having endured the extremes, finally spoke of peace. What glory, therefore, beloved, or what hymn shall we send up to the only good God for such ineffable miracles as have occurred in this city of ours, to Him who gave us such a luminary, protector, and ally, who, continuously offering his soul to God, the Master of all, for our sake, has not ceased, nor will he cease, ^B to offer up unceasingly to our Savior and God the intercessions on behalf of us, his unworthy servants! Then, if anyone should wish to set forth in brief the neglect and sorrows that occurred in the city by foreign and local rulers, and the ways and schemes of innumerable causes, which the Victor of the contests alone overcame, I think some would talk nonsense, as is their custom, and for the sake of their own opinions—as is their habit—would call the partial miraculous deeds of the renowned martyr false. For by divine decree the outcome is balanced for all, which Christ, the Master and Lord of all, our true God, will requite according to His just judgment; for He is the judge ^C of the living and the dead. To Him be the glory unto the ages, etc.

CAPUT V. The Saint, that Thessalonica might not be seized by enemies with evil guile and suffer harm, resists in a miraculous way.

194. And the abundance of words and the skill of poetic figures and every discovery of philosophical speculations, which might suffice even for those meditating on the praises of the Victor of the contests, are known to exceed in all respects the capacity of both the mind and the speech and the hearing and the art. For the mind, not reaching the things *surpassing* understanding, and speech, ^D straitened by the impasse,

and hearing, sluggish in receiving, and art, ^A failing by the measure of clarity—for whatever is made right toward God, this is incomprehensible to men; and indeed, the miracles of the martyr of Christ, Demetrius, being God-given, surpass the arts of poets and writers—but passing over the expositions of the aforementioned logographers and philosophers, which are suitable as it were, for about this we are brief, we shall speak of the great things in small measure. For it was fitting indeed, even if most of his alliances and bases have been given over to oblivion, to speak also of this miracle-working of the truly compassionate and city-saving Demetrius, which surpasses every mind and thought, and to speak of it as great even in small measure. ^B

195. Above, as you have clearly seen, lovers of Christ, we have given information in part concerning the Sclavonian leader, by name Chatzon, and the Avars, and how they ravaged almost all of Illyricum—I mean its provinces, that is to say both Pannonias, both Dacias likewise, the Dardanias, the Mysias, the Trebalis, the Rhodopes, and all the rest of the provinces, and moreover also Thrace, and up to the long wall of Byzantium, and the remaining cities and states—and how they led away all the people themselves to that region lying hence toward Pannonia, ^C adjacent to the Danube river, the metropolis of which province was formerly the aforementioned Sirmium. Thither, therefore, as has been said, the entire people of the captivity were led, ^D where this famous city, having been destroyed by Attila, existed for some time as the seat not only of the capital of all Illyricum, but also of him who held the office of praetorian prefect for this most vast region, as one may see in Farlatus, *Illyricum Sacrum*, Vol. I, pages [five] and following. Now, Illyricum included Pannonia, as is evident from Sextus Rufus and Jordanes alone. For the former has it thus in his *Breviarium*: "Illyricum has seventeen provinces; two of the Noricums, two of the Pannonias, Valeria, Savia, Dalmatia, Moesia, two of the Dacias; and in the diocese of Macedonia there are seven: Macedonia, Thessaly, Achaia, the two Epiri, Praevalis, and Crete." The latter, indeed, in *De successione regnorum ad tempora*, Book 1, writes as follows: "Illyricum is indeed joined together into one body, through parts and members; it has within it eighteen provinces; these are: two Noricums, two Pannonias, two Valerias, Savia, Dalmatia, Upper Moesia, Dardania, two Dacias, Macedonia, Thessaly, Achaia, Epirus, Praevalis, Crete." Although Sextus Rufus, contrary to what Jordanes does, does not count Dardania among the provinces of Illyricum—because perhaps in his age it had not yet obtained the name of a province—both, however, ascribe Pannonia, or, if you prefer, both Pannonias, the lower indeed and the upper, to Illyricum. Furthermore, since they also enumerate Praevalis among the provinces of Illyricum, I think that the word here, *Trebale*, has been written by mistake, truly by the carelessness of the copyists, and that *Praevale* or certainly *Prebale* should be substituted for this word. For Praevalis, as is evident from the recited words of Sextus Rufus and Jordanes, is a known province of Illyricum or a region which for a time was a part of Dalmatia; but Trebalis is not.

^A Thus, as has been said, the aforesaid Chagan of the Avars established the entire captive people, as though henceforth subject to him. From that time therefore, it was commingled with the Bulgars and Avars and the rest of the heathen tribes; and as they procreated among the free and grew into an infinite and most numerous people, and the individual sons had received from their fathers the natural disposition and the zeal for their race, conforming to Roman customs, just as under Pharaoh in Egypt the race of the Hebrews was increased, so also in these in a not dissimilar manner, by means of the orthodox faith and holy and lifegiving baptism, the tribe of the Christians was increased; and as the one related to the other concerning the locations of their ancestral homes, they kindled in each other’s hearts the desire for flight.

