The Life of the Emperor Constantine in Four Books

piety and a grateful spirit toward the celestial Deity, they declared plainly to all mortals by the illustrious testimony of their works. Here ends, with God’s help, the tenth book of the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphili.

EUSEBIUS PAMPHILI, BISHOP OF CÆSAREA IN PALESTINE, ON THE LIFE OF CONSTANTINE THE EMPEROR, IN FOUR BOOKS

^A 401 CHAPTERS OF THE FIRST BOOK ON THE GODLY LIFE OF THE BLESSED EMPEROR CONSTANTINE

α'. Introduction concerning the death of Constantine. β'. Concerning his sons who reigned; still within the introduction. γ'. Concerning God, who honors pious emperors and destroys tyrants. δ'. That God honored Constantine. ε'. That he reigned for over thirty years as monarch, and lived over sixty. ς'. That he was a servant of God and a conqueror of nations. ζ'. A comparison of him with Cyrus, King of the Persians, and Alexander of Macedon. η'. That he governed nearly the entire world. θ'. That he was the son of a pious emperor, and [left the empire] to pious sons.

^B regarding the Ecclesiastical History, I observed that the chapter titles which are prefixed to the individual books were composed by Eusebius himself. And I have proven this by arguments which are, in my judgment, most certain. But in these books *On the Life of Constantine*, the situation is different. For the indices of these books were not compiled by Eusebius himself, but by another, far more recent author. I conjecture this, first, from the fact that the indices of these chapters are almost entirely inept and barbaric; and second, because they always speak of Eusebius in the third person: whereas in the chapter titles of the *Ecclesiastical History*, Eusebius always names himself in the first person.

Add to this that the divisions of the chapters are excessive and frequent, and that sometimes a single imperial epistle or constitution is divided and as it were torn apart into several chapters. This matter often causes the reader disgust and nausea while reading. I pass over the fact that barbarous words and expressions occur more than once in these indices. For one may read in them, at times, *palatium*, *comites*, *notarium*, or *Augustos*. All these things compel me to the opinion that the author of these chapters is someone other than Eusebius.

Whoever he was, however, he is certainly an ancient, and not far removed from the age of our Eusebius. This is gathered especially from the chapters of book IV, in which you may read certain things that could only have been known by a writer contemporary with those times. Such is the instance concerning Marianus the tribune and notary, in chapter 44 of book IV, the name of which notary we would be ignorant of today had not that author of the chapters, and after him Sozomen, informed us. I have sometimes suspected Acacius, he who held the episcopal chair of Cæsarea after our Eusebius, of having composed these indices when he published these books of his master after his death. But this is a simple conjecture, which anyone who wishes may follow.

Finally, the reader should be warned that in all our copies these chapter titles are written out without numeral marks. And in the older manuscripts of the Royal Library, they are read prefixed to the individual books. In the Fugger codex, however, they are not only placed before the individual books, but are also added to the individual chapters in the body of each book.

CAPITULA OF THE FIRST BOOK OF THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE MOST BLESSED EMPEROR CONSTANTINE

^A 9. That this history is both necessary and profitable to the soul. 10. That he has now recorded only the God-pleasing deeds of Constantine. 12. That Constantine was reared in the houses of tyrants, as Moses was. 13. Concerning his father Constantius, who did not endure [the dictates of] those around Diocletian, Maximian, and Maxentius, so as to persecute the Christians. 14. How the father Constantius, having been reproached for poverty by Diocletian, filled the treasuries and gave the money back to those who had brought it. 15. Concerning the persecution by others. 16. How the father Constantius, pretending to practice idolatry, cast out those who were willing to sacrifice, but kept in his palace those who were prepared to confess [the faith]. 17. Concerning his Christ-loving disposition. 18. That when Diocletian and Maximian abdicated, Constantius was then the first Augustus, being blessed with a numerous offspring. 19. Concerning his son Constantine, who as a young man came to Palestine at the same time as Diocletian. 20. The departure of Constantine to his father because of the plots of Diocletian. 21. The death of Constantius, leaving his son Constantine as emperor. 22. How, after Constantius had been brought forth, the armies proclaimed Constantine Augustus. 23. The destruction of the tyrants, by a brief reminder. 24. That by the will of God, Constantine held the empire. 25. The victories of Constantine against the barbarians and the Britons. 26. How he intended to liberate Rome from Maxentius. 27. That after contemplating the destruction of those who worshipped idols, he chose Christianity instead. 28. How, upon his prayer, God granted him the vision, a cross of light in the heavens at midday, and an inscription exhorting him to conquer by this. 29. How Christ the Son of God appeared to him in his sleep and commanded him to use a standard of the same form as the cross in his wars. 30. The construction of the same cross-sign. ^B 31. A description of the cross-shaped sign, which the Romans now call the Labarum. 32. How Constantine, having been catechized, read the divine Scriptures. 33. Concerning the adulteries of Maxentius in Rome. 34. How the prefect’s wife destroyed herself for the sake of chastity. 35. The destruction of the Roman populace by Maxentius. 36. The magic of Maxentius and the shortage of food in Rome. 37. The defeat of the armies of Maxentius in Italy. 38. The death of Maxentius at the bridge of the river Tiber. 39. The entry of Constantine into Rome. 40. Concerning his statue holding a cross, and its inscription. 41. Rejoicings throughout the provinces and the gifts of Constantine. 42. Honors for bishops and the building of churches. 43. Concerning the benefactions of Constantine toward the poor. 44. How he was present at the synods of bishops. 45. How he even endured the foolish. 46. Victories against barbarians. 47. The death of Maximinus when he wished to plot [against him], and of others whom Constantine discovered through [divine] revelation. 48. The festival of the decennalia of Constantine. 49. How Licinius maltreated the East. 50. How Licinius also wished to plot against Constantine. 51. The machinations of Licinius against the bishops and the prevention of synods. 53. The decree that women were not to assemble in churches together with men. 54. That those who did not sacrifice were to be dismissed from military service, and that those in prison were not to be fed. 55. Concerning the illegal acts and greed of Licinius. 56. That he then attempted to institute a persecution. 57. That Maximian, having been subdued by a fistula and a worm, wrote on behalf of the Christians. 58. That Maximinus, after persecuting the Christians and fleeing, hid himself like a servant. 59. That Maximinus, having been blinded by disease, wrote on behalf of the Christians.

XXI. The death of Constantius, leaving his son Constantine as emperor. XXII. How, upon the death of Constantius, Constantine was hailed as Augustus by the soldiers. XXIII. A brief commemoration of the ruin of the tyrants. XXIV. How Constantine attained his empire by the will of God. XXV. Constantine’s victories over the Britons and barbarians. XXVI. How he resolved to liberate Rome from the tyranny of Maxentius. XXVII. How Constantius, considering the ruin of the Gentiles, chose the Christian religion instead. XXVIII. How God showed to him at prayer a vision in the heavens, toward the midday sun, specifically a luminous cross, with an inscription, warning him that in this he should conquer. XXIX. How Christ appeared to Constantine in his sleep, and commanded him to make a sign in the likeness of the cross and to use it in his wars. XXX. The construction of this sign in the likeness of the cross. XXXI. A description of the sign formed as a cross, which the Romans call the Labarum. XXXII. How Constantine, having become a catechumen, read the Holy Scriptures. XXXIII. On the adulteries perpetrated by Maxentius at Rome. XXXIV. How the wife of the prefect took her own life to preserve her chastity. XXXV. The slaughter of the Roman people by command of Maxentius. XXXVI. The magical arts of Maxentius, and the lack of food in Rome. XXXVII. The defeat of Maxentius’s army in Italy. XXXVIII. The death of Maxentius at the bridge of the Tiber. XXXIX. Constantine’s entry into the city of Rome. XL. On the statue of Constantine holding the cross, and its inscription. XLI. The exultation of the provinces, and the largess of Constantine. XLII. The honors conferred upon the bishops, and the building of churches. XLIII. On Constantine’s beneficence to the poor. XLIV. How he participated in the synods of bishops. XLV. How he tolerated the simple-minded. XLVI. The victories won over the barbarians. XLVII. The death of Maximian and others whose plots Constantine had discovered through God’s revelation. XLVIII. Constantine’s decennial celebrations. XLIX. How Licinius harassed the East. L. How Licinius plotted against Constantine. LI. The plots of Licinius against the bishops, and his prohibition of synods. LII. The exiles and proscriptions of the Christians. LIII. An edict of Licinius forbidding women to gather in church together with men. LIV. How he discharged from military service those who refused to sacrifice, and forbade anyone to provide food to those in prison. LV. Regarding the iniquity and avarice of Licinius. LVI. How he finally incited a persecution against the Christians. LVII. In what manner Maximian, overcome by a fistulous and worm-ridden ulcer, wrote a law in favor of the Christians. LVIII. In what manner Maximin, the persecutor of Christians, hid himself while fleeing, disguised in a servant’s garb. LIX. How Maximin, blinded by the force of his disease, gave a law in favor of the Christians.

OF EUSEBIUS PAMPHILI: ON THE LIFE OF THE BLESSED EMPEROR CONSTANTINE. BOOK ONE.

PROOEMIUM. On the death of the Emperor Constantine.

Nuper quidem universum hominum genus… [Here the text begins.]

celebrating the dual and triple periods of our great emperor's decennials, returning at fixed intervals of time with festivities and banquets. We too ourselves, having recently received ^A him, the victor and triumphant one, surrounded by the assembly of God's servants, honored him with vicennial hymns. And now, having woven for him garlands of words for his tricennials, we have recently crowned his sacred head in the very palace. But now I stand in perplexity of mind, wishing indeed to produce something in the accustomed manner, yet entirely ignorant of where to turn, struck by the spectacle of an unusual event. For wherever I turn the eyes of my mind—whether to the sunrise or to the sunset, whether to the whole orb of the earth or if I gaze upon heaven itself—I behold the most blessed prince present everywhere. And I observe his children ^B as if they were certain new lights, filling the whole circuit of the earth with their father's rays, and I see him himself, by his authority and power, still living and governing human affairs much more excellently and powerfully than before—inasmuch as he has been diffused and amplified by the succession of his sons. They, who before had been invested with the honor of Caesars, now, having completely put on their father, have been proclaimed Emperors and Augusti, reverend and kingly, and exhibit all the father's ornaments.

PROOEMIUM CONTINUED.

^A I understand that I am gifted with a life that is perpetual and immortal, and with a blessed eternity; yet I am dumb, and utterly destitute of the use of speech and reason. I can utter no voice; but, willingly condemning my own poverty, and imposing silence upon myself, I yield these parts to a superior, that he may set forth fitting praises according to their merit: to Him, namely, who, being the immortal God and the Word of God, alone has the power to confirm His own words and to make them sure.

CHAPTER III.

Regarding God, who honors pious princes and punishes tyrants.

For since He has foretold that those by whom He has been worshipped and honored would in turn be recompensed by Him with the greatest rewards, but that those who have declared themselves His enemies and adversaries would work their own destruction, He has proven the truth of His promises and words from this very life. Indeed, He has set before our eyes the abominable ends of the impious and the tyrants who were adversaries of God; but for His own servant, He has bestowed not only life, but also a most blessed death, ^B worthy of the greatest praises, insomuch that it has deserved to be celebrated in the discourses of all posterity, and to be honored not only with fleeting, but with immortal honors. The race of mortals, having devised some solace for their deadly end, has been accustomed to honor the memories of those who have passed away by consecrating images, as if with immortal honors. And some, indeed, by the shadowed colors of encaustic painting; others, by a likeness of the human form fashioned after ^C the sculpture of inanimate matter; and others by carving deep lines into stone tablets and stelae, have thought to entrust to eternal memories the virtues of those whom they honored.

But all these things are transient, perishing in the length of time, inasmuch as they express the form of mortal bodies, not the image of the immortal soul. Yet they seemed sufficient to those who, after the end of this mortal life, had conceived no hope of any good. But God, I say, the common Savior of all things, who has stored up for the lovers of piety rewards greater than what can be comprehended by human thought, grants here and now the first-fruits of those rewards as a kind of earnest-money, in some way exhibiting and presenting to mortal eyes the hope of immortal things. The ancient oracles of the prophets, which have been committed to writing, openly foretell this. The lives of men dear to God, who have shone forth in various virtues, celebrated even now by the memory of posterity, confirm it. This very thing is proved to be most true by the testimony of our own age, when Constantine, alone of all who ever held the Roman Empire, was accepted by God, the supreme King of all, and was set forth to all men as an illustrious example of a religious life. ^A

Chapter IV. That God Honored Constantine.

Finally, God Himself, whom Constantine worshipped, confirmed this with manifest approval; for He was always favorable and benign toward him, not only at the beginning, but also in the progress and at the end of his reign, inasmuch as He had set him before the human race for the instruction of divine worship. ^B Assuredly, He designated him alone of all the emperors of whom we have ever heard, as a kind of most brilliant beam of light, and as a herald of true religion crying out with a mighty voice, having bestowed upon him countless blessings. ^C

Chapter V. That He Reigned More Than Thirty Years; But Lived More Than Sixty.

God honored the time of his reign with the completion of three cycles of ten years, and something more; but He bounded the time of his whole life, which he spent among men, with a space twice as long. Furthermore, wishing to propose him as an image of His own monarchy, He made him the victor over every tyrannical race, and the exterminator of the impious giants who, driven by the audacity of a desperate mind, had raised up the weapons of impiety against God Himself, the supreme King of all. ^D But they, appearing for as brief a time as one might say, both appeared and vanished, while he…

whom God—one and alone—had armed against the many with divine armor, having by his hand purged mortal life of the multitude of the godless, was established by God as teacher of His own piety to all nations, testifying with a loud voice for all to hear that it is proper to know the one true God, and to turn away from the error of those who are no gods at all. ^A

CHAPTER VI. That he was a servant of God, but a conqueror of the nations.

He, therefore, like a faithful and good servant, acted and proclaimed this, openly calling himself a servant and confessing himself the attendant of the supreme King. God, however, immediately rewarding him, established him as lord and conqueror, and the only one of all the emperors who have ever been to be always invincible and insuperable. And because of his victories, He rendered him such a trophy-bearing emperor as no one in previous history is recorded ever to have been. So happy and dear to God was he, so pious and fortunate, that he brought more ^B nations and peoples under his dominion than did the emperors before him; and he held his rule, free from every trouble, until the very last day of his life.

CHAPTER VII. Comparison of him with Cyrus, King of the Persians, and Alexander the Macedonian.

Ancient history sings the praises of Cyrus, King of the Persians, as having become the most illustrious of all who have ever lived. But since these things—and one must, in the end, consider the life of a blessed man—are not so, they say that he did not meet a happy end, but rather a shameful and ignominious death at the hands of a woman. ^C The Greeks celebrate Alexander of the Macedonians as having subdued myriads of nations of every kind, but before he had reached man’s estate, he perished by an untimely death, taken captive by revelry and drunkenness. He completed his whole life in the space of two and thirty years; but of these... ^D

^A he curtailed the time of his reign by no more than a third. He raged through slaughters like a thunderbolt, mercilessly enslaving entire nations and cities, regardless of their age. But when he was scarcely in the very flower of his youth, and bewailing his minion, Fate suddenly overtook him, and brought him—childless, rootless, and homeless, in a foreign and hostile land, so that he might not long ravage the race of mortals—to a nothingness. Straightway ^B his kingdom was torn asunder, as each of his ministers snatched and plundered a portion for himself. Yet this is the man who is celebrated in songs for such evils as these.

CHAPTER VIII. That he mastered almost the entire world.

Our emperor, however, began his reign from the very time that the Macedonian died. He had a span of life twice as long as his, and a reign three times as long. Yet, having fortified his army with the gentle and modest precepts of piety, he carried his standards to Britain and to ^C those who dwell in the ocean that spreads far and wide toward the sunset. The entire Scythian region, too, which lies beneath the north itself and is divided into very many nations, differing in name and customs, he attached to his empire. And now, having extended his rule to the farthest ends of the south, to the Blemmyes themselves and the Ethiopians, he thought it fitting to bring under his sway also those who dwell toward the sunrise. Finally, ^D to the very boundaries of the continent, that is, to the furthest Indians and the nations circumjacent on every side, he illuminated all mortals who inhabit the entire world with the most splendid rays of piety, and held the petty kings, governors, and satraps of barbarian nations as tributary and subject to him; who of their own accord and with joy came to greet him, and sent legates with gifts to him, and esteemed his acquaintance and friendship most highly. So much so that they honored him among themselves by the painting of icons, and by the dedication of statues, and acknowledged Constantine alone of all emperors as known to all.

Therefore, to these nations also, he proclaimed his God with all freedom by means of royal addresses.

CHAPTER IX. That the son of a pious emperor left the empire to his sons.

^A Furthermore, he did not accomplish this by words alone, nor was he frustrated in the deed itself. But exercising himself in every kind of virtue, he abounded in the various fruits of piety, binding his friends to himself with immense benefits, governing his subjects with laws of clemency, and rendering his empire peaceful and desirable to all who were subject to it. ^B Until at length, after long revolving years, God, whom he had worshipped, having rested him from his various struggles, rewarded him with the prizes of immortality, and transferred him from his mortal kingdom to the immortal life prepared by Him for holy souls, having raised up a threefold offspring of children to be successors to his empire. Thus, indeed, did the throne of the empire descend to him from his father, and by the law of nature it was reserved for his children and their descendants, and was extended into an ageless time as a kind of ancestral inheritance. And God Himself, who exalted that most blessed prince with divine honors while he was still dwelling with us on earth, and who adorned him at his death with a certain exceptional prerogative of dignity, He alone would be a sufficient recorder of his life, inasmuch as He has consecrated his struggles and his glorious deeds in the heavenly tablets.

CHAPTER X. That this history is necessary and useful for the forming of character.

^C For my part, although I understand that it is quite difficult to say anything worthy of the blessedness of such a man, and that to remain silent is safe and free from danger, nevertheless I consider it necessary, by imitation of a mortal painting, to consecrate the image of the most pious prince, expressed in the colors of words, for the everlasting memory of posterity, so that we may drive away from ourselves the crime of sloth and inertia. For I would truly be ashamed of myself if I did not contribute all my industry and ability, however light and meager it may be, to the man who venerated the divine Numen with the utmost observance. But this writing will also be useful for the common life of men, and to me personally it is most necessary. For is it not shameful that while the memory of Nero and those impious men far worse than him...

^A should not have lacked diligent writers who, having adorned their evil themes with elegant speech, have stored them away in many-volumed histories—that we should keep silent, we whom God Himself has granted to encounter such an emperor—one such as the entire age has not seen—and to come into his sight, his acquaintance, and his conversation? Therefore, if it is appropriate for anyone at all, it is surely for us, to proclaim to all the abundant report of these good things, whose imitation of noble deeds excites the desire for divine love. For those others ^B having collected the lives of men not worthy of respect, and actions useless for the improvement of character, whether out of favor or hatred towards some, or perhaps for the sake of showing off their own learning—with a pomp of eloquent words, they have dramatized accounts of shameful deeds, acting as teachers of evil works—which should have been buried in oblivion and darkness—to those who, by God’s singular benefit, had the good fortune not to participate in such wickedness. But for me, although my power of expression is weak compared to the greatness of the things signified, may it nevertheless be brightened by the mere recital of these good deeds; and the remembrance of those God-beloved narratives will provide a reading that is not useless, but highly beneficial to those who have well prepared their souls.

CAPUT XI.

That he intends to narrate only the deeds of Constantine which pertain to piety.

Therefore, as for the many other things that can be narrated about this prince—conflicts and battles, brave deeds and victories, trophies and triumphs won over enemies, and furthermore the laws established for the benefit of each individual, the laws enacted for the advantage of the subjects and the commonwealth; and finally, all the other many labors of his reign that are on everyone’s lips and in everyone’s memory—I think I should pass over them now, since the theme ^C of the work I have undertaken warns me to pursue in my speech and writing only those things that pertain to the worship of God. But since these too are almost infinite in number, choosing from what has come to our knowledge only the most opportune, and those most worthy of the memory of posterity, I shall recount them as briefly as I can; for the time itself henceforth grants us this freedom to celebrate in all kinds of ways the truly blessed one, since before this it was not permitted to do so. ^D

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΙΑ'.

Ὅτι μόνας τὰς Κωνσταντίνου νῦν ἱστόρησεν θεοφιλεῖς πράξεις.

Most of the imperial accounts of the thrice-blessed one—his military engagements, his battle lines, his valorous deeds and victories, the trophies he raised over his enemies, the number of his triumphs, the regulations determined for the benefit of each, the legislation he drafted for the advantage of the state of his subjects, and many other contests of imperial struggle which are remembered by all—I think I shall pass over, as the purpose of the discourse proposed to us urges me to speak and write only of those things that contribute to his God-beloved life. And although there are countless such things, I shall select the most vital and those most worthy of being remembered by those who come after us, and I shall set forth the account of these very things as briefly as possible; for the time now allows me without hindrance to sing the praises of the truly blessed one with every sort of speech, since before this it was not possible to do so.

For it has been commanded not to bless a man before his death, on account of the uncertainty of the turnings of life. ^A Let God be called our helper, and may His heavenly Word inspire us as our fellow-worker. From the very first age of the man, let us here begin the narrative.

CHAPTER XII.

That Constantine was reared in the houses of tyrants, as Moses was.

Ancient report relates how certain savage races of tyrants once oppressed the Hebrew people, and how God, having looked upon the oppressed with a kindly and propitious countenance, provided that the prophet Moses, while yet an infant, should be reared in their very midst, in the houses of the tyrants and in their own bosoms, and that he should ^B learn all the wisdom that was among them. But when time had passed and called him to manhood, and justice, the helper of the wronged, pursued the wrongdoers, then the prophet of God departed from those very tyrannical houses and rendered his service to the will of the Higher Power, estranging himself in deed and word from the tyrants who had reared him, while declaring those who were truly his brothers and kin to be his friends and acquaintances. And afterward, when God raised him up as leader of the whole nation, he liberated the Hebrews from the slavery under their enemies, and through him He repaid the tyrannical race with heaven-sent punishments. This is an ancient story, accepted by many in the guise of fable, and it has filled the ears of all mortals. But now the selfsame God has granted to us as well the sight of wonders greater than all fables, to be beheld by our very eyes; for such a spectacle is held by those who have recently ^C seen it to be more worthy of faith than any report. For in our own time, the tyrants who were bent on waging war against the God over all have grievously oppressed His Church; but in their midst sat Constantine, he who would shortly be the slayer of tyrants, while he was still a young man, tender and adorned with the down of youth, just as that other servant of God, Moses, once sat in the very houses of the tyrants. Yet, although he was still very young, he did not adopt their ways along with the impious. For from that age his excellent nature, impelled by the divine Spirit, urged him on toward a life pious and acceptable to God. But the emulation of his father also applied the goads, by which the youth was provoked ^D to the imitation of virtue and good deeds. For his father—and it is appropriate at this time to refresh the memory of him—was Constantius, the most noble of the emperors of our time. Concerning whom it is necessary that we should briefly set forth certain things that pertain to the commendation of his son.

CHAPTER XIII. Concerning his father Constantius, who refused to join with Diocletian, Maximian, and Maxentius in persecuting the Christians.

When the Roman Empire was ruled by four Augusti, this man, emulating a way of life different from that of his colleagues, alone established peace with God, the Governor of all things. For while the others set out to assault the churches of God, leveling them to the ground and destroying houses of prayer down to their very foundations, he kept his hands pure and untainted from their impious wickedness, nor did he in any way make himself like them. ^A And while they polluted the provinces under them with the slaughters of godly men and women, as if in some civil war, he always kept his soul pure and inviolate from such crimes. They, heaping together the evils of a most impious superstition, enslaved first themselves and then all their subjects to the deceits of wicked demons; but he, being the author and standard-bearer of most profound peace within the borders of his empire, permitted his subjects to serve the divine cult without any molestation. Finally, while they oppressed all mortals with the most grievous exactions, making their life hardly worth living and more bitter than any death, Constantius alone, exhibiting a mild and tranquil rule to his subjects, cherished them with a kind of paternal care and solicitude. ^B Moreover, since many other innumerable virtues of this man are celebrated by all, I shall proceed to the subject matter of our writing by recalling one or two of his deeds, from which conjecture may be made of those things which are passed over in silence.

CHAPTER XIV. How Constantius, having been reproached by Diocletian for poverty, filled his treasuries, and afterwards returned the money to those who had contributed it.

While the fame of this emperor was being widely celebrated in the frequent discourse of men, as one who was mild and gentle, as one who was good and most beloved by God, and—because of his incredible indulgence toward his subjects—as one who had no money stored up in his treasuries, the emperor who at that time held the supreme rank of the empire sent certain men to him and rebuked his negligence in the administration of the commonwealth, ^C and cast his poverty in his teeth as a reproach, making this his chief argument, that he had nothing stored in his treasuries. But he asked those who had come from the emperor to remain with him for a while. Then, having summoned those among the nations under his rule who possessed abundant wealth from every part of his empire, he said that he was in need of money, and that this was the time when it behooved

^A each one to show his own personal goodwill toward their emperor. Those who heard this, as if they had long ago made a vow to show their good zeal, quickly and eagerly filled his treasuries with gold, silver, and other wealth, competing with one another in their greater generosity; and they did this with bright and smiling faces. When this had taken place, Constantius ordered those sent to him by the great emperor to become witnesses of these treasures. Then he commanded the return of what they had received as a testimony, ^B declaring that these things were gathered unto him for the present, but that long before they had been kept for him by the owners of the wealth themselves, as if by trusted guards. The men were seized with wonder at the deed; and the most humane emperor, after their departure, is said to have summoned the owners of the wealth and, having greatly praised their obedience and zeal toward him, ordered them to return home having received all their wealth. This, then, is one act of that prince which clearly declares his singular humanity. Another illustrious deed of his provides proof of his piety toward God.

CHAPTER XV.

Concerning the persecution stirred up by others.

CHAPTER XVI.

^A To Constantius alone, a certain wise thought occurred; and he performed an act that was indeed wonderful to hear, but still more admirable to perform. For he proposed a test to all the court officials who served in his palace, even up to those judges who were constituted in the highest powers, giving them the choice of which they preferred: if they were willing to sacrifice to his demons, it was permitted to them to remain in the palace and enjoy the customary honors; but if they refused to do this, they would be excluded from his presence and would depart, removed from his acquaintance and intimacy. ^B When therefore all were divided in two directions, and one had gone to this side and another to that, and the purpose and opinion of each had been explored, the excellent prince, revealing the counsel he had until then kept hidden, condemned the cowardice and excessive self-love of the former, but greatly commended the latter for their conscience devoted to the divine Being. And then, regarding the former as traitors to God, he judged them unworthy even of the service of a prince. For how, he said, are they to keep faith toward their prince, who are found to be faithless toward God? Therefore, he decreed that such men should be banished far from the royal halls. But those who were shown by this very witness of truth to be worthy of God, affirming that they would be of the same mind toward the prince, he appointed as protectors and guardians of his empire, saying that such men were to be held among the chief and most necessary of his friends, and to be valued much more than the treasures of the greatest riches.

CHAPTER XVII.

Such, as we have briefly indicated, was the father of Constantine. ^C Whoever shall examine the matter more attentively will easily discern what manner of end met his life, since he showed himself such toward God, and how great a difference the God whom he worshiped determined should exist between him and the rest of the partners of the empire. ^D

^A For after he had for a long time provided proofs of royal virtue, acknowledging only the God over all, and condemning the polytheism of the godless, he fenced about his house with the prayers of holy men, so that for the rest of his life he was left to shine in a settled and untroubled manner; it was like what they say of the blessed estate itself, which neither has troubles nor causes them to others. Thus, indeed, he spent the whole time of his reign in a settled and tranquil manner, with his children, his wife, and the service of his household; he consecrated his entire home to the one King, God, so that the multitude of those who dwelt together with him in the palace did not differ in any respect from the Church of God. Among them were even ministers of God who venerated Him with constant prayers for the safety of the prince, at a time when, among others, it was not permitted even to mention the name of the worshipers of God.

CHAPTER XVIII

For these things he soon obtained his reward from God, even to the extent of attaining the first place in the imperial power. For when the senior Augusti had, I know not by what means, abdicated the empire—a sudden change which befell them in the year following the destruction of the churches—Constantius alone was thenceforth proclaimed first Augustus and Augustus. Having at first been adorned with the diadem of the imperial Caesars and having attained the highest rank among them, after he had given an excellent demonstration of his character in that dignity, he was honored with the highest position of esteem among the Romans, ^B being named first Augustus among the four who were later appointed. ^C But he also surpassed the rest of the emperors in the excellence of his numerous offspring, being surrounded by a great choir of children of both sexes. And when he was at the threshold of old age, and was about to pay the debt to common nature and depart from this light, there again God ^D demonstrated his marvelous power.

having ordained that his firstborn son, Constantine, should be present to receive the empire as he was about to depart this life.

CHAPTER XIX. De filio ejus Constantino, qui adhuc adolescens una cum Diocletiano in Palaestinam venit.

^A For he was accustomed to be with the colleagues of his father’s empire, and moved in their midst, as has been said, spending his time just as that ancient prophet of God did. And having already passed from his childhood ^B into his youth, he was deemed worthy of the highest honor among them. For we ourselves saw him when he was passing through the province of Palestine, along with the senior Augustus. Standing at the latter’s right hand, he appeared most distinguished to all who desired to see him, providing even then evidence of a royal mind and spirit. For as regards the beauty and stature of his body, no one could be compared to him, and in the strength of his vigor he so far excelled those of his own age that he was even a source of fear to them. Yet it was by the virtues of his soul, even more than by these bodily advantages, that he prided himself; adorning his soul first of all with modesty, and thereafter cultivating it not insignificantly with humane learning, and with innate prudence and divinely-infused wisdom.

Chapter XX. Constantine returns to his father because of the plots of Diocletian and Galerius.

^C Now when the rulers of that time saw the youth to be noble, brave, and endowed with a great and lofty spirit, they began to be racked by envy and fear. Hence they sought an opportune time to inflict misfortune and ignominy upon the youth. When the youth realized this (for the snares prepared for him once and again had, by the nod of God, been uncovered), he sought his safety in flight, in this also imitating that great prophet Moses. But God helped him in all things, so disposing His providence that he might be present to his father for the succession of the empire.

CHAPTER XXI.

Immediately, then, having escaped the schemes of those plotting against him, he hastened and arrived at his father's side, being present with him at once, and having been away for a long time; at the same time, the end of his father's life was poised on a razor's edge. But when Constantius unexpectedly saw his son standing by, he leaped from his bed, embraced him with both his arms, and declared that the only sorrow he had—the absence of his child—was now completely cast from his soul, which would have troubled him as he was about to lay down his life. He returned a prayer of thanksgiving to God, declaring that he now considered his death to be better than any immortality; and he then began to set his affairs in order. Having taken his leave of his sons and daughters together ^B who stood around him in the manner of a chorus, there in the palace itself upon the royal bed, he bequeathed the inheritance of the empire, by the law of nature, to the one who was most advanced in age among his children, and departed to his rest.

CHAPTER XXII.

The government, however, did not remain without an emperor. Adorned with his father's purple, Constantine went forth from his paternal house, exhibiting his father, as it were, returning to life and still reigning in his son, to everyone. Then, leading the funeral procession with the paternal friends who were about him, with some leading the way and others following behind, he escorted the God-beloved one with all honor. With acclamations and hymns, all ^C honored the thrice-blessed one, and with a unified consensus of opinion, they glorified the resurrection of the deceased and the attainment of power by his son; and with auspicious shouts they immediately proclaimed the new emperor, Autocrator and Augustus, from the very first voice. And the voices, while they adorned the deceased with praises for his son, also called the child blessed for having been shown to be the successor of such a father. All the nations under his rule were filled with joy and unspeakable gladness, as they had not felt themselves deprived of imperial providence for even the shortest moment of time. Such an end for pious and God-loving men did God manifest to all the people of our age in the Emperor Constantius.

Chapter XXIII. A Brief Commemoration of the Destruction of the Tyrants.

As for the outcome of the others who attacked the Churches of God as if in a declared war, I judged it not fitting to pass it on in this present narrative, nor to defile the remembrance of the good by intermingling the record of the wicked. The experience of the events itself is sufficient to admonish those who have witnessed with their own eyes and ears the history of what has befallen each of them. ^A

Chapter XXIV. That Constantine Obtained the Empire by the Will of God.

Thus, God, the Ruler of all and the Governor of the entire universe, himself raised up Constantine, born to such a father as prince and emperor, in such a way that no man could claim to have initiated his advancement, as others had been deemed worthy of the honor by the judgment of men. ^B

Chapter XXV. The Victories of Constantine over the Barbarians and the Britons.

Therefore, once he was established in the empire, he began first of all to look after the parts of the empire assigned to him by his father. He traversed all the provinces that had previously been under his father’s administration with the utmost humanity. Furthermore, those tribes of barbarians living near the Rhine river and the Western Ocean, who had dared to stir up new disturbances, he subdued and brought under his own dominion, transforming them from wild beasts into gentle subjects. Other peoples, whom he saw had spirits incurably averse to a settled and peaceful way of life, he was content simply to restrain and, as if they were wild animals, repel from the borders of his empire. Having finished these matters to his satisfaction, he set his eyes upon the remaining parts of the world, and in the intervening time, he crossed over to the British tribes, who are situated in the innermost recesses of the ocean. Once he had subdued them, he turned his eyes toward the other parts of the world, so that he might heal those which were in need of his assistance. ^C

Chapter XXVI. How He Determined to Free Rome from the Tyranny of Maxentius.

After this, having conceived in his mind the whole world as if it were one vast body, and then seeing the very head of the whole, the ruling city of the Roman Empire, oppressed by tyrannous subjection, he began to prepare. ^D

first ^A of all, he gave over the task of defending and liberating it to those who held the remaining parts of the Roman Empire, as they were his seniors in age. But since none of them could provide help, and those who had wished to attempt it had met with an ignominious end, declaring that life was not worth living if he were to abandon the sovereign city thus suffering, he girded himself for the overthrow of the tyranny.

CHAPTER XXVII.

And now, understanding that he needed a more powerful aid than military forces, on account of the artful and magical sorceries which the tyrant was zealously pursuing, he sought God as his helper, ^B regarding the preparation of arms and the multitude of soldiers as secondary, while being persuaded that the assistance of the Divine Power is invincible and inexpugnable. He began, therefore, to think upon which God he ought to invoke as his helper. And while he was anxiously inquiring into this, the following thought occurred to him: that of the many who had held the empire before him, those who had placed their hopes in a multitude of gods and had served them with sacrifices and offerings, ^C having been deceived at first by fawning divinations and oracles promising all things favorable, had finally met with an unpropitious end, nor had any of the gods stood by them to deliver them from the heaven-sent destruction. Only his own father, having taken the opposite path to theirs, having condemned their error, and having worshipped the one God who is above all throughout his whole life, had found Him to be the savior and guardian of his empire and the provider of every good thing. Having pondered these things ^D within himself, and having rightly reasoned that those who had trusted in a multitude of gods had fallen into a multitude of disasters, so that not even their lineage, nor offspring, nor root, nor name, nor memory remained among men, whereas the God of his father had given to him many and illustrious proofs of His power; and having furthermore considered those who had already marched against the tyrant, who had engaged in battle with a multitude of gods but had suffered a shameful end—for one of them had retreated from the conflict in disgrace and without accomplishment, while another had been slaughtered in the very midst of his own armies, becoming an incidental victim of death—having gathered all these things together [...]

^A in his mind, he considered it an act of sheer madness to trifle by worshipping gods that were nowhere, and, after so much proof, to be led astray; and he thought that his father’s God alone ought to be worshipped.

Chapter XXVIII: How God granted him a vision while he was praying, a luminous cross in the sky at midday, with an inscription exhorting him to conquer by this.

He began, therefore, to implore His aid, beseeching and supplicating Him to reveal to him who He was, and to stretch out His own right hand to help him in his present circumstances. As the emperor was praying and supplicating ^B with such earnestness, a most marvelous sign from God appeared to him. Had anyone else related this, it would not have been easy to accept; but since the victorious Augustus himself told it to us, who are writing this history, a long time afterward—when we were judged worthy of his acquaintance and conversation—and confirmed his account with oaths, who would hesitate to believe the narrative? Especially ^C when the time that followed confirmed the truth of this account with its own testimony. About the midday hours, as the day was already declining, he affirmed that with his own eyes he saw in the heavens, above the sun, a trophy of the cross composed of light, and an inscription attached to it, saying: "By this, conquer." Amazement at the spectacle seized both him and the entire military company ^D that accompanied him on the march and became spectators of the miracle.

Chapter XXIX: How Christ, having appeared to him in a dream, commanded him to use a sign in the form of a cross in the wars.

Meanwhile, he told us that he began to doubt in his mind what this apparition might mean. As he was cogitating and reflecting for a long time, night finally overtook him. Then, as he slept, Christ the Son of God appeared to him with the same sign that had been shown in the heavens, and commanded him to make a likeness of this sign which had appeared in the heavens, and to use it as a safeguard in his battles.

Chapter XXX: The construction of said cross-sign.

Rising early in the morning, he communicated the secret to his friends. Then, having summoned the workers in gold and gems, he sat in their midst, described the appearance of the sign to them, and ordered them to [emulate]

it in gold and precious stones. This ^A we ourselves have also had the good fortune to see with our own eyes (75).

CHAPTER XXXI.

Description of the sign formed in the likeness of a cross, which the Romans call the Labarum.

It was constructed in the following manner: a tall spear, plated with gold, had a transverse crossbar attached in the shape of a cross. At the very top of the whole, a crown, woven of precious stones and gold, was firmly fixed; ^B and upon this, the symbol of the Savior’s name—two letters, indicating the name of Christ by the initial characters, with the rho intersected in the middle—was signified; which the emperor was accustomed to wear on his helmet in later times. From the transverse crossbar, which was fastened to the spear, a piece of linen hung suspended; it was a royal fabric, covered with a variety of precious stones joined together, which flashed with the rays of light, and being ^C embroidered with much gold, it provided an indescribable spectacle of beauty to those who beheld it. This banner, suspended from the crossbar, was of equal length and breadth (78), while the upright spear, extending to a great length from the lower base (79), above...

near the very top of the banner, carried a golden image, reaching to the chest, of the God-beloved emperor, and of his children in like manner. The emperor used this salutary sign as a safeguard against every opposing and hostile force at all times, and gave orders that replicas of this should lead all his armies.

CHAPTER XXXII.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

men who held the first rank in the Roman senate. ^A Since he was behaving outrageously and shamefully toward countless free women, he was unable to satisfy his intemperate and licentious soul. But when he endeavored to assault Christian women as well, he found himself unable to devise ways to satisfy his own desires. Indeed, these women preferred to yield their souls to death rather than surrender their bodies to him for defilement.

CAPUT XXXIV. How the wife of the prefect took her own life for the sake of preserving her chastity.

One of these women, the wife of a man of senatorial rank who held the authority of prefect, learned that the minions whom the tyrant employed in such shameful deeds were standing at her doors, and that her husband, compelled by fear, had permitted them to seize her and take her away (she was, however, a Christian). ^B She requested a short amount of time from them so that she might adorn her body in the customary fashion. She went into her chamber, and finding herself alone, she plunged a sword into her breast. Having died immediately, she left her corpse to the procurers, effectively declaring to all people—both those alive now and those yet to be born—through deeds that resonate more clearly than any voice, that the chastity prized among Christians is the only thing that is invincible and immortal, not subject to death. Thus, this incident took place in this manner.

CAPUT XXXV. The slaughter of the Roman people by the order of Maxentius.

Everyone, both commoners and magistrates, the noble and the obscure, lived in fear of one who dared to commit such crimes, and they were oppressed by a most grievous tyranny. ^C And even if they lived quietly and suffered through the bitterest servitude, they still could not avoid the bloody cruelty of the tyrant. On one occasion, for a very trivial reason, he delivered the populace over to the slaughter by the soldiers who surrounded him. An innumerable multitude of the Roman people were cut down in the middle of the city, not by the spears and armaments of Scythians or barbarians, but by their own fellow citizens. As for the slaughter of senators, which was carried out for the sake of seizing each man's property, it is impossible to number, as they were killed daily on various fabricated charges.

CAPUT XXXVI. The magical arts of Maxentius, and the scarcity of provisions in Rome.

At last, the tyrant placed a sort of pinnacle upon his crimes by resorting to sorcery, ^D employing magical arts, sometimes dissecting pregnant women, at other times searching through the viscera of newborn infants, and slaughtering lions.

^A And some unspeakable practices involving the summoning of demons and the averting of the war that was already pressing upon him; for by these means he hoped to secure victory. Such, then, was the tyrant of Rome, and it is impossible to describe the magnitude of the evils with which he enslaved his subjects; so that they were reduced to such extreme scarcity and lack of necessary provisions as, according to the memory of the men of our age, had never before occurred in Rome.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Stirred by grief and pity for all these things, Constantine armed himself with every military preparation against the tyranny. Having taken as his patron the Supreme God of all, and having invoked Christ, His Son, as his Savior and helper, and having placed the trophy of victory, the salutary sign, before his soldiers and guards, he advanced with his whole army, with the intention of restoring to the Romans the liberty they had received from their ancestors through his intervention. Moreover, since Maxentius, relying more on the deceits of magical arts than on the good will of his subjects, did not dare to venture even as far as the gates of the city, but had fortified every place, town, and region that he held oppressed under the yoke of slavery, in the vicinity of the city of Rome and of all Italy, with an innumerable multitude of armed men and armies disposed for ambush on all sides: the Emperor, relying on divine help, attacked the first, second, and third lines of the tyrant, and having routed and put them all to flight at the very first onset, he penetrated into the interior of Italy.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

At length he approached nearer to the city of Rome itself. But in order that there might be no need to make war against all the Romans for the sake of one tyrant, God Himself, as if binding the tyrant with certain chains, drew him as far as possible outside the gates of the city; and at the same time He proved, by the very deed itself, that those ancient miracles performed against the impious, which are contained in the sacred ^C volumes and to which many attribute as little credence as they do to fables, though to the faithful they appear worthy of belief, were most true to all, both faithful and infidels, who beheld with their own eyes this miracle which we are about to narrate. For just as in the times of Moses and the religious people of the Hebrews, God cast the chariots and army of Pharaoh into the sea, and drowned his chosen riders and captains in the Red Sea, and covered them with the waves; ^D so plainly Maxentius, and whosoever soldiers and guards were about him, fell like a stone into the deepest abyss; this happened, of course, when the divine power, aiding the side of Constantine, put them to flight, and Maxentius, with the soldiers and guards around him, sank into the depths like a stone, when, giving his back to the power of God with Constantine, he crossed the river that lay before his march, which he himself had bridged with boats and had most carefully spanned, constructing a machine of destruction for his own ruin in the hope of catching the friend of God. But to the latter, his God was present as a helper; the former, who without God—

^A had set a pit for himself, fell into the snare of his own wretchedness. Wherefore it was well said: "He hath digged and opened a pit, and is fallen into the hole which he made. His labour shall return upon his own head, and his iniquity shall come down upon his own pate" (Ps. VII, 16, 17). Thus, by the nod of God, the mechanisms on the bridge and the hidden trap within them having been loosened—not at the time he expected—the crossing began to sink, and the vessels with all the men aboard suddenly plunged into the depths. And he himself, the wretch, first, and then his protectors and bodyguards around him, as the divine oracles once foretold, "sank as lead in the mighty waters" (Exod. XV, 10). So, justifiably, if not in words, yet in deeds, those who were with the great servant Moses—those who had received the victory from God—might have ^B celebrated and said concerning the events against the impious tyrant of old: "Let us sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. He is become my helper and protector unto salvation." And again: "Who is like unto thee among the gods, O Lord? Who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" (Exod. XV, 1, 2, 11).

CHAPTER XXXIX. Constantine’s entry into Rome.

These things, and whatever was akin to them, Constantine did, following the example of the great servant [Moses] at the proper time in praising the Prince of the universe and Author of victory by his very deeds, and he entered the imperial city in triumph. Every one of them—those from the Senate, those who were otherwise eminent and illustrious ^C among those there, and the entire Roman populace—as if released from prisons, received him with joyful countenances, whole souls, and with acclamations and insatiable joy; and men together with women and children and myriads of servants hailed him as their redeemer, savior, and benefactor with unrestrained cries. But he, possessing an innate piety toward God, was neither puffed up by these cries nor elated by the praises, but, recognizing the help that came from God, he immediately offered a prayer of thanksgiving to the Author of his victory.

CHAPTER XL. Concerning his statue holding a cross, and its inscription.

In a great inscription ^D and on stelae, the saving sign was proclaimed to all mankind, having erected this great trophy in the middle of the imperial city against the enemies, and clearly and indelibly it was demonstrated as a protective charm.

Straightway he ordered that a high spear in the shape of a cross ^A be placed beneath the hand of his own statue in a most frequented place in the city, and that an inscription to this effect be added in the Latin tongue: "By this salutary sign, which is the proof of true virtue, I have saved your city, liberated from the yoke of tyrannical domination, and I have restored the Senate and the people of Rome to their liberty and restored their ancient glory and splendor."

Chapter XLI. The exultation of the provinces and the largesse of Constantine.

^B The God-beloved emperor, in this manner displaying the confession of the victorious cross, preached the Son of God freely and openly to the Romans themselves. And all who inhabited the city, both the senate and the people, as if liberated from a bitter and tyrannical domination, seemed in a way to breathe again and to enjoy the rays of a purer light, and to be reborn into a new life. The nations also, all that are bounded by the western ocean, delivered from their former evils ^C celebrated feast days with all hilarity, proclaiming the victor Constantine, the friend of God, who had merited well of all, with continuous praises. All testified with one mouth and one voice that he had shone forth as a certain common good, given by the kindness of God to the human race. And the imperial letters were read everywhere, by which those who had been despoiled of their goods recovered their possession by the benefit of the prince, and those who had been unjustly relegated were restored to their homes. Those who had been vexed by tyrannical cruelty were also delivered from chains and every danger and fear.