^B For sixty years and more having already passed since the destruction wrought upon their progenitors by the barbarians, and another new people having already appeared there, and the Chagan of the Avars—since the majority of them had become free through the passage of time—regarding them henceforth as a distinct nation, just as it was a nation by birth, set a ruler over them, Cuber by name, who ^C (79) Not Chatzon, whom I mentioned a little earlier, who appears to have been leader only of the Sclaveni and not also of the Avars, but that very Chagan of the Avars, who—when they were forced to retreat from Thessalonica, which they had besieged under the leadership of Chatzon, by promises and gifts (see ch. 2)—I think should be designated; however, although the author writes here that what happened was done by the Sclaveni (which I mentioned above, no. 158), and ascribes it in this place to the Avars and their Chagan, he should not therefore be judged inconsistent with himself; for the Sclaveni, while they were doing what is narrated in no. 158 in Illyricum, it is highly probable from what is found recorded by the historians just cited and others concerning both of those nations that not a few Avars, to whom they were joined by treaty and to whom they appear to have in part been subject, were also involved, or that at least the Sclaveni carried out that action by the authority or instigation of the same Avars. (80) Into these Greek words of our author, ^D *taīς ἐνεγκαμέναις παρειληφότων καὶ τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ γένους κατὰ τῶν ἠθῶν τῶν Ῥωμαίων*, I am led to believe that an error has crept in through the negligence of the copyists; in the meantime, I have attributed to them the Latin interpretation that the sense seemed most to require; if anyone brings forward a better one, I shall most willingly embrace it. (82) I find no mention elsewhere among other writers of this prince, who, as is understood from the title of the present chapter (cited in the note above), was a Bulgar; for although Saint Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople, in his *Breviarium Historicum* (published at Paris, 1648, p. 16), makes mention of Cubratus, a Bulgar by race, who rebelled against the Chagan of the Avars in the seventh century, not yet advanced to its midpoint, under Heraclius, and retired to the Romans—that is, to Heraclius—with the people whom he had received from him, leaving behind his ancestral seats. But even if not a few things currently ascribed by our anonymous author to Cuber are ascribed by Nicephorus to Cubratus, and although in addition the names Cubratus and Cuberus are similar; nevertheless, the difference in the age in which both flourished prevents them from being called one and the same person here. For Cubratus, as is evident from what has already been said, flourished in the seventh century; Cuberus, however, in the eighth century, and indeed most probably when it was much advanced, unless perhaps one wishes to suggest that what our anonymous author immediately subjoins about Cuber was wrongly attributed by him to these things...

for, having learned from certain of those who were more closely associated with him of the desire of a people of this kind for their ancestral cities, he begins to deliberate. He takes up the entire Roman people, together with other gentiles—just as is recorded in the Mosaic book of the Exodus of the Jews—that is to say, proselytes, along with their equipment and weapons. And they depart and become rebels against the chagan, insomuch that the chagan, having learned of it, pursues them from the rear. And upon their engaging in five or six battles, and he himself having been defeated by them in both, he had recourse to flight and moved away into the interior regions toward the north. So that eventually, the same Cuber, having with victory crossed the aforementioned Danube river with all the people mentioned with him, came into the regions toward us and took possession of the Ceramesian plain. And they having settled there, they sought their ancestral cities, as especially those who were of the orthodox faith did; some the city of the Thessalonians, which is preserved by the martyrs and is ^B in our keeping, others the all-fortunate queen of cities, and others still the remaining cities of Thrace.

197. But while the people were deliberating on these things, counselors of deceitful mind maliciously formed a plan that none of them should be deemed worthy of the desired place, but that Cuber himself should rule over all of them, since they had gone forth in a mixed group, and should become their leader and chagan. For if he were to attempt to go to the one who had obtained by God the lot to rule over us, he would take the entire people with him and, scattering them, would render them alien to his authority. And then, it is thought, he sent an embassy to the lord of the scepter, in order to remain ^C there with the people existing with him, requesting that he command the adjacent nations, the Dragobitae, to provide them with sufficient provisions—which was indeed done. And in this way, since very many had entered into the tents of the Slavs for food, and had inquired about our city, and having learned accurately that it was not far off, many of them who were of Roman origin began henceforth, with wives and children, to enter into this our God-protected city, whom immediately those who ^D were in charge of the prefecture were accustomed to address by way of an honorary title.

^A

198. Once this was known to the aforementioned first of theirs, Cubero, and he could not conceal the treachery lying in his heart, he conferred with his councilors for his own destruction and judgment, and he hatched this secret plot: that one of his princes, who was more cunning and crafty than the rest, who understood our language as well as that of the Romans, Sclavs, and Bulgarians—and, to speak in one word, who was astute in all things and instructed in every diabolical art—should become an exile and, under the guise of the others, flee to our God-protected city, feigning himself to be a slave of the faithful emperor, and bringing with him a great number of people who were of his own mind. Thus, by these means, he would capture the city through civil war; and, clearly, after the capture of this city, the aforementioned Cubero would be obligated to establish himself there with his baggage-train and the rest of the princes, and from there, being fortified, to array himself against the surrounding nations, and to lord it over them, and to wage war upon the islands 88 and Asia, and even upon him who held the reins of the empire, if he willed so to attack him. ^B

199. When this plan and resolve had been made, and they had confirmed with an oath that they would do what they had determined, one of them, named Mauros, became a refugee to our city, as it appeared, and arrived; and first, with sweet and deceitful words, together with oaths, he persuaded those who held authority to report to the most pious emperor about him in the most excellent terms, worthy of approval. His majesty, being a benefactor to all and persuaded by what was reported through them, immediately sent them a written message for their honor, having sent a consular ornament 89 and a banner to this same Mauros in order to honor him, and commanded that all the "Cermesians" 90 who were fleeing from the aforementioned Cubero should be placed under this same Mauros. And when such a command had been made public and had been recorded into the written ordinary register, 91 from then on all the people who had fled here were committed to the same Mauros, and he himself became their leader. But when certain ones who were of the Roman race, knowing what manner of man Mauros was—that he had never kept faith with anyone, but was always, from his depravity, perjury, and treachery, most wretched in his ways—... ^{C D}

they perceived that it was not to be trusted. Yet he, having learned from the denunciation of those who came to him of those who were secretly preparing that same dire ambush, ^A beheaded them, and sold their wives and children as he wished and wherever he wanted.