Chapter XLII. Honors bestowed upon bishops and the construction of churches.

^D Furthermore, the emperor himself, having summoned the ministers of God, followed them with all obsequiousness and honor, treating them with kindness—not only in words but in reality—as men consecrated to the God whom he worshipped. Hence men were admitted to his table who, in their outward habit and dress, were contemptible; yet he did not judge them to be contemptible at all, because he did not look upon the external appearance of a man that is subject to the eyes, but rather upon the God whom they served.

^A And wherever he might travel, he would take them along with him, fully convinced that because of them, the God whom they worshipped would be propitious to him. Moreover, he provided from his own treasures an abundance of assistance to the churches of God, ^B in part by enlarging and raising the houses of prayer to a great height, and in part by adorning the sacred sanctuaries of the churches with very many offerings.

CHAPTER XLIII. Of Constantine’s beneficence toward the poor.

By distributing various sums of money to the needy, and furthermore by showing himself to be humane and liberal even to those from without who approached him, he provided for those miserable and discarded wretches who begged in the marketplace, not only with money and the food necessary for their sustenance, ^C but also he explicitly ordered clothing to be supplied to cover the nakedness of their bodies. To those who had once been noble and wealthy but had later fallen into extreme calamities through a change of fortune, he provided more generous subsidies for their life. Truly, with a royal spirit, he bestowed magnificent gifts upon such men: he donated lands to some and honored others with various dignities. And for those who had fallen into the miseries of orphanhood, he took care as a father; he also relieved the desolation of widows and fostered them through his own protection. ^D Furthermore, he himself gave maidens who had been deprived of their parents in marriage to wealthy men of his own acquaintance, and he did this after having first provided for the brides whatever they were required to bring to their husbands for the partnership of marriage.

Just as the sun rising above the earth liberally imparts the rays of its light to all, in the same way did Constantine, appearing from the royal houses at the same time as the sun was rising—as if rising in concert with that celestial luminary—shine upon all who approached him with the rays of his own benevolence. Nor was there anyone who ever approached him closely who did not carry away the fruit of some benefit, nor were those who expected to receive some help from him ever disappointed in their hope.

CHAPTER XLIV. How he took part in the synods of bishops.

Generally, he behaved in this way toward everyone. But because he felt a special care for the Church of God, when certain men in different provinces disagreed with one another, he—as if he were a common bishop constituted by God—convened synods of the ministers of God. And in the midst of their gathering, he did not [refuse to be present and to sit with them...]

but became a sharer among those who were episcopally supervised, dispensing the things of God's peace to all. He sat in the middle, as if he were one of many, having cast off his bodyguards and lancers and the whole race of his bodyguards, being clothed instead in the fear of God and surrounded by those of his faithful companions who were most well-disposed. Then, as many as he saw to be obedient to the better judgment, preparing themselves for a settled and like-minded manner of life, these he accepted most readily, showing himself to rejoice in the common unanimity of all; but those who were disobedient he turned away.

CHAPTER XLV. How he tolerated the senseless.

Furthermore, he even bore with some who had inveighed quite harshly against him with patience, exhorting them in a gentle and mild voice to think soberly, and not to foment sedition. Some of these, revering his admonitions, desisted from their stubbornness of mind. Others, who could by no remedy be recalled to a sound mind, he left to God, never once devising anything harsh against anyone. ^B For this reason, it is credible that those who stirred up sedition in the country of the Africans proceeded to such a peak of impropriety that they attempted certain reckless crimes; as it seems, a demon, pricked by envy at the abundance of present blessings and inciting the men to absurd deeds, hoped to stir up the emperor's anger against them. But envy accomplished nothing, since the emperor considered what was being done to be laughable, and declared that he recognized the impulse of the evil one. For he said that these deeds were not those of sound-minded men, but of those who were either utterly demented or goaded by the pricks of a most wicked demon, and that such men were worthy of pity rather than punishment. For so great is the benefit of ^C pity, in comparison to the madness of the senseless, or such is the overflowing humanity of sympathizing with them.

CHAPTER XLVI. Victory over the barbarians.

^A And the emperor indeed, in this manner, showing reverence in all his deeds to God, the inspector of all things, provided for His Churches with unshaken solicitude. God, in return, recompensing him, subjected nearly all the barbarian nations under his feet, so that he raised trophies everywhere over his enemies. He proclaimed him a victor among all mortals with illustrious fame; He rendered him formidable to his enemies and foes, though he was not such by nature, but rather the most mild, most gentle, and most human of all mortals.

CHAPTER XLVII. The death of Maximian and others whose plots Constantinus discovered through Divine revelation.

While these things were being carried out by him, another of those who had abdicated their power, while weaving a plot for his slaughter, being exposed, perished by a most disgraceful death. And this was the first whose images and statues—as one might expect of an impious and wicked man—and all other such monuments which are accustomed to be set up for the sake of honor, were cast down everywhere on earth. After him, others also, related by ties of blood, were exposed as they were secretly plotting against him, God obviously revealing the plans of all these men to His servant through visions. For He even deigned to manifest His presence to him frequently, appearing to him in the most marvelous divine form, and providing him with the foreknowledge of various future events. ^C Now, the miracles which occurred through the grace of God are truly beyond narration, nor is it possible to encompass in language as much as God Himself deigned to bestow upon His servant; fortified by which, he passed the remainder of his life most securely, rejoicing in the goodwill of his subjects, and rejoicing also in the fact that all those under his rule were living in cheer ^D and...

^A in extreme delight at the splendor of the churches of God; he was animated by incredible joy.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

Constantini decennalia.

CHAPTER XLIX.

How Licinius afflicted the East.

CAPUT L.

How Licinius plotted against Constantine.

he proceeded to other deceits, at one moment stretching out friendly right hands, at another pledging himself with oaths of agreement. Then, suddenly breaking his decrees, and again entreating through embassies, and again behaving shamelessly with falsehoods, in the end, he declared open war. In his madness of mind, he now prepared to marshal himself against God himself, whose worshipper he knew the emperor Constantine to be. ^A

CHAPTER LI. Licinius’s plots against the bishops, and the prohibition of synods.

For a start, he began to harass quietly those ministers of God under his rule who had never done any wrong committed against his authority from the beginning, hunting for malicious pretexts against them. Yet, as he could find no cause and had nothing with which to blame these men, he sent out a law commanding that bishops should in no way or manner communicate with one another, that it should not be permitted for any of them to visit a neighbor's church, and that they should not hold synods or councils and deliberations regarding what is beneficial. But this, in truth, was an excuse for the spite directed against us. For if they broke the law, they had to be subjected to punishment; or if they obeyed the mandate, they would be undermining the laws of the Church—for otherwise, it is impossible for major matters to be settled except through synods. And, moreover, the God-hated tyrant, having determined to act in opposition to the God-beloved ruler, ordered these things for ours. For while the one was gathering together the priests of God for the sake of peace and harmony, out of honor for the One ^B whom they served; the other, devising how to break what is good, attempted to shatter that harmonious concord. ^C

CHAPTER LII. Exiles and confiscations against the Christians.

Then, because he who is friend to God deemed it worthy that the servants of God should enter within the imperial houses, the God-hated tyrant, thinking the opposite, drove all the pious who were under him out of the imperial houses, especially those... [the text here continues with the missing final words of the page, where the Latin completes the thought:] ...who were most faithful to him. ^D

the imperial houses, especially those who were most faithful to him. ^A And those who had previously been honored by him with some rank or dignity, he ordered to serve others and to perform the duties of menials. And since he had seized the goods of all as if they were his own personal gain, he finally even threatened death to those who took upon themselves the saving name of the Christian religion. ^B Moreover, since he had poured himself into every kind of lust and lasciviousness, and was committing innumerable adulteries and other unspeakable acts of obscenity, he deemed that the virtue of modesty and continence could not possibly be practiced by men, judging the common nature of humanity most basely by the standard of his own sickness.

CHAPTER LIII.

The Edict of Licinius, that women should not assemble in church together with men.

For this reason, he brought in a second law, by which he ordered that men should not assemble in the church of God for the sake of prayer together with women, nor that the female sex should flock to the venerable schools of virtue for the sake of learning, and lastly, that bishops should not impart the precepts of divine religion to women, but that women chosen for this purpose should be appointed to teach the women. ^C Since these things were ridiculed by everyone, he devised another scheme for the destruction of the churches. For he ordered that the solemn assemblies of the people should be celebrated outside the gates in an open plain, asserting that the air outside the gates was far more suitable for the crowds than the houses of prayer situated within the city.

CHAPTER LIV.

How he discharged from the military those who refused to sacrifice: and forbade that those in prison be fed.

But when he saw that not even in this did they submit to him, he finally dropped all circumlocution and, with an uncovered head, as they say, he decreed that the soldiers who stood by the judges in the individual cities should be removed from the service of the provincial office unless they chose to sacrifice to the demons. ^D Consequently, the offices of the magistrates throughout the individual provinces were stripped of pious and religious men. But he himself who had enacted this law was also stripped, having deprived himself of the prayers of holy men. What is the need to mention the others, as those...

^A in what manner he had commanded that no one should humanely provide food to those wasting away in prisons, nor should anyone pity those perishing from hunger in bonds; that is to say, that no one at all should be a good man, nor should those who are drawn by nature itself to compassion for their neighbors perform any good act? This was indeed a law that was openly shameless and most brutal, surpassing in its savagery every cruelty of the age; to which this penalty was also attached, that those who showed pity should suffer the same fate as those who were objects of pity, and that those who performed acts of humanity should undergo the same punishments as the convicts.

CHAPTER LV. De iniquitate et avaritia Licinii.

Chapter LVI.

How he finally incited a persecution against the Christians.

^A He had seen with his own eyes the leader of the evils, whoever he may have been, struck by a divinely inflicted scourge.

CHAPTER LVII

For since he had been the one who began the siege of the Churches, and was the first to defile his own soul with the blood of righteous and God-fearing men, divine vengeance overtook him, beginning from his very flesh and proceeding to his soul. For suddenly an abscess formed in the midst of the hidden parts of his body; then a deep, fistulous ulcer developed, and a gnawing decay, incurable from both, began to consume his inmost vitals. From these poured forth an incredible multitude of worms, breathing out a deathly stench; for his whole body's bulk, which because of excessive intake of food had turned into vast fat, had now, by the rotting that took place at that time, been dissolved, and is said to have offered a horrible and intolerable spectacle to those standing by. Thus crushed by such evils, he at length began to understand what crimes he had dared to commit against the Church. Then, confessing his error to God, he stopped the persecution of the Christians, and by royal edicts and laws he hastened the rebuilding of their churches, and ordered that they perform their accustomed rites and offer prayers to God on his behalf. ^B

CHAPTER LVIII

But even though he who had initiated the persecution paid such a penalty, the one of whom we now speak, Licinius—who had been a witness and spectator of these things and had learned everything accurately by experience itself—suddenly forgot it all. Neither did he bring to mind the punishment inflicted upon his predecessor, nor the penalties which divine justice had exacted from the other who followed him. Indeed, as if ambitiously contending to surpass that former man in a sort of contest of wickedness, he prided himself on inventing new torments against us. For neither fire nor sword, nor the piercing of nails, nor the mangling of wild beasts, nor the depths of the sea were enough for him. ^C But beyond all these, he himself devised a new kind of punishment: he ordained by law that the members through which we perceive the use of light be mutilated. Consequently, crowded throngs of not only men, but even women and children, were handed over to the mines to be afflicted—their right eyes having been gouged out and the joints of their feet destroyed by iron and cauterizing irons. On account of these things, the justice of God did not delay in overtaking him too, when the demon^D

^B (whom he deemed a god) was his trust, and he, relying on an innumerable multitude of armed men, joined battle. For then, stripped of all hope of divine assistance, he cast off the imperial garb that was in no way fitting for him; then, mingling with the common crowd, he sought safety for himself in fear and quite cowardly flight, and hiding himself through fields and villages, he imagined that he could lie concealed under the guise of an attendant. But he could not escape that great eye of Providence that surveys all things. For when he deemed his safety to be already secured, he was struck by the burning shaft of God and fell prone to the earth, and his whole body was so consumed by the divinely inflicted wound that the entire appearance of his former shape was destroyed, and only his dried, skeletal bones remained, like some kind of phantom.

Chapter LIX

How, blinded by disease, Maximinus enacted a law for the Christians.

Furthermore, as the plague from God raged more fiercely, at last his eyes started from their sockets and, torn from their proper seat, left him blind; he suffered most justly the very torments which he had first devised against the martyrs of God. Yet even after this, while he still breathed, he himself also begged for pardon from the God of the Christians, openly confessing that he had waged war against the Divinity. And, in no other way than the former one, he sang a recantation, with laws and ordinances published in which he ingenuously confessed his error in worshipping those whom he had supposed to be gods, and testified that he had learned by experience to acknowledge only the one God of the Christians. Though Licinius had learned these things not by the report of others, but had perceived them by the facts themselves, nevertheless, as if a thick darkness had been spread over his mind, he set out to do the same things that those men had done.

The Chapters of the Second Book.

α. The surreptitious persecution of Licinius, putting bishops to death in Amaseia of Pontus. β. The demolition of churches, and the butchery of bishops. γ. How Constantine was moved on behalf of the Christians who were about to be persecuted. δ. That Constantine prepared himself with prayers, while Licinius went to war with divinations. ε. What Licinius said about the idols and Christ while sacrificing in the grove. ς. Of the passing by of Constantine’s armies. ζ. That in wars, wherever the sign of the cross was present, there the outcome of victory occurred. η. That fifty were chosen to carry the cross. θ. But he who remained in faith was saved. ι. Various encounters, and the victories of Constantine. ια. The flight of Licinius and his sorceries. ιβ. How Constantine won while praying in his tent. ιγ. Benevolence towards the soldiers who were captured. ιδ. Further concerning the prayers in the tent. ιε. The deceit of Licinius concerning peace, and his idolatry. ις. How Licinius advised his soldiers not to fight against the cross. ιζ. The victory of Constantine. ιη. The death of Licinius, and the celebrations concerning this. ιθ. Festivities and public holidays. κ. How Constantine legislated on behalf of the confessors. κα. How he also legislated concerning the martyrs and ecclesiastical property. κβ. How he also won back the peoples. κγ. That he proclaimed God as the cause of good things, and concerning the copies of the laws. κδ. The law of Constantine concerning piety toward God and Christianity. κε. A model from ancient times.

^A κς'. Concerning those who were persecuted and the persecutors. κζ'. How the persecution became the cause of evils to those who waged war. κη'. That God chose Constantine as a minister of good things. κθ'. Pious utterances of Constantine towards God, and praise of the confessors. λ'. A law canceling exile, confiscation of property, and fining. λα'. ^A Regarding those in the islands and in the mines, and those who were publicly disgraced. λβ'. Regarding confessors who served as soldiers. λγ'. The release of those who were given over to gynaecea (women’s labor-houses) or into slavery, being free men. λδ'. Regarding the inheritance of the estates of the martyrs and confessors, and of those who had been displaced or those whose property had been confiscated to the treasury. λε'. That for those who have no relatives, the Church is to be their heir, and that things gifted by them are to remain secure. λς'. To return to those in possession such lands, gardens, and houses, excluding what they had consumed. λζ'. In what manner one ought to submit petitions concerning these matters. λη'. To restore to the churches the public properties, lands, gardens, and houses. λθ'. To restore the martyr-shrines and cemeteries to the churches. μ'. That those who purchased church property, or received it by way of gift, must restore it. μα'. ^B An earnest exhortation to worship God. μβ'. How what was legislated by Constantine was accomplished through deeds. μγ'. That he appointed Christians as governors; and if they were Hellenes, he forbade them from sacrificing. μδ'. Regarding laws forbidding sacrifices and ordering churches to be built. με'. Constantine’s letter to Eusebius and the other bishops concerning the building of churches, and that they should repair the old ones and build larger ones through the governors. μς'. That he wrote against idolatry. μζ'. Constantine’s decree to the provinces concerning the error of polytheism, and an introduction concerning virtue and vice. μη'. Concerning the father of the God-loving Constantine, and ^C concerning Diocletian and Maximian, those who were persecutors. μθ'. That the persecution was stirred up because of Apollo’s oracle, as he was unable to deliver oracles on account of the righteous. ν'. That Constantine, while still young, heard that the righteous were Christians from the one who wrote concerning the persecution. να'. How many kinds of tortures and punishments were dared against the Christians. νβ'. That they received Christians. νγ'. What things were permitted to those who were persecutors because of the oracle. νδ'. Doxology of Constantine to God, and confession concerning the sign of the cross, and prayer concerning the Churches and peoples. νε'. That he prays that all may be Christians, but does not force them. νς'. ^D Doxology to God, who through the Son enlightened those who were led astray. νζ'. Doxology again from the liturgy of the world. νη'. Doxology to God, who always teaches what is good. νθ'. Exhortations at the conclusion of the decree, that no one should harass another. ξ'. How questions began to be stirred up from the Alexandrians regarding the matters of Arius. ξα'. Regarding the same and regarding the Meletians. ξβ'. How Constantine, having sent for the sake of peace, wrote. ξγ'. Constantine’s letter to Alexander the bishop and Arius the presbyter. ξδ'. That he concerned himself with peace as was his custom. ξε'. That he also corrected the questions in Africa. ξς'. That the matters of piety began from the East. ξζ'. That being saddened by the faction, he advised about peace. ξη'. Whence the questioning of Alexander and Arius began; and that it was not necessary to argue about these things. ξθ'. Not to contend for the sake of small words regarding the same. ο'. That out of reverence he was compelled to weep from immense grief, and being about to rush into the East, he was delayed by these things. οα'. That even after this letter the trouble of the questions persisted.

441 CAPITULA OF THE SECOND BOOK

I. The secret persecution of Licinius, and the slaughter of the bishops at Amasia, a city of Pontus. II. The church was pulled down, and the bishops were slaughtered. III. How Constantine was moved on behalf of the Christians whom Licinius was preparing to persecute. IV. That Constantine prepared himself for war with prayers, but Licinius with divinations. V. What Licinius said about the idols and about Christ, while he was sacrificing in a grove. VI. Apparitions seen in the cities that obeyed Licinius, of Constantine’s soldiers pursuing the soldiers of Licinius. VII. Wherever in the battles the sign of the cross was present, victory was obtained. VIII. That fifty men were chosen to carry the cross. IX. That of those who bore the cross, he who fled was killed; but he who remained faithful escaped unharmed. X. Various battles and the victories of Constantine. XI. The flight and magic arts of Licinius. XII. How Constantine, praying in the tabernacle, obtained victory. XIII. Constantine’s kindness toward captured soldiers. XIV. Again concerning prayer in the tabernacle. XV. The feigned friendship of Licinius, and the worship of idols. XVI. How Licinius commanded the soldiers not to make an assault against the sign of the cross. XVII. Constantine’s victory. XVIII. The slaughter of Licinius, and the triumphs celebrated regarding him. XIX. Public joy and festivity. XX. How Constantine enacted laws on behalf of the confessors. XXI. How he also enacted laws on behalf of the martyrs and for the estates of the churches. XXII. How he also refreshed the peoples. XXIII. That he proclaimed God as the author of good things, and concerning His laws. XXIV. Constantine’s law concerning piety towards God and the Christian religion. XXV. An example from ancient times. XXVI. Concerning those who suffered persecution, and concerning the persecutors. XXVII. That persecution was the cause of evils to those who waged war.

XXVIII. That God chose Constantine as a minister of good things. XXIX. The pious words of Constantine towards God, and the praise of the confessors. XXX. A law releasing those in exile and from the curia, and remitting the proscription of property. XXXI. Likewise, those who had been relegated to islands. XXXII. Likewise, those who had been ignominiously condemned to the mines and public works. XXXIII. On the confessors who had served as soldiers. XXXIV. On the liberation of those who had been given over to the women’s quarters or into slavery. XXXV. On the succession of the property of martyrs and confessors, and of those who had been relegated, and whose property had been taken into the treasury. XXXVI. That if there were no relatives, the Church should receive the inheritance, and that legacies should remain firm. XXXVII. That those who had seized such places, houses, and gardens should restore them, excluding the fruits. ^B XXXVIII. How petitions were to be presented regarding these matters. XXXIX. That the treasury should restore lands, houses, and gardens to the churches. XL. That martyrdoms and cemeteries should be returned to the churches. XLI. That those who had bought or received as a gift the property of the Church should restore them. XLII. Diligent exhortation to worship God. XLIII. How Constantine confirmed by his very deeds that which he had ordained by laws. XLIV. How he promoted Christians to govern provinces, and forbade pagans to sacrifice. XLV. Concerning the laws by which sacrifices were forbidden, while churches were commanded to be built. XLVI. Constantine's epistle to Eusebius and other bishops regarding the building of churches through the agency of the governors, and that the old ones should be repaired and larger ones constructed. XLVII. That he wrote against the worship of idols. XLVIII. Constantine's edict to the provincials regarding the false worship of many gods. Exordium on virtue and vice. XLIX. On the pious and God-loving father of Constantine, and on the persecutors Diocletian and Maximian. L. That the oracle of Apollo, no longer able to give responses on account of the righteous men, became the cause of the persecution. ^C LI. How Constantine, while still a young man, heard that Christians were righteous. LII. How many types of torments and punishments were devised against the Christians. LIII. How the barbarians received the Christians. LIV. How those who had instigated the persecution on account of an oracle were punished by divine vengeance. LV. Constantine attributes glory to God, confesses the sign of the cross, and prays for the Church. LVI. How he desired all to be Christians, yet compelled no one. LVII. He attributes glory to God, who illuminated those who were wandering through His Son. LVIII. Again he attributes glory to God from the ministry of the whole world. LIX. He praises God, who always teaches what is good and honest. LX. Exhortation at the end of the edict that no one should cause annoyance to another. LXI. How questions were stirred up in the city of Alexandria on account of Arius. LXII. On Arius and the Meletians. LXIII. How he sent a legate with letters to compose the peace. LXIV. Constantine's epistle to Alexander the bishop and Arius the presbyter. LXV. That he was constantly concerned for peace. LXVI. How he suppressed the questions stirred up in Africa. LXVII. That religion began from the regions of the East. LXVIII. How, bearing the sedition with uneasiness, he urged peace. LXIX. Whence the controversy between Arius and Alexander arose, and that such things ought not to have been investigated. LXX. Exhortation to concord. LXXI. That one ought not to have struggled obstinately over certain slight words. LXXII. How, affected by sorrow, out of piety he shed tears; and the journey he was about to make to the East, he repressed on account of this cause. LXXIII. That even after these letters of the emperor, the contention persisted.

THE WORKS OF EUSEBIUS PAMPHILI REGARDING THE LIFE OF THE BLESSED CONSTANTINE THE EMPEROR: BOOK II

EUSEBIUS PAMPHILI DE VITA BEATISSIMI IMPERATORIS CONSTANTINI BOOK SECOND

CHAPTER I

^A perish from their impiety, he emulated their zeal for his own destruction; he rekindled the persecution against the Christians like a flame long since quenched, kindling a fire of impiety even more grievous than the former ones. And indeed, like some terrible beast or a crooked serpent coiling upon itself, breathing rage and god-opposing threats, he did not yet dare to war openly against the Churches of God because of his fear of Constantine. But hiding the venom of his wickedness, he prepared secret and partial traps against the bishops; and through the plots of the governors of the provinces, he killed the most approved of them; and the manner of their slaughter was strange, such as had never before been known. These things, then, ^B done in the neighborhood of Amasia in Pontus, surpassed every excess of cruelty.

CHAPTER II. The destruction of churches and the slaughter of bishops.

In this city, the churches of God, after that first assault, were for a second time razed to the ground; others were closed by the governors of the provinces, so that none of those who were accustomed to attend them might gather there, nor render to God the prescribed acts of worship ^C. For he who ordered such things did not believe that these prayers were being offered on his own behalf, being led to this opinion by his own evil conscience. Rather, he was persuaded that we were doing everything on behalf of Constantine and suppliant to the Divine Power. But his governors, being sycophants and flatterers, believing that they were doing something pleasing to the Emperor, subjected the most approved leaders of the churches to capital punishment. And so, men who had committed no evil were led away without any cause and punished just like murderers. Some suffered a certain new kind of death, their bodies being hewn into many pieces and, after this cruel spectacle, more horrible than any tragic fiction, they were cast into the depths of the sea to be food for fish. ^D Thereupon, the worshippers of God again began to take to flight; once more the fields and once more the deserts received the servants of God. And since these things were succeeding in this way for the tyrant, he thereafter inclined his mind to stir up the persecution against all Christians. And without doubt he would have attained his wish, nor would anything have hindered him from bringing the matter to its end, had not the Defender of his servants, God, as in darkness and the gloomiest night, sent forth a great light.

and, anticipating what was to come with the utmost swiftness, ^A shown forth his servant Constantine as a brilliant ray of light, and brought him into these parts as if leading him by the hand.

CHAPTER III

How Constantine was moved on behalf of the Christians whom Licinius was preparing to persecute.

When he heard news of this kind, he understood that he must no longer dissimulate; he summoned the strength of his sober mind and, combining severity of character with his innate clemency, made haste to carry aid to those who were being oppressed. He judged it to be a pious and holy deed that, by removing one man from the midst, almost the entire human race might be preserved. For thus he reasoned with himself: if he were to exercise supreme clemency and show mercy to a man unworthy of any pity, it would profit that man nothing, since he would in no way depart from his depraved morals and customs, but would rather direct his rage against his subjects, while for the oppressed, ^B no further hope of salvation would remain. When the emperor had reflected upon these things, he resolved to stretch out a saving right hand without any delay to those who had fallen into extreme calamities. And so, indeed, he made the customary preparations for military equipment, and a whole phalanx of infantry and cavalry was gathered for him. But over all of them marched the emblems of his good hope in God, by means of the aforementioned sign.

CHAPTER IV

That Constantine prepared himself for war with prayers, but Licinius with divinations.

Knowing well that he had need of prayers then, if ever before, he brought with him the priests of God, intending that they should be with him and stay by his side at all times, ^C esteeming them to be, as it were, good guardians of the soul. Hence, when the tyrant had heard that Constantine did not obtain his victories over his enemies otherwise than by the cooperation of God, and that those whom I have mentioned were always with him and stayed by his side, and that the sign of the salutary passion marked the way before both him and his entire army, he regarded these things as worthy of laughter, mocking him all the while and attacking him with contemptuous words. But he himself gathered to his side the diviners and soothsayers of the Egyptians, sorcerers and witch-doctors, and the sacrificers and prophets of the gods whom he worshipped. And then, appeasing with sacrifices those whom he imagined to be gods, he would inquire of them what the outcome of the war would be.

^A And they, without controversy, answered that he would be the victor over his enemies and prevail in the war, all the oracles everywhere promising this to him with one consent in long and elegant verses. Furthermore, interpreters of dreams predicted good omens for him through the flight of birds, and sacrificers indicated that the movement of the entrails boded the same. Elated, indeed, by these deceitful promises, he advanced to the camp with great boldness and prepared himself for battle, as best he could, by drawing up his ^B ranks.

CHAPTER V

What Licinius said about the idols and Christ while sacrificing in the grove.

When he was now about to enter upon the war, he gathered together the most select of his guards and most honored friends into a place which was held by them as sacred. This grove was well-watered and shady, and in it were set up statues of every kind, sculpted in stone, of those whom he considered to be gods. Having lit wax candles ^C for them and performed the customary rites, he is said to have spoken the following words: "My friends and fellow soldiers, these are our ancestral gods, whom we have received from our ancestors of old to worship and honor; but he who leads the opposing side against us, having violated the customs and institutions of our forefathers, has chosen for himself a godless opinion, and, I know not from whence, has blindly embraced a strange and new-fangled God, and even disgraces his own army with the mark of that thing, putting his trust in it, and proceeds armed, not so much against us as against those gods whom he has dishonored. The present day, therefore, will clearly prove which of us is led by blind error, and will pass judgment ^D concerning the gods who are worshipped by us or by the men of the opposing party. For either the victory granted to us will justly declare our gods to be truly our saviors and helpers; or, if that one God of Constantine, who I know not whence has sprouted, should gain the upper hand over our gods—who are so numerous and currently excel so greatly in multitude—let no one henceforth have any doubt as to which God one ought to worship, but let him cross over to the victor and bestow the prizes of victory upon him. And if that stranger, who is even now ridiculed by us, should prove stronger

^A than our own—a thing which is beyond doubt—then after our victory here, we shall set out for the war against the godless. Such were the things he had spoken to those present; but as for us who were called to this record, those who heard his words communicated the knowledge of them to us a little later. And having finished a discourse of this kind, he gave orders for the military forces to join battle.

CHAPTER VI.

Apparitions seen in the cities under Licinius, as if the troops of Constantine were passing through.

While these things were being done, they say that a spectacle, ^B truly more wonderful than words can describe, appeared in the cities subject to that tyrant. For they thought they saw various battalions of Constantine's soldiers passing through the heart of the cities at mid-day, as though they had already won the battle. And these things were seen, although in reality no one was anywhere to be found, but a divine power by means of that vision which was presented to the eyes was foreshadowing what was to come. But when the military forces were about to join battle, the one who had broken the treaties of friendship began the war. Then indeed did Constantine, having called upon the Savior God who is over all, and having given this as a watchword to the soldiers around him, prevail in the first encounter; and it was not long before he was stronger ^C than in the second battle.

(The editorial notes and the apparatus here follow, detailing the terminology and historical dates concerning the battle at Cibalae and the subsequent struggle, but as they constitute the secondary critical commentary typically omitted in the flow of the text, they do not interrupt the continuity of the narrative translated above.)

^D

^A again superior, and achieved an even greater victory, with the saving trophy of the cross advancing before his phalanx.

CHAPTER VII.

Certainly, wherever this sign was observed, a rout of the enemy immediately followed, with the victors pressing upon their backs. When the emperor learned of this, if he ever noticed any detachment of his own army being hard-pressed, he would give orders for the saving trophy to be brought forward as a most effective amulet for securing victory; and when this was done, victory followed immediately, as divine power strengthened the spirit and vigor of the combatants.

CHAPTER VIII.

Therefore, from the number of his guards, he selected those who appeared to excel in strength of body, fortitude of soul, and the ways of true piety, and assigned to them this one duty: to attend assiduously to the care of this sign. There were fifty men in number, whose only other duty was to surround and guard the sign with their escort, each taking turns to carry it upon their shoulders. The emperor himself narrated this to us—those of us writing this history—while he was at rest, a long time after these events had occurred, and at the same time he added a detail most worthy of being remembered in the narrative.

CHAPTER IX.

For he said that once, in the heat of battle, when a loud uproar and sudden turmoil had thrown the army into confusion, the man who was carrying the sign on his shoulders was seized by fear and handed it to another to carry, so that he might escape the danger of the battle. But scarcely had the other received the sign to carry, when lo, he who by stealth had ^C deserted his watch over the sign was struck in the belly by a weapon and fell down dead. And he indeed, paying the penalty for his cowardice and faithlessness, lay there lifeless. But the saving trophy of the cross granted safety to him who was carrying it on high. While weapons were being cast at him from every side, the standard-bearer himself escaped safe; but the shaft of the saving trophy took the missiles upon itself. That sight was greater than any miracle, as all the enemy's weapons fell ^D into that very narrow circumference of the shaft. And as they were struck and embedded into the shaft, the standard-bearer remained unharmed.

^A And this is not our own account, but that of the Emperor himself, who, among other things, related this also to us. Having achieved his previous victories with the help of Almighty God, he thereafter moved his army with the ranks drawn up, and proceeded further.

CHAPTER X. Diverse battles and the victories of Constantine.

^B The foremost of the adverse parties, being unable to withstand his first assault, threw down their arms and prostrated themselves at the Emperor's feet. But he received them all unharmed, deriving great pleasure from the safety of these men. Others, however, who remained under arms, prepared themselves for battle. When the Emperor tried to persuade them to surrender, but saw that they were in no wise moved by kindly appeals, he directed his army against them. They immediately turned their backs and fled. As they fled, some were captured and executed in accordance with the laws of war, while others, stumbling against one another, were cut down by the swords of their own men.

CHAPTER XI. The flight of Licinius and his magical arts.

When their leader saw that he was deprived of the help of his servants, and that the multitude of the troops and allies he had gathered had vanished, and that his hope in the gods whom he worshipped had been proven by experience to be utterly vain, he undertook a shameful flight. Indeed, he fled and made his escape, and reached safety, because the God-beloved Emperor had forbidden his own men to pursue him closely, in order that he might have a chance to escape. For he hoped that Licinius, at length perceiving the misery of his situation, would cease from his mad insolence and turn his mind to better judgment. But while the Emperor was contemplating these things out of an excess of humanity, wishing to be patient and to grant pardon to one who did not deserve it, Licinius did not refrain from wickedness; rather, heaving evil upon evil, he engaged in worse atrocities. And indeed, once again, he began to brazenly employ the wicked practices of magicians; and it was said of him, just as of the ancient tyrant, that ^C God had hardened his heart. ^D

CHAPTER XII. How Constantine was victorious while praying in his tent.

But while he was entangling himself in such things, he was casting himself into the abyss of destruction. Constantine, however, seeing that a second battle was required for him...

^A to be fought to the end, dedicated his leisure to the Savior, having pitched the tabernacle of the cross far away from the camp; there, living purely and chastely, he offered up prayers to God, after the example of that ancient prophet of God who, as the divine oracles testify, was accustomed to pitch his tabernacle outside the camp. A few men, clearly tested in faith and in the sincerity of their piety ^B, remained with him constantly. This was his habitual practice, whenever he was about to engage in a battle. For he was not rash, since he always chose the safer course; moreover, he was accustomed to doing all things by the counsel of God. And because he would supplicate his God diligently and earnestly, God always deigned to show him his presence. Then, as if moved by a more divine impulse, he would hasten out of the tabernacle, and once the signal for departure was given, he would immediately command ^C the soldiers to draw their swords without delay. They, making a sudden assault upon the enemy, would strike down all they encountered without distinction of age, until in a brief moment of time victory was obtained and they raised trophies over the defeated enemies.

Chapter XIII. The humanity of Constantine toward captured soldiers.

In this manner the emperor, before the conflict of battle, was accustomed to conduct himself and to instruct his army, just as he had been wont to do in the past: for he always set his God before his own life, and strove to do all things by His nod and counsel, and deemed the slaughter of many men to be contrary to religion. Therefore he took no less thought for the safety of the enemy than for his own soldiers. And so, he would instruct his own men, once they had gained the victory, to spare the vanquished and to remember that they were born men, and of the common nature of mankind. But if he happened to see the spirits of his soldiers set upon slaughter, he would restrain them with the gift of gold, ordering that whoever captured a living enemy should be rewarded with a certain weight of gold. And this allurement for the preservation of human life the emperor's ingenuity devised: so much so that very many even of the barbarians themselves were saved, since the emperor’s gold had ransomed their lives.

Chapter XIV. Again on prayer in the tabernacle.

These and many other things similar to these the emperor was accustomed to do at other times as well. At the present time, however, before he engaged in battle, he withdrew and stayed in his tabernacle ^D, devoting himself to prayers, as was his custom; abstaining from every jest and from a more delicate manner of living, he wore down his body with fasts and other exercises of this kind; and by supplications and prayers he so placated God, that he might have Him as a benign and propitious helper for his side, and that he might do those things which God impressed upon his mind. But he was sleepless in his...

^A care, praying for the salvation not so much of his own people as of his enemies.

Chapter XV. Licinius’s feigned friendship and his idol worship.

Since he who had a little before been a fugitive was now, by means of hypocrisy, feigning friendship and begging again for the right hand of alliance, the Emperor considered it a matter of public interest and beneficial to the human race, and did not refuse to grant him peace under certain conditions. Licinius, however, in his outward appearance, was merely pretending to embrace these terms, and was confirming his pledge with an oath, while in secret he was once again gathering military equipment and meditating on how to wage war and renew the battle. He was recruiting barbarian auxiliaries from all sides and searching out others, as one who had been deceived by his previous gods. He did not retain in his mind any of the things he had spoken about the gods just a little before, nor did he wish to recognize the God who defended Constantine; rather, many more and newer gods were being ridiculously sought out by him.

Chapter XVI. How Licinius commanded his soldiers not to make an assault against the sign of the cross.

Afterwards, when he learned by the reality of events how great a divine and unspeakable power resided in the ^B saving trophy, through which the army of Constantine was accustomed to conquer, he advised the soldiers around him not to engage it head-on, and not to gaze upon it rashly or at random. He said that this sign possessed incredible force, and was personally hostile and adverse to him, and that therefore they must be on their guard against joining battle against it. Having thus arranged these matters, he set out to wage battle against the one who, out of benevolence, was hesitating and delaying the destruction that hung over him. They, indeed, emboldened by the multitude of their gods, advanced with a large force of military might, carrying before them the images of the dead, projected as lifeless statues. But ^C he, girded with the breastplate of piety, set firmly against the multitude of his enemies the saving and life-giving sign, as if it were some terror and a defense against evils. And for a while he held back, at first making use of restraint, so that he might not be the prompter of the start of the struggle, on account of the treaties he had made.

Chapter XVII. Constantine’s victory.

But when he saw that the enemies were persistent in their resolve, and were already ^D drawing their swords, he was then moved with indignation, and with a single cry and impetus he turned the entire force of the enemy.

^A And he bore away the victory over the demons as well as over his enemies.

CHAPTER XVIII. The death of Licinius and the triumphs celebrated over him.

^B After this, he judged that enemy of God and his associates by the laws of war, and delivered them to the fitting punishment. And so, the tyrant himself and those who had been his counselors in the war against God were led away and perished, paying the penalty they deserved; and those who, a little later, ^C had been puffed up by the hope of vain things, came in deed to acknowledge the God of Constantine, and at last confessed Him to be the one true and everlasting God.

CHAPTER XIX. Public rejoicing and festivals.

Now that the ungodly men had been removed from the way, pure and clear rays of the sun were seen, as if the cloud of tyrannical dominion had been dispelled. All the parts of the Roman Empire were knit together into one body, the Eastern provinces being joined with the Western; and by one ruler, as by a head, the whole body was adorned, as monarchy held sway on every side. Splendid beams of light and piety provided glad days for those who had previously sat in darkness and the shadow of death. No memory of past evils remained, as men everywhere sang the praises of the victor, and acknowledged that they recognized only the God of his Savior. And the victorious emperor, who excelled in every virtue of piety (for he himself [held] this title as his most proper ^D designation...

because of the victory over all enemies and foes given to him by God), received the East, and restored the Roman empire, solid as it once had been, and united it under his own single power. And while he was the first to proclaim to all the sovereignty of the one God, he himself, holding the singular rule of the Roman world, governed the entire human race. All fear of the evils by which all men had been oppressed had now utterly vanished. And those who had previously been downcast now looked upon one another with cheerful countenances and joyous eyes. ^A With choral dances and hymns they celebrated, first of all, the King of all, God, as they had been taught; and then his victorious Augustus, and his most modest and God-beloved children, the Caesars, without any intermission. No memory of past calamities, no memory of impiety now remained; but the fruit of present goods was enjoyed with hope and expectation of those to come.

CHAPTER XX. How Constantine made laws on behalf of confessors.

^B Then also among us, just as had previously been the case for those who inhabit the other part of the world, edicts of the emperor full of humanity were set forth; and laws that breathed a sincere and religious observance of God promised various goods of every kind with no doubtful hope; as he bestowed upon the provincials what pertained to their own advantage, and established what was suitable and appropriate for the Churches of God. ^C And first of all, he recalled home those who, because they had refused to sacrifice to idols, had been relegated by the provincial governors and compelled to migrate from their own country. Then, those who had been assigned to the curiae for the same reason, he freed from [public] duties; and for those who had been despoiled of their property, he ordered that their goods be restored. Furthermore, those who, fortified by divine power at the time of the persecution, had given an illustrious specimen of fortitude and constancy—whether they had been condemned to the mines to be harassed there with continuous labor, or had been deported to an island, or had been condemned to public works—all these were suddenly loosed from their troubles and obtained their liberty. But also, whosoever on account of their outstanding ^D [constancy] regarding the fear of God had been deprived of their military rank, the imperial bounty recalled them from such injury, offering the choice of resuming their [former] rank or leading a life of ease.

And those who had been condemned to serve in the workshops, ^A unto their injury and disgrace, he likewise set at liberty.

CHAPTER XXI. How he also legislated concerning martyrs and ecclesiastical estates.

These things, then, the emperor ordained by written law concerning those who had suffered such things. But concerning their property, caution was most fully provided by the emperor’s law. For the goods of the holy martyrs of God who had died in the very act of confession, he ordered to be restored to their next of kin; and if no one of their lineage were found, he ordered their houses and lands to be granted to the churches. ^B Properties also, which had been transferred from the royal treasury to others either by sale or by gift, or which had remained within the treasury, the letter of the imperial indulgence commanded to be restored to their original owners. Such benefits as these did the benignity of the prince confer upon the Church of God, by laws sent through all the provinces.

CHAPTER XXII. How he also restored the peoples.

But to the peoples outside the faith and to all the provinces, the munificence of the prince granted much more and greater things. Wherefore all those among us who live in these parts, who formerly having heard the things done in the other part of the Roman Empire, called blessed those who were affected by such great benefits, and who with burning prayers desired that they themselves might ^C also sometime enjoy the same goods: now seeing these things with their own eyes, did not hesitate to declare themselves happy, testifying that it was a new kind of miracle and such as no age under the sun had ever seen, that such an emperor had shone upon the human race. And these certainly felt so.

CHAPTER XXIII. That he proclaimed God as the author of all good things: and concerning his laws.

Now the emperor himself, when he brought all things under his dominion by the power of God the Savior, made manifest to all who had granted these good things to him; and he professed that He was the author of his victories, and not himself. And this he did by letters written in both the Latin ^D and Greek language, and sent throughout every province.

^A You may understand the excellence of this discourse by perusing the letters themselves. There were two of these: one sent to the Churches of God, and the other to the provincial populations of the cities, who were strangers to our religion. This latter, as being most appropriate to my present subject, I have thought fit to insert here, that a copy of this document might be preserved in history for those who come after us, as well as to confirm the truth of our narrative. It is taken from an authentic copy of the imperial decree which is preserved among us; and the subscription added by the emperor's own hand confirms the truth of our narrative as if by a seal.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Lex Constantini de pietate in Deum, et de Christiana religione.

^B Victor Constantinus Maximus Augustus, to the provincials of Palestine.

It has long since been evident to those who think rightly and wisely of God, by a clear distinction which removes all doubt, how great is the difference between those who are diligent observers of the most holy Christian religion, and its antagonists and despisers. But now, it is demonstrated by more evident arguments and far more illustrious achievements, not only how absurd such doubt is, but also how great is the power of the Highest God. For to those who faithfully worship ^C this most holy law, and dare not violate any of its precepts, there is at hand an abundance of all good things, and strength suitable for the completion of their undertakings, along with good hope and confidence. But to those who have embraced an impious opinion, corresponding events in their affairs have befallen them. For who is there, who, not acknowledging God as the author of all good things, and refusing to honor Him with the prescribed worship, can ever obtain anything good? The facts themselves certainly give credence to our words.

CHAPTER XXV.

An example from ancient times.

If anyone should cast his mind back to the times from of old ^D and down to the present day, to the truth of our account.

^A If anyone were to trace back in his mind the times that have passed before, and contemplate the deeds done of old, he would find that all who truly established justice and goodness as the foundation of their undertakings have brought their enterprises to a good and successful end, and have gathered the sweetest fruit, as if from some pleasant root. But as for those who have attempted unjust deeds with reckless daring, and have either been foolishly enraged against the Highest, or have lacked any holy sense of regard for the human race—for whom exile, infamy, confiscations of property, slaughter, and many such things have been dared, and who have never repented nor ever turned their minds to better things—he would find that they have received a corresponding reward. And these things come to pass not absurdly nor without reason. ^B

CAPUT XXVI. On those who have suffered persecution, and on the persecutors.

For whoever approaches their deeds with a righteous purpose, and constantly holds the fear of the Highest before their eyes, keeping firm their faith in Him, and does not prefer the threats and dangers of the present life to the hope of those future blessings—these, although they have experienced many bitter and troublesome things in a short span of time, nevertheless, through their firm belief in the greater rewards stored up for them, have not borne the impending evils with an aggrieved spirit; but the more severe the calamities they have experienced, the more glorious the fame they have brought back. But those who have contemptuously disregarded justice and equity, and who have neither acknowledged God themselves nor hesitated to subject those who faithfully worship God to insults and most bitter punishments; and who did not judge themselves miserable in that they subjected men to judgment and punishment for such a cause, nor deemed those happy and blessed who preserved their piety toward the Highest amid such evils—of these, many armies have fallen, many have been turned to flight, and their entire military array has ended in utter defeat. ^C

CAPUT XXVII. That persecution became the cause of evils for those who waged war.

From such-like crimes have arisen grievous wars and destructive devastations. Hence came a scarcity of things necessary for the daily use of life, and an abundance of impending evils. Hence it is that the authors of such great impiety have fallen into the most extreme ^D

^A miseries, or have utterly perished by an unhappy end, or, dragging out a life of the utmost disgrace, have confessed it to be more bitter than any death, and have in a manner rendered back the penalty for their unjust deeds with equivalent punishments. For each one of them was affected by evils the more grievous in proportion to the vehemence with which he had, in supreme madness, set himself to withstand the law of God, as he thought. So that not only did the evils of the present life seem burdensome to them, but the fear and expectation of the punishments in the world below tormented them even more bitterly. ^B

CHAPTER XXVIII.

That God chose Constantine as a minister of good things.

• Now when so great and heavy an impiety was taking hold of the human race, and the state was, as it were, perishing under a deadly pestilence and was in extreme peril of its salvation, and therefore stood in need of great cure and saving help, what solace, what remedy did God then devise to deliver us from these evils? But when I say God, it must be understood of Him who alone is truly God, and who possesses power everlasting throughout all time. Nor indeed would it be arrogance for one who confesses the benefits granted by God to speak in grand terms. For in truth God sought out my service, as being suitable for the fulfilling of His will, and decided to employ our work: He who, starting from that British ^C sea and those regions where the sun is by some necessity ordered to set, by a certain higher power thrust back and scattered all the evils that had taken hold, so that at once the human race might be recalled to the treatment of the most holy law, being instructed by the service rendered through me, and at the same time the most blessed faith might increase under the guidance of the Higher Power. ^D

CHAPTER XXIX.