σ΄. Thence, the rest of the Christians, not daring to speak openly of the ambush they knew was set against the city, were lamenting both themselves and the city, with no one daring to offer him any resistance; but rather, even those who ostensibly held authority at that time feared him. For the same Mauros had appointed centurions, pentecontarchs, and decarchs, whom he had found to be of one mind with his own treacherous intent, and these armed men—most of them audacious fellows who received an allowance from the public purse—guarded him by night and by day. This, furthermore, was their scheme and counsel: that on the night of the great feast of Holy Saturday, when the city was about to celebrate in common the communion of the life-giving resurrection of Christ, ^B then, together with those among them who were skilled in warfare, they would stir up a civil war, cast fire into certain prominent places, and thus make themselves masters of the city.

σα΄. But he who had received the authority from God, by invisible inspiration and nod—according to that which is written, that "the heart of the king is in the hand of God, and whithersoever He wills, like water, He inclines it"—knowing by this the plan that had been prepared in guile against the city, deigned to command Sisinnius, who was then the general of the ships, a man prudent in his words and his ways, and one who in all things had entrusted himself to God, ^C so that he might enter this city, which was guarded by the athlete-warriors, with the sailors under his command to keep watch over the aforementioned Mauros and those who were attached to him; so that, with such an army present there, those from the aforementioned Kouber might, with greater zeal, find refuge there. This most glorious general Sisinnius, wishing to bring to completion what had been commanded, set out from the parts of Hellas, and arrived at the island of Skiathos on Sunday, the day before the Holy Pascha, which is celebrated by all in the cities of the orthodox and is called the Day of Palms. ^D Having put in, then, at the said island, which had been uninhabited for many years, and having found one of the all-holy temples that had been there, overgrown with woods and shrubs, he commanded the army that obeyed him to clear one part of it and to perform the divine liturgy there, which was indeed done.

^A On the following day, which was Holy Monday of our Lord’s Passion week, since the winds were contrary to our voyage, that most excellent man summoned all his army and addressed them, exhorting no one to be idle, but rather to clear the rest of the temple, and the holy baptistery that was within it, and for all to make themselves ready, worthy of the holy remembrance of Christ, so that they might fulfill the observances of the feast. When this exhortation of his became known to them all, they strove eagerly in the cleaning of the temple and the holy baptistery; one was busy making tents, another was preparing other things for the feast, while someone else was called away to catch fish or game. In short, everyone was hoping, each according to his own judgment, to prepare for the upcoming festival, all the while remaining ignorant of what was in the minds of the aforementioned Kouber and Maurus, and those who were conspiring with them. When the divine service of that same Holy Monday was finished, and all had dined and returned thanks to God as was the custom, that most celebrated man, having diligently seen to the guard-posts, sentries, and everything else pertaining to security, ordered the remainder of the army to take their rest.

^{B C} 203. Now, as soon as he fell asleep, ^D there appeared—not in a dream, but in reality—the martyr of God Demetrius, adorned with glorious victories, who is at all times laboring and anxious on behalf of us unworthy servants and our fatherland, and who above all else provides for our salvation; and he said to him: "Arise, why are you sleeping? Set sail; the wind is favorable." Immediately, as if the thing he had seen were indeed reality, he asked the man who was in charge of the ship what the wind was like. The man replied: "It is contrary; and it is even stronger than the wind of yesterday." When he had returned and was about to sleep, the same person soon appeared again, waking the aforementioned commander, and striking his side, said: "Arise, I say to you, set sail; the wind is favorable." Getting up, he again asked those who were sleeping next to him and those on watch who it was who had spoken to him and roused him for the voyage. When they all denied that they had seen anyone or heard anything about it from anyone, he again asked whether the wind was favorable according to what had been told him. But they all asserted that it was contrary. So, while he was in doubt as to what the thing said and seen might be, and, being exhausted by much exertion, was about to sleep for a short time again, the same martyr stood by the commander a third time, and with no small urgency and agitation said to him:

^A "Do not neglect this; arise, set sail, for the wind is favorable. Behold, you are sleeping, while others are sailing." Then, having been roused and understanding this—for that admirable and venerable man was truly a genuine friend of God and of the martyr, recognizing this invitation to set sail as coming from divine revelation and not from mere imagining—he immediately rose, and without further questioning anyone about the matter, he began to make the rounds of the ships and ordered them to set out toward us. When some complained that the winds were contrary, and that they were laboring to make preparations for the feast there, he asked if they wished for him to carry them off to some more desolate place. Next, since from the martyr's third appearance it had been firmly established in his mind, through the persistent urging and the vision of Demetrios, the protector of our city, that the voyage would be favorable for him, he ordered them to row with all speed towards the harbor. Then, he suddenly saw a ship coming straight toward them, as if from the regions of Chalcis, and he remembered what had been said to him in the revelation.