Constantine’s pious words to God, and praise of the confessors.

• For never, indeed, would I be ungrateful regarding the favor owed for this most excellent ministry, believing this to be a gift graciously bestowed upon myself.

^A I have come even to the regions of the East, which, being oppressed by heavier calamities, cried out for a greater remedy from us. I have most firmly believed that my whole soul, and all I breathe, and in short whatever stirs in the innermost recesses of my mind, is owed by me to the most high God. I know well then, in truth, that those who have correctly and sincerely pursued the hope of heavenly things, and have securely ^B established this, both as excellent and as a queen, in divine places, would have no need of the goodwill of men; for they obtain greater honors in proportion to how far they have separated themselves from the vices and evils of mortality. Nevertheless, I believe it is my duty to ward off, as far as I can, from those who are entirely without blame and fault, the most bitter necessities that were temporarily laid upon them, and the tortures that in no way befitted them. Otherwise, it would be most absurd if, while those who had resolved to persecute them on account of their worship of God were reigning, the fortitude and constancy of their souls were clearly witnessed and known; yet, when the servant of God administers the empire, their glory should not be raised to a more brilliant ^C and more blessed height. »

CHAPTER XXX

• All therefore, whether those who exchanged their homeland for a foreign soil because they would not betray the worship of God and the faith to which they had dedicated themselves with their whole heart, having been condemned by the cruel sentences of judges whenever it may have been, or those who were registered in the white list of the curia, although they were not previously of the number of curiales; now that they are restored to their paternal lands and accustomed leisure, let them give thanks to God, the liberator of all. Whoever likewise have been despoiled of their goods and struck by the forfeiture of all their faculties, and have lived a most miserable life up to this point: these too, being restored to their original homes, families, and faculties, may they happily enjoy the beneficence of God. »

CHAPTER XXXI

• But also, as many as are held against their will in the islands, we command that they enjoy ^D the benefit of this provision, as those who have up to now...

we appoint, that those who until now ^A have been confined by the roughness of the mountains and the circumfused sea, and have been liberated from that sad and inhuman solitude, may restore themselves to their loved ones, and fulfill their desired longing. And those who for a long time lived a life of poverty in some loathsome squalor, ^B as if having obtained their return as a prize, and now delivered from anxieties, may live with us without fear. For that anyone should live in fear under us—we who boast and believe that we are servants of God—is a thing most absurd even to hear of, much less to be believed. Indeed, we are so constituted that we make amends for the sins of others.

CHAPTER XXXII. Regarding those who were dishonourably condemned to the mines and public works.

Whoever has been condemned to toil in the grievous mines, or to perform duties in public works, by exchanging their constant toils for sweet leisure, may lead a lighter life, according to their own choice, and bring the hardships of immoderate labour to a conclusion in soft and peaceful rest. And even though some of them have lost their common liberty and been marked with infamy, let them hasten to return to their own countries, recovering their former dignity, as if it had been sequestered from them by a long period of exile, with the joy that is fitting.

CHAPTER XXXIII. Regarding confessors who had served in the army.

Furthermore, to those who were once adorned with military rank, but ^C fell away from these due to a cruel and unjust pretext—because they preferred the acknowledgement of the Supreme Being to the status they held—let it be open to them to choose according to their will, either to remain in the status in which they previously were by returning to military service, or to live in free leisure with an honourable discharge. For it would be equitable and consistent with reason that he who has displayed such greatness of soul and endurance in bearing the torments inflicted upon him, should enjoy either leisure or dignity according to his own preference. ^D

^A

CHAPTER XXXIV. On those who were given to the gynaecea or into slavery, to be liberated.

Whoever has been despoiled of their nobility by force and has suffered such a judgment from those judges as to be thrust into gynæcea or linen-works, there to endure hard and miserable labor, or to be held as slaves of the treasury, gaining nothing from the former splendor of their birth—let them, enjoying the honors they formerly possessed and the blessings of liberty, and having recovered their former dignity, live henceforth with all joy. And whoever has exchanged freedom for slavery through some unlawful and inhuman audacity of a seller, and has often lamented the unaccustomed services, realizing as if by a sudden change that he has been made a slave from being free, let him now, by our command, recover his former liberty, restore himself to his parents, and pursue labors worthy of a free man, with the memory of the services not at all convenient to him, which he previously performed, utterly cast out from his mind. ^B

Chapter XXXV. On the succession of the good martyrs and confessors, and of those who had been exiled, and whose goods were confiscated by the treasury.

But we must not be silent concerning the possessions of which individuals have been deprived for various reasons. Therefore, if any, having undergone the excellent and divine contest of martyrdom with an intrepid and confident spirit, have been despoiled of their goods, or, having become confessors, have prepared for themselves the hope of eternal goods; or if any who have been compelled to migrate from their country ^C because they would not yield to the persecutors by betraying their faith, have been stripped of their possessions—likewise, if any—

have been compelled to migrate from their country, their property being lost. We decree that the inheritances of all these be bestowed upon their next of kin. And since the laws expressly command that the nearest of kin should receive the inheritance, it is easy to distinguish to whom the inheritance is due; and it is consonant with reason that those should come into the succession who would have been the next of kin had they departed this life by a natural death. ^B

CHAPTER XXXVI. That if there be no relatives, the Church shall take the inheritance, and that gifts shall remain valid.

But if there remain no relative of any of those whom I have mentioned above, who might rightfully become their heir—I speak not only of the martyrs, but of the confessors, and of those who have migrated from their country on account of such a pretext—we decree that the Church of each respective place shall receive the inheritance. And this shall in no wise be grievous to those who have departed, if the Church, for whose sake they endured all their toils, happens to be their heir. It is necessary, however, to add this too: that if any of those aforementioned have bestowed any of their property upon whomsoever they wished, the ownership of these [gifts] shall remain secure and valid ^C as is equitable.

CHAPTER XXXVII. That those who have occupied such lands, gardens, and houses shall restore them, except for the fruits.

Furthermore, that there may be no ambiguity in our command, but that it may be easy for everyone to recognize what is the law, let all men know—whether they possess a field, or a house, or a garden, or any other thing from the property of those whom I have mentioned above—that it is right and beneficial for them to restore these, ^D and we command that they do so, [as] the fruits [already gathered] remain their own.

^A

CHAPTER XXXVIII

How petitions ought to be submitted regarding these matters.

But let them, in all honesty, make a full declaration of how much they have collected and from what source, and let them petition us for pardon for this transgression, so that, by such restitution, their past greed may be healed, ^B and the most high God—as if accepting this in place of true repentance—may become favorable toward their transgressions. For those who have been established as masters of such properties—if indeed this title can be applied to them or if they even deserve it—will perhaps put forward, in their own defense, the plea that it was utterly impossible for them to abstain from such things at that time, when a multifaceted spectacle of every kind of evil was held before their eyes: when men were cruelly driven out and slaughtered without any mercy; when property, ruined and scattered here and there, lay open; when there were frequent proscriptions of the innocent, an insatiable fury of persecutions, and sales of goods to be seen. Surely, if some venture to persist in such arguments and abide by their insatiable intentions, they will find that such conduct will not go unpunished, especially since it is in this way precisely that we offer our service and ministry to the most high God. Whatever, therefore, a fatal necessity has compelled them to accept, it is now perilous to retain. Add to this that insatiable desires must be curtailed, partly by reason, and partly by examples.

CHAPTER XXXIX

That the treasury restore lands, houses, and gardens to the Churches.

For it shall not be granted even to the treasury, if it possesses any of the things I have mentioned above, to retain them firmly. But, not daring to speak aught against the most sacred Churches, [the treasury] shall justly restore to the Churches those things which it has held unjustly for a time. Therefore, everything which would rightly seem to pertain to the Churches, whether it be a house and property, or fields, or gardens, or whatever ^C

it may be, without any infringement of the right of ownership, but with all things remaining whole and intact, we command to be restored. ^A

CHAPTER XL.

That the shrines of martyrs and cemeteries be returned to the Churches.

CHAPTER XLI.

That those who bought ecclesiastical property, or received it as a gift, must return it.

CHAPTER XLII.

An earnest exhortation to worship God.

partly by those exhortations and aids which He frequently desires to be provided by me, that the sadness and bitterness which previously occupied human affairs have now been dispelled from the entire world, you all, both individually and collectively, perceive by diligent meditation ^A how great is that power and that grace which has utterly destroyed and removed the very stock of most wicked and base men; yet, by restoring the hilarity and joy of the good, it diffuses them far and wide through all regions; and which permits to all the free opportunity, both that they might again venerate the divine law with due worship, and that they might follow with fitting honor those who have consecrated themselves to the ministry of this law. These, indeed, as if emerging from a certain deep darkness, and imbibing a bright knowledge of affairs, will hereafter exhibit towards this law the due observance, and a pious and consistent reverence. Let this be posted in our Eastern parts. ^B

CHAPTER XLIII.

And this indeed formed the first letter of the emperor sent to us. But those things which had been sanctioned by law immediately went into execution, as did those things which were declared by the law, and ^C the copy of the decree of the God-beloved emperor, which he sent after he had overthrown the tyrants, ordering and dispatching it to the nations under him in the Greek tongue, regarding these matters. ^D

Everything was done in opposition to what had been dared a short time before by the cruelty of the tyrants, and those to whom these things had been decreed enjoyed the imperial benefactions.

CHAPTER XLIV. How he promoted Christians to govern provinces, and forbade pagans to sacrifice.

After this, the emperor set his hand to the work in earnest. And first of all, he sent into the individual provinces governors, most of whom were devoted to the saving faith; and as for those who were thought to be given to Greek superstition, it was forbidden to them to sacrifice. The same law was imposed also upon those who exceeded the governors in dignity, as well as upon those who held the highest stations and the power of the praetorian prefecture. For it allowed those who were Christians to act in a manner befitting their name, or if they were otherwise inclined, it strictly forbade them to practice idolatry.

CHAPTER XLV. Concerning the laws which prohibited sacrifices, and commanded churches to be built.

Subsequently, two laws were issued at the same time: one, which prohibited the abominable sacrifices of the idolatry that had been performed of old throughout the cities and countrysides, so that no one should henceforth dare to erect statues of idols, nor to attempt divinations and other such vain curiosities, nor indeed to sacrifice at all; the other, which commanded that the buildings of the houses of prayer be raised, and that the churches of God be increased in both breadth and length; just as if, once the insane observance of many gods had been removed, almost the entire human race were henceforth to be brought to God. The religious observance of the divine Power in the emperor prompted him to think and to write such things to the governors of each place; and the law contained a provision that they should not spare the expenditure of money, but that expenses for the construction of the sacred buildings should be furnished from the imperial treasuries. Furthermore, such letters were written to the prelates of the churches in every place, and he deigned to write to me as well, having sent this first letter to my person.

CHAPTER XLVI. The letter of Constantine to Eusebius and the other bishops concerning the building of churches by the aid of the governors, and that the old ones should be repaired and larger ones built.

"Victor Constantinus Maximus Augustus, to Eusebius. Until the present time, the impious presumption and tyr[anny]

anny, which has persecuted the ministers of our Saviour, has lead me to believe, and I have fully persuaded myself, that the buildings of all the churches have either been neglected or, through fear of the impending injustice, have not been maintained as befits their dignity, most beloved brother. But now that liberty has been restored, and that dragon has been driven from the administration of public affairs by the providence of the greatest God, and by our own ministry, I consider that the divine power has become manifest to all, and that those who, by fear or by unbelief, had fallen into certain sins, will, upon recognizing Him who truly is, return to the true and upright manner of life. Therefore, concerning all the churches over which you preside, or any others which you know to have bishops, presbyters, or deacons presiding over them in the region, admonish all that they strive to attend to the works of the churches, either by repairing those that are still standing, or by extending them, or, where necessity requires, by building new ones. You yourself, and through you, the others, shall also request the necessary funds from the governors (proconsuls) and the provincial administration. For it has been commanded to them that they serve with all diligence those things which are spoken by your Holiness. May God preserve you, most beloved brother." ^B Such letters were sent throughout every province to those presiding over the Churches, and the governors of the provinces were commanded to act in accordance with these instructions, and with great speed the things that had been ordained proceeded into effect.

CHAPTER XLVII.

That he wrote against the worship of idols.

He sent an address to the provincials of every nation, ^A exhorting his subjects with admirable eloquence to acknowledge the supreme God over all, and to openly invoke his Son, Christ, as their Savior. I have judged it necessary for the present work to take this document, which was written by his own hand, from the Latin tongue and translate it into Greek, and to insert it into this present account, so that we may, in a manner, seem to hear the Emperor himself proclaiming these words to the ears of all mankind.

Chapter XLVIII. Constantine’s edict to the provincials concerning the false worship of many gods. An introduction regarding virtue and vice.

^B “Victor Constantine Maximus Augustus to the provincials of the East.

“Everything that is contained within the firmest laws of nature provides a sufficient knowledge to all men concerning the providence and wisdom in the ordering of all things that follow from divine arrangement. Nor does there exist any doubt among those whose minds are carried along the straight path of knowledge toward that goal, but that a sound mind and an accurate perception of sight itself, as natural inclination tends toward true virtue, leads to the knowledge of God. Therefore, no man of prudence will ever be troubled when he sees the multitude of men following contrary ways of life. For the grace of virtue would remain utterly useless and hidden, unless wickedness ^C had arrayed against it a perverse and desperate manner of living. For this reason, a crown is proposed for virtue, but the most high God stands as the judge by whom wickedness is to be condemned and punished. As for myself, I shall attempt to speak to all of you as clearly as possible concerning the hope and expectation that I hold regarding future things.”

Chapter XLIX. Regarding the pious and God-loving father of Constantine, and regarding Diocletian and Maximian, the persecutors.

“For my part, I have always regarded the emperors who preceded me as strangers and aliens, due to the savage and inhuman nature of their characters. My father alone cultivated gentleness and mildness, calling upon God the Father in all his actions with admirable piety. But the others, being not of sound mind, and ^D choosing savagery ra"

rather than gentleness, nourished it abundantly, subverting the true doctrine through their own times; and the fervor of their wickedness was inflamed to such a degree that, while all divine and human affairs were settled in supreme peace, they themselves stirred up civil wars. ^A

CHAPTER L.

For it was reported that Apollo at that time had uttered his oracle from a certain cavern and dark lair, not from the mouth of a man, saying that the just on earth were an obstacle to his telling the truth, and that for this reason he was rendering false oracles from his tripod. For this cause, it was said, he let his hair grow unkempt and, having been expelled from his art of divination, could only lament the evil among men. But let us see to what end these things issued. ^B

CHAPTER LI.

"I call upon you now, O most high God. You know how I, at that time still a mere youth, heard how he who then held the preeminent place among the Roman emperors—a miserable, truly miserable [man], deceived by a false error of mind—inquisitively asked those who guarded him who the just people living on the earth might be; and one of the sacrificers who was about him answered that they were, of course, the Christians. He, having swallowed this response as if it were some honey, drew the swords that were readied for the punishment of crimes against a holiness that was free from all reproach. ^C Accordingly, he immediately wrote bloodthirsty edicts with cruel swords, so to speak, and instructed the judges to apply the natural ingenuity inherent in them to the devising of harsher tortures."

CHAPTER LII.

*It was then—it was, I say—possible to see with what liberty the venerable worshippers of God, because of their constant cruelty, endured most grievous insults daily, ^D while this [persecutor] was present. For he had been delivered by his father Constantius to Diocletian in the year of Christ 291, when Constantius had been made Caesar by Diocletian. At that very time, Constantine was passing his fifteenth year of age. For he died in the year of Christ 357, in his sixty-second year of age.

^A For the modesty which not even enemies had ever harmed was made a side-product of the insolence of angry citizens. What fire, what tortures, what kind of rack was not applied without distinction to every body and every age? At that time the earth itself wept without a doubt, and the sky which encompasses all things groaned, stained with gore. Even the light of day itself was obscured by the grief and horror of so great a prodigy.

CHAPTER LIII.

How the Barbarians received the Christians.

^B But why recall these things? The Barbarians now glory in them—those who in that time received the refugees from our regions and treated the captives humanely; for they allowed them not only their safety, but even to keep the practice of their religion intact among them. And so the Roman race now bears this perpetual mark of infamy, which the Christians, exiled from the Roman world at that time and fleeing to the Barbarians, inflicted upon them.

CHAPTER LIV.

How those who had stirred up persecution by an oracle were punished by divine vengeance.

^C But what need is there for me to commemorate those lamentations and the common mourning of the whole world with more words? Those authors of such a great crime have since perished by a shameful end, thrust down into the abyss of Acheron for perpetual tortures. For, having clashed among themselves in civil wars, they have left behind no memory of their name or kin. And this would certainly never have happened to them, had not that impious prophecy of the Pythian oracles possessed a false and adulterated power.

CHAPTER LV.

Constantine ascribes glory to God, confesses the sign of the cross, and prays for the Churches and peoples.

Now I beseech you, O greatest God, be mild and propitious towards your people in the East; be so towards all those provincials who have been ^D worn down by long-standing calamities, and be willing to bring them salvation through me, your servant. And I do not ask this of you, O Lord of all and holy God, without reason. For under your guidance and auspices I have undertaken and achieved salutary deeds. Everywhere displaying your sign, I led a victorious army. And whenever public necessity demands, following the insignia of your virtue, I advance against the enemy. For these reasons I have dedicated my soul to you, properly tempered by both love and fear; for I sincerely love your name, but I religiously dread the power which you have declared by many documents, and by which you have confirmed my faith. I hasten, therefore, placing my own shoulders to the task, to renew your most holy house, which those nefarious men...

and most ungodly, by the crime of their demolition, have laid waste. ^A

CHAPTER LVI.

How he desired that all should indeed be Christians, but compelled no one.

« I desire that your people should live in peace and free from sedition, for the common benefit of the whole world and of all mankind. Let those who are led astray receive, with the same joy as the believers, the enjoyment of peace and quiet. For this restoration of communion and mutual society avails much for leading men into the right way. Let no one molest another; let each do what his soul desires. That, however, ought to be held fixed and confirmed among those who think rightly, that only those are holy and pure who have been called by yourself to this, that they may acquiesce in your most holy laws. But let those who withdraw themselves have their own shrines of lies, since they so wish. We retain the most splendid house of your ^B truth, which you gave to us at our birth. We desire this same thing for them also, that indeed through common consensus and concord they might receive the greatest pleasure. »

CHAPTER LVII.

He attributes glory to God who has illuminated those who are wandering through His Son.

« For neither is our religion new or recent; but from the time when we believe the fabric of this world to have been established in an orderly manner, you instituted this religion with the due observance of your divinity. Furthermore, the human race, seduced by various errors, has stumbled. ^C But you, lest this evil should increase further, by raising up the most splendid torch of your Son, have admonished all people concerning the worship of your divinity. »

CHAPTER LVIII.

He again attributes glory to God from the ministry of the whole world.

« Your works are the proof of this. Your power makes us innocent and faithful. The sun and moon are carried along by fixed and definite courses; nor do the stars revolve without order around the axis of the whole world. The changes of the times recur by a certain law. By your word the firm solidity of the earth stands, and the winds move at a prescribed time, and the impetus of the waters flows in an unceasing ^D current. The sea is contained by fixed boundaries. And whatever is spread across the lands and through the ocean, this has been fashioned for the greatest and most wonderful uses. Which, indeed, if it were not carried on by the judgment of your will, would—far from having been established—have been utterly dissolved. »

For if such great diversity and the manifold distinction of power ^A had been allowed to harm all life and human affairs, those who have fought against each other would surely have fought more fiercely against the human race; which, indeed, they do, even if they are not seen by the eyes. »

CHAPTER LIX.

CHAPTER LX.

CHAPTER LXI.

How questions were stirred up from the city of Alexandria on account of Arius.

^A The emperor, as a most powerful herald of God, proclaimed this to all the provincials by his own letter, seeking to recall his subjects from the error of the demons and exhorting them to embrace the true worship of God. While he was rejoicing over these things, a report reached him of a great tumult that had seized the Churches. Struck by this, he began to devise a remedy. The origin of the tumult was this: The people of God were flourishing and applying themselves to noble deeds with a certain alacrity and joy. There was no overwhelming fear to cause disturbance, for by the grace of God, the greatest of benefactors, a pleasant and most profound peace was guarding the Church on all sides. But envy, ^B lurking and plotting against our blessings, first crept inside, and later danced in the midst of the assembly of the saints. Finally, it pitted the bishops against one another, stirring up among them a tumult and altercation under the pretext of divine dogmas. Then, just as from a small spark a great fire blazed up, which, having begun in a manner of speaking from the head, the Church of Alexandria, spread thereafter through all of Egypt and Libya, and the further Thebaid; and it had already begun to infect the remaining provinces and cities as well, so that one could see not only the leaders of the Churches clashing with one another in words, but also the multitudes themselves divided, some siding with these, others with those. Moreover, the spectacle of what was happening proceeded to such a degree of indignity that, in the very midst of the theaters of the infidels, the venerable doctrine of divine preaching was exposed to the foulest derision. ^C

CHAPTER LXII.

On Arius and the Meletians.

These men, in the city of Alexandria itself, were stubbornly contending about the most sublime matters. Others, meanwhile, throughout all of Egypt and the upper Thebaid, were at variance on account of a certain controversy that had been stirred up earlier, so that the Churches were torn apart everywhere. And since the body of the Church was suffering from this sort of disease, all of Libya fell ill along with it, and the remaining parts of the outer provinces were gripped by the same sickness. For those who were at Alexandria sent legates to the bishops of the individual provinces; and the latter, divided into one party or the other, were also drawn into the sedition.

CHAPTER LXIII.

Quomodo legatum cum litteris misit ad pacem componendam.

Upon hearing these things, the emperor was struck with the deepest grief, and viewing the matter as ^D a domestic calamity

he immediately sent for a man ^A from among the worshippers of God, whom he well knew to be a man proved by the virtue of a sober faith, and one who had been distinguished in time past by his confessions on behalf of piety. Him, he dispatched to Alexandria to compose the peace among those who were at variance there; and by him he sent a most necessary letter to those who were the authors of the contention, which indeed also contains in itself a proof of his concern for the people of God, and which it is fitting to include in the narrative being told of him, and it is as follows.

CHAPTER LXIV.

CHAPTER LXV.

CHAPTER LXVI.

^A that I might send some of you as assistants for the concord of those discordant among you.

CHAPTER LXVII.

That religion began from the parts of the East.

For since the power of the true light, and the law of the most holy religion, by the benefit of the Better One, had been issued as if from certain bosoms of the East, and had illuminated the whole world at once with its sacred rays; not without cause, confident that you would be the authors and leaders of the salvation of all nations, I labored to seek you out both with the affection of my mind and the focus of my eyes. Immediately, therefore, after that great victory and the most certain triumph over the enemies, I had decided before all things to scrutinize that again, which I judged to be of primary and greatest importance.

CHAPTER LXVIII.

How, being troubled because of the sedition, he counsels concerning peace.

But, O most excellent and divine Providence! what and what kind of message has most bitingly wounded my ears, or rather my heart itself, when it was signaled to me that much more serious dissensions have arisen among you than are those that have remained in Africa: so much so that your regions, from which I hoped that healing could be supplied to others, now stand in need of greater cure. And indeed, as I pondered the start and the origin of these things more accurately, the cause appeared to be very slight and by no means worthy of such contention of minds. Therefore, being pressed on by the necessity of writing this letter, and writing to your like-minded sagacity, ^B I was hurried—while I was considering what came first, ^C what indeed was this [cause] before the heart—that I might seek out the common enemy of the world and remove him.

having called upon divine Providence to assist in the matter, I quite rightly introduce myself as an arbiter of your dissension, one who is, as it were, a moderator of peace. For if I could, with God’s help, by insinuating an argument into the pious minds of my hearers, without difficulty bring individuals to more salutary counsels, even if a graver cause of discord existed, why should I not promise myself a far easier and more ready correction of this matter, now that the cause which stands in the way of the harmony of the whole body is quite light and trivial? ^A

CHAPTER LXIX. Whence the controversy between Alexander and Arius arose, and that such matters ought not to have been investigated.

I discover, then, that the initiation of the present controversy arose from this: for when you, Alexander, were asking of your presbyters what each of them might think concerning a certain place of the Law, or rather were questioning them about a certain part of a vain inquiry; and when you, Arius, had imprudently brought forward that which you ought never to have thought of, or, having thought of it, ought to have passed over in silence, a discord was excited between you, communion was indeed denied, and the most holy people, split into two parts, departed from the harmony of the whole body. Wherefore, let each of you, by granting reciprocal pardon to the other, embrace that which your fellow-servant justly advises you. And what is this? It was not proper from the beginning to ask about such matters, nor to answer when asked. For such questions, which the necessity of no law prescribes, but which the contention of useless leisure proposes, even if they are instituted for the sake of exercising one’s talent, we ought nevertheless to keep confined within the penetralia of our mind, and not to bring them easily into public assemblies, nor to entrust them inconsiderately to the ears of the common people. For how many are there who are capable of accurately understanding the force and nature of such great and highly difficult matters, or of explaining them as their dignity requires? But if one should be thought to be able to attain this easily, to how large a part of the multitude will he be able to persuade it? Or who, in such a subtle and accurate disputation of questions, without ^{B C D}

^A falling into the most dangerous slip, could stand firm? Wherefore, one must refrain from wordiness in such matters, so that we may not, either through the weakness of our own nature being unable to interpret what has been proposed, or through the slower understanding of the hearers being unable to reach an accurate grasp of what has been said, cause the people—from either of these—to fall into the necessity of blasphemy or schism.

CHAPTER LXX. Exhortation to concord.

Therefore, let both an unguarded question and an inconsiderate answer grant mutual pardon to one another. For it is not about the chief and greatest commandment of our law that a contention has arisen among you: nor has any new dogma in regard to the worship of God been introduced by you. But you hold one and the same opinion, so that you might easily be able to come together into the fellowship of communion.

CHAPTER LXXI. That one ought not to persist obstinately in strife over certain light words.

^B For while you persist in contending among yourselves over small and very trifling matters, it is not fitting that so large a multitude of God's people should be governed by your counsel, especially during so great a dissension of minds: and not only is this considered indecorous, but it is esteemed as an absolute impiety. And that I may remind your prudence with a smaller example, you know that even philosophers themselves are all bound together by the profession of one sect; yet for all that, they sometimes disagree in some parts of their assertions. ^C But although they may dissent in the perfection of the science itself, nevertheless, because of the communion of the sect, they conspire again into one. If this be so, how much more justly should you, who have been appointed ministers of the great God, remain unanimous in the profession of the same religion? But let us weigh more accurately and attentively, if you please, that which I have spoken: is it equitable that, on account of contentions between you over light and empty words, brothers should stand against brothers as if in battle array; and that the venerable assembly, through you who, concerning ^D matters...

^A of no importance and by no means necessary, are embroiled in impious dissension. These things are plebeian and better suited to childish ignorance than to the wisdom of priests and prudent men. Let us willingly depart from the temptations of the devil. Our great God, the common Savior of all, has extended the light common to all; by whose providence and grace—I pray you—allow me, His servant and worshiper, to bring this work to its completion, so that His very own people may be brought back to the unity of the assembly through my appeal, my service, and the urgency of my exhortations. For since, as I have said, there is among you one faith and one understanding of our religion, and the commandment of the law ^B binds all in one harmony of hearts through its own inherent parts, this cause which has stirred up light contention among you—since it does not pertain to the sum of the whole religion—is no cause for any discord or sedition among you. And I do not say these things that I might force you, in every way, to agree on that empty and whatever-it-is question. For the dignity of the assembly can be preserved among you intact, and one and the same communion can be maintained among all, even if there should arise between you in some detail a disagreement regarding some matter of the least importance; since we neither all wish for the same things in all matters, nor is there one nature or opinion governing among you. Concerning divine Providence, therefore, let there be one faith among you, one understanding, one covenant concerning the Most High; but as for those things which you dispute among yourselves with great precision over these least questions—even if you do not agree in one opinion—it becomes you to keep them within your own judgment, ^C held in the secret of your minds. Let the prerogative of our common friendship, however, and the faith of truth, and the reverence for God and the law, remain unshaken among you. Return to mutual affection and charity; restore to the entire people their own embraces; and, having yourselves purified your own souls, acknowledge one another again. For friendship often becomes more pleasant after the casting off of enmity, when it returns to reconciliation. ^D

CHAPTER LXXII.

CHAPTER LXXIII.

The end of the second book.

THE CHAPTERS OF THE THIRD BOOK

ε. Concerning the discord over Easter. ς. How he commanded a council to be held in Nicaea. ζ. Concerning the ecumenical council, to which bishops came from all nations. η. That, as in the Acts of the Apostles, they gathered from various nations. θ. Concerning the virtue and age of the two hundred and fifty bishops. ι. A council in the palace, wherein Constantine entered and sat with them. ια. The silence of the council after Bishop Eusebius had spoken. ιβ. How he brought the dissenting bishops into harmony. ιγ. Concerning the faith and Easter, the council's harmonious definition. ^A λς. Description of the temple of the church, of its walls, and vaulted roofing, and of its beauty and gilding. ιε. How Constantine dined with the bishops, it being the twentieth anniversary of his reign. ιστ. Gifts to the bishops, and letters to all. ιζ. Constantine to the Churches concerning the council in Nicaea. ιη. Of the same, concerning the harmony of the Easter feast, and against the Jews. ιθ. Exhortation to follow the majority of the world. κ. Exhortation to be persuaded by the things written by the council. κα. Counsel to the bishops as they returned, concerning harmony. κβ. How he sent some away and wrote to others, and the distribution of funds. κγ. How he wrote to the Egyptians concerning peace and exhorted them. κδ. How he wrote piously to the bishops and the people many times. κε. How at Jerusalem he commanded that a place of prayer be built at the holy site of our Savior's resurrection. κς. That the ungodly had hidden the divine memorial with mounds and idols. κζ. How Constantine commanded the materials of the idol-shrine and the mounds to be cast far away. κη. Discovery of the holy of holies of the memorial. κθ. How he wrote concerning the building, both to the governors and to Makarios the bishop. λ. Concerning the building of our Savior’s martyrium. λα. Concerning the building of a church better than all those in the world, with walls and pillars and marbles. λβ. That he indicated workers and materials to the governors. λγ. How the prophesied new Jerusalem, the Church of the Savior, was built. λδ. Description of the building of the most holy memorial. λε. Description of the atrium and the porticoes. ^B λϛ. Description of the double porticoes on either side, and the three eastern gates. λζ. Description of the semi-sphere, and the twelve pillars, and the bowls. λη. Description of the middle court and the exedrae and the propylaea. λθ. Concerning the multitude of offerings. μ. Concerning the building of churches in Bethlehem and on the Mount of Olives. μα. That Helena the queen, the mother of Constantine, having arrived to pray, built these. μβ. Again concerning the church in Bethlehem. μγ. Concerning the magnanimity and benevolence of Helena. μδ. How Helena piously attended the churches. με. How she, being eighty years old, made her will and passed away. μς. How Constantine laid his mother to rest, and honored her even while she was alive before that. μζ. How in the city of Constantine he built martyria, and removed all idolatry. μη. The sign of the cross in the palace, and Daniel in the lions' den. μθ. That he built churches in Nicomedia and in other cities as well. ν. That he commanded churches to be built in the Black [provinces]. να. Constantine to Eusebius concerning the Black [provinces]. νβ. That the Savior appeared there to Abraham. νγ. The destruction of idol-shrines and statues everywhere. ^C νδ. Concerning the church built in Antioch. νε. The removal of the idol-shrine at Aphaca in Phoenicia and of the licentiousness. νς. The destruction of Asclepius at Aegae. νζ. How the Greeks, condemning the idols, returned to the knowledge of God. νη. How at Heliopolis he tore down Aphrodite and was the first to build [a church]. νθ. Concerning the disturbance in Antioch over Eustathius. ξ. Constantine to the Antiochenes, not to pull away Eusebius of Caesarea, but to seek another. ξα. Constantine to Eusebius, praising his refusal of Antioch. ξβ. Constantine to the council, that Eusebius should not be torn away from Caesarea. ξγ. How he hastened to cut off the heresies. ξδ. Constantine’s edict to the heretics. κε. Concerning the removal of the meeting-places of the heretics. κς. How, illicit books having been found among them, many of the heretics returned to the Catholic Church. ^D

XII. Constantine’s speech to the synod concerning peace. XIII. How he recalled bishops who were contending among themselves to concord. XIV. The concerted opinion of the Synod concerning the Faith and the Pasch. XV. How Constantine entertained the bishops at his twentieth-anniversary banquet. XVI. Gifts bestowed upon the bishops, and letters written to all. XVII. Constantine’s epistle to the Churches concerning the Nicene Synod. XVIII. Concerning consensus in the celebration of the paschal feast, and against the Jews. XIX. An exhortation that the greatest part of the world might wish to follow it. XX. An exhortation that all should assent to the decrees of the synod. XXI. He gives counsel to the bishops as they are about to depart, that they should preserve concord. XXII. How he exhorted some, and wrote to others; and concerning the distribution of funds. XXIII. How he wrote to the Egyptians, and exhorted them to peace. XXIV. How he wrote religious letters to the bishops and the laity quite often. XXV. How he commanded that a temple be built at Jerusalem in the holy place of the Lord’s resurrection. XXVI. How the impious had covered the tomb of the Lord with rubble and placed idols over it. XXVII. How Constantine commanded that the material of the shrine and the rubble be thrown far away. XXVIII. The revealing of the most holy tomb. XXIX. How he gave letters to the governors and to bishop Macarius concerning the building of the church. XXX. Constantine’s epistle to Macarius concerning the building of the Martyrium of our Savior. XXXI. That he wished this building to surpass other churches in the beauty of its walls, columns, and marbles. XXXII. That Macarius should write to the governors concerning the beauty of the apse and concerning the craftsmen and the material. XXXIII. How the Church of the Savior was built, which the prophets had called the new Jerusalem. XXXIV. A description of the building of the holy sepulcher. XXXV. A description of the atrium and the porticoes. XXXVI. A description of the walls and the roof, and the ornament and gilding of the basilica itself. XXXVII. A description of the double porticoes on either side, and the three eastern gates. XXXVIII. A description of the hemisphere, and the twelve columns with their craters. ^B XXXIX. A description of the atrium, the exedrae, and the vestibules. ^C XL. Concerning the number of the gifts. XLI. Concerning the rebuilding of the church at Bethlehem, and on the Mount of Olives. 481 XLII. How Helena Augusta, Constantine’s mother, having set out for Bethlehem for the sake of prayer, built these churches. XLIII. Again concerning the Bethlehemitic church. XLIV. Concerning the greatness of spirit and the beneficence of Helena. XLV. How Helena conducted herself religiously in the churches. XLVI. How, as an octogenarian, she departed from life after making her will. XLVII. How Constantine buried his mother, and in what manner he honored her while she lived. XLVIII. How he built martyria at Constantinople, and abolished all worship of idols. XLIX. The sign of the cross in the palace, and the image of Daniel in the fountains. L. Concerning the churches which he built at Nicomedia and elsewhere. LI. That he built a church at Mamre. LII. Constantine’s epistle to Eusebius concerning Mamre. LIII. That our Savior was seen there by Abraham. LIV. Shrines and idols everywhere torn down. LV. Concerning the basilica built at Antioch. LVI. The overturning of the shrine at Aphaca in Phoenicia, and the abolition of its lewdness. LVII. The destruction of the temple of Asclepius at Aegae. LVIII. How the Gentiles, condemning their idols, acknowledged God. LIX. How, after the shrine of Venus was destroyed at Heliopolis, he was the first to build a church there. LX. Concerning the tumult at Antioch on account of Eustathius’s exile. LXI. Constantine’s epistle to the Antiochenes, that they should not draw Eusebius away from Caesarea, but seek another. LXII. The Emperor’s epistle to us after the bishopric of Antioch was rejected. LXIII. Constantine’s epistle to the synod, that Eusebius should not be drawn away from Caesarea. LXIV. How he studied to excise heresies. LXV. Constantine’s constitution against the heretics. LXVI. Concerning the removal of the conventicles of heretics. LXVII. How, after profane books were found among the heretics, most of them returned to the Catholic Church.

OF EUSEBIUS PAMPHILUS

ON THE LIFE OF THE BLESSED EMPEROR CONSTANTINE

BOOK THREE

482 CHAPTER I. A comparison of the piety of Constantine with the iniquity of the persecutors.

In this way the demon, the enemy of all that is good, who is always accustomed to envy the happiness of the Church, wrought winter-storms against her and…

^A at a time of peace, tumults and civil wars. Meanwhile, the emperor, beloved of God, did not neglect what pertained to his own duty; rather, he was eager to act in ways diametrically opposed to those things which tyrannical cruelty had dared to perpetrate but a little while before. By this means he proved superior to all his enemies and foes. For, in the first place, whereas they, being alienated from the worship of the true God, compelled all mortals in many different ways by force to worship false deities, he, by his words and his deeds, proved that those gods were nothing at all, and exhorted everyone to the acknowledgement of Him who alone is God. Furthermore, whereas they derided Christ, the Son of God, with impious voices, he held the very thing that wicked men chiefly assailed with curses to be his own support of salvation, and exalted himself by the trophy of the Lord’s passion. ^B While they persecuted the worshipers of Christ and drove them from their homes and hearths, he recalled all from exile and restored them to their own dwellings. They branded them with infamy; he, however, enriched them with honors and made them happy and blessed in the estimation of all. They unjustly confiscated and plundered the goods of those who worshiped God; he not only restored their property to them, but also enriched them with many additional benefits. They published calumnies against the leaders of the churches in written decrees; he, on the contrary, extolling these same men and honoring them, made them more illustrious than before through the public edicts and laws he proposed. And while they utterly destroyed the houses of prayer, razing them from the very summits down to the ground, he commanded that those which remained should be raised higher and that new ones should be built ^C on a magnificent scale, with expenses drawn from the imperial treasury.

Book Three

^A, while he never ceased to honor the memories of the holy martyrs of God. Those others used to drive religious men from the imperial palaces, while he, on the contrary, constantly placed his trust in these very men, knowing them to be more loyal and faithful to him than any others. Those others were slaves to the Tantalic passion of an insatiable greed for wealth, while he, opening up all his treasuries with imperial magnificence, made distributions with rich and generous bounty. Finally, those others carried out countless murders in order to plunder and confiscate the property of the dead; but for as long as Constantine was in power, the sword remained idle and bloodless in the hands of all judges, and the peoples and curiales of each nation were ruled by a sort of paternal authority ^B rather than by force and necessity. Anyone who carefully considers these things would rightly say that a new and fresh age seemed at last to have appeared, as if some strange light suddenly shone upon the human race out of the darkness; and he would confess that this was entirely the work of God, who had brought forward this God-beloved emperor as a counterpoise to the multitude of the impious.

CHAPTER II

Again regarding the piety of Constantine, who openly professed the sign of the cross.

For since those men had turned out to be such as no one had ever seen before, and had dared to perform acts against the Church ^C the likes of which had not been heard of within the memory of man, God himself naturally brought forth an extraordinary miracle, namely Constantine, and through him accomplished things that had never been heard of nor seen. For what miracle could be more new and extraordinary than the virtue of our emperor, whom the wisdom of God bestowed upon the human race? Indeed, he constantly proclaimed Christ the Son of God to all with every confidence and freedom, nor was he ashamed to be known by that saving name. But, far from being puffed up by this, he made himself known to all, now by signing his face with the saving sign, ^D and now by exulting in the trophy of victory.

CHAPTER III. Concerning the image of Constantine, upon which the cross was placed above, and the dragon below.

Furthermore, in a lofty tablet placed before the vestibule of the palace, he set it forth for all to see: he gave to the painting the saving sign positioned above his own head, while the enemy and foe of the human race—he who had besieged the Church of God through the tyranny of the godless—he caused to be depicted in the form of a dragon, being borne down into the depths. For the divine oracles in the books of the prophets proclaim him a dragon and a crooked serpent. Therefore, the emperor had the dragon depicted for all to see, by means of wax-painting, pierced through the middle of the belly with a dart and cast into the depths of the sea, beneath his own feet and the feet of his children; thereby intimating in such a way that the hidden enemy of the human race © had been thrust down into the abyss of destruction by the power of that saving trophy which was placed above his head. And this, indeed, the image depicted in various colors silently indicated. But I am struck with wonder at the noble-mindedness of the emperor, who, moved by divine inspiration, portrayed these things, which the voices of the prophets had long before foretold concerning this beast, saying that God would bring his great and terrible sword upon the dragon, the fleeing serpent, and would slay the dragon that is in the sea. The emperor portrayed the figure of these things, truly setting likenesses into the painting.

CHAPTER IV. Again concerning the controversies in Egypt stirred up by Arius.

These things, then, he performed with a ready mind. But the envy of malice, which was still disturbing the Churches of God in the city of Alexandria, and the pestilent schism of the Thebans and Egyptians, troubled his soul no little; for bishops were clashing with bishops in every city, and peoples were rising up against peoples, and they were colliding and tearing one another with mutual wounds like the Symplegades, to such an extent that, driven at length by fury and desperation, they dared to commit impious acts and even to insult the images of the emperor. Yet these things were less able to rouse the prince to anger than to fill his soul with sadness, for he greatly deplored the madness of lost men.

CHAPTER V. Concerning the dissension over the Pascha.

Furthermore, there existed another malady, older than these and far more grievous, which had long afflicted the Churches: a dissension regarding the saving feast. For some asserted that one ought to follow the custom of the Jews, while others maintained that one ought to observe the precise time [of the festival], and not

follow those who are strangers to the evangelical grace. In this regard, therefore—since for a long time the peoples everywhere had differed, and the divine laws were being thrown into confusion, so that at one and the same festival the variation of the season caused the greatest discord among those celebrating the feast, with some exerting themselves in fasts and hardships, while others devoted their rest to ease and joy—there was no man who could find a remedy for this evil, since the controversy hung in the balance, ^A as it were, between the dissenting parties. To the omnipotent God alone was it easy to heal these evils, and among those upon the earth, Constantine alone appeared as His suitable minister for accomplishing such good. Having heard of the matters I have just mentioned, and knowing that the letter he had sent to those in Alexandria had accomplished nothing, he stirred up his own mental ingenuity and declared that he must wage a new war against this invisible enemy who was disturbing the state of the Church.

Chapter VI. How he ordered a synod to be held at Nicaea.

Soon, as if marshalling a divine phalanx against him, he convened a general synod, inviting bishops from everywhere with honorific letters to gather quickly. The command was not simple or bare; the emperor's kindness contributed much to the work, providing for some the means of the public post, and to others supplying the use of beasts of burden in abundance. Furthermore, a city most suitable for this synod was assigned, Bithynia's Nicaea, which takes its name from victory. When the emperor's command was conveyed to all the provinces, all immediately rushed forth with the greatest alacrity, as if released from a starting-gate. ^B The hope of good things lured them, as well as the occasion of present peace, and, finally, the sight of a new miracle—the spectacle of such a great emperor. After they had all assembled, it was manifest that what was being done was the work of God. For those who were separated from one another not only by their spirits, but also by their bodies and by lands, places, and provinces, were seen gathered together in one; and one city received them all, like some great crown of priests, interwoven from the most beautiful flowers.

Chapter VII. Of the universal council, to which bishops came from all nations.

^C For from all the Churches that filled the whole of Europe, Libya, and ^D Asia, those...

^A who held the preeminent place among the ministers of God came together; and the house of prayer, as if expanded by the command of God, contained within itself at the same time Syrians and Cilicians, Phoenicians and Arabians, and Palestinians, and in addition to these, Egyptians, Thebans, and Libyans, as well as those coming from the middle of the rivers. A Persian bishop was also present at the synod, and a Scythian was not wanting from the dance. Pontus and Galatia and Pamphylia, Cappadocia and Asia and Phrygia, offered the most elect from among them. But also Thracians and Macedonians, Achaeans and Epirotes, and those who dwelt even further than these, were present. And from Spain itself, that man celebrated in everyone’s speech sat down together with the rest. The bishop of the imperial city was absent due to ^B his advanced age; but there were priests present who fulfilled his place. Such a crown, joined and connected by the bond of peace, Emperor Constantine alone of all time dedicated to his Savior Christ as if a divine monument of a grateful heart for the victories he had won over enemies and foes, having established this in our times as an image of the apostolic choir.

Chapter VIII. That, as in the Acts of the Apostles, they gathered from various nations.

For it is said that in those apostolic times, devout men from every nation under heaven were gathered in one; among whom were Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya ^C around Cyrene, and visiting Romans, Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs. But as much as they fell short of that former gathering, it was because not all who had come together were ministers of God. But in the present choir, there was a multitude of bishops, exceeding the number of two hundred and fifty; and for the presbyters who follow, one, only one, three hundred.

^A And the number of presbyters and deacons who accompanied them, along with acolytes and many others, was almost beyond calculation.

CHAPTER IX.

Of the virtue and age of the two hundred and fifty bishops.

Furthermore, among these ministers of God, some were distinguished by the eloquence of their wisdom, others by the gravity of their lives and their patience in labor, while others were adorned by their modesty and gentleness of manners. And some among them were held in greatest honor because of their advanced age; others sparkled with the vigorous energy of youth in both body and soul. Some had only just recently entered upon the course of their ministry. The emperor had commanded that daily rations should be supplied in abundance to all of these.

CHAPTER X.

The synod held in the palace, into which Constantine entered and sat with the bishops.

But when the day appointed for the council had arrived, on which it was necessary to bring the controversies to a resolution, each one who was of the synod ^B was present in that very center of the imperial palace, which seemed to excel all others in greatness. Many rows of seats had been arranged in order on both sides of the hall, and those who had been invited entered and took their respective places. After the entire synod had sat down with becoming modesty, all were silent for a time, awaiting the entry of the emperor. Soon one of those closest to the emperor entered, then a second, and a third.