^B Consequently, as the ships immediately began to move out, and while the wind, as we mentioned, was in their faces, suddenly by a divine nod, through the intercessions of the victor, a favorable wind blew for them from behind. Having sailed appropriately and set their sails fittingly, on the Holy Wednesday of Holy Week, at the seventh hour, they arrived at this city, preserved by its protector, Demetrios. From that time on, the civil war that had been so dreadfully plotted and organized by Mauros and those with him ceased. Mauros himself, suddenly seized by fear and despondency, fell into a most severe fever from his anxiety and lay upon his bed for many days; indeed, he would have departed from this world at that point, had not the aforementioned man, the commander worthy of all praise—who was ignorant of what had been plotted—assured him with words and oaths. He recounted to many what had been seen by him—that is, what the martyr had outlined regarding the voyage—and proclaimed the zeal and foresight that the martyr had exercised for the city. ^C And so it was that he then ordered this same Mauros, together with his own troops from the ships, to station themselves outside the city in the western quarters, so that the Cermesiani who were to flee from the Sclaveni could enter safely and without hindrance. And in this manner they remained for several days.

^D 206. After these events, when an imperial command [index: entries preserved]

had been brought to the aforementioned God-loving general, împrehending that he should transport the aforementioned Cermesianoi elsewhere with the aforementioned carabi and the ships sent for this purpose, Maurus himself, along with those who were with him, fled the command of the God-crowned Emperor and followed in his footsteps, having been received there and having been made an archon. Yet not even in this did the God-counselled providence of the victor ^A fail, but through the very son of Maurus it whispered into pious ears the plot devised by him and by Cuber against our city, revealing to him the treachery and base intent of the often-mentioned Maurus, and that he had even intended to commit treason against his own soul in the regions of Thrace. And since these things appeared to be truly so—because Cuber, the often-named, while observing what had been discussed among them, did not lay a finger upon any of Maurus’s men or goods, but rather treated his, Maurus’s, wives with the same honor they had formerly held, or even greater—the aforementioned most pious Emperor, who always entrusted matters pertaining to his reign to God, who had granted him the empire, and who offered the same Maurus to Him, did not indeed put him to death; but having stripped him of his dignity, he relegated him to a suburb, having taken a pledge of security, and removed him from the prefecture and military command which he previously held.

^B 207. Who, beloved and Christ-loving brothers, would not marvel at the yearning, the guardianship, and the aid of the eternally-memorable protector and redeemer of our city, Demetrius? For, while we were free of cares and ignorant of our own destruction, he suggested to our Emperor through God that he should send the carabi here for the aid and salvation of the city. And when the predetermined time for the meditated civil war and for our unexpected and inescapable death was at hand, he stirred the general to sail; and even when the winds were contrary, he led him to a favorable voyage, and he dissolved the councils and hopes of those who had plotted the destruction of this city of his that yearns to serve him. Truly this greatest and incomparable and ineffable miracle deserves to be celebrated with joy and tears and abundant hymns joined with thanksgiving, both in soul and body. But come, beloved, let us beseech the merciful and most compassionate and loving God with all our heart, so that He may grant to this city that worships Him, for our salvation, the most glorious and most wondrous victor in the struggles, so that, being saved through him continually, we may send up glory and honor and adoration to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit now and always, etc.

I again leave to the judgment of the fair reader whatever prodigies occur ^C in the present chapter. I would, however, wish it to be noted that both these matters and those which occur in the chapter immediately preceding deserve greater credence than those narrated in the first three chapters; for in these [later] ones, but not in those, the author appears as a contemporary, as may be gathered partly from the very words occurring in the text ^D, and partly from the time at which each event occurred, according to the notes provided above. Consult also the preliminary Commentary, number 24.

CHAPTER VI. Bishop Cyprian, captured by the Slavs, is miraculously asserted into liberty by Saint Demetrius.

^A 208. There was a certain man from Africa, prudent in mind and godly in divine things, possessed of great virtue, and adorned with the dignity of an archbishop. His name was Cyprian. Being sent at that time to the queen of cities [Constantinople] for certain business, he was unexpectedly caught in an ambush by the Slavic nation in the regions of Hellas. That venerable and gray-haired archbishop was therefore led away as a slave into their own country. From that point on, he endured a barbaric servitude; and he who was the priest and steward of the pure and unbloody sacrifice, and the pastor and teacher of the spiritual sheep of Christ, became the slave of a barbaric, impure, and utterly bloodthirsty beast. Every day, a basket was laid upon his shoulders for the purpose of removing filth from the barbarian's horse stables. Stripes upon his back, stripes upon his head, and slaps upon his jaw—when at last, through the length and excessive weight of this servitude (O the depth of Thy judgments, O merciful Word of God!), that venerable, gray, and holy head failed, and through this new reversal of fortune, the archbishop was to the barbarian as if he were one from the common rabble.

^B 209. For how could that barbaric soul know how to distinguish between the sacred and the profane, so as not to touch the Lord’s Christ and to treat him most cruelly? But what happened after this? That archbishop, reduced to the condition of a slave, lifts his eyes to heaven and implores help from above. And immediately, healing shone upon him, and the liberator was sent down most swiftly from the heights of glory. It was night, and the archbishop was sleeping on the ground. A wonderful dream is sent to him by the Saint. He sees...