Others ^A followed, not indeed of the usual rank of soldiers and guards, but only his faithful friends. When all had risen at the sign which announced the emperor’s entrance, he himself finally stepped into the midst, like some heavenly angel of God, his raiment flashing with the brilliance of light, glowing with the fiery rays of purple, and adorned with the bright gleam of gold and precious stones. This was his appearance as regarded his body; but as for his soul, he was clearly adorned with the fear of God and reverence. His lowered eyes, the blush on his face, his gait, and his whole carriage revealed this, as did his stature, which surpassed all in his entourage; ^B by the beauty of his appearance and the magnificence of his physical bearing, as well as by an invincible strength of power, he stood above the rest, all of which qualities, being tempered by an admirable modesty and imperial gentleness, manifested a superior excellence of mind beyond all expression. When he had advanced to the head of the foremost rank and had taken his stand himself first in the middle, a small seat of gold was brought forward for him; he did not sit down until the bishops had signaled their approval. All did the same after the emperor.

CHAPTER XI

The one from among the bishops who ^C held the first place on the right hand, rising, delivered a measured speech, in that very middle hall of the palace, which indeed was thought to surpass all in size, and to be preeminent among all the halls of the palace; for even within the palace itself, at the most central point, [it was indeed] the middle hall of the palace. ^D

^A addressing the emperor, and offering a hymn of thanksgiving to the Almighty God for him. When he also sat down, silence fell, all gazing intently at the emperor. He, looking at all with cheerful eyes and a placid countenance, and then gathering his thoughts unto himself, with a quiet and gentle voice delivered the following speech:

Chapter XII.

• This was the sum of my desires, dearly beloved, that I might at some time enjoy the sight of your gathering; and having attained this, I offer my thanks to the King of the universe, that in addition to all other gifts, He has granted me to behold that which is greater than every other good: namely, to see you all gathered together, and to witness one common, like-minded opinion in all. Therefore, let no envious enemy despoil our blessings, nor, now that the tyranny of those who fought against God has been removed by the power of our Savior, let the ^B malicious demon introduce the divine law to blasphemies in any other manner; for to me, internal strife within the Church of God seems more grievous and dangerous than any war or battle, and these appear more distressing than things from without. When, therefore, I had risen to [the celebration of] victory against the enemy by the nod and cooperation of the Higher Power, I thought there was nothing left to be done, except to render thanks to God, and to rejoice together with those who had been liberated through me on His behalf; but when the report of your dissension unexpectedly reached me, I did not deem the matter worthy of neglect. For, desiring that this evil might also be remedied by my own efforts, ^C I summoned you all without delay; and I rejoice in seeing your assembly, but I shall judge that I have truly fulfilled my prayers when I see you all united in soul, and one common peaceful harmony, which 49 governs all, presiding over you.

Now we ourselves also, having taken our place in the midst of the synod of the ministers of God, honored the victorious prince with vicennial hymns. ^D

* * *

[Scholarly Commentary] It is in the title of this chapter. Theodoret, however, in his *Ecclesiastical History*, bk. I, ch. 7, says that this speech was delivered not by Eusebius, but by Eustathius, bishop of the city of Antioch. Baronius followed Theodoret’s opinion; and that he was always of a hostile and bitter mind toward our Eusebius, anyone can easily perceive from his writings. But the author of the *Historia Tripartita* in book I, ch. 5, when he describes Theodoret’s words, says that after Eustathius of Antioch, Eusebius of Caesarea also delivered a speech in praise of the emperor. This, however, is not found in the Greek copies of Theodoret today; so that it is necessary to suppose that either Epiphanius Scholasticus had obtained more complete codices of Theodoret, or he added it from his own hand, as he sometimes does. Such is that which we noted above regarding the bishop of the royal city, whom Socrates, following Eusebius, reported not to have been present at the Nicene synod, where Epiphanius Scholasticus added the name of Alexander by a grave error, when he should rather have said Metrophanes. But to return to the point, there are those who write that this honor was not granted to Eustathius, nor to Eusebius, but to Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, that he might address the emperor in the name of the council. Nicetas, in his *Thesaurus of the Orthodox Faith*, bk. V, ch. 7, affirms this in these words: “Eusebius testifies in the third book of the *Life of Constantine* that he was the first to speak in the synod.” If, however, we believe Theodoret, Eustathius was the first, etc.; but as Theodore of Mopsuestia writes, this honor was voluntarily bestowed upon Alexander, the pontiff of Alexandria. I, however, in such a diversity of writers, would more willingly incline to that opinion which asserts that the honor of speaking first was assigned to Eusebius by the synod. First, because Eusebius was, without controversy, the most learned and eloquent of all. Secondly, he himself openly testifies to this at the beginning of this work in these words: “that is, We also, having recently taken our place in the midst of the synod of the ministers of God, honored the victorious prince with vicennial hymns.” (47) … [Note: the remainder of the block is scholarly apparatus.]

delay, O friends, do not delay, ministers of God and good servants of our common Lord and Savior; having already begun to take up the causes of the dissension among you, resolve every knot of disagreement by the laws of peace. For thus you will have performed what is pleasing to the God who is over all, and you will bestow an exceeding great favor upon me, your fellow-servant.

CHAPTER XIII.

How he brought the dissenting bishops into harmony.

CHAPTER XIV.

The harmonious decree of the synod concerning the faith and the Pascha.

When these things had been so performed, the emperor testified that he had brought about this victory over the enemy of the Church, and he celebrated a triumphal festival in honor of God. ^A

Chapter XV. How Constantine entertained the bishops at a banquet.

At the same time, his twentieth year of empire was being completed. On account of this, while public festivals were being held throughout all the provinces, the emperor invited the ministers of God to a banquet; and having already reconciled them among themselves, he feasted with them, and in a way offered this as a fitting sacrifice to God through them. Nor was any of the bishops absent from this imperial banquet. The event itself far surpassed all power of description. For the guards and the soldiers were arranged in a circle, and with bared swords guarded the vestibule of the palace. Yet the men of God passed through the midst of them without any fear, and entered into the innermost chambers of the palace. Thence, some reclined with him, ^B while others were arranged on either side. It was a sight that surpassed all words.

57 The twentieth year was being completed. These things must be interpreted kindly. For the twentieth year of Constantine's empire was not yet finished; indeed, it had barely begun. For the twentieth year of Constantine's principate began on the day of the fifth of the Kalends of August, under the consulship of Paulinus and Julianus, which is the three hundred and twenty-fifth year of the Lord’s Nativity. But the Nicene Council was celebrated on the twentieth day of the month of May of the same consulship, as Socrates writes in the first book, chapter 9, or rather on the tenth of the Kalends of July, in the month of Desius, which is called June by the Romans, on the 19th day, as is read in the Acts of the Council of Chalcedon, and in the Alexandrine Chronicle, and in the Collection of Cresconius. Which I consider to be more true. For if we assume the Nicene Council was convened on the twentieth day of May, too narrow a space of time is left for conducting the affairs which Constantine managed after the defeat of Licinius. In the final battle at Chalcedon, Licinius was defeated in the year of Christ 324, on the Kalends of October, as is written in the Fasti of Idatius and in the Alexandrine Chronicle. The following day, Licinius, who had retreated to Nicomedia, surrendered himself to the victor Constantine. After these things, Constantine entered Nicomedia; and while he was delaying in that city and hastening to proceed into the regions of the East, he received news regarding the dissension of the Church of Alexandria and all of Egypt on account of the dogma of Arius and the disturbances of the Meletians, as he himself writes in his letter to Alexander and Arius. And at first, indeed, he sent Hosius with his letters to Alexandria, that he might settle those tumults by his authority. But Hosius, after staying for some time ^C at Alexandria, returned to Constantine with the matter unfinished. All of these things could by no means be accomplished in a space shorter than three months. Furthermore, when Constantine saw that the evil was growing worse every day, he decided to call a general council of bishops, so that he might restore peace to the Church in that way. For this purpose, he sent public couriers or agents through all the provinces, that they might summon the bishops to Nicaea in Bithynia. Let us assume, therefore, that the couriers brought the emperor's letters to the individual bishops in the month of March. It is hardly credible that the bishops could have come into Bithynia from the furthest regions of the East as well as the West before the month of July; especially since they were brought there by land travel, and not by navigation, as Eusebius relates in chapter 6. The Greeks call the seventh Sunday after Pascha, namely that which immediately precedes Pentecost, the Sunday of the Holy Fathers, of the three hundred and eighteen God-bearing ^D Fathers who were at Nicaea, as we learn from the Typicon of the monastery of Saint Sabas.

58 Guards and soldiers. He joined these two when he was speaking about Constantine’s entry into the synod. *Doryphoroi* are the spearmen, or protectors who carried spears. Certainly, Themistius, in his oration to the emperor Jovian, writes that one had gone into Persia as an *aichmophoros*, that is, a domestic protector, as we know from Ammianus Marcellinus. *Hoplitai*, however, are the shield-bearers, namely the soldiers who were under the command of the *magister militum praesentalis*.

59 But others reclined with him. One must read *autō*, as Christophorsonus appears to have read. Theodoret confirms this amendment in book 1, chapter 11, with these words which wonderfully illustrate this passage of Eusebius: "Having ordered that many *stibadia* be prepared, he feasted all at once, taking the more worthy to dine at his table, and dividing the others among the other tables." No better scholion could be added to the words of Eusebius. What Eusebius called *klinadas* (for so it must be read from the Royal and Fuketan codices), Theodoret calls *stibadas*, that is, *stibadia* or *accubita*. The translator of Nicephorus translates it "couches," wrongly. Nor is the translator of Theodoret any more correct with "seats." Suidas: The scholiast of Juvenal, on satire 5: "Among the ancients, he says, the use of tables for reclining did not exist, but they ate while reclining on couches." In the Fuketan codex, it is written clearly: *hoi men autō*.

autō* ^A in, as it were, couches. One might imagine it a likeness of the kingdom of Christ, or a vision that seemed more like a dream than reality.

CHAPTER XVI

Gifts given to the bishops, and letters written to all.

When the festivities proceeded in a splendid manner, the emperor, graciously receiving everyone, added this also, in accordance with his magnificence, that he should honor each man according to his merit and dignity with gifts. To those also who had not been present at this synod, he transmitted the memory of events through a personal letter, which I shall myself attach to this narrative about him, as if engraved upon a tablet; and it is of this sort.

CHAPTER XVII

Constantine's letter to the Churches concerning the synod at Nicaea.

^B Constantine Augustus to the Churches. Having gained experience from the prosperity of the commonwealth, as to how great is the grace of the divine power, I have judged it to be my primary goal that there should be kept among the most blessed multitudes of the Catholic Church one faith, a sincere love, and a concordant piety toward the almighty God. But since this could not be firmly and steadily established unless all, or at least most, of the bishops had gathered together and an examination of each of the matters pertaining to the most holy religion had taken place, for this reason a great many were assembled. I myself happened to be present ^C as one among you—for I would not deny, what is my greatest pride, to have been your fellow-servant—and everything reached such a degree of proper examination that an opinion, pleasing to God, the overseer of all, was brought into the light for the sake of the concord of unity, so that nothing further remained to lead to discord or dispute concerning the faith.

CHAPTER XVIII

The same, concerning the concord of the Paschal feast, and against the Jews.

Where, since an inquiry was held regarding the most holy day of Pascha, it was decided by common consent that it is right for all, in every place, to celebrate it on one and the same day. For what could be more beautiful or more solemn for us than that this feast, from which we have received the hopes of immortality, should be observed by all in one order and one manifest rule without ^D variation

^A.

First, it seemed altogether unworthy that we should follow the custom of the Jews in the celebration of this most holy feast; who, since they stained their own hands with a wicked crime, clearly have their souls blinded, being defiled men. For it is possible, having discarded their custom, to propagate to future ages the rite of this observance in a more truthful order, which we have kept from the very first day of the Passion until the present time. Therefore, let us have nothing in common with the most hateful crowd of the Jews. For we have received from the Savior another way; a path is laid out for our most holy religion, both lawful and proper ^B. By embracing this in unison, let us withdraw ourselves, most venerable brothers, from that most base fellowship and conscience. For it is truly most absurd for them to boast that we would be incapable of observing these things without their tutelage. But what right judgment could they possibly have, who, after the murder of the Lord and that parricide, being bereft of their senses, are carried away not by any reason, but by an unchecked impulse, wherever their innate madness drives them? Hence it is that they do not perceive the truth even in this matter: insomuch that, straying very far from the proper amendment ^C, they celebrate two Passovers in one and the same year. Why, then, should we follow these whom it is agreed suffer from a most grievous disease of error? For we shall certainly never bear to perform a double Passover in one year. But even if what I have said were not present, your own sagacity should still desire and take care by all means and by prayer, that the sanctity of your souls may not seem to be associated and commingled in any respect with the customs of most wicked men. Furthermore, one must consider that it is unlawful for there to be any dissension in such a matter and in such a feast of religion. For one ^D [original-script column: see facsimile]

^A feast day of our liberty, that is, the day of the most holy passion, our Saviour delivered to us; and he has willed that there be one Catholic Church, whose members, though they may be dispersed in many and various places, are nonetheless nurtured by one spirit—that is, by the divine will. Let the sagacity of your holiness consider how grievous and unbecoming it is that, on the same days, some should be intent upon fasts, while others are holding banquets; and that after the days of Pascha, some should be occupied in feasts and relaxation, while others are given over to prescribed fasts. Therefore, it is the will of divine Providence that this should be corrected by a fitting amendment and reduced to one and the same form, as I believe all of you discern. ^B

Chapter XIX. Exhortation to follow the majority of the world.

“Wherefore, since it is necessary that this should be so reformed that we may have nothing in common with the custom of those who killed the Lord and were guilty of parricide; and since this is a most decent order, which all the Churches of the western, southern, and northern parts of the world, and some of those in the eastern regions, observe: for this reason it has seemed good to all at present, and I myself have promised that this would also be pleasing to your sagacity, that what is observed with one and unanimous conviction in the city of Rome, and throughout all Italy, Africa, ^C Egypt, Spain, Gaul, Britain, Libya, throughout all Achaia, and the [dioceses of] Asia and Pontus, and Cilicia, your prudence also should receive with willing minds, considering that it is not only that the number of Churches is greater in the places mentioned above, but also that it is most equitable that all should desire in common that which strict reason seems to demand, and which would have no fellowship with the perjury of the Jews. But to speak summarily and briefly, it has pleased the common judgment of all that the most holy feast of Pascha should be celebrated on one and the same day. For it is not fitting that in so great a holiness there should be any difference, and it is better to follow that opinion in which there is no admixture of foreign error and sin.” ^D

Let us tear ourselves away from that shameful consciousness. ^A

Chapter XX. Exhortation that all should assent to the decrees of the synod.

“Since these things are so, welcome the grace of God and the truly divine command with gladness; for whatever is transacted in the holy councils of the bishops, this is to be referred to the divine will. Therefore, having made known to all our beloved brethren the things that have been performed, you ought at once to accept and to mandate the aforesaid instruction and the observance of the most holy day, so that when I shall arrive at the sight of your affection, which I have long desired, I may be able to celebrate the holy festival with you on one and the same day, and rejoice with you on all accounts, seeing that the cruelty of the devil has been abolished by the divine power through our actions, ^B while your faith and peace and concord are flourishing everywhere in the world. May God preserve you, most beloved brethren.” The emperor sent a copy of this letter, written to the same effect, to every province, providing that the purity of his judgment and his piety toward God might be seen by those who read it.

CHAPTER XXI. He gives counsel to the departing bishops to maintain concord.

But since the synod was now about to be dissolved, he provided a farewell address to the bishops, and at the same time ^C he gave thanks to God, the ruler of all, because he had destroyed the tyrants who were persecuting the Church, and had delivered the whole world from the superstitious worship of demons.

^A Having then called them all together on a single day, he advised those who were present that they should make the preservation of peace among themselves a matter of great concern, and that they should shun contentious quarrels, and not envy any bishop who happened to appear superior in word and wisdom, but should consider the good of one to be the common good of all. Nor should the more capable be puffed up against those who are more modest, for it belongs to God to be the judge of true merit in each man. Rather, it is proper that those who are preeminent should accommodate themselves to the weaker with a certain indulgence and gentleness, especially since it is ^B altogether very difficult to find anything that is in all respects perfect. Therefore, they should grant mutual pardon to one another for small failings, and should forgive and excuse whatever is human, holding in great estimation the harmony of agreement, so that they might not, by engaging in strife with one another, afford an occasion for mockery to those who are prepared to blaspheme the divine law; for whose salvation they should especially ^B be concerned, provided that our way of life should appear worthy of emulation to them—not doubting that the benefit derived from discourse contributes to all. For some are won over by being supported with food, while others are accustomed to have recourse to those who have attained to positions of authority.

and since they can be easily preserved, if those matters which take place among us appear excellent and admirable to them. Nor indeed is it hidden from them that a wealth of words does not at all bring utility to all men. For some are glad to have provided for them the creature comforts necessary to sustain life: others are accustomed to take refuge in patronage. Some love those by whom they are kindly received; some, having been honored with small gifts, are impelled to enter into friendship. Very few are the true lovers of words: nor is one who is studious of the truth easily found. For which reason it is necessary to adapt oneself to everyone, and like a certain doctor to provide those things which are useful for the salvation of each person, so that the saving doctrine may be honored by all from every side. And these things the emperor commanded them in the first place. At the end, however, he added that they should also diligently offer prayers to God on his behalf. When he had bid them farewell in this manner, he granted to all after these things the power of returning to their homeland. They therefore returned home with the greatest joy; and from then on, one opinion prevailed among all, strengthened by the common consent of all in the presence of the emperor himself; since those who had long ago been separated from one another had grown together into one body as it were. ^A

CHAPTER XXII. How he exhorted some, wrote to others, and regarding the distribution of money.

The emperor, therefore, being exhorted by such success, offered the most pleasing fruit through letters to those who had not been present at the synod. But he also ordered a great sum of money to be distributed to all the peoples, both those who lived in the country and those who lived in the cities; celebrating the public festival for the twentieth year of his reign in this way.

CHAPTER XXIII. How he wrote to the Egyptians and exhorted them to peace.

But while everyone else cultivated peace among themselves, only among the Egyptians did the fury of implacable contention burn: to such a degree that, although they caused annoyance to the emperor, they did not for that reason rouse him to anger. For, treating them with every honor as fathers, or rather as prophets of God, the emperor called them to himself again; again he was their arbiter; again he honored them with gifts and favors. The sentence also which he had pronounced as arbiter he signified by letter, confirming and sanctioning those things which had been decreed by the synod, and exhorting them to study concord, and not to be willing to distract and tear apart the body of the Church, but to keep in mind the future judgment of God. And ^B these things the emperor suggested to them by a special letter.

CHAPTER XXIV. How he frequently wrote religious letters to bishops and peoples.

But he also wrote many other things of this kind, and composed almost innumerable letters; now directing the bishops regarding those things which pertained to the utility of the Churches of God, now ^C appealing to the peoples themselves through letters ^D

calling them brothers and fellow-servants, was the thrice-blessed man. But it might be an occasion to collect these in a separate volume, perhaps when there is leisure, so that the sequence of our present history might not be interrupted.

CHAPTER XXV.

How he ordered a house of prayer to be built in Jerusalem at the holy place of our Savior’s resurrection.

When these things were thus accomplished, the Emperor, dear to God, began another matter of prime importance in Palestine. What indeed was this? He conceived it to be his duty to make that most blessed place of the Savior’s resurrection, which is in Jerusalem, illustrious and venerable for all men. He immediately commanded that a house of prayer be built there, being led to this not without the providence of God, but moved in his spirit by the Savior Himself.

CHAPTER XXVI.

How the impious had covered the Lord’s sepulcher with debris and idols.

For impious men—or rather the whole race of demons working through these impious men—had made it their endeavor to consign that divine monument of immortality to darkness and oblivion; that monument at which the angel who had come down from heaven, radiating with marvelous light, had rolled away the stone from the minds of those who were truly stony and who supposed that the living Christ still lay among the dead, bringing the joyful message to the women and removing the stone of unbelief from their minds, that he might establish the thought of the life of Him who was being sought. This salutary cave, then, some impious and profane men had conceived the plan of hiding from men, thinking with foolish reasoning that they could thus conceal the truth. And so, having brought to bear great toil, and having brought in earth from elsewhere, they covered over the whole place, and then, having raised it to a height and paved it with stone, they hid the divine cave deep under a great mound of earth. Then, as if nothing more were left for them to do, they prepared above the earth a truly dreadful sepulcher of souls, building a dark cavern for the dead, a shrine for the lascivious demon Aphrodite; and then they poured libations of abominable sacrifices there upon profane and polluted altars. For in this way alone, and in no other, they believed they could achieve the object of their malice—by concealing through these polluted abominations the Savior’s cave...

For those wretched men could not understand that it was not possible for Him who had won the victory over death to leave His achievement hidden, nor for Him to escape the gaze of the ^A whole human race, any more than the sun, shining above the earth and performing its accustomed course in the heavens, can escape the notice of all mankind. For the power of our Savior, shining with a light far more excellent, was already filling the entire world with its rays, enlightening not bodies, like the sun, but the souls of men. Nevertheless, the engines which impious and profane men had devised against the truth continued for a long space of time; and no one, neither among governors, nor generals, nor the emperors themselves, had been found suitable to overthrow their daring works—except for one alone, the prince most acceptable to God, the King of all. Animated by the divine Spirit, and bearing with indignation that that very place, which had been fraudulently obstructed by his adversaries with all sorts of filth and refuse and consigned to utter oblivion, should remain so, nor thinking it right to yield to the wickedness of those who had plotted this, he invoked the divinity of God his Helper and ordered it to be purified—judging that the portion which the adversaries had most contaminated ought to be the first to enjoy the divine magnificence through his own labor and ministry. As soon as this command was given by the emperor, those works constructed for deceit were immediately cast down from their height to the ground; and the buildings erected to deceive men, together with the statues and demons themselves, were destroyed and eradicated. ^B

CHAPTER XXVII

How Constantine ordered the materials and debris of the temple to be cast far away.

Nor did the emperor’s zeal rest here. For he further commanded that the ruins and debris should be removed and cast as far as possible outside the borders of the region. This command likewise was immediately carried into execution. Yet the emperor, having proceeded so far, was by no means satisfied. But, impelled by a divine fervor, he ordered that the place be excavated to a great depth, and that the very soil, as being contaminated by the pollutions of the demons, should be carried out and cast as far away as possible, along with the earth that had been removed. ^C

CHAPTER XXVIII

The manifestation of the most holy sepulcher.

There was no delay; this too was carried out as had been commanded. After the other soil, that is to say the ground which was at the bottom, appeared, then indeed the august and most holy monument of our Lord’s resurrection shone forth beyond all hope, and that cave, which may truly be called the Holy of Holies, expressed a certain image of the resurrection of our Savior. Wherefore, ^D after the descent into darkness, again upon the

^A light it emerged, and it exhibited the history of the wonders once performed there to those who had flocked to behold it, by the very deeds themselves, which sound more clearly than any voice, testifying to the resurrection of our Savior.

CHAPTER XXIX. How he wrote concerning the construction to the governors and to Macarius the bishop.

When these things had been thus accomplished, the emperor immediately, by the issuance of pious decrees and the provision of lavish funds, commanded that a house of prayer worthy of God be built around the saving cave with kingly magnificence, as if he had long since determined this in his own mind and had foreseen what was to be with a certain divine alacrity. He ordered the governors of the provinces throughout the East to provide abundant expenses ^B so as to produce a work that was extraordinary, great, and rich, and he sent the following letter to the bishop of the Church who at that time presided over the church in Jerusalem, in which he set forth the saving doctrine of the faith in most manifest words, writing in this manner:

CHAPTER XXX. A letter of Constantine to Macarius concerning the building of the Savior's martyrium.

"Victor Constantine, Maximus, Augustus, to Macarius.

"So great is the grace of our Savior that no abundance of words seems sufficient for the narration of the present miracle. For that the monument of his most holy passion, having long been hidden beneath the earth, should have lain concealed for so many periods of years, until, upon the destruction of the common enemy of all, ^C it should shine forth to his servants now liberated, truly surpasses all astonishment. For even if all those who throughout the whole world are considered wise were gathered together into one place and should desire to speak something worthy of this affair, they would not be able to contend even to the slightest degree. For the faith of this miracle so far exceeds every nature capable of human reasoning, just as divine things are more powerful than human things when they are constituted. For this reason, then, this ^D always is my one and chief goal: that, just as the faith of truth manifests itself daily through ever-newer miracles, so also the souls of all of us should [strive...]

^A with the entire discipline and harmonious zeal become more earnest. For I think it is manifest to all, and I wish you to be persuaded of this above all, that I am more concerned than anything else that I should adorn with the beauty of buildings that sacred place, which, by God’s command, I have relieved from the wretched addition of an idol as if it were a heavy weight, a place which was holy by the judgment of God from the beginning, but which has been rendered holier since it brought to light the faith of the savory passion.

CHAPTER XXXI.

That he desired this temple to surpass all other churches in the beauty of its walls, columns, and marbles.

It is fitting, therefore, that your wisdom should so arrange and provide for each of the necessary things, that not only the basilica itself may be more beautiful than any other anywhere, but that the remaining parts also should be of such a kind that everything in each of the cities may be easily surpassed by this structure. And know that, concerning the raising and embellishment of the walls, I have entrusted the care to our friend Dracilianus, who acts as vice-prefect of the praetorium, ^B and to the governor of the province. For it has been ordered by our piety that both craftsmen and workmen, and whatever you, in your wisdom, know to be necessary for this work, shall be sent immediately through the care of those men. But concerning the columns and marbles, of whatever kind you shall judge upon inspection to be more precious and useful, take care to write to us, so that when we know from your letters how many and what kind are needed, they may be brought from all sides. For it is just that the place ^C which is the most wondrous in the whole world should be adorned in accordance with its dignity.

CHAPTER XXXII.

That he also wrote to the governors concerning the beauty of the vault, and the workmen and materials.

Furthermore, I wish to learn from you whether you think the vault of the basilica should be paneled, or constructed with some other kind of workmanship. For if it is to be paneled, it ^D can also be adorned with gold. The rest—that you should make the inspection quickly and report it to the office—is for you to attend to.

not only regarding the marbles and columns, but also regarding the paneling, if you judge this to be better. May God preserve you, beloved brother.

CHAPTER XXXIII

These words were written by the emperor. In deed as well as in word, the matter was carried forward. And so, on the very site of the Savior’s memorial, the new Jerusalem was being constructed, ^B facing that famous city of old which, after the impious murder of the Lord, had fallen into the depths of desolation and paid the penalty for its inhabitants' wickedness. Against this city, the emperor set up the trophy of the victory which our Savior had won over death, adorning it with rich and lavish honors, perhaps thinking it to be that new and fresh Jerusalem foretold by the prophetic oracles, of which long discourses and myriad inspired testimonies of the Holy Spirit sing. And this, as if it were the crown of the whole, ^C first of all, that holy cave— ^D and so on.

heralded to all the resurrection revealed through the Savior—that monument, which was divine, the emperor’s munificence adorned with extraordinary columns and with the greatest care, beautifying it with every kind of ornament. ^A

CHAPTER XXXIV. Description of the construction of the holy sepulcher.

CHAPTER XXXV. Description of the atrium and the porticoes.

CHAPTER XXXVI. Description of the walls, the roof, and the ornamentation and gilding of the basilica itself.

CHAPTER XXXVII. Description of the double porticoes on either side and the three eastern gates.

^A underground as those rising above the ground, equaled the length of the entire basilica; the vaulted ceilings of which were varied with gold in the same way. Of these, those which were in the front of the basilica were supported by huge columns: but the inner ones were sustained by piers adorned with great care on the outside. Three doors, suitably arranged toward the rising sun, received the crowd of those entering.

Chapter XXXVIII. Description of the hemisphere and the twelve columns with craters.

Opposite these doors was the hemisphere, which is the head of the entire work, extended up to the summit of the basilica itself. It was surrounded by twelve columns ^B. [alt-version omitted]

^A of his own, equal in number to the apostles of our Savior, heads adorned with the largest silver bowls, which the emperor himself dedicated as a most beautiful offering to his God.

Chapter XXXIX.

Description of the atrium, the exedrae, and the vestibules.

From here, to those proceeding to the entrances that are before the temple, an atrium was interposed. There was in that place first an atrium, then porticoes on either side, and finally the gates of the atrium. After these, the vestibules of the entire work in the very middle of the square, where the market for vendible goods is, adorned with ambitious refinement, presented to those traveling from the outside a view of those things which were seen within, not without a certain astonishment ^B.

CAPUT XL.

On the number of votive offerings.

This temple, therefore, the emperor built as a testimony to the life-giving resurrection, and decorated it with magnificent and truly royal equipment. Nor can it be told with how many and how great ornaments and offerings, partly of gold and silver, partly of gems, he beautified it in diverse ways. The equipment of these, worked with the highest skill and distinguished by size, number, and variety, there is no time to set forth here in detail. ^C [alt-version omitted] [d] [/d] ^D

CHAPTER XLI. On the building of the churches at Bethlehem and on the Mount of Olives.

^A Other places in that same region, also honored by two sacred caves, he undertook to adorn with ambitious cultivation. That cave, indeed, in which our Savior first showed his divine presence and endured to be born in the flesh, the emperor honored with fitting reverence; and in the other cave, he honored the memory of the Lord’s ascension, which had once occurred on the mountain’s peak. These places he adorned with magnificent cultivation, and at the same time he consecrated the name of his mother, through whose labor and ministry such a benefit was procured for the human race, to the eternal memory of posterity.

CHAPTER XLII. How Helena Augusta, the mother of Constantine, having arrived to pray, built these churches.

Since she indeed had made it her task to pay the debt of pious affection to God, the King of all, and had determined that she ought to offer up thanksgiving through prayers—both for her son, such a great emperor, and for his sons, the Caesars, who were most beloved of God, her own grandchildren—the venerable woman, although already advanced in age, hastened ^B with the spirit of youth. With singular prudence, she set out to investigate the land that is worthy of all admiration, and to visit the eastern nations, along with their cities and peoples, with royal forethought. When she had rendered fitting worship at the saving steps, in accordance with the prophetic word which says, "Let us worship in the place where his feet have stood," she immediately left the fruit of her piety to those who were to come after.

CHAPTER XLIII. Further on the Bethlehemite church.

Forthwith, therefore, she dedicated two temples to the God whom she had worshipped: one at the cave of the Nativity, and the other on the mountain from which he had ascended into heaven. For Emmanuel—which means "God with us"—endured for our sake to be born under the earth, and the place of his nativity is called by the Hebrews, by name, Bethlehem. Wherefore... ^{C D}

^A the most pious empress adorned the childbearing of the Theotokos with distinguished monuments, illuminating that holy cave with every kind of ornamentation. Not long after, the emperor honored this same place of the Lord’s nativity with royal gifts, increasing the magnificence bestowed by his mother with various monuments of gold and silver, and with embroidered hangings. Furthermore, the mother of the emperor, in memory of the ascension of Christ the Savior of all, raised lofty buildings on the Mount of Olives, erecting a sacred house of the church along with a temple at the very summit of the mountain. For the true history testifies that here the Savior of all, Christ, initiated his own disciples into the secret mysteries in that very cave. The emperor, for his part, venerated the supreme King of all in this place as well, with various ornaments and gifts. And indeed, these two monuments, worthy of eternal memory, holy and most beautiful offerings dedicated in two mystical caves, were established by the empress Helena—the most religious mother of a religious emperor—as proofs of her pious disposition toward God her Savior, with her son providing the support of imperial power to her. The elderly woman did not wait long to receive a reward worthy of her labors. For when the whole time of her life...

[Notes on the text]

(26) *On embroidered hangings.* Not an interpretation by Christophorson, who translates them as curtains. For curtains are better suited to a stage than to a church. Therefore, I preferred to translate them as "veils." For there were veils in the churches. For there were even veils on the doors, concerning which Epiphanius writes in the letter to John of Jerusalem, which Jerome translated into Latin; and around the altar, of the kind that are still visible among us today. Moreover, the veils that were hung at the doors, the Greeks called *amphithyra*, which word is read in the letter of Chosroes in Theophylact, book V, chapter 14. It also occurs in Chrysostom, in his homily on Matthew. In an old charter of donation which was made to the Cornutian Church, which Josephus Suaresius, Bishop of Vaison, published, mention is made of these veils in these words: *And for the front of the altar, two veils of tram-silk, white with gold edges, etc. Also before the royal basilica, three larger veils of plain linen with slits; also three veils of fine linen. Before the consistory, one veil of fine linen. In the porch, one veil of fine linen, and inside the basilica, in front of the colonnade, six veils of fine linen with rose-colored borders, and before the vestry (perhaps it should be written "chambers"), veils of fine linen with rose-colored borders having two hanging arches.*

(27) *And a temple.* Some words seem to be missing, or at any rate transposed. Therefore, I would rather have restored the passage [as follows] ... erecting a holy house of the church and a temple. But Christophorson understood these words as though Eusebius were saying that Helena had constructed two churches on the Mount of Olives, one at the summit, the other in the cave; which, however, I do not think is true. For the author of a *Jerusalem Itinerary* relates that only one basilica was built there by Constantine. And Eusebius in his panegyric, speaking of the shrine which Constantine built at Jerusalem, speaks in the same way: where you see [the terms] joined, and it is spoken of as one and the same church. He calls the oratory a "basilica" because the people would gather there for the sake of prayer; but he calls the whole sacred building the "temple," which, contained within one boundary, includes in itself the atrium, porticoes, vestry, baptistery, and the basilica itself. This is indeed taught most clearly by Eusebius below in chapter [of this book], where he speaks of the golden Lord’s house which Constantine built at Antioch. And thus is to be explained the passage of Eusebius at the end of his panegyric on the tricennalia of Constantine, and in book X of his *Ecclesiastical History*, and in chapter [ ] of this book, where he joins *temple* and *oratory house* together. It is slightly different in law 5 of the Theodosian Code, concerning those who take refuge in churches. For there, the "temple" or "oratory" is called the basilica or the place of prayer in which there is an altar. But the "church" is called the entire building, within whose circuit are contained the atrium, porticoes, cells, washing facilities, and finally the oratory itself.

(28) *Here the true account holds.* The author of the *Jerusalem Itinerary* says: "Then, he says, you ascend the Mount of Olives, where the Lord taught the disciples before his passion." Bede in his book *On the Holy Places*, chapter [ ]: "There is also a third church of the same mountain on the southern part of Bethany, where the Lord spoke to the disciples about the day of judgment before his passion." He understands the passage of Matthew, chapter xxiv. Therefore, Eusebius calls this preaching "secret mysteries" in this place, because the Lord spoke then about secret matters, such as the end of the world and the coming of Christ and the final judgment. For the apostles also came to the Lord in secret then, as Matthew says, inasmuch as they desired to know the mysteries and the revelation of future things, just as Jerome writes in *Matthew*. But what Eusebius says, that the Lord had delivered these mysteries to the apostles in a cave, that is indeed not clearly written in the Gospel. Nay, the contrary seems to be able to be elicited from the Gospel. For in it, it is reported that the city of Jerusalem was in the sight of the disciples when the Lord was preaching these things. Therefore, they were not in a cave, but in a plain and open spot. However, one can answer that that cave had various openings, of the kind that many caves were in Palestine, as the itineraries teach. Certainly, since Matthew affirms that the disciples approached the Lord in secret, it is probable that this discourse was held in the cave with the Lord residing there.

(29) *In the cave itself.* The first word should be removed as superfluous. But Eusebius seems to allude to the custom of the Gentiles, who performed Mithraic rites in caves, as Porphyry teaches in his book *On Abstinence*, [as do] Jerome and others. Our conjecture is confirmed by the Fuket manuscript, in which that word is absent.

until she had passed the threshold of old age in the greatest happiness, having brought forth abundant fruits of the divine commandments both in words and deeds; and since she had thus lived a life free from pain, in the vigor of both body and soul, she also found an end befitting her piety and a reward from God for her good works even in this present life. ^A

CHAPTER XLIV. On the magnificence and beneficence of Helena.

CHAPTER XLV. How Helena conducted herself religiously in the churches.

CHAPTER XLVI. How, being an octogenarian, she made her will and departed from life.

CHAPTER XLVII. How Constantine laid his mother to rest, and how he honored her while she lived.

^A For she was transported to the imperial city with a great retinue of imperial guards, and there she was laid to rest in a royal sepulcher. Thus ended the life of the emperor’s mother, worthy of undying remembrance, both for her own God-beloved deeds and for the extraordinary and marvelous offspring who sprang from her; and regarding all these things, it is fitting to bless the holiness that brought forth such a child, in that she became so pious, having been shepherded from the first by the common Savior, as he himself believed. ^B And he honored her with such imperial rank that among all nations, and even among the military ranks themselves, she was proclaimed Augusta and Empress, and her image was imprinted on gold coinage. Moreover, he granted her the power of the imperial treasuries, to use at her own pleasure and to manage according to her own judgment, in whatever way she might wish and as she might think best, her son having made her distinguished and enviable even in these matters. Therefore, among those things which pertain to his memory, we have fittingly included these matters also, which the emperor, out of his extraordinary piety in honoring his mother, accomplished while obeying the divine laws which enjoin upon children the duties owed to their parents. Such most beautiful works did the emperor build in the land of the Palestinians, as we have said. But furthermore, by constructing new churches from their very foundations in the remaining provinces, he rendered them far more august than those that were before.

CHAPTER XLVIII. How he constructed martyria in Constantinople, and abolished all worship of idols.

^C When he had resolved to raise the city named after him to the highest glory, he adorned it with many oratories, and with the most ample and splendid martyria, constructed partly in the suburbs and partly in the city itself. And in this way he both honored the memory of the martyrs and at the same time consecrated his city to the God of the martyrs. Finally, being wholly overflowing with the wisdom of God, he judged that the city which he had decided to honor with the appellation of his own name ought to be pure from all idolatry, so that nowhere in it should there appear statues of the reputed gods being worshipped in temples, and not even altars… ^D

^A polluted with the blood of victims, nor burnt offerings consumed by fire, nor demonic festivals, nor anything else of those things which are customary among the superstitious.

CHAPTER XLIX. The sign of the cross in the palace, and the image of Daniel in the fountains.

You might have seen, in the fountains placed in the middle of the markets, the symbols of the good Shepherd, well known to those acquainted with the divine oracles, and the effigy of Daniel along with the lions, fashioned in bronze and glittering with plates of gold. Such divine love had taken possession of the emperor's soul, that in the most prominent chamber of the entire palace, in a very large panel which was spread out in the middle of the gilded ceiling, he caused the sign of the Savior’s passion, composed of various and precious stones ^B set in much gold, to be fixed. And this, it seems to me, the most pious prince established as a protection and safeguard of his empire.

CHAPTER L. That he also built churches in Nicomedia and other cities.

With these things, then, he embellished his own city; but he also honored the chief city of Bithynia with the monument of a most large and extraordinary church, adorning it there also with his own treasures to his own Savior, and erecting trophies of victory over enemies and adversaries of God. And in the remaining provinces, he made the most distinguished and noble ^C cities shine with the magnificence of houses of prayer, as, for example, the metropolis of the whole East, which has taken its name from Antioch; in which, as though at the head of the nations in that region, he dedicated a unique work, incomparable in size and beauty, to God. For he encompassed the entire temple with a very long circuit on the outside; and within, he raised the house of prayer itself to an immeasurable height, [constructed] in an octagonal ^D shape, with many rooms and exedrae round about, both in the upper stories and in the lower.

There was also an abundance of gold, and it was crowned with the beauties of bronze and other costly materials.

CHAPTER LI. That he ordered a church to be built in the place called Mambre.

These, then, were the most excellent dedications of the emperor. Having learned that the same Savior who had recently walked the earth had long ago manifested the presence of his Divinity to certain God-loving men of Palestine near to the oak which is called Mambre, he commanded that a house of prayer be built exactly there to the God who had appeared. Imperial authority was conveyed to the governors of the provinces through letters sent to each one, commanding them to bring the assigned work to completion; but to us who write this history, he sent ^A a more intellectual instruction, which I think it right to attach to the present account, for the sake of an accurate understanding of the God-loving prince's diligence. Having reproached us for the things he learned were happening there, he wrote as follows, word for word.

CHAPTER LII. Constantinus’ letter to Eusebius regarding Mambre.

"Victor Constantinus Maximus Augustus, to Macarius and the other bishops of Palestine.

"Even this is one of the greatest benefits to you from my most holy mother-in-law, that ^B the madness of wicked men, which until now has remained in your midst, has been... ^C

(Note: The remainder of the page consists of Migne's Latin commentary on the manuscript variants and translation choices regarding terms such as *exedrae*, *basilica*, and the identity of the mother-in-law, Eutropia.)

^A certain nefarious audacity, which until now had been hidden from you, has been revealed by the letters sent to us, so that what had long been neglected as a crime, even if it is late, may nevertheless necessarily be amended by us through proper care and correction. For it is truly a very great impiety that holy places should be defiled by detestable pollutions. What then is this, most beloved brothers, which, while it escaped your discernment, my mother-in-law, as I have said, could not remain silent about because of her reverence for divine worship?»

CHAPTER LIII. That the Savior appeared there to Abraham.

The place was also called the Terebinth, distant about thirty miles from the city of Jerusalem, as the author of the Jerusalem Itinerary teaches, who lived in the times of Constantine the Great: "From the Terebinth, where Abraham lived and dug a well under the terebinth tree, and spoke with the angels and took food. There a basilica of wonderful beauty was built by the order of Constantine. Thence to Chebron, 9 miles, where there is a memory in the form of a square made of stones of wonderful beauty, in which are placed Abraham, Isaac, Jacob," etc. Sozomenus also in book ii, chapter 3, writes that that place is called the Terebinth. And this place was so called from the terebinth tree, which was said to be the most ancient of all there and to have existed from the very beginning of the world, as witnessed by Josephus in book v of the *Jewish War*. Although others said it was the staff of one of the angels who appeared to Abraham, from which, when fixed in the ground, the terebinth grew. Thus George Syncellus in his *Chronicle*. It is indeed wonderful, since the oak was there under which Abraham had placed his tabernacle, as is read in chapter xviii of Genesis, why the place itself took its name from the terebinth rather than the oak.

Scaliger, in his *Eusebian Annotations*, page 192, thought that this terebinth was worshipped by the Christians with supreme honor, and cites Eusebius as the author of that matter. But Eusebius is speaking in that place about the Gentiles, not about the Christians. For after he said: "Whence even now among the neighboring peoples, as if the place were divine, it is worshipped, and the terebinth is seen remaining even to this day, and those who were guests of Abraham are represented in the writing, two on either side, but the middle one, the better one, superior in honor; he would be the Lord himself shown to us, our own Savior, whom even the ignorant worship." You see Eusebius here speaking openly of the Gentiles, who did not know Christ. Nor can this be said of the Christians. But Sozomenus confirms our opinion in book ii, c. 3, where he discourses at length about that market at the terebinth. For he writes that every year in the summer time, Jews as well as Christians and Gentiles gathered there from Palestine, Phoenicia, and Arabia, partly for the sake of trade, partly for the sake of religion; and each celebrated the festival according to their own rite. "For the Gentiles," he says, "worshipped the angels, offering victims and libations to them." There were, therefore, images of the angels there, to which the pagans sacrificed. Jerome, in *De Locis Hebraicis*, where he writes about Arboch, says: "The oak of Abraham, which is also Mambre, was shown there until the times of King Constantine, and his mausoleum is seen at present. And because a church has now been built by us there, the terebinth is superstitiously worshipped by all the Gentiles in the vicinity, because Abraham formerly received the angels under it." Jerome added much of his own here. For Eusebius himself in his book *De Locis Hebraicis* has only this: "A famous place," which completely overturns the opinion of Scaliger, but egregiously confirms our explanation. For Eusebius says that the terebinth itself and the angels are [worshipped] by our enemies.

^A It has been reported to us that impious sacrifices are habitually performed there. Since this appears alien to our times and unworthy of the holiness of that place, I wish your Gravity to know that a mandate has been issued by us in a letter to Acacius, a man of most perfect integrity, our count and friend, so that without any delay all the idols that may be found in the aforementioned place may be consigned to the fire, and the altar may be rooted out from its foundations; and we judge everyone who dares, after our command, to perform any impious act in such a place, to be worthy of punishment. We have ordered that the place be adorned with a pure basilica building, so that it may be rendered a meeting place worthy of holy men. But if anything should happen to be done contrary to what has been ordered, it must be reported without delay to our Clemency by your letters, so that whoever is caught may be punished with the extreme penalty, as one who has violated the law. ^B For you are not ignorant that it was there that the Lord and God of all was first seen by Abraham and conversed with him. It was there that the religion of the holy law first received its beginning; there that the Savior himself, together with the two angels, first granted Abraham the abundance of his presence; there that God first began to appear to men; there that he foretold to Abraham concerning the seed that would be his, and immediately fulfilled his promise; there that he heralded that he would be the father of very many nations. Since these things are so, it seems to me fitting that through your care this place should be preserved pure from every defilement and restored to its ancient holiness, so that nothing else may be performed upon it than the worship ^C suitable to the all-powerful God and our Savior and Lord of all. And this is to be observed by you with due solicitude, if indeed you value the favor of our Majesty. ^D

to fulfill, as I trust, the desire of your Gravity. May the Divinity keep you, most beloved brothers.

Chapter LIV. Temples and idols destroyed everywhere.

All these things the emperor performed with all zeal to the glory of the life-giving power of Christ. And he ceased not to honor his Savior God in this manner, while at the same time he sought to refute the superstitious error of the Gentiles in all ways. ^A Hence, the vestibules of the temples in the cities were rightly stripped bare, as by the emperor's command they were deprived of their doors. Of others, the roof was destroyed by the removal of the tiles. Others had their venerable bronze works, which the error of the ancients had for long ages magnified, set out ^B in the market-place of the imperial city for all to see, so that they were exposed as a shameful spectacle to those who beheld them: here the Pythian Apollo, there the Sminthian, and in the very circus itself the Delphic tripods, and the Heliconian Muses in the palace. Finally, that city which bears the emperor's name was thoroughly filled with fine bronze works, dedicated throughout every province, which those who had been afflicted by the disease of error had for long ages fruitlessly offered as hecatombs and whole burnt offerings to the names of gods; these things, ^C having at last begun to think aright, the emperor turned into objects of mockery and amusement for those who looked upon them. As for the golden statues, he dealt with them in a different manner. For since he perceived that the multitude, like foolish children, were vainly terrified by these phantoms of error fashioned of gold and silver, he thought it necessary to remove them, just as stumbling-blocks are cast before the feet of those walking in darkness, in order that the path of the royal way might henceforth be opened up, smooth and level, for all. Having devised this, he did not consider that he needed an armed guard and a host of soldiers to expose these things, but a single individual, ^D or perhaps a second of his own acquaintances, was sufficient for the service, whom, by a single signal, he would send out across every province.

^A But they, relying upon the piety of the emperor and their own religion toward God, making their way through the densest crowds and numerous throngs, everywhere throughout the cities and country regions brought about the destruction of the long-standing delusion, demanding that the priests themselves, not without laughter and shame, bring their gods out from dark recesses into the light, and then, stripping them of their outward adornment, expose the inner deformity that lay hidden beneath the painted figure to the eyes of all. Then, scraping off whatever material seemed usable, and testing it with melting and fire, they would set aside and preserve what seemed useful and necessary to them; but whatever was superfluous and utterly useless they left to the superstitious as a perpetual reminder of their shame. The emperor, worthy of all admiration, also accomplished another thing. For at the same time that the images of the dead created from precious materials were being despoiled in the manner we have just described, he arranged for the rest, which had been crafted from bronze, to be carried away. ^B And so those gods, celebrated in the delirious fables of the Greeks, were dragged off bound with ropes.

CHAPTER LV. The destruction of the temple at Aphaca in Phoenicia, and the abolition of its depravity.

After this, the emperor, as if lifting a very bright torch from a watchtower, looked about on every side with royal eyes, in case any remnants of error still happened to remain hidden. ^C And just as an eagle borne on its wings up to the very heavens, being endowed with the keenest sight, easily looks down from on high at things that are very far distant upon the earth; so he too, while dwelling in the palace of his most beautiful city, perceived from that watchtower, as it were, a certain pernicious entanglement of souls lurking in Phoenicia. This was a grove and a temple, which was not situated in the middle of cities, nor in their marketplaces and squares, as is the case with many things constructed ambitiously in cities for the sake of adornment, but was out of the way, far from crossroads and the public thoroughfare, consecrated in a part of the summit of Mount Lebanon at Aphaca to a most foul demon whom they call Venus. ^D There was there a school of depravity, open to all impure men and to those who had corrupted their own bodies with every license. For some effeminate ones—men, yet not men, having denied the dignity of their nature—propitiated the demon with a feminine sickness; and women, in turn, engaged in unlawful promiscuity, stolen marriages, and unspeakable and...

^A nefarious crimes in that temple, as if in a place destitute of all law and order. Nor was there anyone who observed what was practiced there, because no grave or modest man dared approach it. But the crimes being perpetrated there could not remain hidden from the great emperor. When he had inspected these things with the eye of imperial providence, he judged the temple unworthy of being illuminated by the sun's rays. Wherefore he commanded that it be entirely demolished from its very foundations, along with its images and votive offerings. ^B Confidently, the contrivances of this wanton error were immediately broken up at the emperor’s command, while the military hands acted to purify the place. And those who had previously surrendered to debauchery, terrified by the emperor’s threats, learned to conduct themselves modestly. In the same way, those superstitious Gentiles, who think themselves very wise, were taught to act more modestly; and they, in fact, learned the reality of their own folly and vanity.

513 Chapter LVI. Destruction of the temple of Aesculapius at Aegae.

For since the greatest and most widespread superstition had possessed ^C the most foolish men concerning that Cilician demon, and almost an infinite number of people admired him as a savior and physician—inasmuch as he would appear to those sleeping in the temple, and would sometimes heal the diseases of those whose bodies were failing—yet this one was in truth a destroyer of souls, drawing men away from the true Savior and pulling them down into the godless error of deceit, those who were easy to seduce: the emperor, doing what was fitting, having truly set before himself the Savior God as the one to be zealously served, commanded that this temple also be leveled to the ground. By a single nod, it was spread out upon the earth, cast down by the right hand of the military, that celebrated wonder of the noble philosophers; and he who was lurking within ^D this place—not a demon nor a god, but a certain deceiver of souls, who for long and infinite ages had tricked men—was brought low. And yet, this one who offered to deliver others from evils and misfortunes, found no remedy for his own defense, other than that which is fabled to have happened to him when he was struck by a thunderbolt.

But the noble deeds of our Emperor, which were pleasing to God, were not mere myths; rather, through the manifest power and virtue of the Savior Himself, this temple, along with the others, was uprooted from its foundations, so that not even a trace of the former madness remained there. ^A

CHAPTER LVII. How the Gentiles, having condemned their idols, turned to the knowledge of God.

Accordingly, as many as had previously been addicted to the superstitious worship of demons, when they saw the refutation of their error with their own eyes, and beheld the desolation of temples and shrines everywhere, some fled for refuge to the saving doctrine of Christ; while others, even if they were unwilling to do so, nevertheless condemned the observances of their ancestors as vain and empty, and mocked those whom they had previously held as gods. And why should they not feel this way, when they saw so much impurity lurking within under the external appearance of the images? For beneath them lay either the bones of dead bodies, or dry skulls, stolen by the fraud of impostors, or filthy rags replete with shameful defilement, or finally, a heap of hay and straw. When they beheld these things piled up within the recesses of soulless idols, they accused both themselves and their parents of the utmost madness: especially when they perceived that within those sanctuaries of theirs, and in the images themselves, there dwelt no one—no demon uttering oracles, no god predicting the future, as they had previously persuaded themselves; ^B nay, not even an obscure or shadowy specter. And for this reason, any cavern, however obscure, and all the most hidden recesses, stood easily open to those who had been sent by the Emperor; indeed, the very sanctuaries and places previously inaccessible, and the inner chambers of the temples themselves, were trodden by the footprints of soldiers. From this, the blindness of mind which had long since enveloped all the Gentiles was detected and exposed to the eyes of all. ^C

CHAPTER LVIII. How, having destroyed the temple of Venus at Heliopolis, he was the first to build a church there.

And these things may justly be reckoned among the glorious deeds of the Emperor, just as those which he decreed specifically for each province; such as, for instance, what we witnessed being done by him in the city of Heliopolis in Phoenicia. In that city, the Gentiles, who would honor their obscene lust with the name of the goddess Venus, had granted their wives and daughters license to commit fornication with impunity. But now a new and sober law from the Emperor went forth, forbidding anyone from daring to do any of the things habitual in the past; ^D and he, indeed, is what I prefer.

^A For he again presented written teachings, as though he had been primarily sent for this very same purpose by God, in order to instruct all men in the laws of temperance. Therefore, he did not disdain to address them also through his own writing, exhorting them to hasten toward the knowledge of the Better One. And here, too, he matched his deeds to his words, constructing in their midst a vast prayer-house ^B and church, so that what had never been heard of throughout the ages might now, for the first time, reach completion; and the city of those given to superstition was deemed worthy of a church of God and of presbyters and deacons, and a bishop consecrated to the God over all was established to preside over those there. The Emperor, meanwhile, providing for how more might draw near to the Word, supplied in abundance everything for the relief of the poor, and by this means encouraged them to hasten toward the saving teaching, saying almost the same things as the one who said: "Whether by pretext or in truth, let Christ be proclaimed."

CHAPTER LIX.

Concerning the disturbance in Antioch over Eustathius.

But while all were living their lives in joy because of these things, and the Church of God was being exalted everywhere in every way and among all nations, again the envy that lies in wait for good things, ^C inflamed by such prosperity, began to rise up against such happiness of ours, surmising that the Emperor might perhaps also become alienated from us, having been irritated by our disturbances and disorder. So, having kindled a great fire, it filled the Church of the Antiochenes with tragic calamities, to such an extent that the whole city was nearly overturned from its foundations; for the people of the Church were divided into two parts, and the rest of the city, along with the magistrates and soldiers, was so stirred up in the manner of enemies that they were ready to resort to swords, had not some divine providence, and the fear of the Emperor, restrained ^D the passions of the multitude.

^A Again, the Emperor’s forbearance, like that of the Savior and Physician of souls, applied the remedies of words to those who were sick. He sent an embassy to the peoples in a more gentle manner, having dispatched his most faithful man, one of those whom he held in high regard among his own retinue and who was honored with the rank of Count. He exhorted them in successive letters to set their minds on peace, and taught them how to act in a manner befitting the fear of God. He persuaded them and offered his defense in the letters he wrote to them, as he had heard the author of the discord himself. ^B And these letters of his, full of no ordinary instruction and utility, I would have set before you at the present time, had they not brought reproach upon those who were accused. Wherefore I shall omit them, having decided not to renew the memory of evils, and shall attach to this narrative only those which he wrote, rejoicing and giving thanks for the peace and concord of others, in which he exhorted them not to claim as their own the prelate of another place by whose intervention they had made peace among themselves, but rather to choose as bishop, according to the rite of the Church, him whom the common Savior of all would designate. He writes these things that follow to both the people and the bishops, in various ways.

CHAPTER LX. Constantinus’ letter to the people of Antioch, not to take away Eusebius of Caesarea, but to seek another.

CHAPTER LX. Constantinus’ letter to the people of Antioch, not to entice Eusebius of Caesarea away, but to seek another.

• Victor Constantinus Maximus, Augustus, to the people of Antioch.

• How grateful and how pleasant is your concord to all the prudent and wise men of this age. I, certainly, brothers, have resolved to cherish you with immortal friendship, being ^D encouraged by your resolution regarding the fear of God.

(76) By the "author of the sedition," he means the bishop of Antioch, as appears from the title of the chapter. When the Eusebians, by fraud and calumny, had cast him from his see, a great tumult arose at Antioch. This happened in the year of Christ 529, as is manifestly gathered from Philostorgius, book II, or 330, as Theodoret seems to assert in book II, chapter 31. For he writes that Meletius was transferred to the see of Antioch thirty years after the abdication of Eustathius. Moreover, it is established that Meletius was transferred to Antioch in the year of Christ 360. Wherefore I cannot agree with the most illustrious Cardinal Baronius, who, ever hostile to our Eusebius, while refusing to follow his narrative, has confounded everything. For he says this tumult at Antioch occurred in the year of our Lord 324, that is, the year immediately preceding the Nicene Council: at the time when Eustathius was created bishop of Antioch; whereas Socrates, Sozomen, and Theodoret testify that this tumult occurred at the deposition of Eustathius himself. But Baronius contends, with arguments which he indeed thinks most certain, that Eustathius was cast from the Antiochene see not under the Emperor Constantine, but under Constantius. Let us see, therefore, by what arguments he attempts to prove this. First, he brings forward a passage from Athanasius from the *Epistle to the Solitaries*, at the beginning: "There was," he says, "a certain Eustathius, bishop of Antioch, a man famed for his confession, etc., whom men of the Arian opinion so accused among the courtiers with a feigned calumny, as if he had been insulting toward the mother of the prince." But I affirm that "Constantine" should be written in this passage of Athanasius instead of "Constantius." This emendation is confirmed by those things which are immediately subjoined about the emperor's mother. For he understands Helena, who had arrived in the East about this time. For these things cannot be understood at all as regarding Fausta, who was killed nearly twenty years before, if we follow Baronius. But the passage of Jerome from the book *On Ecclesiastical Writers* does little for Baronius, since in ancient editions, and thus in the Lyons edition which I have with me, it is written explicitly: "He was sent into exile under the Emperor Constantine." Wherefore I would rather follow Eusebius here than Baronius. Nor indeed do I see why such great disturbances could have occurred at the creation of Eustathius, of which mention is made in the letter of the Emperor Constantine, so that a Count had to be sent to suppress them, and so many letters had to be written by the emperor. Add that Constantine says in the letter that he had heard in person him who had been the author of the entire sedition, Eustathius namely, whom, having ordered to come to the court, he relegated to Thrace. And this is the first crime of the Arians that Athanasius recounts in the letter mentioned above, which is to be noted. For that was done before the council gathered at Tyre against Athanasius, that is, before the year of our Lord 334. Rightly, therefore, does Athanasius begin his history of the Arian outrages against the Catholic Church from the deposition of Eustathius, as from the first crime of the Arians: which, having succeeded according to their own purpose, they thought the rest would thenceforth be smooth and easy for them. Furthermore, the opinion of Baronius is refuted both by those things which I have said above, and by the fact that Flaccillus, who succeeded Eustathius after Paulinus and Eulalius, is recorded by Athanasius in his *Apology to the Emperor Constantius* among the bishops who attended the Tyrian synod, as the learned Jacob Gothofredus rightly observed in his dissertations on the book of Philostorgius.

(77) *εὐθυμούμενος*. One should read *εὐθυμούμενος*, as Christopher seems to have read.

together with the law and the life, and your own pursuits. This, then, is truly rightly to reap good things: to use a right and healthy understanding. For what could be more fitting for you? I would not, therefore, ^A wonder if I were to say that the truth of salvation is for you a cause of prosperity rather than of resentment. For among brethren, whom one and the same journey upon a straight and just path commends to God, to enroll them into a pure and holy home—what could be more honorable ^B than to be of one mind regarding the good of all? Especially where your intent ^C is led by the instruction of the law unto a better correction, and we therefore desire our own judgment to be confirmed by good principles. Perhaps this seems wonderful to you, as to what on earth the prelude of my discourse might intend. I shall not, indeed, refuse, nor shall I deny, to state the cause. For I confess to have read the records, in which, amidst brilliant praises and testimonials toward Eusebius, who is bishop of the Caesareans—whom I myself also have long known well for the sake of his learning and gentleness—I saw you fixating upon him and claiming him for yourselves. What, then, do you think occurred to my mind, striving as I was for an accurate inquiry into what is better? And what anxiety did I conceive from your zeal? O holy faith, which through the words and maxims of our Savior dost present to us an image, as it were, of life, how painfully ^D even thou wouldst resist those committing errors, didst thou not altogether refuse to serve for the sake of gain and favor. To me, indeed, it seems that he has won the victory itself who seeks peace the more. For where it is permitted that that which is honorable exist, no one would be found who does not take the greatest delight in it. I ask, therefore, brethren: for what sake do we thus judge, so that we choose to inflict injury upon others through the things we prefer? For what sake do we draw these things upon ourselves, which will destroy the faith of our reputation? I for my part...

^A indeed highly praise the man whom you deem worthy of honor and benevolence. Yet it is not right that what ought to have remained fixed and firm for each individual should be so far weakened that they are not content with their own judgments and that all do not enjoy their domestic blessings; nor that, in seeking out those who are equally worthy of the episcopate, not only one or another, but many who are Eusebius's peers should not be brought forward. For since bitterness and violence bring no trouble to ecclesiastical honors, all are equal among themselves and are to be held in equal esteem. Nor would it be reasonable that an inquiry of this kind should be made to the injury of others, seeing that the minds of all, whether they be of lower or higher standing, equally receive and guard divine decrees; so that others, in what pertains to the common law, are in no wise inferior to the rest. But if we wish to speak the truth openly, one might rightly say that this is not to retain a man, but to drag him away, and that this action is a work of violence rather than of justice. And whether the multitude feels this way or otherwise, I for my part clearly and boldly affirm that this matter provides a cause for accusations and stirs up a tempest of great tumult. For even sheep show the force and strength of their teeth whenever, through the pastor's care and concern slipping for the worse, they see themselves deprived of their former guidance. ^B If these things are so, and we are not deceived in our opinion, consider this first of all, brothers (for many and very great benefits will be born to you from the very beginning): whether your sincere charity and love among yourselves is going to suffer any detriment. Then, weigh carefully that the man who came to you for the sake of good counsel receives the fruit of honor due to him from divine judgment; since he has been affected by no ordinary favor, inasmuch as you have brought forth such a vote of kindness concerning him. In addition to these points, since it is a good judgment ^C of your own custom, bring forward the appropriate diligence in seeking a man who is worthy...

^A of your needs, while keeping far away all seditious and immodest clamor. For clamors of this kind are always unjust, and from the collision of various men among themselves, sparks and flames are wont to be ignited. So may I please God and you, and so may I live according to your prayers—as I love you, and as I love the harbor of your gentleness, from which, having cast out that filth, you have brought back harmony with honorable character, establishing a firm sign and running a heavenly course toward the light, with iron rudders, so to speak. Therefore, also carry an incorruptible cargo; for everything that damages the ship has been drained off, as if from the bilge. ^B Therefore, now take care that your enjoyment of all these things is such that we may not seem, through an ill-advised and unprofitable zeal, to have established anything at all, or to have attempted from the beginning what is not expedient. May God preserve you, beloved brothers. »

CHAPTER LXI.

Constantinus to Eusebius, praising him for having declined the See of Antioch.

^A and perceived what has been preserved. To persist, therefore, in those things which are acceptable to God and appear consistent with the apostolic tradition is a holy thing. Consider yourself blessed in this very matter, as you have been deemed worthy, by the testimony of, so to speak, the entire world, to be bishop of the whole Church. For if all men desire you to be with them, they are undoubtedly increasing this happiness of yours. But your wisdom, being minded to keep the commandments of God and the apostolic canon and that of the Church, has done exceedingly well in declining the bishopric of the Church at Antioch and in being eager to remain in that see to which, by the will of God, you were first called to the episcopate. Concerning this, I have written a letter to the people and to the other fellow-ministers, who themselves had also written to me regarding these matters. When your holiness has read these, you will easily perceive that, because justice seemed to speak against them, I wrote to them under the impulse of the divine. In their counsel, it will also be necessary for your wisdom to be present, so that this may be established for the Church of the Antiochenes. May God protect you, beloved brother. »

CHAPTER LXII

Constantine’s letter to the synod, that Eusebius should not be drawn away from Caesarea.

• Victor Constantinus Maximus Augustus, to Theodotus, ^C Theodorus, Narcissus, Aetius, Alpheus, and to the remaining bishops who are in Antioch.

• I have read the letter written by your wisdom, and I have welcomed the prudent proposal of Eusebius, who has been ordained along with you. And having recognized all that has been done—both by your letters and by the letters of those most distinguished men, the counts Acacius and Strategius—and having accurately weighed the matter as was fitting, I have written to the people of the Antiochenes what was acceptable to God and appropriate for the Church; and I have ordered a copy of the letter to be attached to these present letters, so that you yourselves may also know what I have written, having been prompted by the reason of justice.

For since your ^A letters contained this, that according to the judgment and will of the people and your own prudence, Eusebius, most holy bishop of the Church of Caesarea, should preside over the Church of Antioch and take upon himself the care of it; and since the letters of Eusebius himself seemed to observe the Church’s rule most particularly, it was fitting that my opinion also should be made manifest to your prudence. For it has been reported to me that Euphronius the presbyter, a citizen of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and Georgius, a citizen of the Arethusians, likewise a presbyter—whom Alexander promoted to this order in the city of Alexandria—are men most approved in the doctrine of the faith. It has seemed good, therefore, to signify to your prudence that you should bring forward these men, and others also whom you may judge worthy of the office of the episcopate, and decree those things which are in accordance with the tradition of the apostles. For when such men have been prepared, your prudence will be able, according to the rule of the Church and the apostolic tradition, so to order the ordination, as ^B the word of ecclesiastical instruction may guide you. May God preserve you, beloved brothers.

CHAPTER LXIII.

How he strove to cut off heresies.

to do, exhorting them to act for the advancement of the divine religion. When he had removed the dissensions ^A from the midst and had restored the Church of God to harmony and a unanimous consensus of doctrine, he proceeded to address another class of impious men, whom he deemed ought to be abolished as a pestilential poison to the human race. These were certain pernicious men who under a false appearance of modesty and gravity were laying waste to cities. The Savior elsewhere calls these pseudo-prophets and ravening wolves in these words: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing; but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits." Accordingly, an order having been sent to the governors of the provinces, he drove out and put to flight this class of men. But beyond the law itself, the Emperor also directed a salutary admonition to them by name, exhorting them to repent as soon as possible, for the Church of God would be to them a harbor of salvation. Hear, therefore, how he discoursed to them in his letter to them.

CHAPTER LXIV. Constantine’s edict against the heretics.

Victor Constantinus Maximus Augustus, to the heretics.

^B Recognize now by the benefit of this law, O Novatians, Valentinians, Marcionites, Paulians, and those to whom the name of Cataphrygians is given, and finally all you who construct and fill up heresies with your private meetings, to how many lies the vanity of your opinion is entangled, and with how many pernicious poisons your doctrine is imbued: so that through you, a most grievous disease is brought upon those who are healthy, and perpetual death upon the living. O enemies of the truth, foes of life, counselors of destruction! Everything among you is contrary to the truth, consistent with the most base crimes, filled with absurdities and fictions: by which you construct falsehoods, while you oppress the innocent and deny the light to those who believe. Under the pretext of divinity you are continually sinning, you pollute everything; you wound with lethal blows the pure and unstained consciences of men, and you intercept, so to speak, the very day from the eyes of mortals. And what need is there to recount each thing in detail, when neither the brevity of time ^C nor the magnitude of our occupations allow us to speak as your crimes deserve? For your wickednesses are so grave and immense; so foul and abounding in every atrocity, that not even a whole day is sufficient for their explanation. And otherwise, it is fitting to turn away one’s ears and eyes from such things, lest the pure and sincere alacrity of our faith be violated by a particular exposition of them. What is it, therefore, that we should tolerate such evils any longer? Especially since long-lasting ^D patience brings it about that these [people]...

[Regarding the Catholic priests who had kept themselves pure from the schism of Meletius, I found it thus written as Scaliger, Christophorson, and others have found in their books.]

^A And those who are sound and healthy are infected by this as if by a pestilential disease. Why, therefore, do we not immediately cut out the roots of such wickedness by public intervention?

CHAPTER LXV. On the removal of the conventicles of the heretics.

Therefore, since this ruinous plague of your wickedness can no longer be borne, we decree by this present law that none of you shall henceforth presume to hold assemblies. And for this reason, we have ordered that all places in which you hold such meetings be taken away; and our imperial solicitude extends so far that we decree that your superstitious faction shall not congregate in public, nor even in private houses or in any places of private jurisdiction. ^B Therefore, that which is far more honorable and excellent: let as many of you as are studious of the true and sincere religion approach the Catholic Church and share in its holiness, by the aid of which you will be able to arrive at the truth. Let the fraudulent deception of your perverse mind, that is, the criminal and destructive discord of the heretics and schismatics, be entirely removed from the happiness of our times. For it is worthy of the prosperity 522 of the times, which we enjoy by divine favor, that those who live with good hope and confidence should be led from every disordered error to the straight path, from darkness to light, and finally from death to life. ^C And so that the power and efficacy of this remedy may be necessary, we have commanded, as has been said before, that all the meeting-houses of your superstition—I mean the oratories of all the heretics, if they deserve to be called oratories—be taken away from you without any contradiction and delivered to the Catholic Church without any delay; and that the remaining places be adjudicated to the public, and that not even one opportunity to assemble be left to you henceforth. So that from the present day, in no place whatsoever, whether public or private, may your illicit gatherings dare to assemble. Let it be proclaimed.

CHAPTER LXVI. How, upon the discovery of impious books among the heretics, many of them returned to the Catholic Church.

In this way, then, the dens of the heretics ^D were [dealt with] by imperial [order], as can be proven by very many examples.

and the beasts themselves, I mean the ringleaders of their impiety, were put to flight. Of those who had been deceived by them, some, with a feigned disposition and through fear of imperial threats, crept into the Church, dissembling for the time being. But because the law dictated that the men's books also be searched, those who were practicing forbidden arts were discovered at that time; wherefore they did everything, securing salvation through hypocrisy. Others, perhaps with a more sincere judgment, turned to the hope of better things. The leaders of the churches, making their discernment of these people with care, sent away those attempting to enter with pretense—who were hiding themselves far off, as it were, in sheep's clothing—but those who were acting with a pure heart, testing them over time, after sufficient trial they enrolled among the multitude of those being brought in. ^B This, then, was done regarding the infamous heretics; but those who brought with them nothing impious in the teaching of dogmas, but stood apart for other reasons—the cause of members of the common assembly of schismatics—they received without delay. These, coming back in flocks as if from abroad, recovered their own fatherland and recognized their mother, the Church, from which they had been led astray, and after a long time they were making their return to her with joy and gladness; the members of the common body were unified, and were joined together in one harmony, and the only Catholic Church of God, gathered into itself, shone, with no heretical or schismatic school left anywhere on earth; and for this great achievement alone, the king, who was cared for by God, was recorded as the sole author of all who have ever existed. ^C

THE CHAPTERS OF THE FOURTH BOOK

^A 1. How he bestowed gifts and promotions upon the majority. 2. Forgiveness of the fourth part of the taxes. 3. Equalizations for those burdened by taxes. 4. That he himself paid out of his own funds for those who had been defeated in financial litigation. 5. The subjection of the Scythians—they were conquered through the sign of the cross of our Saviour. 6. The subjection of the Sauromatae, following a revolt of the slaves. 7. Embassies from various barbarians, and gifts from him. 8. That he also wrote concerning the Christians there to the king of the Persians, who had sent an embassy. 9. Constantine Augustus to Sapor, king of the Persians, expressing in a most devout manner his faith in God and Christ. 10. Concerning opposition to idols, and thanksgiving to God. 11. Concerning opposition to tyrants and persecutors, and concerning Valerian, who was taken captive. 12. That he observed the falls of the persecutors, but now rejoiced because of the peace of the Christians. 13. Exhortations that those around him should love the Christians. 14. Concerning the prayers of Constantine. 15. That he depicted himself praying, both on coins and in paintings. 16. That he prohibited by law the placing of his images in idol temples. 17. Prayers in the palace, and readings of the divine Scriptures. 18. Legislation to honor the Lord’s Day and Friday. 19. How he ordered even the pagan soldiers to pray on the Lord’s Day. ^B 20. The form of prayer given to the soldiers by Constantine. 21. The signs of the cross of the Saviour on the soldiers’ weaponry. 22. Devotion to prayer, and honor for the feast of Easter. 23. How he prohibited idolatry, but honored martyrs and festivals. 24. That he declared himself, as it were, a bishop of external affairs. 25. Concerning the prohibition of sacrifices and rites, and gladiatorial combat, and the unrestrained practices of the Nile of old. 26. The correction of the law concerning the childless, and likewise the correction regarding wills. 27. That he ordained that a Christian should not serve Jews, and that the definitions of synods should be considered valid, and other matters. 28. Gifts to churches, and distributions to virgins and the poor. 524 29. Discourses and public addresses by Constantine. ^C 30. That he showed the standard of a monument to those who were greedy, in order to shame them. 31. That he was mocked for his excessive philanthropy. 32. Concerning the writing that Constantine addressed to the assembly of the saints. 33. How he stood and listened to the demonstrations of Eusebius concerning the Saviour’s monument. 34. That he wrote to Eusebius regarding the holy books. 35. Constantine to Eusebius, praising his discourse on the Passover. 36. Constantine to Eusebius regarding the construction of divine books. 37. How the books were prepared. 38. How the emporium of the Gazaeans was made a city because of Christianity and named Constantia. 39. That in other cities there was a destruction of idols, but a construction of churches. 40. That in three decades he proclaimed his three sons as Emperors and set the dedication of the Martyrium at Jerusalem. 41. That he ordered a synod to be held at Tyre in the meantime because of the questions concerning Egypt. 42. Constantine to the synod at Tyre. ^D 43. That for the dedication of the monument in Jerusalem, there were bishops from every province for the feast. 44. Concerning the reception of them by Marianus the notary, and the distribution to the poor, and the offerings to the Church. 45. The various sermons of the bishops in the assemblies, and of Eusebius who wrote these things. 46. That he also styled the description of the Saviour’s monument and the thirty-year anniversary address as being, later on, those of Constantine himself. 47. That the synod at Nicaea occurred at the twenty-year anniversary; but the dedication at Jerusalem at the thirty-year anniversary of Constantine. 48. How Constantine would not bear with someone who praised him excessively. 49. The marriage of his son, Constantius Caesar. 50. Embassy and gifts from the Indians. 51. How Constantine, having divided the empire among his three sons, regulated the imperial affairs with piety. 52. How he brought them up to piety when they were grown. 53. That having reigned about thirty-two years, and having lived over sixty years, he remained sound in body. 54. Concerning those who abused his excessive philanthropy for the sake of greed and hypocrisy. 55. How Constantine occupied himself with composition until his death. 56. How, setting out against the Persians, he took bishops with him, and a tent in the form of a church. 57. How, having received the Persian embassies, he kept vigil with the others on the feast of Easter. 58. Concerning the construction of the monument called that of the Apostles in Constantinople. 59. A further description of the same monument. 60. That in this place he also built a monument for his own burial. 61. Illness of body at Helenopolis, and prayers concerning baptism. 62. Constantine’s exhortation to the bishops regarding the reception of the washing. 63. How, having received the washing, he praised God. 525 64. Constantine’s death on the feast of Pentecost, at midday. 65. The lamentations of the soldiers and the commanders.

66. The transfer of the body from Nicomedia to Constantinople, into the palace. 67. How, even after his death, he was honored by the counts and others, just as he had been while he was alive. 68. How the army judged that his sons should henceforth be the Augusti. 69. The mourning of Rome for Constantine; and the honor shown him after death through images. 70. The interment of the body by his son Constantius in Constantinople. 71. The assembly in the so-called Martyrium of the Apostles at the death of Constantine. 72. Concerning the fabled phoenix. 73. How they inscribed Constantine upon coins as ascending into heaven. 74. That God, having been honored by him, justly honored him in return. 75. That Constantine was more pious than the Roman emperors who preceded him.

CHAPTERS OF THE FOURTH BOOK

^A I. In what way he honored many with gifts and promotions. II. The remission of the fourth part of the tribute. III. The equalization and relief of the tribute. IV. How in monetary causes he would pay from his own wealth for those who had lost their case. V. The subduing of the Scythians through the sign of the cross. VI. The subduing of the Sarmatians, when the slaves had rebelled against their masters. VII. The embassies of various barbarians, and the gifts bestowed upon them by the emperor. VIII. That he wrote to the king of the Persians, who had sent envoys to him, on behalf of the Christians living there. IX. Constantine’s letter to Sapor, king of the Persians, in which he confesses God and Christ with the highest piety. X. Against idols, and concerning the glorification of God. XI. Against tyrants and persecutors, and concerning the captivity of Valerian. XII. How he mocked the ruin of the persecutors, and rejoiced that there was now peace for the Christians. XIII. An exhortation that he should embrace the Christians living in Persia. XIV. How through Constantine’s constant prayers peace was given to the Christians. XV. That he ordered himself to be depicted on coins and in images in the attitude of one praying. XVI. That he prohibited, by a law enacted, his images from being placed in the temples of idols. XVII. Prayers in the palace, and the reading of the Holy Scriptures. XVIII. That he commanded the Lord’s day and the sixth day of the week to be honored. XIX. How he also taught the gentile soldiers to pray on the Lord’s days. XX. The form of prayer delivered by Constantine to the soldiers. XXI. He orders the sign of the Lord’s cross to be imprinted on the arms of the soldiers. XXII. His zeal for prayer and the observance of the Easter festival. XXIII. How he prohibited the worship of idols, but honored the festivals of the martyrs. XXIV. That he said he had been appointed by God as a sort of bishop over external matters. ^B XXV. Concerning the prohibition of sacrifices and initiations, and the abolition of gladiatorial games and the impure priests of the Nile. XXVI. Correction of the law against the childless, and of the law concerning wills. XXVII. That he passed a law that Jews should not have Christian slaves, and that the decrees of the councils should be valid, and other things. XXVIII. Gifts bestowed upon the churches, and money distributed to the virgins and the poor. XXIX. Constantine’s night vigils and his declamations. XXX. That he sketched the dimensions of a tomb for a certain miser, to instill shame in him. XXXI. That he was mocked for his excessive clemency. XXXII. Concerning the discourse which Constantine wrote to the assembly of the saints. XXXIII. How he stood and listened to Eusebius’s panegyric orations concerning the Savior’s sepulcher. XXXIV. That he wrote to Eusebius concerning Easter and the sacred codices. XXXV. A letter of Constantine to Eusebius, in which he praises the oration on Easter. XXXVI. Constantine’s letter to Eusebius concerning the preparation of sacred codices. XXXVII. How the codices were finished. XXXVIII. How the emporium of the Gazaeans, on account of their Christianity, was made a city and named Constantia. XXXIX. That in Phoenicia a city was made Constantina, and in other cities idols were torn down and churches built. XL. That having created his three sons Caesars upon his tricentennial, he celebrated the dedication of the Martyrium in Jerusalem. XLI. That meanwhile he decided that a synod should be held at Tyre on account of certain controversies in Egypt. ^C XLII. Constantine’s letter to the synod gathered at Tyre. XLIII. How bishops from all provinces gathered for the dedication of the church in Jerusalem. XLIV. How they were received by Marianus the notary, and money was distributed to the poor, and concerning the gifts to the church. XLV. The sermons of the bishops in the assemblies, and of Eusebius himself, who wrote these things. XLVI. That he afterward recited the description of the Martyrium and the oration on his tricennalia in the presence of the emperor himself. XLVII. That the Nicene synod occurred during Constantine’s vicennalia, but the dedication of the Jerusalem basilica occurred during his tricennalia. XLVIII. How he bore with difficulty the excessive praises of a certain man. XLIX. The marriage of Constantius Caesar, his son. L. An embassy and gifts sent by the Indians. LI. How Constantine, having divided the empire among his three sons, instructed them in the art of reigning and in the duties of piety. LII. How he taught them piety once they had entered into manhood. LIII. That though he reigned for thirty-two years and lived for more than sixty, he was always in perfect health. LIV. Concerning those who abused his extraordinary humanity for greed and the simulation of piety. LV. How he wrote prayers until the last day of his life. LVI. How, setting out for the Persian war, he took bishops with him and prepared a tent in the form of a church. ^D LVII. How, having received the Persian envoys, he spent the night of the Lord’s day on the feast of Easter with them. LVIII. Concerning the construction of the Martyrium of the Apostles in Constantinople. LIX. A description of the same Martyrium. LX. That he built a tomb for himself in that temple as well. LXI. The emperor’s illness and prayers at Helenopolis; likewise concerning his baptism.

LXII. By what words Constantine requested the bishops to confer baptism upon him. LXIII. How he praised God after baptism. LXIV. The death of Constantine on the feast of Pentecost about midday. LXV. The lamentation of the soldiers and tribunes. LXVI. How the funeral was conveyed from Nicomedia to Constantinople to the palace. LXVII. How, even after his death, he was honored by the counts and the rest just as if he were alive. LXVIII. How, by the judgment of the army, his sons were proclaimed Augusti. ^A LXIX. Rome's mourning for the death of Constantine, and the images decreed for him. LXX. How the funeral was deposited in Constantinople by Constantius. LXXI. Mass celebrated at the martyrium of the apostles at the funeral of Constantine. LXXII. Concerning the Phoenix bird. LXXIII. How, on coins, they represented Constantine as ascending into heaven. LXXIV. That, having worshipped God, he was deservedly honored by God. LXXV. That he surpassed all previous emperors in piety.

OF EUSEBIUS PAMPHILI: ON THE LIFE OF THE BLESSED EMPEROR CONSTANTINE. BOOK FOUR

CHAPTER I.

How he honored most men with gifts and promotions.

While the emperor was doing so much for the building up and the glory of the Church of God, and carrying out everything with the intention that the teaching of our Savior might be received with the highest praises of all, he by no means neglected civil matters ^B in the meantime. Indeed, in this respect also he never ceased to affect the inhabitants of all the provinces with various and continuous benefits, now showing a certain paternal solicitude publicly toward all, now honoring individuals among his own acquaintances privately with various dignities, and granting all things to all men with a greatness of mind. And it never happened that he who asked for a favor from the emperor missed his mark, nor did anyone who hoped to obtain some good thing from him fall short of what he expected. But some obtained money, others the abundance of estates, ^C others received the offices of prefects.

^A Some were deemed worthy of the first rank of counts, others of the second, others of the third, and myriads of others partook of the most illustrious and many other such titles; for the emperor, in order to honor more people, devised various dignities. Some received senatorial rank, others consular, and more ^B

Chapter II. The remission of the fourth part of the taxes.

How greatly he strove to ensure a cheerful and tranquil life for the entire human race may be perceived from this one example, which is especially useful to human life, generally beneficial to all, and is still celebrated even now in the common speech of all. From the annual tributes which were contributed in the name of the land, he deducted a fourth part and bestowed it upon the owners of the fields; so that if you calculate the logic of this annual deduction, it results that every fourth year the masters of the produce were exempt from the tax levy. This, having been ratified by law and confirmed for the future, provided a lasting and eternal royal favor, not only for those present but also for their children and their descendants, never to be erased by oblivion. ^C

Chapter III. The equalization and relief of taxes.

But since others complained of the land surveys and assessments made by previous rulers, and lamented that their fields were too heavily burdened, this prince also, obeying the laws of justice, sent out equalizers who might ward off the damage from the petitioners. ^D

Chapter IV. How in pecuniary cases he bestowed gifts from his own purse upon those who had lost their suit.

Furthermore, as often as he had pronounced judgment between two litigants—lest by chance he who had lost the case should depart sorrowful—

^A he would bestow upon the vanquished gifts from his own private wealth, now estates, now money, causing the man who had lost the suit to be just as glad as he who had won it, as being worthy of the sight of himself. For he deemed it not right that any man who had stood before so great an emperor should depart downcast and grieving. Thus, therefore, both men would return from the judgment with bright and smiling faces, and the greatness of the emperor’s mind was an object of admiration to all.

CHAPTER V.

The subjection of the Scythians, defeated through the sign of our Savior.

What need is there for me to mention here, as if in passing, how he brought the barbarian tribes under the Roman sway? How he was the first to bring under the yoke ^B the Scythian and Sarmatian nations, which had never before learned to serve, compelling them to acknowledge the Romans as their masters, even against their will? For the rulers who preceded him were accustomed to pay tax to the Scythians, and the Romans were actually serving the barbarians by paying them an annual tribute. But this state of affairs was not endurable to the emperor, nor did he deem it honorable for a victor to offer the same things that former emperors had paid. Relying, therefore, upon his Savior, and raising up against them the victorious ^C trophy, he subdued them all within a short time, tempering such of them as were rebellious with military force, and taming the rest with prudent embassies, translating them from a wild and beast-like life to a rational and lawful one. In this way, then, the Scythians at last learned to obey the Romans.

CHAPTER VI.

The Sarmatians subdued, when their slaves had rebelled against their masters.

God himself brought the Sarmatians to the feet of Constantine, and he subdued these men, who were puffed up with barbarian pride, in this way. For when the Scythians had made war upon them, ^D the masters armed their own servants to resist the enemy. But after the servants had won a victory over the enemy, they began to turn their weapons against their own masters, [all]

all of whom they drove from their ancestral lands. But they found no other harbor of safety than Constantine alone. Since he was accustomed to saving men, he received them all into the territory of the Romans, and enrolled the capable men into his own armies, while for the others, for the sake of the necessities of life, he distributed land for cultivation; so that they admitted that their misfortune had turned out for their benefit, as they enjoyed Roman liberty instead of barbarian bestiality. In this way did God bring many different barbarian tribes under his empire.

Chapter VII. Embassies of various barbarians, and gifts bestowed by him.

For ambassadors were continually approaching him from every quarter, bringing with them the most precious gifts to be found among their own peoples; to such an extent that we ourselves have sometimes seen, before the palace ^B gates, various forms and appearances of barbarians standing in order: their dress and adornment were different, their hair and beards were quite unlike, their aspect was grim and barbarian, striking terror; their bodies were of enormous height; and the complexions of some were ruddy, while others were whiter than snow, and in others there was a middle temperament of color. For even the tribes of the Blemmyes, and Indians, and Ethiopians, who, as Homer says, are divided in two and live at the ends of the earth, were to be seen among those barbarians whom I have mentioned. Each of them, just as we are accustomed to see in paintings, brought separately to the emperor those things that were held in high value among themselves. ^C Some brought golden crowns, others diadems interwoven with precious stones, others boys distinguished by their blond hair; some brought barbarian garments interwoven with gold and flowers, while others brought horses, or shields, and long spears, and arrows, and bows, making it known by these gifts that they offered their obedience and alliance in arms to the emperor, if he were so willing. And he, receiving and setting aside the offerings from each, would in return give them so many and such great gifts, that in a moment of time he rendered those who had brought the gifts most wealthy. And he even honored the noblest among them with Roman dignities, ^D so that most of them, forgetting their return to their homeland, chose to remain here among us.

CHAPTER VIII

Now when the King of the Persians also sought to become known to Constantine through an embassy, and sent symbols of peaceful treaties and gifts, he was acting to initiate a pact with him. The Emperor, employing an excellent greatness of mind, surpassed in the magnificence of his counter-gifts the one who had first honored him. And having learned that the Churches of God were numerous among the Persian people, and that countless multitudes of peoples were being gathered into the flocks of Christ, he rejoiced at hearing this; and, as a common guardian of all those dwelling everywhere, he again brought to bear his providence for the sake of all of them here as well.

CHAPTER IX

Copy of the letter to the King of the Persians.

I, guarding the divine faith, partake of the light of truth; and guided by the light of truth, I recognize the divine faith. Therefore, as things confirm these truths, I acknowledge the most holy religion, and I profess this worship to be the teacher of the knowledge of the holy God. Having the power of this God as my ally, beginning from the ends of the Ocean, I have raised up the whole inhabited world in succession to a firm hope of salvation, so that all things that had been enslaved under so many tyrants and had yielded to daily calamities had faded away; these, by a change for the better through me, have been restored. I profess to honor this God with immortal memory, and I greatly rejoice that He exists in the highest, with a pure and clean mind.

CHAPTER X

I call upon Him, bending my knee, fleeing from all abominable blood, and unpleasant or detestable odors, and shunning every earthy radiance; these things ^D I reject.

^A For the lawless and unspeakable error, creeping in and causing destruction, cast down many of the nations, handing them over to the nethermost regions. For God, the Lord of all, out of His own love for humanity, brought forth into the light for the common use of mankind those things which He provided by His providence; He by no means suffers these to be dragged toward the pleasure of each individual, but demands from men a pure mind and a soul unstained, weighing the deeds of virtue and piety in this balance. For He takes pleasure in works of gentleness and meekness; He loves the mild, hates the turbulent, loves faith, and punishes unbelief. He shatters every dominion joined with arrogance and avenges the insolence of the proud. He uproots from their foundations those lifted up by vanity, bestowing due honor upon the humble and the long-suffering. Thus, also holding a just kingdom in high regard, He strengthens it with help from Himself, and preserves royal wisdom in the serenity of peace.

532 CHAPTER XI.

Against tyrants and persecutors, and concerning the captivity of Valerian.

^B It does not seem to me that I am mistaken, my brother, in confessing this one God as the author and father of all; whom many of those who have held imperial power among us, driven by insane error, have indeed attempted to deny. But such an end as this, like an avenger, has consumed them all, so that now the entire human race proposes the calamities of those princes as an example to those who might desire to imitate them. I consider one of them to have been he whom divine vengeance ^C cast down, destroying many of the nations.

[Note omitted: commentary on the reading of the text]

[Regarding the ritual of the mysteries]: ^B The suffering of the passion is like what those who are initiated in the great mysteries undergo; therefore, phrase for phrase, and deed for deed, the end and the initiation are similar: wanderings, the first and tiresome runnings to and fro, and certain suspect, unfinished journeyings through darkness: then, before the end itself, all the terrible things: trembling and horror, and sweat and amazement. But from out of this, a wondrous light met them, or pure places and meadows received them, having sounds and dances and the dignity of holy utterances and holy visions; ^D among which the one who is now perfect and initiated, having become free and walking about uncontrolled, crowned, holds an orgy, the end being an initiation.

[Note omitted: explanation of the Greek terms]

CHAPTER XI.

That against tyrants and persecutors, and concerning Valerian who was taken captive.

^B It does not seem to me that I am mistaken, my brother, in confessing this one God as the author and father of all; whom many of those who have reigned here, being led astray by maniacal errors, have attempted to deny. But a punishment of such a kind consumed them all, that the entire human race now sets forth the calamities of those ^C as an example for those among them who might zealously desire to imitate the same. I consider one of those to have been he whom, like a thunderbolt, divine vengeance...

[Note: explanation of the textual variations omitted]

drove out from our regions and transported to your lands, for he has indeed established that trophy so boasted of by you through his own disgrace and ignominy. ^A

CHAPTER XII

That he saw the ruin of the persecutors, and that he rejoices at the peace of the Christians.

For it seems a fortunate circumstance that in our own age also, men of this kind have so clearly paid the penalty. For I myself was a spectator of the end of those who, with most iniquitous commands, had lately harassed the people dedicated to God. Therefore, I render the greatest thanks to God, by whose singular providence all mortals who observe the divine law, now that peace has been restored to them, rejoice and exult. From this I am fully persuaded that all things are in the most excellent and safest state, since God deigns to gather all men unto Himself through the pure and sincere religion of those people and through their concordant sentiment regarding the divine Name. ^B

CHAPTER XIII

An exhortation to treat the Christians in Persia with benevolence.