^A a man standing over him; having seen, behold, a man dressed in military armor, mounted on a horse, armed with a sword, young and most graceful at once; and he said to him, "If you wish to be delivered from captivity and chains, follow me." He reveals to him his name, his country, and his rank, that he is called Demetrius, that Thessalonica is his fatherland, and that he is a soldier, being clothed in a brilliant rank. The archbishop is immediately released from his chains, and with as much speed of foot as he had, he follows the One who had appeared.

210. The first day passed, the second was present, and after it the third, and consecutively up to the eighth, with the martyr acting as a guide for the journey; and when the archbishop was at Thessalonica, behold, the guide was hidden. He enters the city and asks who the soldier is in it, narrating how he had delivered him from captivity; for the mystery of the miracle performed by the martyr was still hidden by the dispensation of Providence, so that the wonder might be published even more widely and the miracle might redound to the glory of the martyr. As soon, therefore, as the hearers came to a knowledge of the matter—[realizing the miracle] was performed by the work of the martyr—they lead him to that very holy basilica of the martyr; but as soon as he had entered, and had seen the martyr in an icon, and at the same time saw him armed with a sword and mounted on a horse, he asserted that he was the very one who had appeared to him. Immediately, the things pertaining to the miracle were manifested to him, and falling on his face he gave thanks to God and the martyr.

211. And now I have known, he cried out, that the Lord has sent his martyr, and has rescued me from the hand of those who afflicted me, and from the mud of the mire; and he has set my feet in a spacious place, and has directed my steps. The iron of the chains passed through my soul; these hands of mine served in a basket; but now, behold, I lift them up with joy, from whence my help came. And he praised God with his mouth, but with his eyes he moistened the ground beneath the temple; for tears, like springs, flowed in abundance from him, out of both joy and compunction. Hence the whole city celebrated a new festival for the martyr for such a great miracle, and they magnified the wonder.

212. But that archbishop, Cyprianus, the captive, the prisoner, the free man in the martyr, after this arrived at Constantinople, ^D where the things of his purpose were pressing upon him because of his captivity, and there he narrated the wonder of Demetrius that had happened to him, and spoke with boldness. When he had returned again to his own flock, as if giving thanks for his redemption, he raises a great temple to that divine name, and he adorns and illuminates it; but when there was also need for marbles, so that he might adorn the temple for the martyr more splendidly with them, he finds him an associate in the labor. For he appears to him, and says that a ship has now arrived in the port which contains the things that would be necessary.

He approaches the shipmaster, making his inquiry concerning the marbles. ^C 213. The shipmaster acts as if he did not know, and denies that he has what is being sought. The archbishop desists from the questioning; again the martyr shows him the place in the ship where the marbles are, how many there are, and what sort they are, and tells him also their exact location, their number, and their names, and that the marbles which the shipmaster is carrying in his ship under the name of his own brother and fellow-martyr Victor, he had purchased, and that Victor, having found others, had presented these to him. Again the archbishop tells the shipmaster the name, the location, the measure, and the kind, and how many there are and what sort the marbles are, and how they had been given to the great Demetrius by the fellow-martyr Victor. As soon, therefore, as the shipmaster heard this, he understood that the providential grace of the martyr so willed it, and immediately he gives the marbles to the archbishop.

214. And so the work of the adornment of the temple is immediately completed. But what mind shall be able to number, or what language shall be able to recount the cries of the captives from every barbarian land, which the great one would accomplish to release daily, freeing some of them from their bonds immediately and permitting them to flee to their own homes on foot, while others he would relieve by setting them upon his own steed, appearing on horseback ^D as if he were to them…

The Anonymous Narrative of our Author

The anonymous narrative of our author, contracted into a summary by John Stauracius, ends here (as for what follows, these are merely additions made by this later writer); but concerning the temple which Bishop Cyprian is said above to have built in that place where he had his see in Africa in honor of Saint Demetrius, our author supplies some details, not commemorated by John Stauracius, which remain from the part of this same present chapter only as it stood in the codex formerly in the Mazarin library. Since they are worthy of note and make for the glory of our Saint, it is pleasing to transcribe them here, with a Latin translation added. They are thus: "Having adorned the temple with beauty, he sought God through prayer and supplication that the grace of the martyr might overshadow it, and that the temple built in his name might not remain obscure and without miracles, and indeed he obtains his petition. For God does the will of those who fear him and hearkens to their supplication. For behold, by the visitation of the martyr, healings of various diseases are performed and they are delivered from spirits by being anointed with the oil of his lamp. And all who dwell in the city are unhurt by the bites of scorpions; for this city is called [Thessalonica], where formerly, as the story often goes, in the two months of the year, July and August, they could not lie down on the ground and sleep because of the multitude of the stinging scorpions, but would go into the boats and there fulfill the necessity of sleep; but from the present time, from the day the house of the all-glorious martyr was consecrated, even if it happens that someone is struck by the scorpions, he is anointed with the oil of the lamp upon the stricken member and is more quickly delivered from the pain." These same things, which this anonymous narrative of our author describes somewhat more protractedly in the codex formerly in the Mazarin library, it expresses in these few words: "By his prayer (namely, of Demetrius), if any infirm person shall have come as a devotee into the same temple, built by Archbishop Cyprian, and shall have been anointed with the oil of his lamp, he shall be healed immediately," and it also includes the narrative of the same account in the place cited above by Mabillon, the summary compiled by Anastasius the Librarian. This further, although agreeing in substance with the summary of John Stauracius, includes many other things adjoined to it, which are worthy of note and which are absent from this, as he who compares one with the other will discover. Furthermore, as regards the truth of the matters narrated in this chapter, those things which were said above in note 1 ought also to be weighed.