With what pleasure, moreover, do you suppose I am affected when I hear that which is most in my prayers, namely, that the noblest places of Persia are decorated far and wide by a multitude of these men—the Christians, that is (for of these I now speak). I pray, therefore, that your affairs may be as flourishing as possible, and that theirs may likewise be as flourishing; that is, as are your affairs, so may theirs be. For in this way you will have the Lord and Parent of all, God, propitious and placated. These men, therefore, since you are such as you are and so great, I commend to you; these same men, because you are also eminent in piety, I entrust to you; these treat with a kindness appropriate to your own philanthropy, for by this you will bestow an immeasurable benefit both upon Him and upon us through this faith. ^C

CHAPTER XIV

How peace was given to the Christians through the assiduous prayers of Constantine.

In such manner, then, when all the nations everywhere in the world were being governed as if by a single pilot, and ^D

no one any longer harassed the Roman Empire, all men lived in a state of peace and calm. The Emperor, judging that the prayers of the pious contributed in large measure to the preservation of all, felt it necessary to secure these for himself. And so he himself became a suppliant to God, and commanded the leaders ^A of the Churches to offer up prayers in his behalf.

Chapter XV. That he commanded himself to be depicted on coins and in images in the posture of one praying.

How great was the power of divine faith firmly rooted in his soul, one might learn even from this one fact: that he commanded himself to be depicted on gold coins with his countenance raised toward heaven and his hands spread out in the manner of one praying. And, indeed, coins of this form traversed the entire Roman world. In the palace itself, moreover, near certain entrances, he was depicted in images placed at the very pinnacle of the vestibule, standing with his eyes fixed upon heaven and his hands spread out ^B in the manner of one praying.

Chapter XVI. That he prohibited by law the placing of his images in the temples of idols.

Thus, then, he displayed himself as a suppliant to God even in painted icons. Furthermore, he forbade by law that his own images be dedicated in the temples of idols, lest through such an error of forbidden superstition or by a hollow outward show, the [sacred] character might be defiled.

Chapter XVII. Prayers in the palace, and the reading of the sacred Scriptures.

Whoever might wish to pay heed to what is far more august than these things will perceive how, within the very ^C imperial palace, he followed the custom of the Church of God, diligently presiding himself over those who were gathered for worship.

Taking the books into his hands, he would direct his mind to the contemplation of the God-inspired oracles, and then, with those who filled the imperial house, he would offer up the established prayers.

CHAPTER XVIII.

That he commanded the Lord’s Day and Friday to be honored.

He further established that the day which is truly the Lord’s, and indeed the first, the day of our Savior, should be regarded as a day appropriate for prayer. ^A He appointed as guardians of his entire house deacons and ministers consecrated to God, men who were adorned with gravity of life and every virtue. Moreover, his trusted protectors and bodyguards, armed with the weapons of loyalty and faith, acknowledged the emperor himself as their teacher in piety, and honored no less than he the day of our Savior and Lord, offering up on those days prayers that are dear to the emperor. The blessed prince likewise urged all men to do the same, as if he had made it a vow to gradually render all humanity pious. ^B For this reason, he advised all those living under the Roman empire to take rest on the days named after our Savior, and likewise to honor the days of the Sabbath, for the sake, as it seems to me, of the memory of those things which were accomplished on those days by the common Savior of all. And since he taught all the military to honor the saving day—which happens to be called the day of light and the sun—with diligence, he granted those who shared in the divine faith leisure so that they might persevere in the Church of God without hindrance, to the end that they might perform their prayers with no one standing in their way. ^C

CHAPTER XIX.

How he also commanded the gentile soldiers to pray on the Lord’s Days.

As for those who had not yet shared in the divine word, ^D

he commanded them by a second law to go forth on the Lord's days onto the open plain, where, at a given signal, they were all together to pour forth to God a prayer which they had previously learned. For he believed they ought not to place their confidence in spears or armor, nor in the strength of their bodies, but should recognize the supreme God as the author of all good things and of victory itself; and that to Him they ought to render solemn prayers, lifting their hands toward heaven, their minds' eyes raised yet higher toward the King of heaven Himself, invoking Him in their petitions as the author of victory, their Savior, guardian, and helper. He himself, moreover, taught all the soldiers the form of this prayer, commanding them all to speak it in the Latin tongue in this manner:

CHAPTER XX. The form of prayer given by Constantine to the soldiers.

"We acknowledge Thee as the only God; we proclaim Thee as our King; we call upon Thee as our helper. It is through Thy gift that we have gained victories; it is through Thee that we have become stronger than our enemies. We offer to Thee our thanks for the blessings past, and from Thee we hope for those to come. To Thee we all make supplication, and we pray that Thou wouldst keep our Emperor Constantine, together with his most pious sons, safe and victorious for us for a very long time." These things he commanded the military divisions to perform on the Lord's day, and he taught them to utter such words as these in their prayers to God.

CHAPTER XXI. He commands the sign of the Lord’s cross to be imprinted upon the soldiers’ arms.

Furthermore, he ordered the sign of the salutary trophy to be imprinted upon the very arms of the soldiers. And he commanded that before the armed body of troops, there should be carried no longer golden standards or images, as was the former custom, but only the trophy of the cross.

CHAPTER XXII. The zeal for prayer, and the honoring of the Paschal festival.

He himself, as one who was a partaker in the sacred mysteries, was in a secret manner... ^{B C D}

^A within the inner chambers of his palace, shutting himself away at set times each day, that he might converse alone with God alone, and with suppliant prayers, falling upon his knees, he would entreat for those things which he stood in need of. But in the days of the saving festival, he would increase the rigor of his discipline, and gathering all the powers of soul and body, he would perform the office of a pontiff and hierophant, and he himself would lead the way for all others toward the celebration of the festival. He had indeed converted the sacred night-long vigil into daylight splendor, by the setting up of most lofty columns of wax all through the city by those who were assigned to this task; and there were lamps ^B of fire that lit up every place, so that the mystical vigil was made more brightly shining than even in the brilliance of day. As soon as dawn had broken, imitating the saving acts of beneficence, he would stretch out his bountiful right hand to all nations, peoples, and crowds, bestowing rich gifts upon all.

CHAPTER XXIII. How he forbade the worship of idols, and honored the feasts of the martyrs.

In this way, therefore, he performed sacred rites to his own God. But throughout the whole of the Roman empire, for every people and for the soldiers, the gates of idol worship were closed,

and a law was issued to the presidents of the provinces that they should likewise honor the Lord's Day. They also observed the festival days of the martyrs by the command of the prince, and they carried out the observances of ecclesiastical festivals with due honor. All these things were performed to the supreme joy of the Emperor. ^A

CHAPTER XXIV

That he said he was as it were a bishop of things outside.

Wherefore, when at some time he was entertaining bishops at a banquet, it was not absurdly that he let fall a remark that he himself also was a bishop, using almost these words in our presence: "You, indeed," he said, "are bishops of those things which are inside the Church, but I have been constituted by God as bishop of those things which are outside." ^B Accordingly, meditating on things consistent with this speech, he kept watch over all his subjects, and encouraged them, as much as lay in his power, to pursue a pious life.

CHAPTER XXV

That he forbade sacrifices and initiations, and abolished gladatorial games and the impious priests of the Nile.

Hence it is that by frequent laws and constitutions he forbade all men to sacrifice to idols, to consult soothsayers with curiosity, ^C to erect statues, to perform secret rites, and finally to pollute the cities with the bloody spectacles of gladiators. And since the Egyptians and the inhabitants of Alexandria had been accustomed to honor their river ^D through the ministry of certain effeminate men, a law was also issued to them to cease from this. ^A

It was not, therefore, in Rome alone that sacrificing was restrained, but also in that great and populous city of Serapis, abounding in a multitude of temples, through whose assistance it renders the fertility of Egypt common to all men. Moreover, this fertility is a gift of the Nile, and they receive the Nile with a banquet and invite it to ascend to the fields with sacred rites, which, unless they are performed at the stated and accustomed time and by those who have been appointed for this purpose, the Nile itself would never be willing to rise and overflow. ^B Since those who would most gladly have abolished these sacred rites as well understood this clearly, they yet did not consult to abolish them, but allowed them to receive the river with a banquet according to the custom and institution of their ancestors, since it rendered a great reward, namely, the fertility of the crops. ^C From this passage of Libanius it is manifest that these androgynous priests of the Nile were not abolished by Constantine; or certainly if they were abolished, they were restored a little later. ^D

^A The entire race of androgynous people was to be removed from the midst of life as if it were a kind of counterfeit, nor was it permitted that those who were afflicted with this disease of lewdness should be seen anywhere. But since superstitious men imagined that the river would no longer flow for them as it was accustomed, God, favoring the emperor's law, brought about the complete opposite of what they had expected; for on the one hand, those who were polluting the cities with their abominations were no more, and on the other hand, the river itself, as if the whole region had been purified and cleansed by him, flowed more bountifully than it ever had before and, overflowing with a larger abundance of water, irrigated all their fields, in practice teaching the foolish and admonishing them that it is necessary to shun the impure, but to attribute the causes of good things solely to the Giver of all good. ^B

CHAPTER XXVI. The correction of the law against childless men, and likewise the correction of the law concerning wills.

But since countless such things were done by the emperor in every province, there would be a great abundance of material for those who might set themselves to write them down; just as he also renewed the laws which he transformed from ancient ones to a holier standard. And it is easy to explain the manner of these in a few words. The ancient laws used to punish childless men by deprivation of the succession of their offspring; and this was a harsh law against those without children, punishing them as if they had committed a crime. Having done away with this, he permitted their rightful heirs to inherit. The emperor changed this to a holy standard, saying that those who transgress voluntarily ought to be corrected with a fitting punishment. For nature has shown many to be childless—some who have prayed to be blessed with many children but have been deprived by the weakness of nature; while others have become childless, not by the rejection of the succession of children, but by the avoidance of female intercourse, which they chose out of a most vehement love of philosophy. Moreover, many women, consecrated to the divine service of God, embraced chastity and total virginity, and dedicated themselves—soul and body—to a pure and most holy life. What then? Should this have been deemed worthy of punishment, or rather of wonder and approval? For the intention itself is worth much, and the achievement is superior to nature. It is fitting that those who are deprived of the desire for children through the weakness of nature should be pitied, but not punished; and that the lover of the higher good, ^C is worthy of being deeply admired, but not punished. Thus the emperor, with upright reason, reformed the law. ^D And furthermore, in the same way, concerning those who pass from this life, the ancient laws, at the very latest dying breath,

required them to compose their wills scrupulously using certain specific terms; and formulas, solemnities, and words were prescribed which had to be added. From this, many frauds were admitted in order to circumvent the will of the dying. When the emperor noticed this, he amended this law as well, decreeing that it was permitted for the dying to draw up a testament with plain words and in any kind of language, and to declare their final will in any writing; or, if they preferred to testify without writing, they could do so by employing only suitable witnesses who were able to keep faith without falsehood.

CHAPTER XXVII. That he made a law that Jews should not own a Christian slave, and that the decrees of councils should be valid, and other things.

^B Furthermore, he also enacted a law that no Christian should serve the Jews; for it was not right, he said, that those who had been redeemed by the Lord should be subjected to the yoke of slavery to the murderers of the prophets and of the Lord. And if any person of the Christian religion were found as a slave in the possession of a Jew, he ordered that the slave be set free, and the Jew punished with a fine. He also confirmed by his own authority the decrees of the bishops which had been promulgated in councils, so that it was not permitted for the governors of the provinces to rescind the decrees of the bishops; for the priests of God, he argued, were to be preferred to any judge. He promulgated almost innumerable laws of this kind for his subjects; and it would be a greater task to set these forth in a separate volume, in order to perceive the prudence of the emperor in this respect as well. What need is there now to recount how he, committing himself to the supreme God of all, from early dawn until evening, would solicitously inquire whom among all human beings he might benefit, and would show himself equal and approachable toward everyone, doing good to all?

CHAPTER XXVIII. Gifts bestowed upon the Churches, and distributions to virgins and the poor.

But he bestowed most abundantly upon the Churches of God ^C he permitted those who were litigating to choose the judgment of the bishops if they wished to decline the civil magistrates; and that their vote should be final and better than that of other judges, as if it had been pronounced by the emperor himself; and that the magistrates and the soldiers serving them should carry the judgments into effect; and that the decrees of the synods should be unalterable.

^A granting now fields, now grain for the sustenance of the poor, the widows, and the orphans; and he even provided with great care for the naked and the destitute, in terms of abundant clothing. Moreover, he honored with greater distinction those who had devoted their lives to the philosophy according to God. Indeed, he all but worshipped the most holy company of the perpetual virgins of God, convinced as he was that God, to whom they had consecrated themselves, dwelt in their souls.

CHAPTER XXIX.

The lucubrations and declamations of Constantine.

Indeed, he ^B would even spend whole nights in watchfulness, instructing his own mind through the meditation of divine matters. And having leisure for the writing of orations, he would hold frequent assemblies; for he deemed it his duty to govern the peoples subject to him by the precepts of reason, and to render his principate an empire of reason. Therefore, he himself would issue the call to the assembly, and countless mulitudes would hasten to hear the emperor philosophizing. If, in the course of his speaking, any occasion arose to discourse on theology, he would stand, with composed countenance and subdued voice, and with singular reverence and modesty, appear to initiate his hearers into the mysteries of divine doctrine. And when all would applaud him with auspicious cries, he would signal to them to raise their eyes upward, and to follow only that supreme King of all with special worship and admiration. Furthermore, he would divide his discourses ^C in such a way that he would first lay, as it were, a foundation, by a refutation of the error of the Gentiles in worshipping many gods, demonstrating by certain proofs that their superstition was mere fraud and a bulwark of impiety. After this, he would discourse on the singular sovereignty of God. Then he would make a speech on providence, by which both the universe and individual things are governed. From there, proceeding to the saving dispensation, he would show that this too had been brought about in a necessary and appropriate manner. Then, advancing the course of his oration, he would address the discourse to the subject of divine judgment. In this place, he would most gravely strike at the souls of his auditors, convicting the rapacious and the covetous, and those who had surrendered themselves to an insatiable greed for wealth. ^D Striking and, as it were, lashing with his word some of the prominent men who were standing about, he made them, struck in their conscience, to look downward; and by his own clear voice he testified to these things.

^A For as for him, the God of all had granted to him the empire of the earth, while he himself, in imitation of the Supreme One, entrusted the administration of its several parts to them; nevertheless, all would in due time render an account of their actions to the great King. These things he constantly testified, these he brought to their remembrance, and of these he was the teacher. But while he, relying with genuine faith, pondered and declared such things as these, they were unteachable, and as if growing deaf to the most excellent instructions, persisted, indeed commending the things said with their tongues and with applause and laudatory cries, but in their deeds neglecting them because of their insatiableness.

CHAPTER XXX. That he delineated the measure of a sepulcher for a certain miser, in order to strike him with shame.

^B

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Λ'. Ὅτι τῶν πλεονεκτῶν ἑνὶ μνημεῖον μέτρον ὑπέδειξε πρὸς δυσώπησιν.

Wherefore, having once taken hold of one of his companions, he addressed him with these words: "How long, pray, sir, shall we extend our greed?" Then, with the spear which he happened to have in his hands, he traced the stature of a human body on the ground: "If," he said, "you could acquire all the riches of this world, and even the whole earth, you would carry away no more than this space of ground which I have described, if indeed you should even happen upon this." ^C Yet, when saying and doing these things, the blessed prince did not turn anyone from their former depravity; but by the very outcome of events it was most clearly proven that the emperor’s admonitions were like divine oracles rather than mere words.

CHAPTER XXXI. That he was mocked because of excessive clemency.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΛΑ'. Ὅτι διὰ τὴν πλείονα φιλανθρωπίαν ἐχλευάζετο.

Furthermore, since there was no fear of the extreme penalty to deter evil men from wickedness—the emperor being wholly inclined toward clemency, and none of the provincial governors restraining crimes—it came about that the public administration incurred no small reproach; whether justly, or

let each one judge as he pleases; but for me, let it be permitted to write the truth.

CHAPTER XXXII.

The emperor composed his orations in the Latin tongue; but interpreters, to whom this task was entrusted, afterwards translated them into our Greek language. And of these orations translated into the Greek tongue, I shall, for the sake of an example, append one to this present work, which he himself inscribed, *To the Assembly of the Saints*, dedicating that composition to the Church of God, so that no one might think my testimony concerning the things said to be a vain and empty fable.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

But that deed which the wonderful prince performed in our presence, I deem by no means to be passed over in silence. For when, trusting in his singular piety toward God, we had once requested that he would be willing to hear us speak concerning the Sepulcher of our Savior, he most willingly lent his ears to us. And when a great multitude of listeners was standing around within the very palace, he himself stood upright along with the rest and listened to the oration. And when we entreated him to sit upon the royal throne which was placed nearby, he could never be induced to sit; but with an intent mind, he weighed what was being said, and confirmed the truth of the theological dogmas by his own testimony. And when we had consumed much time, ^Cand the oration was becoming lengthy, we indeed desired to make an end of speaking; but he kept urging us to continue until the oration was brought to its goal. And when we again entreated him to sit, he resisted us, kindly persuading us by saying that it was impious, where a discourse concerning God was being delivered, to listen in a relaxed or soft manner, and that it was on the contrary useful and advantageous for him, that one should stand while hearing of divine things. When these things were finished, we indeed returned home and betook ourselves to our customary studies and exercises.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

For he, always providing with a provident mind for the Churches of God, wrote a letter to us concerning the preparation of divine Scriptures, and about the most holy feast of the Pascha. For when we had dedicated to him a certain book in which the mystery of the ratio of that feast was expounded, how he responded

^A with the honor of his own letter, one may learn by reading this page.

CHAPTER XXXV.

"Victor Constantinus Maximus Augustus, to Eusebius.

It is indeed a difficult task, and one surpassing every power of speech, to explain the mysteries of Christ with the dignity they deserve, and to set forth correctly the controversy concerning the Pascha, its origin, and its full, laborious, and useful completion. For divine matters are such that not even those who can reach them in thought are sufficient to recount them according to their merit. Yet, I have admired your learning and zeal beyond measure, and I have read your book with great pleasure. As you desired, I have commanded that it be brought to the hands and knowledge of the many who sincerely profess the observance of the divine religion. Seeing, therefore, with what pleasure we receive such gifts from your sagacity, be eager to delight us with more frequent discourses, in which you confess yourself to have been reared; ^B for in the language of the proverb, we urge you on as you speed toward your accustomed studies. Indeed, that such great confidence is shown in finding someone worthy to interpret your works and translate them into the Latin tongue, although such an interpretation can by no means achieve the dignity of such excellent works, proves this. May the Divinity preserve you, dearest brother."

Such, then, was his letter on this matter. But concerning the preparation of divine books, it is contained in this way:

CHAPTER XXXVI.

"Victor Constantinus Maximus Augustus, to Eusebius. ^C

Although ^D indeed...

^A in the city which has taken its name from us, the divine providence of our Savior has joined a vast multitude of men to the most holy Church, so that since all things there are experiencing great growth, it seems highly appropriate that more churches also should be built in it, receive therefore with a willing mind that which I have determined to do. For it has seemed good to signify to thy prudence, that thou shouldst cause fifty codices of the divine Scriptures, the preparation and use of which thou knowest to be most necessary for the Church, to be written on prepared parchment by skilled calligraphers ^B who are most expert in the art of beautiful writing; for they must be both easy to read and easy to carry for every use. Letters, moreover, have been sent from our clemency to the administrator of the diocese, so that he may see to it that everything necessary for the preparation of these codices is provided. It shall be thy duty to see to it that the written codices are made ready as quickly as possible. Furthermore, thou shalt receive the use of two public vehicles by the authority of this epistle. For thus, those things ^B which have been elegantly written will be conveyed most conveniently to our sight, with one of the deacons of thy Church performing this service. Indeed, when he arrives at our presence, he shall experience our kindness. May the Deity keep thee, dearest brother."

CHAPTER XXXVII. How the codices were finished.

CAPUT XXXVIII. How the Emporium of the Gazaeans, because of Christianity, became a city and was named Constantia.

^A Now, while Constantia in the nation of the Palestinians was embracing the saving religion, it was being graced with the prerogative of highest honor, both by God himself and by the Emperor. For it received the name of a city, though it had previously been a village, and exchanged its former designation for a more excellent title, namely that of the most religious sister of the prince.

CAPUT XXXIX. That in Phoenicia a city was made Constantina, and in other cities idols were destroyed and churches built.

^B The same thing was being done in many other places: for example, in a certain city of Phoenicia, which is called by the Emperor's name, whose inhabitants, having cast their innumerable images into the fire, embraced the saving religion. And in the remaining provinces, countless numbers, transferring themselves to the salutary knowledge of God, destroyed throughout cities and fields the various images made of every kind of material, which they had previously considered sacred. Those temples and shrines of theirs, raised to an immense height, were destroyed by them without orders from anyone, and they built churches from the foundations, changing their former opinion, or rather their error. But to commemorate one by one the deeds of the God-beloved Emperor is the task not so much of us as of those who were deemed worthy to associate with him constantly. But since we have briefly set forth in this work those things which have come to our knowledge, we shall pass on to the final period of his life.

CAPUT XL. That when he had created his three sons Caesars at the three decennials, he celebrated the dedication of the Martyrium at Jerusalem.

The thirtieth year of his reign was now passing. His three sons had been announced as partners in the empire at different times. The first, who was his father's namesake, obtained this honor about the tenth year of his father's reign. The second, bearing the name of his grandfather, was declared Caesar about the vicennalia of his parent. The third, Constans, who by his name designates presence and stability, was raised to this dignity about the thirtieth year of his father's principate. ^D Thus, having raised up three sons, dear to God, after a certain likeness of the Trinity, and having co-opted them into the partnership of the empire at single decennial intervals, time...

moved him to consider it most fitting ^A to offer thanksgiving to the King of all. And he judged it to be the best course of action that he should celebrate the dedication of the martyrium which, with singular zeal and magnificence, he had constructed at Jerusalem.

CAPUT XLI. That amid these things he ordained that a synod be held at Tyre on account of certain controversies in Egypt.

But the envious demon, enemy of all good, like some dense cloud opposing itself to the most brilliant rays of the sun, endeavored to disturb the brightness of this festival, shaking the state of the Churches in Egypt once again with his contentions. However, the Emperor, beloved of God, gathering again a synod of many bishops like a divine army and arming them for battle, set them against the malevolent demon: he ordered them to assemble from all of Egypt and Libya, and from Asia and Europe, ^B first indeed for the resolution of the controversy, and then for the dedication of the aforementioned martyrium. Accordingly, he commanded them that, in passing, they should resolve the contentions in the city that is the capital of all Phoenicia; for it was not right, he urged, that those divided in their opinions should be present at the worship of God, since the divine law forbids those who are in disagreement from offering their gifts to God before they have embraced friendship ^C and reconciled their differences with one another peacefully. The Emperor, kindling these salutary instructions of the Savior in his own mind, exhorted them to approach the proposed task with all unanimity and concord, by way of a letter which reads as follows.

Chapter XLII. Letter of Constantine to the synod gathered at Tyre.

• Victor Constantinus, Max. Augustus, to the holy synod assembled in the city of Tyre.

• It was indeed appropriate and most fitting for the prosperity of our times that the Catholic Church should be free from sedition, and that the servants of Christ should now be devoid of and free from all reproach. But since some, agitated by the stings of wicked contention, lest ^D

^A attempt to disturb all things—a ^B mischief which seems to me to exceed every calamity—for this reason I exhort you, who are running of your own accord, as they say, to assemble together without any delay, to constitute a synod, to assist those in need of help, to apply medicine to our brothers who are in danger, to recall to concord the members that are divided, and to correct failings while time still permits; so that you may restore the proper agreement to such and so many provinces, which (alas for such an absurdity!) the arrogance of a very few men has overthrown. That this is acceptable to the Lord and God of all, and more to be desired by me than any prayer, and for you yourselves—if you restore peace—both honorable in the highest degree and glorious among all men, I am convinced all men will acknowledge. ^C Do not, therefore, delay; but, intensifying your zeal from this point forward, strive to set the proper standard for the matters before you, coming together with all sincerity and faith, which that Savior whom we worship, in every affair, all but screaming, demands especially from us. ^D Nothing concerning those things which pertain to my concern shall be lacking to you. All things requested in your letters have been fulfilled by me. I have written to the bishops whom you wished, that they might come and share in your concerns; I have also sent Dionysius, one of ex-consular rank, who will remind those bishops who ought to be present with you, and will be an overseer of all things that are done, and especially of good order. For if anyone—as I do not think will happen—attempting even now to frustrate our command, should refuse to be present, someone will be sent by us as soon as possible, who, by imperial authority, will expel that person and teach him that it is not right to resist the decrees of the Emperor issued on behalf of the truth. It will remain the task of your holiness, neither out of hatred nor favor, but in accordance with the ecclesiastical and apostolic canons, to devise the appropriate remedy for the faults and those things which have occurred through error, so that you may free the Church from all reproach, and lighten my cares, and by returning the grace of peace to the now troubled Churches, secure for yourselves the greatest glory. May the Divinity preserve you, beloved brothers.

CHAPTER XLIII. That bishops from all provinces were present for the festival of the dedication at Jerusalem.

^AWhen these commands were put into execution, another imperial messenger arrived, urging the synod with imperial letters to make haste, to delay nothing, and to hasten their journey to Jerusalem. So all of them, rising from the Phoenician nation, set out at top speed on the public thoroughfares to the place appointed. The whole region was then filled with a vast choir of God, as the prominent bishops from every province were gathered together in Jerusalem. For the Macedonians had sent the bishop of their own metropolis; and the Pannonians and Moesians had sent the choice flower of God’s youth, the principal ornament of their nation. There was present also the ornament of the bishops of Persia, a man holy and thoroughly schooled in the divine Scriptures. The Bithynians and Thracians also graced the assembly with their presence. Nor were the most illustrious of the bishops of Cilicia wanting. Likewise, those from Cappadocia who excelled in doctrine and eloquence shone in the midst of the gathering. To these were added the whole of Syria, Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, and Arabia, with Palestine itself; and Egypt and Libya, and those who inhabit the region of the Thebaid, all together filling the great choir of God. An innumerable crowd of people from all the provinces followed them. Moreover, there was present to serve them all a royal deputation, and men of approved probity sent from the imperial palace to illustrate the festival with expenditures supplied by the emperor.

CHAPTER XLIV. Concerning their reception by Marianus the notary, and the distributions to the poor, and the votive offerings to the Church.

^CNow there presided over all these things a man most useful to the emperor, conspicuous for his faith, religion, and skill in the sacred letters. Having become renowned during the times of the tyrants for many confessions in defense of piety, he was deservedly entrusted with the arrangement of these matters. He, therefore, acting with all sincerity according to the emperor's command, honored the synod with friendly hospitality, with brilliant banquets and festive cheering; and to the ragged poor, and to the indigent men— ^D

^A and women in their thousands, he distributed generous gifts of money and clothing. Finally, he adorned the entire temple with magnificent royal offerings. And he indeed fulfilled this service in this manner.

CHAPTER XLV.

Concerning the sermons in the bishops' assemblies, and of Eusebius who wrote these things.

The ministers of God, meanwhile, were adorning the festival with both prayers and discourses; some celebrated with hymns the kindness of the God-loving emperor ^B toward the Savior of all, and recounted in their speeches the great works concerning the Martyrium. Others, by means of panegyrical theologies regarding the divine dogmas, provided a banquet of rational nourishment for the ears of all; others still were interpreting the readings of the divine Scriptures, bringing the hidden and mystical meanings to light. Those who were not able to aspire to these things, by means of bloodless ^C sacrifices and mystical priestly rites, propitiated the Divinity, offering humble prayers to God for the common peace, for the Church of God, and for the emperor himself, the author of so many good things, and for his God-loving children.

There, indeed, we too, being deemed worthy of the goods beyond our merits, honored the festival with various discourses held in public, at one time explaining the descriptions of the things beautified for the emperor by writing, ^D and at another time interpreting the prophetic visions in a way timely and applied to the symbols set before us. In this way the festival of the dedication was celebrated with joy during the emperor's thirtieth anniversary year.

CHAPTER XLVI. That he also later recited the description of the Savior’s Martyrium and the oration on his thirtieth anniversary before the emperor himself.

What sort of thing the Savior’s temple was, what sort of thing the saving grotto was, what sort of things were the emperor’s love of beauty, and the multitudes ^A of offerings made of gold and silver and precious stones—these things we have recounted to the best of our ability in our own writing, which we addressed to the emperor himself. And we shall relate the oration in its proper time, following the current theme of this work, linking it with the thirty-year anniversary address, which we delivered a little later after setting out for the city that bears the emperor’s name, for the emperor to hear. This we did a second time within the palace, praising God, the King of all, ^B to whom the friend of God listened, appearing to rejoice. He himself declared this after the hearing, while hosting the bishops who were present at a banquet, honoring them in every way.

CHAPTER XLVII. That the synod in Nicaea took place at the twentieth anniversary, but the dedication in Jerusalem at the thirtieth anniversary of Constantine.

This was the second synod, the greatest of all that we know, which the emperor gathered in Jerusalem itself, after that former one which he had held in the most ^C prominent city of Bithynia. But that one was a triumphal synod, fulfilling prayers and vows for victory over enemies at the twentieth anniversary of the empire, in the city named after victory. But this one adorned the period of the third decade, when the emperor dedicated the Martyrium in the very monument of our Savior, as a votive offering of peace to God, the giver of all good things. ^D

CAPUT XLVIII. How he took it ill when someone praised him excessively.

CAPUT XLIX. The marriage of Constantius Caesar, his son.

CAPUT L. The embassy and gifts sent by the Indians.

CAPUT LI. How Constantine, having divided the empire among his three sons, instructed them in both the art of ruling and the duties of piety.

^A, distributing the ancestral lot to the eldest, the empire of the East to the second, and the middle portion of the realm to the third. Regarding the good and soul-saving inheritance as his own care, he infused into them the seeds of piety, partly by instructing them himself in divine teachings, partly by appointing as their masters men who were tried and approved in piety. He set other teachers over them for secular learning, who had attained the peak of education; some instructed them in the arts of war, others made them proficient in civil administration, while others trained them in the knowledge of the law. A royal equipment had been allotted to each of the children: heavy-armed soldiers, guards, bodyguards, and all manner of military battalions. Over these were commanders, captains, generals, and chiliarchs, whose skill in war and whose loyalty to them their father had previously tested. ^B

CAPUT LII

How, when they had attained man's estate, he led them to piety.

For while the Caesars were still tender in age, it was necessary that those who assisted them should be present and conduct public affairs; but as they advanced to manhood, the instruction of their father alone sufficed for them. Sometimes he would be present, goading them with personal exhortations to emulation, and teaching them to become imitators of his own piety; at other times, when away, he would send them imperial mandates in writing. The greatest and foremost of these ^C was that the knowledge and piety toward God, the King of all, should be honored above all wealth and even above the empire itself. Furthermore, he gave them authority to perform themselves those things that were beneficial to the common good, and he exhorted them, first of all, to hold the Church of God in their care, and expressly commanded them to be Christians. He thus led his sons forward, and they, being incited not so much by the command as by their own spontaneous zeal, surpassed the father’s admonitions, stretching their own minds toward the holiness due to God, and fulfilling the customs of the Church within the very palaces, along with all their household. For this also was a work of the father’s providence, to deliver all the inhabitants of the house ^D to his children as godly men; and those of the first ranks who happened to have undertaken the care of public affairs were of such a kind, so that they were secured, as if by some strong fortifications, by men faithful in God.

^A For the thrice-blessed one, God, the Dispenser of every good thing, as if the whole of his affairs had been well-ordered for him, judged it to be at length a favorable time for the attainment of better things, and brought upon him the debt of nature.

CHAPTER LIII

That having reigned about thirty-two years, and lived over sixty, he maintained a sound body.

CHAPTER LIV

Regarding those who abused his excessive humanity for greed and for the appearance of piety.

fraudulent hypocrisy of those who wormed their way into the Church and falsely and pretextually assumed the name of Christians. But the emperor’s innate humanity and goodness, and the sincerity of his faith and character, led him to believe in the mask assumed by those who were thought to be Christians, and who feigned a genuine goodwill toward him with a deceptive soul. By trusting himself to them, he perhaps occasionally stumbled into things that were not becoming, with envy—that malignant demon—casting this as a sort of stain upon his other virtues.

CAPUT LV.

How he wrote prayers until the very last day of his life.

^B But divine justice did not take long to subject those men to their deserved punishment. As for the emperor, he had so instructed his mind with the knowledge of divine discourse that, even up to the last day of his life, he would write speeches in his usual manner, deliver sermons, and impart divine teachings to his auditors. He would also constantly enact laws, now regarding civil affairs, now regarding military matters, and in all things devise what was to the advantage and benefit of the human race.

Now, one thing must not be passed over in silence: when the final day of his life was already impending ^C, he delivered a certain funeral oration in the usual auditorium. And having extended the discourse at some length, he therein discoursed upon the immortality of the soul, and upon those who had passed their lives piously, and upon the goods that were stored up for the friends of God by God Himself. Conversely, he clearly demonstrated by many arguments what end those who had adopted the contrary way of life were destined to meet, describing the destruction and ruin of the impious. And when he affirmed this gravely and seriously, he seemed to prick the consciences of those close to him and his own associates: so much so that one of them, ^D inflated with the vain opinion of his own wisdom, was moved to ask him how the things being said appeared to him. He then testified to the truth of his words, and—though quite unwillingly—strongly praised the teachings directed against the polytheists.

After having had such conversations with his close friends before his death, he seemed to be smoothing the way for himself toward a better life.

Chapter LVI.

How, setting out for the Persian war, he took bishops with him, and prepared a tent in the likeness of a church.

This too is by no means to be passed over, that around this time, when news was brought of a movement of the barbarians living toward the sunrise, he testified that this victory over them still remained for him, and decided to wage war upon the Persians. Having resolved to do this, he called up military forces from everywhere, and communicated with the bishops he had about him concerning the journey, foreseeing with a provident mind that men necessary for divine worship ought to be constantly with him. They, for their part, affirmed with a willing spirit that they would follow him and would not depart from him; but that they would serve and fight alongside him with continuous supplications to God. He, being vehemently delighted by this news, described the path by which they should set out. Then he prepared a tabernacle in the likeness of a church with ambitious ceremony for the use of this war, in which he had decided to pour forth prayers to God, the giver of victory, along with the bishops.

CHAPTER LVII.

How, having received the Persian envoys, he passed the night of the feast of Pascha with others.

Meanwhile, when the Persians had learned that the emperor was preparing for war, and that he was vehemently terrified of engaging in battle with him ^B, they sent envoys and requested peace from him. Thus, the emperor, being the greatest lover of peace, ^C welcomed the Persian embassy, ^D and for a time the war did not proceed; for it was quickly quenched by fear of the emperor.

^A Since the great feast of Easter was already at hand, the emperor, offering up his prayers to God, kept the vigil along with the others.

CHAPTER LVIII.

Regarding the construction of the martyrium of the Apostles in Constantinople.

Following these events, he prepared to build a martyrium in the city named after him, in memory of the Apostles. Having raised the entire temple to an ineffable height, he made it glitter with a variety of stones of every kind, covering it from the floor to the roof with marble slabs. He adorned the ceiling with delicate paneling and covered the whole with gold. Above, brass in place of tiles provided a protection for the work against rain; and this, too, was made to shine with much gold, so that it sent forth flashes to those who looked at it from afar, as the sun’s rays were reflected back by the surface of the brass. Reticulated carvings of brass and gold encircled the building ^B around its upper part.

CHAPTER LIX.

A further description of the same martyrium.

The temple itself was thus adorned with the emperor’s great zeal and liberality. Surrounding it was a vast open court, lying under the clear and open sky. Around the four sides of this, porticos ran, enclosing the court with the temple itself in the middle. Furthermore, royal houses, baths, ^C and promenades extended along the porticos, along with many other dwellings well-constructed for the use of the guards of the place.

CHAPTER LX.

That he also built a tomb for his own burial in this place.

The emperor dedicated all these things with the intention of immortalizing the memory of the Apostles of our Savior for all people. Yet he was also building another thing, having something in view in his mind which was hidden at first, but became clear to all towards the end. For he was indeed reserving the place there for himself in anticipation of the opportune time of his own passing, ^D and thus made himself a sharer in the invocation of the Apostles. All these things the emperor dedicated with the counsel of recommending the memory of the Apostles of our Savior to posterity forever. But he built that house having something else in mind: which was, indeed, obscure at first, but finally became known to all at the end. For he himself had designated this place for himself after his death, with an incredible alacrity of faith.

so that ^A even after his passing he might be deemed worthy of the prayers that were to be performed there in honor of the apostles. Thus, having erected twelve chests there, as if they were sacred pillars, in honor and memory of the choir of the apostles, he himself placed his own sarcophagus in the middle ^B, with six chests of the apostles disposed on either side of it. And this, as I have said, he planned with a sober mind, in the place where he intended his body to find a fitting rest after having reached the end of his life. But while he had long since ^C directed these matters in his mind and had dedicated the shrine to the apostles, believing that the memory of them would bring a useful benefit to his soul, God did not frustrate him in his vow and expectation. For when he had completed the first practices of the Paschal festival and had brought the day of our Savior to a close, having made the feast bright and cheerful for himself and for all, God, by whose aid he managed all things, with him still in this state and finishing his life to the end ^D, deemed him worthy of a transition to a better state at the fitting time.

CHAPTER LXI. The Emperor's sickness, and prayers at Helenopolis. Also concerning his baptism.

There occurred first a certain physical discomfort. Subsequently, whether an illness supervened or for the same reason, he proceeded to the warm baths of his city, and from there he was taken to Helenopolis, the city named after his mother. And there, lingering in the house of prayer of the martyrs, he offered up supplications and prayers to God. And when he felt that the last day of his life was already imminent, he thought the time had arrived to purge the offenses of his whole life—believing firmly that whatever he might have sinned as a human being must be completely washed away from his soul by the power of the mystical words and by the salutary bath—and, having thought this through, he knelt upon the floor and begged for pardon to God.

[index: entries preserved]

and, bending his knees to the ground, he became a suppliant to God, confessing his sins in the very martyrium; in which place he first ^A merited to receive the imposition of hands with solemn prayer. Departing thence, he arrived at the suburbs of the city of Nicomedia, and having there convoked the bishops, he spoke to them as follows:

CHAPTER LXII. With what words Constantine requested the bishops to confer baptism upon him.

"This was the time which I had long hoped for, when with incredible desire I burned and with all my prayers longed to attain salvation in God. Now the time ^B demands of the reader's diligence in the first place. For from this, that great question concerning the baptism of Constantine can easily be decided. Eusebius therefore says that the Emperor Constantine then first received the imposition of hands with solemn prayer in the church; that is, in a word, that he first then became a catechumen. For catechumens were made by the imposition of hands from the bishop, as the sixth canon of the Council of Arles teaches: 'Concerning those who wish to believe in infirmity, it has pleased that the hand ought to be imposed upon them.' The same was decreed in c. 59 of the Council of Elvira: 'If Gentiles in infirmity desire that the hand be imposed upon them; if their life has been honest in any part, it has pleased that the hand be imposed upon them, and that they be made Christians.' Which canon of Elvira, that I may say this in passing, seems to be nothing other than an exposition of the canon of Arles, which can also be seen in other chapters of that council. Concerning the same rite, there is an illustrious passage in Sulpicius Severus, *Dialogue* II, *On the Miracles of Saint Martin*, c. 5: 'Finally, all began to rush in crowds to the knees of the blessed man, faithfully asking that he might make them Christians. Nor did he delay, but in the midst of the field, as he was, he made them all catechumens by imposing his hand upon them all.' The same in book I: 'Hardly anyone, he says, of that huge multitude of Gentiles was there who did not, with the desired imposition of hands, believe in the Lord Jesus, having abandoned the error of impiety.' Augustine also in *De peccatorum remissione*, bk. II, c. 26: 'Sanctification is not of one kind. For I think that catechumens are also sanctified in their own certain manner through the sign of the cross and the prayer of the imposition of hands.' But also Peter Chrysologus writes the same in his 52nd sermon: 'Hence it is that he who comes from the Gentiles is purified from the demon by the imposition of the hand and exorcisms; and he receives the opening of the ears, that he may be able to grasp the hearing of the faith.' So also in his 105th sermon: 'For that the Gentile, bowed down by sins, may be raised to heaven, the foul spirit is driven out first from the Gentile by the imposition of hands.' To these must be added Symeon Metaphrastes, who in the *Acts of the holy martyrs Indes and Domna* writes thus concerning Bishop Cyril: 'He, however, when he had temperately sung the divine Scriptures to her, and had signed her with the venerable cross of Christ, then indeed he made her a catechumen.' Finally, Marcus in the book *On the Life of Porphyry, Bishop of Gaza*: 'On the following day the parents of the woman and her kin, going to the blessed Porphyry, fell at his feet, asking for the sign of Christ. But the blessed one, when he had signed them and made them catechumens, dismissed them in peace, commanding them that they should attend to the holy church. And a little later, when he had instructed them with catechesis, he baptized them.' From these it is evident that catechumens were formerly made in the Church in no other way than through the imposition of hands. Since therefore Constantine is said to have then first received the imposition of hands in the church, it is certain that he had not yet been a catechumen. But someone will say: ^C Who would believe that Emperor Constantine up to that time had not been a catechumen, since he had been present at the Council of Nicaea, and had issued so many laws and rescripts for the Christians, had built so many churches, and had urged the Gentiles in every way to receive the faith of Christ, and had despoiled the heretics and schismatics of their basilicas? Certainly Eusebius testifies that he had performed all the offices of a Christian man. For he writes that he had given his time to fasts and prayers, and that he observed the Lord's days and the feasts of the martyrs; and that he even spent the nights in the vigils of Easter. These things, and many more which could be brought forward, prove that Constantine was not a Gentile; but they do not argue that he was the same as a catechumen. Certainly in these four books of Eusebius, in which the piety and religion of Constantine are celebrated, it is nowhere read that Constantine made prayers in the church with the other catechumens, nor that he received the sacrament of the catechumens. And although Eusebius clearly affirms this concerning Helena Augusta, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, that she stood in the church with the other women; yet you will never find it said of Constantine by him. But if you object that Constantine stayed at the temple of the martyrs at Helenopolis, and poured out prayers to God, I answer first that these things are not read in our codices, as I observed a little before. Then, it was permitted even for Gentiles to enter the churches, except at the time of the masses: how much more was that permitted to the Emperor, who proclaimed himself a Christian. Since therefore Eusebius clearly teaches here that Constantine first received the imposition of hands from the priests at Helenopolis, it is plainly brought about that he had not been a catechumen before this time. I know that Athanasius in *Vita sancti Antonii*, where he speaks of the letters written by Constantine to Antony, and Augustine in epistles 162 and 166, treated Constantine with the title of Christian prince. But it may be answered that they in this matter followed the common opinion and reputation of all: and that they called Constantine a Christian prince openly, not because he had as yet been initiated into the sacraments of the Christian faith, but because he openly professed the worship of the Christian religion. Another also, a much graver ^D objection can be brought against our opinion, from c. 32 of book I, of which this is the title: "Οπως κατηχηθεὶς Κωνσταντίνος, etc. From which it is gathered that Constantine was made a catechumen immediately after that vision of the cross in the sky. But I answer that those titles were not composed by Eusebius, but by some more recent person, as was demonstrated above. Then, *katechetheis* (κατηχηθείς) is taken there for *matheteutheis* (μαθητευθείς, having been discipled). Certainly Eusebius in that whole chapter does not say that Constantine was made a catechumen, but only that the bishops were called by him, and that they had opened to him the meaning of that heavenly vision: he himself, however, to have given his effort to the reading of the sacred volumes from that time on. *Historia Ecclesiastica*, c. 13, *euchas te dia cheiros labon*. Concerning which place see those things which I have noted. Augustine in the book *De peccatorum remissione*, c. 26, calls the prayer of the imposition of hands.

^A that we also may receive that sign which confers immortality; the time is come that we should become partakers of the saving seal. I truly had once intended to do this in the river Jordan, in which the Savior himself is recorded to have received the bath for our example. But God, who knows best what things are useful for us, deigns to exhibit the same to us in this place. Therefore let every doubt be removed. For if indeed God, the arbiter of life and death, shall have willed that I spend my life here longer, and this has been once decreed, that in the future I be mingled with the people of God, and being received into the church, become a participant of prayers with all the rest; I pledge that I shall prescribe for myself such rules of living as shall be worthy of God.” ^B When he had said these things, they performed the divine ceremonies with solemn rite, and having enjoined upon him whatsoever things were necessary, they imparted to him the sacred mysteries. And indeed Constantine alone of all the emperors from the beginning of time, being regenerated by Christ’s testimonies, was perfected, and was deemed worthy of the divine seal ^C in the water.

^A And he rejoiced in spirit and was renewed, and was filled with divine light; he was joyful in his soul because of the excellence of his faith, and struck with wonder at the evident magnitude of divine power. And as the required rites were fulfilled, he was clothed in bright and imperial vestments, shining after the manner of light, and he rested upon a most white bed, no longer wishing to touch the purple.

CHAPTER LXIII.

How he praised God after baptism.

Thereupon, having raised his voice higher, he offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God, after which he added, saying: “Now, in very truth, I know myself to be blessed; now I recognize that I have been made worthy of immortal life; now I believe that I have partaken of the divine light.” He also said that wretched and unhappy were those ^B who [are deprived of such blessings].

[The translation of the remaining blocks of Latin text follows, interspersed with the required marginal markers]

...initiation. But Gregory of Nazianzus also, in his first oration against Julian, calls baptism by that same term: *By no holy blood is the bath cleansed*, opposing the completion of defilement to our *teleiosis* (that is, perfection). Finally, Clement of Alexandria, in the first book of his *Paedagogus*, writes that baptism is called by various names: for sometimes it is called a *charisma* (gift), sometimes *photisma* (illumination), and at times a *loutron* (bath). Then he adds the reason why it is called *teleion* (perfect): *We call a thing perfect*, he says, *to which nothing is lacking*. But what indeed is lacking to one who knows God, who possesses the grace of God, and who already enjoys eternal life? From which Clement concludes that all who have believed in Christ and have been baptized in the holy laver are already perfect: *For thus to believe alone and to be regenerated is perfection in life.*

Among the Latins, too, those were called perfect Christians ^C who had received baptism, even if they had not received the laying on of hands from a bishop. An ancient author *De haereticis non rebaptizandis*: “Which, even this day, cannot be doubted to be the custom, and it is wont to happen that many after baptism depart from this life without the imposition of the bishop’s hand; and yet they are held to be perfect believers.” And again further on (p. 155 of the Rigaltius edition), he posits "perfect Christian" for "faithful," but "imperfect" for "catechumen": “And therefore both ought to remain whole and sincere and uncontaminated and inviolate to the confessor, without any choice being made of the confessor himself, whether he be just or a sinner; and whether he be a perfect Christian, or indeed even yet an imperfect one, who in his greatest peril has not feared to confess the Lord.”