invisibly opening some of the doors, while for others, as far as the bolts and seals were concerned, he kept them intact while emptying them of the prisoners, and transporting them through the air, as it were, to his own city of Thessalonica, ^A rendering them unharmed, so much so that the jailer, when he had taken the count of the prisoners who had been consigned to his custody, finding that he had lost certain ones whom the Great One had snatched from their chains, not knowing what to do, would sometimes say: 215. What is this? Could the thief from the Bulgarians have entered the prison again and snatched away the prisoners? For he already knew that the martyr had often deprived him of many of the prisoners from the guard; for the Great One was even seen by the barbarians riding on horseback in ways that he alone knows, carrying a captive who lacked a mount, and he wonderfully appeared to possess the form of one snatching or stealing, and of one being pursued and at the same time fleeing. But what could we, your people, render to you, O great soldier of Christ, what could we render to you, most compassionate and patriotic one, for your care for us, for your great kindness toward us?

BOOK III OF THE MIRACLES

BY ANOTHER ANONYMOUS AUTHOR

CHAPTER 1

Of a man who, by the patronage of Saint Demetrios, recovered his sight which had been lost through illness.

216. A certain man, a long time ago, a native of this city, having set out for Byzantium on some business, fell into a severe illness; from this, a violent ^C flow fell upon his eyes, and extinguished his bodily luminaries. And although the disease was dispelled and he recovered, yet because of the blindness he was altogether miserable and able to do nothing; he would walk, but he would strike against stones. His feet were worn down by the stumbling blocks, and nowhere did any remedy occur to him. He conceived in his mind the great Demetrios and sought healing, and did not cease from pleading: "O that I were in my own country of Thessalonica!" he would cry out, "and could immediately call upon the great champion there, and I would not be frustrated in my vow." But even there, the physician whom he sought appeared to him, and the good shepherd and caretaker hurried ^D to help the sheep of his own fold, and like a diligent paterfamilias of Thessalonica, he ran to find the lost drachma.

^A "And why," he says, "O man of little faith, do you think that I am only to be found if I am called upon in my own country? Do not fear, but rise and go to the oratory of the all-holy Mother of God—the place is called the Economium—and you shall find me within, and I will appear to you, and you shall immediately behold the light." The man, having been awakened, immediately rises, runs, searches for that divine house of the All-Holy, finds it, enters the temple, and asks where the great Demetrius is. He hears: "Behold, the divine image of the martyr." It was composed of pebbles, most artfully and excellently. The blind man falls before the image, shedding very many tears: "I will not cease to cling to your holy feet until the great martyr and physician heals my eyes, so that I may see your divine form and splendor."

^B 218. Night was now present, and behold, the martyr and physician touches the diseased eyes of the sufferer with his fingers, and he opens them slightly, as it seemed, and removes the film from them. Then he presses them more forcefully, so that the sufferer feels pain and is awakened, and hears the martyr say, "Do you not even now see me? Do you not see me, the physician? Do you not see me, the healer?" He jumped up quickly, and raising his eyes to the image of the martyr, he said, "I see you, my great physician; I see you, ^C the martyr of Christ; I see your venerable and divine image, and I offer you much gratitude, because you have set my feet in a wide place and directed my steps; because you have rescued my eyes from tears and my feet from stumbling."

CAPUT II.

219. Another man, hailing from the city of Hadrian, was also deprived of sight, and he intended to hasten to the Great One for healing. He was ready for the journey; but those related to him by kinship tried to dissuade him, [saying that] the journey was long and difficult, and this for a man traveling on foot and blind. But he said, "Even if the journey were to take two whole years, I will not cease until I find the physician I seek, the great Demetrius." He began his journey, covering the distance in two full days, wandering miserably with a blind foot, ^D forced to strike against stones, falling frequently to the ground, and truly enduring great labor. The Great Demetrius looks upon him from afar, and, greatly pitying the man in his calamity, he is moved; he accepts his faith, and appears on the road on horseback to this disabled man.

^A He asks—and not being ignorant of where he is going, thus alone, thus dark, and wretched in every respect—he hears: "To the divine tomb of the great Demetrius, so that I may recover my sight." "But," he says, "the road of your proposed journey is long and difficult." And again, that which he said before: "But even if I should suffer thus for two whole years," he says, "I will not stop until I arrive there." "But indeed," says the Great One, "I will let you rest a little on this horse." He takes him onto the horse, and that very day sets the blind man in the middle of this divine sanctuary. And he, not knowing the miracle, and where he was, being jostled by the many crowds entering and leaving the temple of the great one (for it was the day, then, on which we celebrate the martyrdom of the martyr), presumed that he had been deceived by the horseman who had traveled with him, and had again been cast into the marketplace of the city of Adrianople; and he was complaining about this regarding the one who had deceived him, and was asking the reason for such a gathering of people.