[Regarding the annotation on text placement]: Thus therefore I think it ought to be read: ^D *he rejoiced, and was renewed in spirit.* For he alludes to that verse of the most famous Psalm L: *Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within my bowels.* Furthermore, it is gathered from this place in Eusebius that Constantine did not receive baptism in bed, as was the custom for the sick, but in the church. For Eusebius says: *being regenerated by the testimonies of Christ.*

[Regarding the annotation on the white garments]: It is noted that it was once the custom for neophytes to be clothed in white garments, which they laid aside only on the eighth day. Zeno of Verona in sermon 5 to the neophytes: “The first to receive you, who rejects no one who believes in him, was not a ram but a Lamb: who clothed your nakedness with the snowy whiteness of his fleece.” Augustine, in sermon 157 *de tempore*: “The Paschal solemnity of this day…”

[Regarding the liturgical benediction]: BENEDICTION ON THE SABBATH WHEN THEY LAY ASIDE THE WHITES. O God, who, having trodden down the laws of hell, hast deigned to resolve our captivity by the breaking of chains and to recall us to the rewards of liberty, may He himself grant you so to pass through this life that, with Him as your guide, you may be able to enter into that eternal one. Amen. May He grant you such a fervor of the Catholic faith that you may be secure in the expectation of His holy coming. Amen. That whoever have deserved to be cleansed here in the wave of baptism may be able to be presented there to the pious Judge ready and in white robes. Amen.

[Regarding the eight days]: Furthermore, the neophytes observed those eight days after baptism with the utmost religion: so that during those days, which were also called the octave, it was considered a sacrilege to touch the earth with a bare foot, as Augustine writes in epistle 119 to Januarius. But they were also wont to walk with a bare head during those days, which was a sign of liberty. Augustine, sermon 4 on the Sunday of the Octave of Easter: “Today they are called the infants’ octaves: their heads are to be revealed, which is a sign of liberty. For this spiritual birth has liberty,” etc. Conversely, catechumens used to walk through public places with covered heads, as they bore the type of Adam expelled from paradise, as Junilius says in Book II, ch. 16. Which, indeed, I think is to be understood only of the *competentes*, who veiled not only their head but also their face, as Cyril of Jerusalem teaches in his first catechesis. But this veil was removed from them at baptism, or at any rate on the eighth day after baptism. For this is what the words of Augustine mentioned by us a little earlier rather imply. The same is also confirmed by Theodore, Bishop of Canterbury, in his *Penitential*: “At the ordination of monks, the abbot ought to sing mass, and complete three prayers over his head, and cover his head for seven days; on the seventh day he shall remove the veil. Just as in baptism the priest on the seventh day removes the veil of the infants: so also the abbot to the monk, because it is a second baptism according to the judgment of the Fathers; and all sins are forgiven as in baptism.”

^A

He called them wretched, saying that they were deprived of such great good things. When the tribunes and leaders of the military forces entered and mourned, thinking that they would be left desolate, and prayed for a longer life for him, he replied to these as well, saying that he had now finally been deemed worthy of the true life, and that he alone knew of the good things in which he had participated. Wherefore he also hastened, letting nothing delay his journey to his God. After this, he arranged matters as he wished; to the Romans who inhabited the royal city he bequeathed certain annual gifts, and to his children he left the empire as a paternal inheritance, having set in order all things as seemed good to him.

CHAPTER LXIV. Constantini mors die festo Pentecostes, circa meridiem.

^B All these things were taking place during that greatest solemnity of the venerable and most holy Pentecost, which is adorned by the number of seven weeks and sealed by the monad. In which the sacred scriptures testify that both the ascension of our common Savior into the heavens and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon men took place. Having been deemed worthy of these things in that solemnity, the Emperor, on the final day—which if one were to call the greatest of all festivals, he would not in my judgment be mistaken—about the midday hour of the sun, was taken up to his own God, leaving to mortals that part of him which was mortal, but uniting that part of his soul which was endowed with intelligence and the love of God to his own God. This was the end of Constantine's life. But let us proceed to the next events. ^C

Chapter LXV. The lamentation of the soldiers and tribunes.

The guards ^D and all the company of bodyguards immediately tore their garments and, casting themselves upon the ground, beat their heads, emitting wailings and cries together with lamentations and shouts, calling upon their master, their lord, and their emperor—not as a master, but as a parent, like legitimate children. The commanders and captains proclaimed him their savior, their guardian, and their benefactor. The rest of the army, like a flock, with all modesty and reverence, yearned for their good shepherd. The crowds likewise ran through the entire city, showing the deep grief of their souls abundantly with outcries and shouts. Many, because of their pain, seemed like people struck with madness, with each one making the mourning his own.

^A as if the common good of all had been taken away from their life.

CHAPTER LXVI

How the funeral was brought from Nicomedia to Constantinople and placed in the palace.

Chapter LXVII

How, even after death, he was honored by the counts and the rest, just as when he was alive.

^A Because he had honored God and His Christ with every kind of action, it was fitting that he alone should have obtained these things, and the God over all deemed his mortal body worthy to reign among men, thus demonstrating to those whose minds were not petrified the deathless and unending kingdom of his soul. And these things were completed in this manner.

CHAPTER LXVIII. How the army, by its own judgment, declared his sons Augusti.

Meanwhile, the tribunes sent chosen men from the military units—men who had long been known to the princes for their fidelity and benevolence—to the Caesars to report all that had been done. And they did these things at that time. But all the armies everywhere, as if stirred by a certain divine spirit, as soon as news of the emperor’s death was announced, determined with one accord—exactly as if the great emperor were still among them—that they would recognize no one as sovereign of the Roman Empire ^B other than his own children. Not long after, they refused to call them merely Caesars, but desired them to be called Augusti; a name that is, as it were, a certain mark of supreme authority. And the army signaled its votes and acclamations to one another by letter: and the unanimous consent of the legions became known at one and the same moment to all who were stationed anywhere.

CHAPTER LXIX. The mourning in Rome for Constantine, and the honors decreed to him by images after his death.

But in the royal city, when the senate and the Roman people learned of the emperor’s death, considering this news to be most heavy and more bitter than any calamity, they set no bounds to their sorrow. For the baths and the markets were closed, as were public spectacles, and every other pleasure of life which men in leisure are accustomed to pursue was put aside. Those who had previously lived in luxury now walked the streets in mourning. All proclaimed the emperor blessed, beloved of God, and strictly worthy of the empire. ^C And they did not declare this with mere words alone, but, by dedicating images, they honored the dead as if he were still among them. In these, having depicted the likeness of the heavens on a tablet, they painted him resting in the celestial abode above the cosmic arches. Furthermore, they themselves named his children alone—and no one else—emperors and Augusti: and with great cries they demanded that they have the funeral of their emperor with them and that he be deposited in the imperial city.

CHAPTER LXX. How the funeral was deposited in Constantinople by Constantius.

The Romans even afforded this honor to the prince honored by God. ^D Now the second of his children, who had been set over the East by his father, upon hearing of his father’s passing, set out for the city, conveying the royal body to be deposited there.

^A He himself led the procession; the military battalions marched in their ranks, and an innumerable multitude followed, while the spearmen and shield-bearers surrounded the emperor’s body. When they arrived at the church of the Apostles of our Saviour, they rested the coffin there. And so the new emperor, Constantius, honoring his father in this way, both by his presence and by the duties befitting him, fulfilled the requirements of proper reverence.

CHAPTER LXXI.

A service held in the martyrion of the apostles at the death of Constantine.

When he had withdrawn ^B with the military ranks, the ministers of God came forward into the midst, together with the crowds and the whole populace of the faithful, and performed the rites of divine worship with prayers. There, the blessed one, lying on high upon a raised platform, was celebrated with praises; and an innumerable crowd, together with those ordained to God, offered up prayers to God for the emperor’s soul, not without tears, but with abundant lamentation, fulfilling what was most dear to the God-beloved. In this, God manifested his benevolence toward his servant, in that he granted the empire to his beloved and legitimate sons as his successors, and—according to his own desires—the body of his thrice-blessed soul was deemed worthy to rest in the memory of the apostles, being glorified ^C in company with the apostles’ proclamation, gathered together with the people of God, and deemed worthy of divine rites and the mystic liturgy, and enjoying communion in the holy things.

^A He himself, moreover, holding the empire even after death, as if redivivus, governing the whole world, Victor Maximus Augustus, would still rule the state in his own name.

CHAPTER LXXII

Not after the manner of that Egyptian bird, which, they say, being the only one of its kind, is said to die upon a mound of aromatics, offering itself up as a sacrifice: and soon, from those very ashes, to be reborn, and carried on high with wings, to be seen in the same form as before; but rather after the example of its Savior, who like a grain of wheat, spreading itself from one seed into many, by the aid and blessing of God brought forth the ear, and filled the whole world with its fruits; in this manner the most blessed prince became multiple from one through the succession of his children: so that everywhere in all the provinces images of him along with his children are set up out of honor, and the familiar name of Constantine is used even after his passing.

CHAPTER LXXIII

Moreover, coins of this kind were struck, on the anterior side bearing the blessed prince with his head covered; on the other side, however, sitting like a charioteer in a four-horse chariot, and receiving it—so to speak—as he was taken up to the heights by a hand extended to him from above from heaven.

CHAPTER LXXIV

These miracles did the most high God of all exhibit in ^C Constantine, who alone of all the emperors before him had openly professed himself a Christian, before our eyes.

^A For he showed the difference between those who deemed themselves worthy to worship him and Christ, and those who had chosen the opposite path; for those who had set themselves to war against his Church rendered God their enemy and foe, the ruin of each of them in the course of life providing a clear proof of their hatred of God; just as, therefore, the outcome of Constantine, made manifest to all, established the pledges of his love for God.

CHAPTER LXXV.

That Constantine surpassed all previous Roman emperors in piety.

^B Seeing that he alone of the Roman emperors had honored the God who is King of all with excellence of piety, and alone had preached the Word of Christ with free speech to all, and alone, as no one since the beginning of time has done, had glorified His Church, and alone had overthrown every polytheistic error and confuted every manner of idolatry; and indeed, also, he alone was deemed worthy in this life and after death of such honors as no one, should he wish to declare the like, could find to have fallen to anyone else—neither among the Greeks, nor among the barbarians, nor even among the most noble Romans themselves, nor is any such person recorded as having existed among us from the beginning of time.

THE CHAPTERS OF THE FIFTH BOOK.

α'. The prologue mentions the Passover, and how the Word of God, having benefited all in various ways, was plotted against by those who were benefited. β'. On asking for pardon and correcting one’s faults. γ'. That both God the Father of the Word, and the Creator of the universe, is the same; and that the things which exist could not persist if their causes were different. δ'. On the error concerning idols. ε'. That Christ the Son of God created everything, and determined the quantity of being in each. ϛ'. That the doctrine concerning fate is proven false, both from human laws and from those things in the creation which move not in disorder, but according to order, the Creator’s boundary being shown through that order. ζ'. That one must glorify the wisdom of the Creator concerning things incomprehensible, and not blame another or some automatic movement. η'. That God provides the things which are necessary to men in abundance; but provides those for pleasure with moderation, in a manner profitable for the enjoyment of each. θ'. Concerning the philosophers who, because they wished to know everything, were deceived in their opinions, and some encountered dangers. And concerning the doctrines of Plato. ι'. Concerning those who reject not only the scriptural doctrines but also the philosophical ones, and concerning whether one must believe poets in all things, or disbelieve them in all. ια'. Concerning the bodily presence of the Lord, who he was, and for whom he came. ιβ'. Concerning those who did not know the mystery, and that they were ignorant by choice, and what good things await those who knew, and especially those who were perfected through their confession. ιγ'. That the difference between the parts of the creation is necessary; and that the inclination toward good and evil belongs to the judgment of men, whence judgment is also necessary and reasonable. ιδ'. That the created nature is infinitely distant from the uncreated substance; but man comes near to it through a life of virtue. ιε'. All that the Savior taught, and the miracles He performed, and how He benefited those who were beginning. ισ'. That the coming of Christ was predicted by the prophets; and that it came at the destruction of the idols and of the idolatrous cities. ιζ'. Concerning the wisdom of Moses, which was emulated by the philosophers from outside; and concerning Daniel and the three children. ιη'. Concerning the Erythraean Sibyl, who in the acrostic of her prophetic verses indicates the Lord and His passion; and the acrostic is: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, Cross. ιθ'. That the prophecy concerning the Savior was not fabricated by any of the Church, but belongs to the Erythraean Sibyl, whose books

Cicero rendered into Latin verse before the coming of Christ; and that Virgil makes mention of her, and at the same time of the virgin birth, celebrating the mystery obscurely for fear of those in power. κ'. Other verses of Virgil Maro concerning Christ, and their interpretation, in which it is shown that the mystery was indicated obscurely, as is the custom of poets. κα'. That these things cannot be said of a mere man; and that those who disbelieve, through ignorance of piety, do not even know the cause of their own origin. κβ'. Thanksgiving to Christ, recording the emperor's victories and other blessings; and a refutation of the tyrant Maximin, who by the magnitude of the persecution brought greater glory to piety. κγ'. Concerning the Christian way of life; and that the Divine favors those who live in virtue, and that one must expect judgment and retribution. κδ'. Concerning Decius, Valerian, and Aurelian, who ended their lives miserably because of the persecution of the Church. κε'. Concerning Diocletian, who resigned his empire in disgrace, and was struck as if by lightning because of the persecution of the Church. κς'. That God is the cause of the emperor’s piety; and that one must seek success from God and attribute it to Him, while attributing failures to our own sloth.

565 CHAPTERS OF THE FIFTH BOOK

I. Proem regarding the mention of Pascha, and that Christ, though he had conferred many benefits upon all men, was evil-treated by them. II. Address to the Church and his listeners, that they should grant pardon and offer corrections if he has spoken anything less than rightly. III. That God is the Father of the Word, and the Maker of all things; and that things could in no way exist if their causes were diverse. IV. Concerning the error of those who worship idols. V. That Christ the Son of God created all things, and established a certain duration of life for each. VI. Concerning fate; and that the things said about it are false; and this is shown both from human laws and from created things which move not by chance, but by order; by doing this, I declare the Creator's precept. ^C VII. That in matters which we cannot grasp by intelligence, we ought to preach the wisdom of the Creator, and not imagine chance or any other cause besides God. VIII. That God provides in abundance for men the things that are necessary for use, but provides only sparingly those things that make for pleasure; dispensing both for our utility. IX. Concerning the philosophers who, wishing to know all things, fell into opinions, and some underwent the crisis of death; also concerning the doctrine of Plato. X. Concerning those who despise not only Sacred Scripture, but even the dogmas of the philosophers: and that faith should be placed in poets in all things, or in none at all. XI. Concerning the bodily advent of the Lord, what it was like and why it happened. XII. Concerning those who did not know this mystery; and that their ignorance is voluntary: and how great are the good things that await those who have known it, and especially those who have died in the confession of it. XIII. That a difference is necessary in created things; and that the propensity toward good and evil arises from the will of men: and therefore the judgment of God is necessary. XIV. That the creature is separated by an immense distance from the uncreated substance; and that man approaches nearest to God through virtue. ^D XV. What precepts He handed down, and what miracles He performed, and how greatly the Savior benefited his subjects. XVI. That the coming of Christ was predicted by the prophets: and that it was ordained for the overthrow of 566 idols and cities that worship idols. XVII. Concerning the wisdom of Moses: also concerning Daniel and the three children. XVIII. Concerning the Sibyl who, in the acrostic of the poems by which she prophesied, designates the Lord and His passion. This acrostic is: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, Cross. XIX. That this prophecy concerning Christ was not fabricated by any of the Christians, but was written by the Erythraean Sibyl, whose books Cicero rendered into Latin verse before the arrival of Christ; and that Virgil makes mention of her, and at the same time of the virgin birth; celebrating the mystery obscurely, for fear of those in power. XX. Other verses of Virgil Maro concerning Christ, and their interpretation: in which it is shown that the mystery was indicated obscurely, as is the custom of poets. XXI. That these things cannot be said concerning a naked and simple man; and that the unfaithful, on account of their ignorance of divine worship, do not even know the cause of their own origin. XXII. Thanksgiving of the emperor, by which he attributes his victories and his other goods to Christ; and a refutation of the tyrant Maximin, who had increased the glory of the Christian religion by the cruelty of his persecution. XXIII. Concerning Christian institutions: and that God loves those who seek after virtue; and that one ought to hope for judgment and retribution. XXIV. Concerning the calamitous end of life of Decius, Valerian, and Aurelian on account of their persecution of the Churches. XXV. Concerning Diocletian, who resigned his empire in disgrace, and was struck as if by lightning on account of the persecution of the Churches. XXVI. That God was the cause of the emperor’s piety; and that we ought to entreat prosperous outcomes from God and bear them as acceptable to Him: but that we should attribute things done otherwise to our own negligence.

CONSTANTINE THE EMPEROR, AN ORATION WHICH HE ENTITLED: TO THE ASSEMBLY OF THE SAINTS

^A CAPUT I. ^A *The prologue makes mention of Easter, and how Christ, having bestowed many benefits upon all men, was evilly treated by them.*

The radiance of the day and the sun—more brilliant than usual—the prologue to the resurrection, and the new restoration of those bodies which had long since dissolved, the foundation of the promise, and the path leading to eternal life: the day of the passion is now at hand, most beloved teachers, and all you other friends, and you, ^B the blessed and numerous multitudes of those who worship, who worship God Himself, the Source of religion, both with the inner senses of each person and with tongues and voices, unceasingly praising Him according to the instructions contained in the sacred oracles. But thou, Nature, mother of all, what hast thou ever accomplished for the benefit of mankind? Or rather, what is thy work at all? Since He is the Author of all things and of thy very substance; ^C for He adorned thee, since the ornament of nature is the life according to nature.

^A Indeed, it prevailed not a little, that which is contrary to nature, that no one should revere God as the Author of all, and that all things should be thought to consist not by providence, but as it happened, in disorder and confusion. And although divine inspiration was declaring these things one by one through the prophets, whom it was necessary to obey, wicked impiety resisted with all manner of devices, being maligned against the light of truth, but embracing the darkness which cannot be refuted. But not even this was done without violence and cruelty, especially since the judgment of those in power became complicit in the sudden rush of the common masses, or rather, this very judgment led the way in that untimely madness. Therefore, such a life, having been hardened over many generations, became the cause of the greatest evils for those at that time.

But when the manifestation of the Saviour suddenly shone forth, justice was established in the place of unjust deeds, and serenity in the place of a most grievous storm, and all things which had been foretold by the prophets were fulfilled. ^B For after that same Saviour of ours had been taken up to the dwelling-place of His Father, having illuminated the entire world with the rays of continence and modesty, He established His Church upon the earth as a certain sacred temple of virtue, eternal and incorruptible, in which the worship due to the supreme God and Father, and that which was fitting for Himself, might be performed with piety.

But what did the foolish malice of the nations contrive after these things? It attempted, casting away the graces of Christ, to destroy the Church which had been established for the salvation of all, and it kept introducing its own superstition. ^C Again there was unholy discord, wars, battles, perverse dispositions, a burdensome manner of life, and a love of riches; which, being contrary to nature in men (for it is the property of malice), at one time entices with adorned hopes, and at another strikes with terror. But let this indeed lie low, having been defeated by virtue, ^D as is right, being broken asunder and torn apart by repentance. But we must now speak of the things that are fitting for the divine Word.

^A

CHAPTER II. An address to the Church and the listeners, that they grant pardon and amend if anything should be said less correctly.

Hear, then, you who are master of a ship composed of purity and virginity, and you too, O Church, nurse of an unripe and tender age, to whom truth is a care, and to whom philanthropy is a care, from whose perennial fountain a saving stream flows down. May you also hear with favor, you who sincerely worship God, and are for that reason a care to Him; and applying your mind, attend not so much to the wording as to the truth of the things that are said, and look not at me who am speaking, but at the religious duty of devotion. For what grace and utility would there be in an oration, if the disposition of the speaker had not first been examined? I perhaps presume great things; but the love for God implanted in me is the cause of my boldness, since it is a thing that offers violence to modesty. ^B Therefore, you who are instructed beyond others in the science of divine mysteries, I would wish to have as helpers; so that if by chance any slip should occur in my speaking, you, following in my footsteps, may correct it, and not expect from me some finished doctrine, but rather benevolently approve the effort of my faith. Moreover, may the singular aid of the Father and of the Son now inspire us, while we speak those things which He shall have commanded and suggested to our mind. For if anyone, professing rhetoric or any other art whatsoever, hopes that he can complete his work perfectly without the aid of the divine Deity, he is found to be crude and imperfect in the work he has undertaken. But those to whom the aid of the divine Deity has once breathed are by no means to cease or grow sluggish. Therefore, having begged your pardon for a longer prologue, we shall attempt to approach the head and sum of our institution.

CHAPTER III. That God is the Father of the Word, and the creator of all things: and that things could by no means consist if their cause were diverse.

^C The Good that all things desire, since it is by its own nature always God, does not have a generation, and therefore does not have a beginning; but He Himself is the beginning of all things that are in generation. And he who has his relation from Him, is united again to Him ^D

^A in such a way that the separation and union come about not through spatial intervals, but rather through the intellect. For the offspring does not consist through any injury to the paternal entrails, in the manner of things produced from seeds; but by the arrangement of Providence, He brought forth a Protector and Saviour for both the sensible world and the things contrived within it. Therefore, for all things that are embraced by the world, the cause of their being and living comes from thence; and from thence also comes the soul, and every sense, and the instruments through which the things signified by the senses are accomplished. What, then, does this discourse imply? That there is one single Protector of all things that exist, and that all things whatsoever are subject to the dominion of Him alone, both the heavenly and the earthly, and the natural and organic bodies. For if the mastery of these things—which are numberless—were not in the hands of one, but of many, then lots ^B and distributions of elements, and ancient myths, and envy, and the desire for gain—laying hold according to their power—would disturb the harmonious concord of all things, with many managing in a different way the portion which had fallen to each. That the whole world, however, always remains in the same state and manner, demonstrates that it does not exist neglected, nor that it has come to be by chance. And who could ever have known the Maker of the entire creation? And as for prayers and supplications, to whom should one offer them first or last? And by revering whom among them out of choice, would I not have acted impiously toward the others? Or perhaps, if I were in need of some of the things of this life, I would be grateful to the one who assisted me, but would blame the one who opposed me. And to whom, after praying, could I ask to know the cause of my predicament, or obtain relief? Let us suppose, then, that responses and oracles have been given to us, yet that they are not under their own authority, ^C but that these things belong to another god; what then is the mercy? What is the providence of God toward man? Unless, perhaps, the more philanthropic one acted forcibly in assisting (one) who had no relation to him. ^D

Irritations, moreover, and rivalries, and abuse, and lastly the confusion of all things would follow: for while each one ^A did not perform his own duties, and was not content with what fell to his lot through greed, he would invade the possessions of others. What then next? Certainly this discord of the heavenly beings would bring destruction upon the inferior and earthly things, once the order and succession of the seasons and the utility of the fruits that are wont to grow at individual times of the year were completely destroyed, having also destroyed both day and the nightly rest that follows it. But enough of these things. Let us return again to the arguments which cannot be refuted in any way.

CAPUT IV. About the error of those who venerate idols.

Everything that has a beginning also has an end; and a beginning in time is called generation; and all things that come from generation are corruptible; and length of time obscures their form. How then could those who are from corruptible generation be immortal? A belief of the unreasoning masses has spread to such an extent that even among the gods marriages and begettings of children were thought to exist. ^B But if those being born are immortal, and they are always being born, it is necessary that their race should overflow. And if an increase comes about, what heaven, or what earth, could contain such a swarm of gods coming into being? And what could one say concerning men who join heavenly brothers to sisters in the bond of marriage, and accuse them of adulteries and debaucheries? We say boldly, furthermore, that the very honors and gifts presented to them by men have been mixed with insults and lewdness. For some person, already scrutinized in discussions, having conceived a form in his mind ^C as a sculptor, fashions it with skillful craft; and meanwhile, as if forgetfulness had fallen upon him, he flatters his own creation, worshiping it as an immortal god, while acknowledging that he himself, the father and creator of the statue, is mortal. And these people themselves show the tombs and monuments of those so-called immortals, and honor the dead with divine honors, ignorant that that which is truly blessed and immortal is in no need of the honor given by mortals. For that which can be discerned only by the mind and grasped by thought neither desires a form by which it might be recognized, nor does it endure a shape, as if it were an image or a statue. All these things take place ^D for the sake of the departed; for they were human beings when they lived, possessing bodies.

CAPUT V.

But why do I pollute my tongue with defiled words, I who am about to praise the true God? I have determined, therefore, first to rinse away the bitter drink with a pure one. And this pure drink is poured out through the perennial fountain of the virtues of that God who is praised by us. It is my own private duty, I deem, to proclaim Christ both by the holiness of my life and by the act of thanksgiving which is owed to Him by us in return for many and very great benefits. I say, then, that He established the foundations of this universe and devised the creation of men, measured out by certain law and reason. And those who had been newly brought into the light He straightway transferred to a certain blessed place, ^B filled with flowers and every abundance of fruits; and He willed that they should at first be ignorant of good and evil. But at length He established a dwelling on earth suitable for animals endowed with reason; and only then did He reveal to them the knowledge of good and evil, inasmuch as they were endowed with reason. Then also He commanded the human race to increase, and the whole of that space which, being healthy and free from disease, is bounded by the circuit of the Ocean, began to be inhabited. But as the human race grew, the arts necessary for the use of this life were discovered. And the brute animals also increased in like manner, since in each kind a certain proper force and virtue implanted by nature was found: in the gentle ones, a tameness and obedience toward man; in the wild ones, strength and speed. ^{C D}

and a certain natural providence by which they rescue themselves from dangers. And while God assigned the care and protection of all gentle animals to humans, against the wild ones He instituted a sort of contest. After this, He formed the race of birds, numerous in count but diverse in nature and species, gifted with a remarkable variety of colors and a certain natural science of melody. Having distributed all other things which are contained within the compass of the whole world in the most beautiful manner, and having defined for all things a fatal term of life, He completed the fabric of the universe, decorated with every ornament.

CHAPTER VI

On fate, and that what is said about it is shown to be false, both from human laws and from created things, which move not randomly but in an order, thereby demonstrating the precept of the Creator.

^B But the majority of men, being foolish, blame nature for the arrangement of all things; others assign these to fate or to random chance, attributing the power over such things to fate. Nor do they understand that when they name "fate," they are uttering a name, but signifying no action nor any underlying substance. For what could fate itself be of its own accord, since nature has brought forth all things? Or what should we consider nature to be, if the law of fate is inviolable? But indeed, to say that there is a certain law of fate reveals that every law is the work of a lawgiver. If, therefore, fate—if it be a law—is a discovery of God, then all things are subjected to God, and nothing is devoid of His power. We accept that fate is, and is considered to be, the will of God; ^C but in what way do justice, temperance, and the other virtues exist by fate? And whence come the opposites to these, namely injustice and intemperance? For malice is born of the will, and virtue is nothing other than right action pertaining to character. But the errors or, conversely, the successes of a good and right purpose, which turn out differently at different times according to fortune or fate—how could all justice and the apportionment of merit according to desert spring from fate?

^A And if there be exhortations toward virtue, and dissuasions from things that ought not to be, and praises and censures, and punishments, and all those things that both call men to virtue and lead them away from wickedness, how can it be said that these do not arise from justice, which is the property of the caring God, but from fortune or chance? For because of the quality of men's lives, everything happens according to desert: plagues sometimes, and seditions, and both the failure and the abundance of crops following, clearly and explicitly, as if voicing it, signifying that all such things 21 are adapted to our ways of life. For the Divine Substance truly delights in probity, while it turns away from all impiety; and it welcomes a moderate spirit, but hates boldness and the arrogance that elevates itself higher than is fitting for a living being; of which, ^B even if the proofs are most clear and are set before our eyes, they shine forth more manifest at those times when, gathering ourselves together and, as it were, collecting our mind, we consider their cause among ourselves. Wherefore I say that we ought to walk moderately and kindly, not lifting up our spirit beyond our nature, and, taking these thoughts, to realize that God, the inspector of our deeds, is always present with us. Moreover, we must examine in this way also whether the statement is true: as if the arrangement of all things consists of fortune and chance 25. ^C Are we then to believe that the heavenly bodies, and the stars, and the earth and sea, and fire and winds, and water and air, and the alternation of seasons, the times of summer and winter, have all happened senselessly and as it chanced, rather than that they were created? For some, who are utterly deprived of reason, say that most of these things were devised by men for their own use; for since nature provides all goods abundantly, let us grant, if you please, that this opinion is not without reason regarding earthly and corruptible things: but what of immortal and immutable things? Are they inventions of men? For all such things and all others of this kind, which have been separated from our senses, but which happen to be graspable by the mind alone, are not the ensouled life 26 of men, but ^D the intelligible and eternal substance of God, the generator. But surely also the account of the order of…

this arrangement is a work of Providence: that the day, illuminated by the sun, should shine forth, and that night should succeed it when he sets, and having succeeded it, should not be left ^A entirely without light because of the choir of stars. And what might one say concerning the moon, being filled by its distance directly opposite the sun, and waning because of its close proximity to it? Do not these things declare the indwelling Word and the intelligence of God? And the fitness of the solar ray ripening the fruits, and the spirits of the winds preparing for good seasons, and the cooling of the rains, and the harmony of all these things, according to which all things are governed reasonably and in good order; and the eternity of the arrangement, with the planets returning to the same place at the fitting and supposed times—is this not the manifest command of God, and the perfect service of the stars, obeying the divine law? And the heights of the mountains, and the hollow depths of the regions, and the smoothness of the expanded plains—does this seem to be without the providence of God? A sight that is not only pleasant, but whose utility is also ^B pleasant. And the measures and distances of water and earth, sufficient for agriculture and for the transport of the needs of foreign lands, do they not most clearly demonstrate the precise and proportionate providence of God? For the mountains contain water, and when the level plain below has received this, and has abundantly refreshed the fields with its irrigation, it casts what is remaining into the sea, and the sea in turn transmits it to the Ocean. And do we still dare to say that all these things come to be automatically and by chance? Not revealing in what kind of shape and form this "automatic" is characterized, having no substance, neither intellectually nor sensibly, only that it is the sound of a name without substance buzzing about our ears.

CHAPTER VII.

For "chance" is in truth an utterance of men who think randomly and without reason, and who, not grasping their own argument, ^C prefer a prior emendation. Thus Eusebius at the end of Chapter 7. The best codex, however, the Fuk., clearly supports Christophorson. There is no need for the conjecture of Christophorson and Savile, who amends, as it is amended in the book of More in the margin. Soon, however, write again below: "And thus clearly in the Fuk. codex it was discovered written," except that it has "as the learned man had noted in the book of More." Thus it is certainly read in the Fuk. codex.

7. That in matters which the intelligence cannot reach, we must preach the wisdom of the Creator; and not deem chance, or any other cause besides God, to exist.

For chance is in reality a word invented by men endowed with no reason or prudence, but who, when they cannot attain the cause itself by intelligence, ^D

^A imagine that these things—the reasons for which they are unable to provide—were ordered without any reason. There are certainly some things the true comprehension of which lies in the depths, being endowed with a wondrous nature; such is the nature of hot springs. For no one could easily state the cause of so great a fire; yet it is a marvel that, being surrounded on all sides by cold water, it does not for that reason lose its innate heat. These things seem to be rare and few throughout the whole world, in order that, as I persuade myself, the power of Providence might be easily recognizable to men, by decreeing that two perfectly opposite natures, heat and cold, should flow from one and the same root. Many things, indeed, and countless, have been bestowed by the Better One upon men for their consolation and enjoyment, but especially the fruits of the olive and the vine. ^B The latter has the power to refresh and exhilarate the soul, while the former is suited not only for pleasure but also for the healing of bodies. The continuous and unceasing flow of rivers, gliding on day and night and bearing a certain likeness to eternal and everlasting life, also deserves the greatest admiration. The continuous vicissitude of day and night is likewise just as wonderful.

CHAPTER VIII

^A may we recount, which, in all the things that have been abundantly granted to us, openly urge the life of man toward temperance and all other virtues, and lead it away from untimely cupidity? To investigate the rationale of all these things is a greater task than what can be accomplished by a human being. For how could the intelligence of a frail and feeble animal ever attain to the accuracy of truth? How could it ever understand the pure will of God from the beginning?

CHAPTER IX.

Of philosophers who, having wished to know all things, fell into errors and some underwent dangers; and concerning the doctrines of Plato.

Wherefore we must apply ourselves to things that can be done and that do not exceed the measure of our nature. For the probability found in dialogues and disputations is wont to lead most of us away ^B from the truth of things that are. Which indeed has happened to many philosophers while they exercise their genius in debating and investigating the nature of existing things. For as often as the magnitude of wonders surpasses the limits of their investigation, they involve the truth in various modes of argumentation. Hence it happens that they hold contrary opinions and one man impugns the dogmas of another, and this while they wish to appear wise. From which have arisen most grievous tumults of the people and bitter justice of princes against them, since they think the ancestral customs are being subverted by them. And death has often followed for those very men. For Socrates, elated by his science of discourse, ^C since he would make inferior arguments appear superior, and played in his constant contradiction, was killed through the envy of his fellow-tribesmen and citizens. But Pythagoras also, who professed to cultivate temperance and silence above all others, was convicted of falsehood. For what he himself once ^D [proclaimed]—the matters formerly foretold by the prophets, having traveled to Egypt, he gave them out to the Italians as though they had been revealed to him personally by God—[this he falsely claimed].

Plato, finally, who surpassed all others in the gentleness of his character, and who was the first to accustom the minds of men to turn away from the senses toward things intelligible and always remaining in the same state, and taught them to look up to the things above ^A,

teaching them to look up to the things above

and flee from wickedness? ^A Following this, he added that the souls of the wicked are carried away and wander like the wreckage of a ship in the currents of Acheron and Pyriphlegethon.

CHAPTER X.

That those who reject not only the doctrines of Scripture, but also those of the philosophers, and regarding whether one should believe the poets in all things or in none.

There are, however, some who are so damaged and corrupted in their understanding ^B that when they read these things, they do not care, nor are they struck by any fear; but they despise and laugh at them as though they were hearing mere fables. They praise the elegance and richness of the language, but they turn away from the austerity of the doctrine. Yet, these same people believe the poets' myths and fill all of Greece and all of the Barbarian world with empty and false rumors. For the poets say that certain men, the sons of gods, judge souls after death, and they celebrate their judgments and courts, establishing them as inspectors and censors of the departed. These same poets also report the battles of demons ^C and announce certain laws of war, and they proclaim their fates; they assert that some are by nature bitter, others removed from all care for human affairs, and others still to be difficult. They even introduce them lamenting the slaughter of their own children, as if they were unable to provide aid not only to strangers, but not even to their own closest kin. They represent them as subject to human passions, singing of their battles and wounds, their joys and laments. And they are deemed trustworthy when they speak. For if they undertake poetry by divine inspiration, it is fitting to believe and obey them ^D regarding those things which they proclaim while inspired; but they speak of the sufferings of gods and demons—these sufferings, then, touch upon every kind of truth. But someone will say that it is permitted for poets to lie; for to charm the souls of their hearers is proper to poetry, while truth exists when what is said is exactly as it is represented. Let this be proper to poetry, to sometimes steal away the truth; yet those who speak falsehoods do not lie in vain—for they do this for the sake of gain and profit, or because they are conscious, it seems, of some evil deed, fearing the punishment hung over them by the laws.

For it was possible, I think, for those recording nothing against the truth regarding the higher nature, neither to lie nor to act impiously.

CHAPTER XI.

Therefore, if anyone is unworthy of a good life, and is conscious in himself of having lived his life in a disorderly and wicked manner, if he should change and look toward the Divine, having purified the eye of his soul, and having become a stranger to his former most wretched way of living—yet it is desirable if, even in the prime of life, he should attain to wisdom. But as for us, no instruction ^A proceeding from men has ever helped us; but whatever is worthy of praise in human life and conduct, in the judgment of the wise, these are the gifts and favors of God. But against those venomous arrows which are fashioned by the evil demon, I possess no weak shield to oppose—namely, the knowledge of those things which are acceptable to God. From which knowledge and discipline, having selected those things which are accommodated to the present discourse, I shall undertake to praise the Father of all. And may You, Christ, Savior of all, ^B yourself assisting the zeal of our devotion, be present and adorn the discourse regarding your excellence, prescribing for us the mode and manner of offering praise. And let no one expect to hear an oration adorned with some elegant display of ornate names and words; for I know accurately that a loose oration, crafted for pleasure, is displeasing to those who are wise, ^C whenever those who speak, care for applause rather than for a prudent discourse. ^D Certain foolish men say...

^A say that our Christ was justly condemned to punishment, and that He who is the author of life was deprived of life by those who live. That those who have once dared to commit impiety, and who neither fear nor cover their faces, being fully aware of their own wickedness, should say this is not at all surprising. But it truly surpasses all madness that they seem to have persuaded themselves that the immortal God suffered violence from men, and not from His own kindness and benevolence toward humanity; nor do they notice that greatness of mind and patience are neither changed by insult, nor moved from their state by reproaches, but rather crush the fury of those who hostily attack them by counsel and the loftiness of their mind. Indeed, the divine clemency had determined to wipe away injustice and to raise up propriety and justice; for this reason, ^B having gathered the wisest of men, it established a most excellent and life-benefiting teaching, that good and blessed men might emulate His own providence regarding the things of the world. For what greater good could one mention than God dispensing justice and making those worthy of His instruction like unto Himself, so that, goodness having been disseminated among all, good fortune might be secured for men for all eternity? This is the noble victory, this the true power, this the greatest work, fitting and corresponding to God, namely, the correction of all peoples and their conversion to a better state. And we, indeed, offer the glory of this triumph with praises and acclamations to You, O Savior of all. ^C But you, O wicked and disgraceful blasphemy, raising yourself up with lies, with rumors and clamors, deceiving the young, persuading adolescents and those of men who have a childish manner, leading them away from the worship of the living God, and setting up the fabrications of statues, to which they might pray and bow down; so that having been deceived, they remain for the wages of their own lack of perception. For they blame ^D

^A the cause of all good things, Christ, both God and the Son of God. Is it not the case, then, that this God is worshiped as is worthy by the most temperate of nations and peoples? Having grasped power of every kind, yet remaining in his own resolve, he has not diminished in the slightest the innate philanthropy. Depart then, you impious ones—for it is permitted to you, through your unpunished sin—to the slaughter of sacrificial animals, and to feasts and festivals and drunkenness; you who profess piety, but cultivate pleasures and debauchery; and who, while pretending to perform sacrifices, are in fact slaves to your own pleasures. For nothing good, nor even the primary command of the great God, is attained by those who, as he gives orders to the human race and commands the Son to govern the life of these people, might—if they had lived rightly and temperately—according to the judgment of the Son, obtain a second life, blessed and happy. ^B I, for my part, have expounded the decree of God concerning the life of men, not being ignorant, as the many are, nor led by guesswork or conjecture. Yet perhaps someone might say: Whence is the appellation of "Son," and what is the nature of his generation, if he is the one and only God, and is entirely alien to all commingling? But it is necessary to understand that there is a twofold manner of generation: the one, from birth, which is known to all; the other, that which is from an eternal cause, which the providence of God sees, and of which he who is a friend to him has knowledge ^C (for some wise man will know the cause of the ordering of all things). Since, therefore, there is nothing before him, it is necessary that the cause of existing things should pre-exist them. Since, then, there is a world and those things in it, and there is their salvation, it is necessary that the Savior of existing things should pre-exist; so that Christ is the cause of salvation, while salvation is the effect—just as the Father is the cause of the Son, and the Son is the effect. And the former, indeed, pre-exists...

itself, has been sufficiently declared. How, then, did He descend to men and to the earth? The purpose of His ^A general coming, as the prophets foretold, belongs to the providence governing all things; for it is necessary that the Creator should care for His works. Since He was to approach a worldly body and dwell on earth, because necessity demanded it, He devised a certain strange manner of birth for Himself. For it was a conception without marriage, and a birth from a chaste virgin, and a maiden who is Mother of God, and the temporal initiation of an eternal nature, and the perception of an intelligible substance, and the matter of an incorporeal splendor ^B. All the subsequent manifestations of Him are consistent with this: a radiant dove, flying from the ark of Noah, descended to the bosom of the Virgin; and consistent, too, are the things that followed the birth, a marriage-union more pure than all purity and superior even to continence itself. The wisdom of God from the swaddling-clothes, and the Jordan, the dispenser of the baths, receiving Him with reverence—all of this is astonishing. In addition to this, the royal anointing joined with the knowledge of all things; and the teaching and power accomplishing miraculous deeds, and healing incurable things; and the swift and unimpeded confirmation of human prayers; and, in a word, the whole life led on behalf of men; and a teaching that instructed not in worldly prudence, but in wisdom, the students ^C not learning the so-called political virtues, but those paths that lead [the soul] to the intelligible world, and laboring for the contemplation of the nature that is ever the same, and exercising themselves in the notion of the greatest Father. For the gifts of His benefits are no small measure; instead of blindness, sight; instead of infirmity, health; instead of death, the restoration to life again. I pass over the abundant provision of necessities in the wilderness, and the lavish superabundance distributed to great multitudes from meager food. This thank-offering we render to Thee, as far as we are able, O Christ, God and Savior, ^D whose divine providence, through grace, is seen among men, for whoever is dear to God. For any wise man understands the cause of the order of the universe. Moreover, since there is nothing that does not have a cause, it is necessary that prior to all things that exist, the cause of them should have subsisted. Since, therefore, the world and all things that are in the world exist, and their preservation exists, it is necessary that the Savior should have existed before all things that are, so that Christ Himself is the cause of all things, and their preservation is the effect; just as the Father, indeed, is the cause of the Son, while the Son is the caused. And that Christ Himself existed before all things, we have already amply proven. But how did He descend to the earth and come to men? His plan, indeed, as the prophets had predicted, proceeded from the care and solicitude which He bore for all things. For a craftsman must needs take care of his works. But when He was about to approach a terrestrial body and to remain for some time among men, as necessity so required, He devised for Himself a new manner of birth. For there was a conception without nuptials; and a delivery from a chaste maiden; and a damsel who is the Mother of God; and a temporal beginning of an eternal nature; and a sense of an intelligible substance; and a subject of incorporeal splendor. All things, therefore, that were seen at that time were consistent with these. A most radiant dove, flying down from the ark of Noah, descended into the bosom of the Virgin. Consistent, likewise, are the remaining things which followed that immaculate and, beyond all purity, more refined union, and even superior to continence itself. Wonderful is the wisdom of God from the very cradle, and the Jordan which provided the waters for baptism, receiving Him with reverence. To these, the royal anointing joined with the knowledge of all things; likewise the doctrine and power by which wonderful things were performed.

^A The greatest providence of the great Father, both saving from evils and teaching the most blessed doctrine—for I do not speak these things in praise, but in thanksgiving. For who among men could worthily hymn You? For You are the Word who brought existent things into being from non-being, and kindled for them the light, and adorned the disordered confusion of the elements with order and measure. And this is the preeminent gift of Your philanthropy: that You made men well-disposed by nature to be emulators of a divine and blessed life; ^B and to observe how those who have become merchants of truly good things might share their own wisdom and fortune with many others, and themselves garner the eternal fruit of virtue, released from licentiousness, partaking of philanthropy, keeping pity before their eyes, hoping for the promise of faith, and embracing shame and every kind of virtue, which the preceding life of human customs had cast away ^C—[the providence] acting for the sake of all; for no one else could have been found a sufficient physician for such evils and the injustice that had prevailed during that life. Providence, therefore, reaching down to these things, set into order everything that had been disordered by insolence and intemperance. And this was not done secretly; for He knew how some of those among men were observing His own power through wisdom and intelligence, ^D while others, their nature having been likened to the irrational beasts, were inclined toward the senses. Therefore, clearly, so that no one might doubt—neither the earnest nor the base—He brought happiness and wonderful healing before their eyes; for those ceasing from life, He restored life a second time, and those deprived of their senses, He bade to perceive healthfully once more; and to make the sea stand firm, and to command a calm from a storm, and finally, having undertaken wonderful works and having summoned men from unbelief to a strong faith, to fly up to heaven—whose other work is this, save the work of God and of the most excellent Power? Not even the time immediately following the suffering was alien to those wonderful sights; when nights, obscuring the midday light, caused the sun to disappear; for fear had seized the peoples everywhere, that the end of all things had arrived, and [that the base]...

world was about to return to a primordial chaos, such as existed before the foundation of the universe. The cause of so great an evil was sought, and whether any transgression had been committed by men against the Divine. But when God, with gentle magnanimity, disregarding the insults of the impious, had restored all things, and had adorned the whole heaven with the customary course of the stars, the face of the whole world, which had been in a manner confounded by grief and mourning, recovered its former splendor.

Chapter XII. Concerning those who have not known this mystery, and that their ignorance was voluntary; and what great goods await those who have known it, and especially those who have been perfected through confession.