^B 221. And some, hearing this, say: "Man, are you mad? Standing in the temple of the great Demetrius in Thessalonica, you are asking for Adrianople, and [complaining about] a horseman who led you astray." And he was indeed struck with amazement for many hours, and was silent; then, as if returning to his senses, he made the miracle public, and with tears and joy at the same time he sought his cure; for he already possessed, beyond doubt, from what had previously happened, the recovery of his eyes. The martyr appears to him, therefore, in a dream at night, and says: "Do not only understand this temple of mine by touching it with your hands, but behold it with your eyes themselves." And immediately opening his eyelids, he sees all the location and beauty of the temple, magnifying God and His martyr Demetrius.

CHAPTER III.

222. I proceed, listeners, to relate another of the great martyr's prodigies, perhaps not less than those already told; how, indeed, many years ago, while Leo held the scepter, Thessalonica was captured by the descendants of the handmaid Hagar, ^D and became the work of the sword, while Leo was governing—by judgments which He alone, whom Thou, O Lord, overlooking such things, alone knowest in His ineffable wisdom, disposing that they should happen on account of our sins—and how... [alt-version omitted]

other Scriptures signify this, the memory that flows forth even now and laments the events that occurred at that time also declares. At that very time, then, of the capture, certain Italians, having set out from their own land for the sake of prayer and the history of the temples in various places, and indeed aiming for the life-giving tomb itself, had for some time been walking along the road that leads straight to the martyr's shrine.

^A And since it chanced that they were passing through the Thessalian Tempe, a certain man, previously unknown to them and not yet seen, was observed walking with them—gray of hair, cheerful of countenance, modest in his attire, and by his appearance alone suggesting much reverence and gentleness. Then another person appeared, approaching them from the front, a horseman beautiful to behold, possessing much natural charm and grace; yet he was downcast, revealing a sorrowful light in his eyes that obscured his cheerfulness, and as if cast down and darkened by some inconsolable grief. He, too, letting out a voice matching his expression, first addressed the elder, calling him by name, Achilleius, and asked, "Where are you going?" "I am passing to you, as you see." And the elder, having exchanged greetings with great joy, calling him Demetrios and addressing him as the great champion of the Awarder of the contest, eagerly asked him what was the cause of such gloom, dejection, and grief.

^C 224. And the martyr said, "Alas, my fatherland is ruined, and it has already been condemned by the Judge of all. Bloodstained and barbarian hands have enslaved my fellow tribesmen; my shrine is now being washed around with the blood of my own people; the holy places are trodden by profane and impure feet and treated as naught. And I, indeed, as was my custom, was beseeching God, calling for mercy upon the wretched, and begging Him to take pity again, and not to allow the Church, which He had acquired with His own blood, to be torn apart by the hands of barbarians who trust only in their own strength, not in God. But He, for His judgments are unsearchable, allowed His own inheritance to experience the trial of barbarian inhumanity." The martyr, recounting these things, having ^D taken the hierarch Achilleius—

[Note: The remaining text in the Latin column from "uxoris..." onwards is a scholarly commentary/note on the text, summarizing the historical context of the capture of Thessalonica by the Saracens in the year 6412 (904 AD), referencing John Kaminiates’ account.]

and moved the aged Achilleus, the priest of the sacred mysteries, to a feeling of compassion, and they cried out together: "Great are your wonders, O Lord, and no one is capable of arriving at an understanding of your providence." ^B

225. As for the Italians, seeing these things with unspeakable amazement, one of them said quietly, "O soldier, tell me, of what city is this that is spoken of to us, and who is the one that has been handed over to the barbarians?" And the great Demetrius said, "My own most unfortunate homeland, Thessalonica, has been handed over to the barbarians." And immediately the old man and the great Demetrius were no longer seen by those traveling with them; but they, being alone, since the Italians had become separated, began to ask one another what it was that they had heard from them, and who those people might be who had been their traveling companions. But he, with wonder and amazement, related each thing individually, and revealed the apparition of the great martyr, who had made clear the evils of his homeland and had warned them to place their own affairs in safety. ^C

226. Therefore, so that they too might not become booty for the enemies, they led themselves far from Thessalonica, and before long they heard from those fleeing the city each of the things that had happened, and they understood that the man, for the sake of his homeland, had been standing there, downcast and grieving over what had occurred. Having returned to the imperial city itself, they related what they had seen with their own eyes, and they explained the compassion of the martyr for his homeland, and his love for it and its people, by which it is even now still guarded and cherished, and it has returned to its former happiness under that other citizen and guardian of his. For he, as an unmoving and firm rampart, even today still...

^A curbs the onslaughts of the wicked Scythians, setting his unconquerable right hand as a rampart against them, and keeping his own country safe and superior to their incursions.

CAPUT IV.

A short distance from the city—I mean Thessalonica—a spring emerges, of sweet and clear water, icy cold to the touch and transparent, and otherwise most pleasant and excellent for drinking. For the stream pours forth from an abrupt rock, split by some natural cleft, and it gushes out with a force that is at once vehement and abundant. Therefore, some of those who toiled in the wealth of ^B former times, admiring the site for its convenience, made it a dwelling-place for good and holy men; they built there, as far as was permitted, a temple in the name of the great Demetrius, and they designated the place as a fountain that was truly an abyss of miracles and healings.

It happened, then, that one of those who served in the imperial offices fell into a disease, as he was passing through Thessalonica, and all his better prospects were taken away from him, for the malady neither yielded to the arts of physicians, nor, with the passage of time, did it relent; rather, it grew worse.

^C For his whole body was broken down, its frame dissolved and loosened, and if any of his flesh had not been consumed by the disease, it swelled and became bloated, so that he could not even bear the touch of those tending to him. He lay there, therefore, despairing of his life, being constantly wounded by the unbearable arrows of his pains, now breathing his last and awaiting the moment when he would yield up his soul from his agonies.

Then the divine Demetrius appeared to him in a divine dream and said, “If, O man, you desire to obtain healing, go to my sanctuary outside the city, which they call ‘The Fountain’; delay not even a little. For having washed your hands and feet ^D and anointed your face there, you shall not lack for health. I am Demetrius who commands these things to you, the guardian of the city and the physician of the sick without fee.”

The vision, then, gave these orders. But, said the man, as he lay there, “How shall I go, when all my limbs are dissolved, and not only…

but if anyone should even wish to touch me, I am struck with sharper pains? This, for me, being utterly debilitated and strengthless on all sides, is quite impossible.” But that divine Demetrius, who had appeared to him, said, “Go, man; count other things as naught, and you shall obtain healing.” He was carried, then, for he could not disobey, and was cast down at the sanctuary, and having been anointed with holy oil by the attendants, and having bathed in that divine water, as the vision had commanded, he was placed in the temple. Therefore, on that very night, that vigilant physician approached the sick man and asked again if he was well; but he said, “Nay indeed, I labor under an incurable disease, with no hope of recovery yet shining upon me.”

250. When, therefore, he had taken his hand and moved it somewhat more vigorously, he who was laboring under ill health, having awakened, cried out clearly and vehemently, and began to lament; but the attendants, and as many as were present out of compassion, a multitude ran together, and since all were mourning together as if for one breathing his last, the sufferer in a faint voice recounted ^B what he had seen. But they all cried out that it was the martyr himself, and said that he had appeared to him most clearly, and they encouraged the one lying there to be of better and more cheerful spirit. He then, having first moved his hand gently, and then bringing it to his feet, which were still stretched out from the first onset, and having drawn them in, and having asked for water from that fountain which drives away diseases, and having washed himself—he who a little while before could not even move himself or turn at all—sang the praises of the worker of so many wonders, and honored him with songs of thanksgiving of every kind. And having risen from his bed, he walked with steady feet, and recounted the miracle that had been performed with cries that could not be contained, so that from this, all the people of the city poured forth and ran to the martyr’s shrine; and for not a few days, by night and by day, they honored God with hymns. The martyr’s temple received a change of name from the common folk and the lowest of the populace, and from that time was called "Harmogenes" instead of Demetrius, because he had bound together the relaxation and dissolution of the joints with an ineffable and wondrous surgery, and had once again fitted them together ^C, the martyr Harmogenes (24) taking the place of Demetrius.

CAPUT V.

That the Saint, so that the sacred temple in Cappadocia which had collapsed might be restored (25), caused this, or whether he lived but a short time after the miracle already set forth, or for that reason, how much credit this deserves, I cannot determine. You may see also what has been said in the preceding Commentary concerning that sacred place and the frequent gathering of the people to it in former times. The naming, of course, is derived from *arthron*, or member, and *progigno*, or to be born; and it was attributed to the Saint and his temple, because he, in a certain manner, restored to health the members which had been dissolved and paralyzed, as our author here records.

^A (26) The place is called Contichna, where a temple to the great martyr Demetrius has been built, which is still held in the highest honor and reverence by the local inhabitants. And the reason for this building—nor would it be irrelevant to state it—is as follows: A certain man, accustomed to provide for his own livelihood by the work of his own hands, while laboring in his small field, dug up a certain pile of stones. It had crossed the man’s mind to transform the place into a threshing floor once it had been cleared; and he remained at the work, clearing away very diligently what seemed to be useless.

^B 232. Then a youth, of prepossessing appearance, radiant of face, and dressed in military attire like a knight, stood before him and said, "Hey you, are you in such a hurry to turn my temple into a threshing floor for yourself? You will not rejoice at this plan, nor have you taken the best counsel for yourself; I am Demetrius, I said, born in Thessalonica and honored everywhere." Having said this, he departed; but the farmer remained bereft of speech, and as if struck in his mind, he forgot everything he had been doing and was deprived of his senses by that divine brilliance.

^C 233. When, therefore, his kinsmen and those who were otherwise familiar with him inquired as to the cause of his speechlessness, the man, with a trembling and, as it were, failing voice, recounted each of the things he had seen, and declared that it was Demetrius who had appeared. Then those who heard him, thereupon more eagerly carrying away the debris lying on top and clearing the place, chanced upon the foundations of an ancient building. Rightly surmising that this proved the manifestation of him whom they had encountered, they rebuilt this now-seen precious and wonderful sanctuary, and, as is the custom among rustics, set up a silver cross to his name in the temple. They made the surrounding area full of miracles and great and terrible things to hear, as the benevolent God always accomplishes [these things] herein through the constant presence and visitation of the martyr Demetrius in that place, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power now and always, etc.

^D (27) Since all things related in this present chapter, with which our author ends his lucubration, are said to have taken place in Cappadocia, and yet it might appear that they did not occur in that region, but in or near that city (Thessalonica), and thus at a great distance from Cappadocia, it can surely be called into doubt, even if it might merit complete belief in all that it records here, regardless of its origin.