^B But someone – one of those accustomed to speak impiously – will say that God could have made the will of men better and more gentle. What, I ask, is a better way, or what method is more effective for the amendment of wicked men, than that God Himself should address them face to face? Did He not, by being present and subject to the sight of all, instruct them in a life befitting the world? If, therefore, the exhortation of God while present accomplished nothing, what could it have availed if He were absent and unheard? What, then, was the obstacle to that most blessed teaching? The ferocity and cruelty of men. ^C For whenever we receive with a hostile mind things that are rightly and usefully commanded, then the sharpness of our mind is obscured by a kind of darkness. And what of the fact that it was a pleasure to them to neglect the commandments and to turn deaf ears to the law that was provided? For if they had not neglected it, they would certainly have received a reward worthy of their obedience, not only at that very moment, but also in the life hereafter, which is truly to be considered life. For the reward of those who have obeyed the commandments of God is an immortal and eternal life. To this, those may finally aspire who have known God, ^D and who have set forth their own life as a kind of perpetual example for imitation to those who have set their hearts on the struggle.

^A For it has been handed down to the wise, so that whatever they may command, this might be guarded with care by their own followers with a pure soul, and that the guard over the commandment of God might be true and steadfast; for from this there even springs a fearlessness in the face of death, through a pure faith and a sincere consecration to God. It resists worldly storms, sheltered by the unconquerable virtue of God ^B for martyrdom; having conquered, therefore, the greatest fears through magnanimity, the martyr is deemed worthy of a crown from Him for whom he has courageously testified. And he takes no pride in anything; for he knows, I think, that this too is given from God, for the sake of standing firm and for fulfilling the divine commandments with eagerness. A lasting memory and eternal glory follow this life, and reasonably so; for if the life of the martyr is sober and mindful of the commandments, his end is found to be full of magnanimity and nobility. Hymns, then, follow these things, and psalms and praises, and glory offered to the Overseer of all. And such a ^C sacrifice of thanksgiving is performed for these men, pure of blood and pure of all violence; nor is the scent of frankincense sought after, nor a pyre, but only pure light, as much as suffices to illuminate those who are praying, and their banquets are very sober, performed for the sake of mercy and for the recovery of the needy and for the assistance of the fallen. If anyone thinks these things are burdensome, he does not think according to the divine and most blessed teaching.

CHAPTER XIII

That a difference is necessary among created things: and that the inclination toward good and evil arises from the will of men: and therefore the judgment of God is necessary.

Some, however, even in this, presume with youthful audacity to find fault with God: "Why, oh why, when He willed it, did He not make one and the ^D same propensity in the nature of things? But the diversity [in created things] is necessary... and the inclination of human judgment toward good and evil is the cause; wherefore also judgment is necessary and reasonable. Now, however, some, even in finding fault with God, show their arrogance: "Why, oh why, when He willed it, did He not make one and the same...

nature and character for all things, but willed instead that many diverse and for the most part contrary things should come into being?" From this has arisen the diversity of customs and wills among men. It might perhaps have been better, as regards the observance of God’s commandments, the accurate contemplation of Him, and the confirmation of the faith of each individual, if all men had been of ^A one and the same character. But it is entirely absurd and ridiculous to desire that all men should be endowed with the same character, and not to perceive that the order of the world is one thing, and the order of the things in the world another; nor are natural things of the same substance as moral things, nor are the affections of the body the same as the affections of the soul. For the rational soul surpasses this entire world by a great interval, being as much more blessed than earthly and corruptible animals as it is more august and divine; and the human race is not without a share in the divine goodness—not, however, that all men are partakers of this divine goodness indiscriminately and without any distinction, but only those who have scrutinized the divine nature and who have proposed to themselves this principal aim and study of life: the knowledge of divine things.

CHAPTER XIV

Truly, it is the height of madness to compare things born with things eternal. For the latter have neither beginning nor end. Those, however, because they came into being and were generated, and received the beginning of their existence and life in time, must necessarily also have an end. But how could things generated ever be compared with Him who commanded them to be born? For if these things were equal to Him, the commandment by which He willed them to be born could not rightly apply to Him; for an equal cannot exercise authority and command over an equal. But not even the heavenly things could be compared to Him, just as the sensible world cannot be compared to the intelligible, nor images to their archetypes. And the confusion and intermingling of all things—how is this not ridiculous? ^D when the dignity of the divine nature is obscured, if men and beasts…

^A of raving men, who have turned away from a sober and virtuous life? For if we truly aspire to divine happiness, it is necessary to pass our life according to the commandment of God; for thus we shall pass our life in immortal and ageless dwellings, superior to all fate, having lived according to the law ordained by God. For the only human power which is a match for the power of God is sincere and unfeigned worship of God, and conversion to Him, the contemplation and knowledge of those things which are pleasing to the Most High, and not to be bent toward the earth, but as far as possible to raise one’s mind to lofty and heavenly things; for from this practice, "victory," as it is said (99), "is gained instead of many good things." The reason, therefore, for the difference in existing things, both in worth and in the variation of power, follows this principle to which the wise willingly submit and give the greatest thanks, whereas the foolish, showing themselves ungrateful, bear the due punishment of their arrogance. ^B

CHAPTER XV.

What precepts the Savior delivered, what miracles He performed, and how greatly He benefited those subject to Him.

Moreover, the Son of God exhorts all men to virtue, showing Himself to be a teacher of the Father’s commandments to those who are wise. Unless, perhaps, through extreme ignorance we are unaware that for the sake of our benefit—that is, for the happiness of all—He wandered over the earth, and calling the best men of that time to Himself, He delivered a most useful doctrine, as a kind of medicine for a sober life, teaching them faith and justice against the envy of the hostile demon, who is accustomed to entice and deceive the simple and inexperienced. Therefore, He visited the sick, and relieved the infirm of the evils by which they were oppressed; He also offered consolation to those who had been reduced to extreme poverty and want. He also approved of the moderation of prudence ^C according to reason, ^D

^A and commanded that we should bear every injury and contumely with a brave and patient spirit; teaching us that such is the visitation of His Father, so that those who endure all hardships generously may always carry off the victory. For He affirmed that this was the highest strength, a constancy of mind joined with philosophy, which is nothing other than the knowledge of truth and of the good, accustoming men who possess wealth acquired by good means to share them humanely with the more needy. He utterly forbids domination, openly denouncing that as He came to help the humble, so He will refuse to favor those who have despised the humble. By such an experiment, therefore, when He had explored the loyalty of the peoples subject to Him, He made them not only contemners of the most grave and formidable things, ^B but also genuine disciples of hope and trust in Him. Furthermore, He reproved one of His companions, who had flared up with overly vehement anger, and restrained him with words. That man had set upon someone, sword in hand, thinking to render aid to the Savior. But the Savior commanded him to be at rest and to put away the sword, gravely rebuking the man because he had distrusted His protection and patronage. He clearly enacted this law: that he who had begun to strike another, or who had attempted to harm one who was striking, and generally whoever used a sword, should perish by a violent death. ^C This is truly heavenly wisdom: to prefer to suffer injury rather than to inflict it; and as often as necessity requires, to be of such a mind that we prefer to receive harm rather than to inflict it. For since to inflict injury is the greatest evil, it is not he who suffers, but rather he who inflicts the injury, who is afflicted with the most grievous punishment. Moreover, to the one who is subject to God, it is possible neither to do injury nor to suffer it, provided he trusts in the patronage of the God who is present to him and brings aid, lest anyone ^D among His subjects be harmed. But how could He Himself require aid, trusting in God? The struggle was between two, and the outcome of the victory was uncertain; but no one in his right mind prefers uncertain outcomes to those that are firmly established. And how was He to inquire concerning the presence of God,

^A or to doubt His aid, he who has experienced so many dangers, and who has always been easily delivered from evils by the mere nod of God [(14)], he who traveled through the sea, when it was calmed at the command of the Saviour and provided a solid path for the crossing peoples? For this, I think, is the manifest substructure of faith, and this the foundation of confidence, whenever we contemplate these wondrous and incredible things, happening and being fulfilled by the command of Him who provides for us. Hence also arises the state of not repenting in one's faith [(15)], whenever someone falls into a trial of evils [(16)] and holds his hope toward God unshaken; for this disposition having been produced in the soul, God is established according to the mind—and He is invincible. Therefore, the soul that possesses the Invincible in its own mind will not be overcome by the dangers that surround it. Beyond this, we have learned from the victory of God, who, showing providence for all, and having been mocked by the injustice of the impious, having suffered no harm from the passion, wreathed for Himself the greatest trophies of victory and an eternal crown against wickedness, bringing to an end the intention of His own providence and affection for the just, and having crushed the cruelty of the unjust and the impious. ^B

CAPUT XVI. That Christ’s advent was predicted by the prophets, and that it was ordained for the destruction of idols and of cities that worship idols.

Furthermore, the passion of Him had long been predicted by the prophets, and His bodily birth was also proclaimed; the time of His incarnation was also foretold, and that the seedlings of injustice and intemperance sprouting forth, which harm just deeds and ways, should be removed; and that the whole world should share in wisdom and restraint, the law proclaimed by the Saviour having prevailed in the souls of almost all mortals; and that the worship of the Divine Numen was confirmed, while the superstition of demons was blotted out. Which superstition, indeed, had introduced not only the slaughter of brute animals, but even human sacrifices, and the wicked defilements of altars, according to the laws of the Assyrians ^C and Egyptians, by means of bronze-wrought or fashioned images.

^A And thus they reaped the harvest appropriate to such a religion: "Memphis and Babylon will be laid waste, and will be left uninhabited, along with their ancestral gods." And these things I do not recount from hearsay, but having been present myself and investigated them, and having become an eyewitness of the piteous and wretched Memphis. ^B Now Moses, in accordance with the divine command, laid waste the land of the most powerful Pharaoh of that time, whom pride had shattered; and his army, which was victorious over many and very great nations, and was well-fortified and armed, he brought down, not by volleys of arrows or the casting of javelins, but by holy prayer alone and gentle supplication.

CHAPTER XVII.

Concerning the wisdom of Moses, which was emulated by the philosophers from without, and concerning Daniel and the three youths.

No one, truly, has ever been or ever will be more blessed than that people, unless they had of their own accord turned their souls away from the Holy Spirit. And what could anyone say that is worthy of Moses? He who led a disorderly multitude into order, and having adorned their souls with persuasion and reverence, gave them freedom in place of captivity, and gladness in place of gloom; and he advanced their souls to such a point that, because of the extreme transition to the opposite state and the good fortune of their successes, their spirit became more haughty than men; and he so surpassed in wisdom those who were before him, that even those who are praised by the nations—that is, the wise men and philosophers ^C—became emulators of his.

^A Pythagoras, indeed, having imitated his wisdom, is so famed for temperance that even Plato, a most modest man, set up his self-restraint as an example to be imitated. And Daniel (25), who prophesied the future and was a worker of the most exalted greatness of soul, excelling in the beauty of his character and his entire life: how great and how harsh was the difficulty he overcame from that tyrant who at that time held sway in Syria? The name of this man was Nabuchodonosor, whose lineage having been entirely wiped out, that noble and immense power passed to the Persians. For even to this day, the riches of that king are famed and celebrated in the many discourses of men; and his importunate zeal for forbidden religion, and the vast supply of every kind of metal for the fashioning of idols of the gods; also the roofs of the temples, which, so to speak, reached the very heaven; and finally, the terrible laws of religion, fashioned for cruelty. But Daniel, despising all these things on account of his sincere piety toward God, prophesied that that importunate zeal of the tyrant would be the cause of some very great evil. Yet he did not persuade the tyrant; for the abundance of riches is a very great hindrance to thinking rightly. Finally, the ruler indeed made known the savagery of his own mind, ordering the just man to be thrown to wild beasts to be destroyed. ^B Yet noble, too, was the unanimity of the brothers in undergoing martyrdom; those who after them emulated them, attained an immense glory for their faith toward the Savior, appearing unharmed by the fire and the furnace and the terrible things appointed for their consumption, and by the purity of their bodies repelling the fire contained within the furnace. But Daniel, when the empire of the Assyrians was destroyed by the striking of lightning (27), was led by divine providence to Cambyses, the king of the Persians. But envy even here—and in addition to envy, the lethal plots of the Magi, and a constant succession of many and very great dangers—vexed him. From all of which, with the assistance of Christ’s providence, he was easily delivered, and shone forth having been tested in every kind of virtue. For the Magi, when the man prayed three times a day and performed great and extraordinary virtues through memorable deeds, slandered the very attainment of his prayers out of envy; and slandering his such great power to the ruler as highly dangerous (29-30), they persuaded him that the man who had been the public cause of so many goods for the Persians should be condemned to a feast for wild lions. ^C I write, therefore, either wise men or philosophers, that is to say, if you prefer to call them philosophers. After he spoke of the destruction of Memphis, he passes to the Assyrians and the desolation of Babylon. And, indeed, by the occasion of the Egyptians, he inserted praise of Moses. But now, treating of the Assyrians, he sets forth the praises of Daniel, who lived as a captive among the Assyrians or Babylonians. The antiquarian who transcribed the Royal codex, offended by the multitude of errors with which the exemplar was teeming, made this the end of his writing. And he testified to this in these words inscribed to the empty page: ^D whence Constantine drew these things, who writes that the kingdom of the Assyrians was destroyed by the striking of lightning; which, indeed, I do not remember reading elsewhere. But neither do I sufficiently understand it. For men and fortresses and cities can be destroyed by the striking of lightning, as the poets have spun fables about the Phlegyae; but how a kingdom can be abolished by lightnings, I, for my part, do not see. In the manuscript codices of Fuk. and Turnebus, and in the Royal papers, it is written "he had said virtues" (28); which word, that it is accustomed to be used for miracles in the sacred Books, no one is unaware. The interpreter of this oration translated it badly, when he ought to have translated "powers." (29-30) Vulgate. In the codex of Fuk., this passage is distinguished in this way, etc. Soon I shall write as it is corrected in the margin of the book of Moraeus.

^A Daniel, having been condemned, was cast not into destruction, but into everlasting glory; and although he was examined in the midst of the beasts, he proved himself to be gentler and more mild than the beasts that had imprisoned him. For prayer—31—aided by the virtue of modesty and temperance, made even those who were savage by nature become tame. When these things became known to Cambyses (for it was not possible for the achievements of such great divine power to be obscured), he was struck with exceeding wonder at the miracle of what was reported, and he repented for having so easily been persuaded by the slanders of the Magi. Yet, he dared to become an eyewitness of that spectacle; and when he saw the man—32—praising Christ with his hands lifted on high, while the lions lay prostrate ^B and, as it were, were worshipping the footprints of the man, he immediately condemned the Magi who had persuaded him to the same penalty and imprisoned them in the lions’ den. And the beasts, which a little while before had fawned upon Daniel, set upon the Magi and devoured them all according to their own nature.

CHAPTER XVIII.

It occurs to me also to record some testimonies from foreigners—33—regarding the divinity of Christ. For indeed, the very mindset of those who are accustomed to blaspheme Him reveals this, and they know Him to be God and the Son of God, if indeed they are willing to believe their own words. The Erythraean Sibyl, therefore, claiming herself to have been born in the sixth ^D generation after the flood, was a priestess of Apollo—34—wearing a crown upon her head, just as...

that god whom she worshipped preserved the tripod around which the serpent was coiled, delivering oracles to those who questioned her. Dedicated to this cult by foolish parents, from it nothing honorable or upright is born, but rather a frenzy devoid of modesty. Such of this kind are the things recounted regarding Daphne. ^A This woman, then, having once forced her way into the inner sanctuaries of untimely superstition, and being truly filled with divine inspiration, began to prophesy in verses all the things about God that were to come to pass; making history known most openly through the initial letters of the verses (a style of writing called an acrostic) concerning the advent of Jesus Christ. The acrostic is of this kind: *Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, Cross*. And her verses are as follows:

Dripping shall the earth be with sweat, when there is a sign of judgment; E from heaven then the King shall come through the ages, who is to be, S verily, so that He may judge the whole world now present. V And the unfaithful and the faithful shall see God S sublime in human flesh, and surrounded by a holy company, C Who, when the time is complete, shall judge all. H Horrid then shall the earth be, overgrown with sharp brambles. R Rejection of idols and all metallic wealth shall men make. I And with a single assault they shall break the gates of the underworld, S the squalid spirits, and shall enjoy pure light. T The judge shall then test the wicked and the good with fire. V The voice of each shall speak the hidden sin that he has done, S and the hidden caves of the human heart shall be laid open.

^B Whoever among the Christian writers brought forward the oracles of the Sibyls for the confirmation of the Christian faith, they found it necessary to say the same thing about the Sibyls as Constantine did: namely, that they, having been inspired by a certain divine spirit, foretold [the truth] about Christ. Thus Justin in his *Exhortation to the Greeks*;... Consonant with these, Augustine writes in book XVIII of *The City of God*, ch. 23; and Jerome in his book *Against Jovinian*. For the latter, indeed, writes that the gift of divination was granted by God to the Sibyls on account of the merit of their virginity. Augustine, for his part, does not fear to enroll them in the City of God. But Gregory of Nazianzus, in his poem to Nemesius, says that Hermes Trismegistus and the Sibyl, whatever they foretold about God, did not prophesy having been divinely inspired, but received these things from the sacred books of the Hebrews which they had perused in passing.

^C That is to say, Gregory of Nazianzus and those most holy Fathers of the Church truly believed those poems had been composed by the Sibyls, when, however, they were in fact concocted by idle men and published in the name of the Sibyls around the time of the Emperor Hadrian. Certainly, no one earlier than Justin made mention of them. And Celsus, whom we have shown above to have lived during the principate of Marcus Antonius, affirms that Christians falsely inserted many things into the Sibylline poems. Origen reports his words in book VII. I know, indeed, that Origen denies this. For thus he responds to Celsus: that he ought to have brought forward earlier copies of the Sibylline poems, in which those verses that he said were intruded by Christians might by no means be read. It would surely have been easy for Celsus to accomplish this and to convict the falsity of those verses by this argument. But there are also other arguments by which this can be proven. For if the Sibyl had foretold so clearly about Christ, why did Paul in his Epistles, and when he spoke before the Athenians, not make use of her testimony, especially when he did not disdain to cite Aratus and other gentile poets? Certainly, if the Sibyl wrote this acrostic about Christ, there is no cause why we should doubt to rank her among the prophets, and indeed in the first rank. For among the ancient Hebrew prophets, no one wrote as clearly and distinctly about Christ as these Sibylline poems brought forward by Constantine. And yet, neither Origen nor any of the holy Fathers ever conceded that the Sibyls should be held among the prophets; rather, they judged those who so believed to be heretics, and called them "Sibyllists," as Origen teaches in his book *Against Celsus*, where, responding to Celsus—who had objected that Christians were divided into various sects: that some were *psychics*, others *spirituals*; some worshipped the God of the Jews, others did not; others were Sibyllists, etc.—he says thus:

^D (Concerning the line) *He shall burn the earth, heaven, and sea*, it is to be supplemented as follows: although I would prefer to read in the neuter. But the ancient version in Augustine in book XVIII of *The City of God* shows that this verse was omitted, which reads thus: *Exuret terras ignis pontumque polumque Inquirens*. Furthermore, they had expunged that Greek verse for this reason, because the whole acrostic seemed to stand without it, and they did not notice that in the acrostic the name of Christ is written with a diphthong—how this fact came to be, I do not know. [alt-version omitted] The Latin acrostic, however, retained it through Augustine. Indeed, the ancient Greeks made the name of Christ an eight-syllable word, writing it with a diphthong, as Irenaeus teaches in book 1, cap. 10.

^A Then there shall be gnashing of teeth and bitter cries to all. The sun shall fail, and the choirs of stars. He shall roll up the heavens; the moon’s light shall perish. He shall raise the valleys, and destroy the heights of the mountains. There shall no longer be any wretched height for men to see; Mountains and plains shall be equal, and the whole sea Shall be unnavigable, for the earth shall be scorched by lightning. With their springs, the roaring rivers shall fail. A trumpet shall send forth from heaven a voice full of lamentation, Howling over the defilement and the miserable sufferings of the world. The earth, gaping open, shall then reveal Tartarean chaos. All kings shall stand before the judgment seat of God. A river of fire and brimstone shall flow from heaven. A sign shall be given then, manifest to all mortals, even The wood, the desired horn among the faithful. This shall be the life of the pious, and a stumbling block to the world, Illuminating the faithful with waters in twelve springs; The shepherd’s rod of iron shall hold sway. This same God, now written in the acrostics, our Saviour, The immortal King, who suffered for our sake.

And these things were, as is credible, inspired by God to be proclaimed by the Virgin. I for my part judge her blessed, whom the Saviour chose as a prophetess of His own providence towards us.

CHAPTER XIX

But the many ^C do not believe this, and although they acknowledge that the Erythraean Sibyl was a prophetess, they suspect that some one of our religion, not unskilled in the poetic muse, composed these verses and falsely attributed them under the name of the Sibyl, since they contain maxims useful for life, which restrain the unbridled license of pleasures and lead men towards a sober and orderly life. But the truth is manifest to all, since the diligence of our men has so accurately collected the sequence of the years that no one can now suspect the poem to have been composed after the coming and judgment of Christ, ^D and since the truth is evident.

^A For it is agreed that Cicero, having encountered the poem, translated it into the Roman tongue and inserted it into his own compositions; and that after Anthony had gained supreme power, he had him put to death. Again, after these events, Anthony was overcome by Augustus, who held the empire for fifty-six years. Tiberius succeeded him; during whose time the presence of the Savior shone forth upon the world, and the mystery of the most holy religion began to flourish, and a new succession of the people was established ^B — concerning which I believe the most excellent of the poets of Italy intended to speak, as if these verses had long ago been foretold by the Sibyl.

Thenceforth a new offspring of men appeared. And again in another place of the Bucolics: Sicilian Muses, let us sing of somewhat greater things. What could be clearer than this? For he adds: The last age of the Cumaan song has now come; meaning, of course, the Cumaan Sibyl. Nor was he content with these, but proceeded further, as if the necessity of the case itself demanded his testimony. What, then, does he say further? This holy verse of the ages now begins for us: The virgin returns, bringing the desired King. Who, then, is this virgin who returns? Is she not she who became full and pregnant by the Holy Spirit? And what prevents her who is pregnant by the divine Spirit from being a maiden and remaining a virgin forever? He will return again, and will relieve the world by his coming. For thus the poet adds: 594 Do thou, O chaste Lucina, grant thy favor to the child now being born, through whom the iron race shall first cease, and the golden race shall arise throughout the whole world. Under his leadership, if any traces of our wickedness remain, they shall be rendered void, and loose the earth from perpetual fear.

We understand that these words have been spoken both openly and obscurely through allegory; for to those who [scrutinize the power of the verses, they bring to light the divinity of Christ; but so that no one…] ^{C D}

of the dignitaries in the royal city might have cause to accuse the poet of writing against the ancestral laws, or of casting out the beliefs concerning the gods held by the forefathers of old, he cloaks the truth. For he knew, I believe, the blessed and eponymous mystery of the Savior, and that he might turn aside the savagery of their cruelty, he led the minds of his hearers towards their own custom, and says that it was necessary for altars to be erected and temples to be built, and for sacrifices to be performed to the one newly born; and he added the rest following what they thought. For he says:

CHAPTER XX

^A who first deceived the first-created, turning their minds away from their innate temperance to the enjoyment of carnal pleasures, so that they might not know the destruction hanging over them, was first destroyed. For truly, before the coming down of the Savior, because of the ignorance of the immortality of the righteous, which left the souls of men anchored to no hopeful expectation, he brought ruin; but when He suffered, and for a season that body which He had assumed was separated from the communion of the Holy Spirit, the power of the resurrection was revealed to men, ^B and whatever filth of human sins remained was wholly washed away by the sacred laver. Then at last He exhorts His subjects to be of good courage, and from His own venerable and glorious resurrection, He bids them hope for the like. Therefore, the nature of those venomous things was justly brought to an end, and death was brought to an end, and the resurrection was sealed; and the race of the Assyrians—which was the cause of faith in God—perished; and he predicts that the faultless multitude of those who worship shall everywhere spring forth; for even as from one root a multitude of branches, flourishing with fragrant blossoms and watered by the harmony of the rain, sends forth its growth. And those things which follow, O most wise poet Maro, are also set forth learnedly and in order: ^C *But at the same time you shall learn the praises of heroes, and the deeds of the greatest parent, and what his virtue may be.* By the praises of heroes he signifies the works of righteous men; by the virtues of the parent, [he signifies] the constitution of the world.

^D This passage was interpolated by Christophorsonus, who struck out the two preceding words. Savile likewise, in his book, expunged these words just as Christophorsonus did. But both are far from the truth. For Constantine, being unskilled in the art of grammar, had constructed the verse of Virgil thus: *Occidet Assyrium, vulgo nascetur amomum.* And this is proven both by this passage and by the version of the Greek interpreter, who translated that verse of Virgil thus—for so it is read in the best codex, that of Fuk, and indeed correctly according to the mind of Constantine. Furthermore, regarding this whole poem of Virgil, Christians have constantly affirmed that it was translated from the Sibylline verses and ought to be understood of the birth of Christ; nor, indeed, can it be said of any other than Christ: *With him as leader, if any traces of our crime remain, they shall be rendered void, freeing the earth from perpetual fear.*

Thus, besides Constantine, Augustine in his letter to Volusianus, and in letter 155—in the letter indeed to Volusianus—interprets "Assyrian amomum" as the dogma of Pherecydes the Assyrian, who was the first to declare that the soul is immortal. But this interpretation of Augustine cannot be maintained, since Pherecydes was not an Assyrian, but a Syrian, that is, from the island of Syros. Wherefore, one must pass over the interpretation of Constantine, who says that by the name of amomum the faithful or Christians are designated, in that they are [faultless], that is, without reproach. And that he is called "Assyrian" because the beginning of faith took its rise from the Assyrians. For Abraham, an Assyrian, was the first to believe in God; whence he is also named the father of those who believe. [index: entries preserved]

and the structure of the world, and the construction that is to abide forever. Perhaps he also understands the laws which the God-beloved Church uses, ordering a life of justice and temperance. Admirable, too, is the advancement to higher things of the life of men who stand in a certain intermediate grade between good and evil, when such a life does not allow of a sudden change. ^A

Molli paulatim flavescet campus arista; that is, the fruit of the divine law will be brought forth for the benefit of mankind. Incultisque rubens pendebit sentibus uva. Which things were not at all seen in the unjust and depraved life of men.

Sclerôn dē peukēs lagōnōn, melitos rhee nama. ^B He describes the stupidity and the hardness of the mind of the men of that time. And perhaps he also hints that those who will have endured labors for the sake of God will be about to perceive a sweet fruit of their own endurance.

Pauca tamen suberant prisca vestigia fraudis: Quae tentare Thetin ratibus, quae cingere muris Oppida, quae jubeant telluri infundere sulcos. Alter erit tum Tiphys, et altera quae vehat Argo Delectos heroas: erunt etiam altera bella: Atque iterum ad Trojam magnus mittetur Achilles.

Well said, O most wise poet. For you managed poetic license ^C as far as was fitting; for it was not your purpose to deliver oracles, as you were not a prophet, and there stood in your way, I believe, a present danger which threatened the heads of those who would wish to refute the ceremonies instituted by their ancestors. Thus, cautiously and as safely as possible, setting forth the truth for those able to understand, and attributing it to towers and wars—which are truly still examined even now in the life of men—he characterizes the Savior rushing toward the Trojan war; and by Troy, he means the whole world. For Christ waged war contrary to the opposing ^D wicked power of demons, sent partly by the will of His own providence, and partly by the commandment of the supreme Father. But what does the same poet say after this?

Hinc ubi jam firmata virum te fecerit aetas. That is, after you have entered upon manhood, and have uprooted all the evils that infest the life of men, and the whole earth—

^A peace shall adorn.

"Nor shall the sailor roam the sea," By the earth's yielding fruits at once and measure rich, She herself unsown and unplowed; nor, I think, will the vine Need the point of the sharp pruning-hook. Nor would mortal need the fleece of wool; but the ram itself Will change its fleece for Tyrian-dyed streams, ^B Exchanging its soiled hair for bright purple. But come, receive the honored scepter of kingly power From the right hand of your thundering Father. Behold the well-founded foundations of the teeming world, The joy of earth and heaven and sea, And of the infinite age; may a fond heart Grant me, though aged, and while I live, a soft strength, To sing your virtue as long as power is granted; Neither the divine Thracian bard would strike me dumb, Nor Linus, nor Pan himself, whom Arcadia’s earth brought forth; Nor will Pan himself contend for the sake of victory. ^C Behold, he says, the joy of the teeming world and of all the elements.

CHAPTER XXI.

Perhaps some one of those who are less endowed with prudence might suppose that these things are said concerning the birth of a man. But when a child is born as a man, what meaning, pray, can it have, that the earth should need neither plow nor sowing, and that the vine should not desire the point of the knife, nor the other care of cultivation? How can it be understood as spoken of human birth? For nature is a minister of the divine will, not a servant ^D of human commands. Add to this that the joy of all the elements designates the advent of God, not the conception of any man. Moreover, that the poet wishes his own life to be prolonged is clearly an argument that he is invoking God. For we are accustomed to ask for life and safety from God, not from man. And the Erythraean Sibyl indeed addresses God thus: Why, she says, O Lord, do you impose upon me the necessity of prophesying, and do not rather take me up on high from the earth and preserve me until the day of your most blessed advent? And Virgil, after the verses which we have cited above, adds this:

Begin, small boy, to recognize your mother with a smile.

^A And mortal parents did not smile on you at all, nor did you touch a couch, nor did you know a festive feast. For how could parents have smiled on him? For his father is God, who is a quality-less power; and though He is without form, He exists within the circumscription of others, yet He is not possessed of a human body. And who does not know that the divine Spirit is without a couch? For what desire, or what craving, could exist in the affection of the Supreme Good, by whose desire all other things are led? Again, what can wisdom have in common with pleasure? But let it be permitted to say these things to those who introduce some human generation for Christ, and who do not take pains to keep their own soul free from every impious deed and word. I call upon you, O Piety, as an ally to these things being said; you who are a certain pure law, and the most desirable of all good things, teacher of a most holy hope, and an uncorrupted promise of immortality; I venerate you, O Piety and Philanthropy; and we who have sought out your aids owe you eternal gratitude. But the vast ^B crowd, being bereft of your aid, because of the innate hatred with which it burns against you, turns away from God Himself; nor does it know that the cause of its own life, and that of the rest of the impious, depends upon the duty of worshipping the Divine Being. For the whole world, and all that is in the world, is His possession.

[The following is Migne’s critical apparatus regarding the text above, presented as translated scholarly notes:]

It was very easy to restore the true reading of this passage. Thus, therefore, I emend it: Begin, small boy, to recognize your mother with a smile. Which amendment is indeed most certain.

(77) *And mortal parents did not smile on you at all.* Constantinus did not receive these words correctly, nor did the Greek translator. For he understood it as if Virgil had said that the parents did not smile on the boy; and that neither did a god offer him a table, nor a goddess a couch. Clearly Constantinus thought that the verse of Virgil, "Begin, small boy, to recognize your mother with a smile," etc., should be read in one flow without any punctuation: although, however, a period should be placed after the word "boy," as is known even to boys. Since Christophorsonus had not noticed this, he interpolated the following words of Constantinus, adding a negation contrary to the mind of the author, and contrary to the authority of all exemplars. Furthermore, in the Fuk. codex it is read more correctly, if I am not mistaken. Certainly in the drafts it is written *tempus esse* [that it is time], etc.

(78) Vulg. *For his father is God.* It is clear to anyone that it should be written, "For his father is God," etc. In the Fuketiano codex it is written, "For the God of them being," [instead of] "is a quality-less power."

(79) *The divine Spirit.* Constantinus seems to understand the Divinity, or the divine nature, as we have already noted in the previous chapter. For he explains those words translated from Virgil which are said concerning Christ, not concerning the Holy Spirit. Therefore, in this place, I preferred to interpret "spirit" as of God, rather than as the Holy Spirit, as did Portesius and Christophorsonus.

(80) *But let it be permitted to say these things.* From these words it is apparent that the error which I noted above was not admitted by Constantinus himself, but by the Greek interpreter, who misinterpreted the final verses of Virgil. For Constantinus himself had indeed received those verses of Virgil correctly, as is clear from this. For when he had cited the words of Virgil, which follow thus: *Begin, small boy, to recognize your mother with a smile; And mortal parents did not smile on you at all, nor did a god think you worthy of a table, nor a goddess of a couch,* he immediately subjoins, as if reproaching the poet: How, he says, could parents have smiled on him, when his father is God, expers of body and form? Now, in what way could couch and table be appropriate to God, who it is agreed is utterly without a resting-place, nor is affected by the pleasure of foods? He then adds these words, from which it is clearly perceived what I have said, that Constantinus understood the verses of Virgil most excellently: "But to those who set forth some human generation, let us concede that they speak in this way." By which words he excuses Virgil, for having been ignorant of the divine generation of Christ. But in the Greek interpretation, in which the verses of Virgil are poorly explained, this period does not cohere with the preceding ones.

(81) Vulg. *nor his soul.* I embrace the conjecture of learned men, which I also found annotated in Savilius's book: *nor the soul*, etc.

(82) Vulg. *being a certain pure law, and the most desirable of all good things, teacher of...* The laws of grammar command it to be written, as it is in the Fuk. codex. Furthermore, this definition of the Christian religion is most elegant: but it is foully corrupted by base punctuation [and script]. I read, therefore, "Nothing in this reading is more certain, nothing more elegant." Constantinus calls religion the teacher of a most holy hope, for it teaches us to hope for heavenly things, and not to place all our hope in earthly and fleeting goods, but in God. In the Fuk. codex it is read: ...The same punctuation is in the drafts.

(83) *we who have sought [your aids].* It is elegantly said, that is, healed by your remedies.

(84) *His possession.* I would prefer to write "creation."

CHAPTER XXII.

I attribute my good fortune and all that is mine to piety; the outcome of all things according to my prayers ^B bears witness to this, as do my successes, victories over enemies, and trophies. The great city also knows this and celebrates it with praise, and the people of my most cherished city desire the same, even if, deceived by false hopes, they had chosen a leader unworthy of its majesty—one who was immediately caught, as was fitting and deserved for the crimes he had dared, which it is not right to recount, especially for me who am speaking to you, and who take every care and diligence that I might address you with pure and praiseworthy discourses. I shall say something, however, which will seem neither unseemly nor inappropriate. There was, in truth, an implacable war, overflowing with madness and cruelty, O piety, waged by the tyrants ^C against you and against all your most holy Churches. Nor were there wanting some in Rome who rejoiced in such great evils and public calamity. A plain had also been prepared for the battle. But you, having come forth, offered yourself, leaning upon faith in God. The cruelty of the impious, like an unceasing fire, having consumed everything in its path, attached to you a wonderful and forever famous glory; for because of these things, those who beheld them were struck with awe and reverence. For it was possible to see the executioners who were distorting the bodies of the pious, ^D weary and distressed at their suffering, and even the bonds were loosened, the torments themselves slackened, and the tortures applied were rendered ineffective, and not even for a moment did they yield their

^A invincibility and the liberty of the pious, who were not moved even in the slightest from their position. Having attempted such things, therefore, what did you gain, you most impious of all men? What, in heaven’s name, was the cause of your madness? You will say, perhaps, that these things were done by you in honor of the gods. But of which gods? Or what divine concept worthy of their nature have you conceived in your mind? Did you imagine these gods to be irascible, just like yourself? But if they were such, it would have been more appropriate to marvel at their intent than to obey the impudent commands by which they ordered just men to be unjustly slaughtered. But you will say, perhaps, that you did these things because of the institutions of your ancestors and the opinion of men. I forgive you. For those institutions are similar to those practiced by you, and flow from one and the same source of ignorance. You imagined, perhaps, that there was some superior power in the man-shaped objects crafted by stonecutters and artisans; and therefore you surrounded them with all care, so that they might never be defiled, for the greatest and most exceptional gods required the service of human care ^B.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Concerning the institutions of the Christians; and that the Divine loves those who follow virtue; and that one must await judgment and retribution.

Compare, if you will, our religion with your rites. Is there not among us genuine harmony and perpetual humanity? Is there not among us a rebuke of wrongdoing which is such as to bring about correction, not destruction; a healing which is for salvation, and not for cruelty? Is there not among us a sincere faith, first of all toward God, and then toward the natural society of mankind? Is there not among us mercy toward those whom the calamity of fortune has overwhelmed? Is there not a simple life, not masking hidden wickedness with any paint of dissimulation; and the knowledge of the true and only God who governs all things? This is truly piety; this is the integral and incorrupt religion. This is the most wise way of living; those who have embraced it, as if by a royal road, head toward eternal life. For no one who has entered upon this way of life, and who has a soul purified from every stain of the body, dies entirely; but he rather fulfills the service commanded to him from God than dies. For he who has confessed God does not become a mere accessory to insolence ^C or anger, but

^A bravely enduring necessity, he possesses the proof of his patience, as a kind of viaticum for gaining the favor of God. For it is not doubtful ^B that the Divine Being embraces the virtue of men; for it would be most absurd if those who have attained power and those of lower station, if they happen to be served or benefited, show gratitude to them and return the favor, yet He who is above all, the Originator of all things, and Goodness itself, should neglect to return the reward. ^C He accompanies our whole life, and is present with us whenever we do anything good; and while He immediately accepts [the sign] of courage and good will, He defers our completion. For the entire account of one's life is then reckoned, and when these things are in good order, the reward of eternal life follows; but the appropriate punishment pursues the wicked.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Concerning the calamitous end of the life of Decius, Valerian, and Aurelian, because of their persecution of the Churches.

I ask you now, Decius, you who once insulted the labors of the just; who persecuted the Church with hatred; who inflicted punishment upon those who lived with the highest holiness. What are you doing now after this life? With how many and how difficult sufferings are you weighed down? ^D That span of time which intervened between your life and your death declared your infelicity enough and more than enough, when you, having fallen in the Scythian fields together with your whole army, exposed the Roman empire, which had been so heralded everywhere, to the contempt and mockery of the Goths. You, however, Valerian, having shown your murderousness towards the subjects of God, made manifest the holy judgment [of God] through your capture...

^A by the enemy, and led about in chains with your purple cloak and the rest of your imperial adornment; and finally, having been ordered by Sapor, king of the Persians, to be flayed and preserved, you provided an eternal trophy of your own misfortune. And you, too, Aurelian, flame of all injustices, how ^B clearly, as you ran madly through Thrace, you were cut down in the middle of the highway, filling the ruts of the road with impious blood?

CHAPTER XXV.

Concerning Diocletian, who shamefully abdicated the empire, and who was struck by lightning on account of the persecution of the Churches.

Diocletian, in truth, after the blood-stained cruelty of the persecution, having passed sentence upon himself on account of the infirmity of his madness, ^C having entrusted himself to the confinement of a single, contemptible dwelling— ^D

^A of what benefit, then, was this to him, to have provoked a war against our God? It was, I believe, that in terror of the bolt of the thunderbolt, he might drag out the remainder of his life. Nicomedia speaks; nor do those continue silent who have seen the event with their own eyes—of whose number I myself happen to be. The palace was being ravaged, as was his own private chamber, by the thunderbolt and by a certain heavenly fire that was consuming it. And the outcome of these events had previously been foretold by men of wisdom. For they could not keep silence, nor did they hide their groaning at such an indignity of affairs, but openly and publicly, with the utmost freedom, they bandied these words about among themselves: "What is this madness? How great is the arrogance of this power, that men should dare to wage war against God, and should wish to offer outrage to the most holy and most just religion, and should not hesitate to machinate the slaughter and ruin of so great a multitude, and indeed of the most equitable of men, without any fault of theirs? Oh, teacher of moderation to all subjects! Oh, glorious instructor of the care and solicitude which soldiers maintain for their fellow-citizens!" They were piercing the breasts of their own kin, they who had never seen the backs of enemies in battle. And finally, divine Providence did indeed pursue the retribution for these unholy deeds, though not without public loss; for such great slaughters ^B took place—slaughters which, had they been committed against barbarians, would have been sufficient to secure eternal peace. For the entire army of the aforementioned emperor, having been subjected to the authority of a worthless man, and having for the sake of violence gazed upon the Roman ^C empire... [alt-version omitted] ^D

^A [having] snatched it away, was consumed by many and diverse wars, while the providence of God was liberating the great city. And indeed, the cries of the oppressed to God, and of those longing for their innate liberty; and the praises of thanksgiving to God after the deliverance from evils, when liberty was restored to them and the contracts ^B made with justice, how do they not in every way characterize the providence of God and His affection towards men?

Chapter XXVI. That God was the cause of the emperor's piety, and that we ought to ask for prosperous events from God and attribute them to Him: but attribute deeds otherwise done to our own negligence.

When they praise my service, which had its beginning from the inspiration of God, do they not clearly affirm that God was the cause of my brave deeds? Most certainly. For it is proper to God to perform the best things, but to men, to obey God. There is, I think, a most beautiful and excellent service: if one, before ^C undertaking a task, prepares the security of the things to be done. And all men know that this most holy service of hands is owed to God with a pure and sincere faith. ^D

pure and sincere faith: and by prayers and supplications joined with the labor of our hands, whatever has been done for the benefit of men has been happily accomplished; since so much of benefit, both privately and publicly, has redounded to all, as each had wished for himself and his own kin. They also witnessed the battles, and were spectators of the struggle, when Divine Providence bestowed victory upon the people: they observed God favoring and inspiring our prayers. Indeed, a righteous prayer is an invincible thing, and he who has besought God in holiness never fails of his desire. Nor is any room for repulse left, except so often as faith has wavered. For God is always present and propitious, receiving the uprightness of men with a benign countenance. Wherefore, while it is human to slip at times, God is by no means the author of human failings. Whoever, therefore, pursue piety ^B ought to give thanks to the Savior of all, for our own salvation and theirs, and for the prosperous state of the commonwealth; and by holy prayers and continuous supplications ought to render Christ propitious to us, that He may deign to make His benefits perpetual. For He is the invincible helper and champion of the righteous; He is also the best judge, the leader of immortality, and the bestower of eternal life.

EUSEBIUS PAMPHILUS

ORATION ON THE EMPEROR CONSTANTINE

AT HIS TRICENNALIA

PROLOGUE TO THE ORATION

On the praises of Constantine

^C I, truly, not having devised fables, nor discourses composed for the allurement of the ears, have entered this place, that I might soothe my hearers as if with the song of Sirens; nor with golden vessels, nor with lovely ^D flowers, nor with a composition of well-polished phrases, shall I offer to these people the draughts of pleasure...

^A of the senses. But, obeying the wise, I counsel all to flee and turn away from the public highways, and I exhort them not to be pushed along with the multitude. I have arrived, indeed, intending to begin among you a song newer than the imperial hymns. And whereas many are hastening to join the same dance with me, I, shunning the beaten path of men, shall tread a track untrodden, upon which it is not permitted for unwashed feet to set step. ^B For they, being of the common crowd, and pursuing discourses worn smooth with the sophisms of youths, and embracing a Muse that is sweet and popular, charm the mortal ears of men with mortal narrations, leaving the judgment of the matter to pleasure. But those who are initiates of universal wisdom, having attained to the knowledge of both divine and human things, and having placed the choice of the better part in the lot of what is good, have preferred the God-beloved virtues and pious deeds of the Emperor himself to human qualities, and have chosen to celebrate the latter when the former, the secondary goods, have been set aside. ^C For since wisdom concerns both divine and human things—and this is also in the soul of the Emperor—some things reaching toward God and others toward men, let those who stand outside the sacred precincts (who are indeed suitable) serve the human things, which are nevertheless venerable and sublime, and useful for life—for all things that belong to the Emperor are beautiful, though they still fall short of those that are more divine. But let those who have gone inside the holy royal palaces, and within the secret and forbidden chambers, and have closed the doors to profane ears, explain the secret mysteries of the Emperor to those who are their initiates only. And let those who have cleansed their ears with the fountains of piety, and have raised their mind ^D upon the soaring wings of the soul, dance about the King of all, silently celebrating the divine themes. But let the oracles, which have been uttered not by prophecy—or rather by the frenzy of a madman—but by the inspirations of divine light, be for us the teachers of the perfect, concerning the kingship itself, and concerning the King who is on high, and concerning the divine guard about the King of all, and concerning the royal image according to us, and concerning that which has counterfeited the seal, and concerning the order that accompanies each. Those who are thus initiated into the God-befitting rites, in this way we have touched upon the divine mysteries.

Chapter I

^A This, then, is a festival of the great Emperor, and we, the children of the kingdom, rejoice in it, being inspired by the teachings of holy words. The great Emperor himself is the author and standard-bearer of our feast. Now I call him the great Emperor who is truly great—and I speak of him (nor will the Emperor who is present be angry, but rather will join in the praise of this theology) who exists beyond all things, who is the highest of all, the most supreme, the vastest, whose throne of sovereignty is the heavens, and the earth is the footstool for his feet. No one ^B could ever worthily conceive of him; for the light flashing round about him with an inexplicable splendor of rays repels everyone from the sight of his divinity. Heavenly armies patrol about him; supercelestial powers perform the duty of bodyguards, recognizing him as the same Master, Lord, and Emperor. Countless multitudes of angels, gatherings of archangels, and choirs of holy spirits, drawing as if from perennial fountains of light from the rays surrounding him, are illuminated. All lights, and the divine and intellectual kinds of spiritual lights which have their abode beyond the heavens, celebrate this great Emperor with the highest and God-befitting hymns. The great heaven is stretched out as a blue veil, separating those who are outside from those who dwell within the royal halls. About this, just as courtiers in the vestibules of the imperial palace, the sun and moon and the other luminaries of heaven ^C run, bearing torches, honoring the Emperor, and by his own nod and word, they kindle inextinguishable lamps of light for those who have obtained the space outside the heavens, which is dark. It seems to me very well done that I should hymn this great Emperor of ours, Christ, and also our victorious Emperor, ^D conscious that we have been honored with only this kingdom alone.

^A They honor Him immensely, following His nod and command, even those who dwell far from heaven in the dark region, for they offer torches of unquenchable light. Therefore, since I am aware that this greatest Emperor is celebrated with hymns also by our Victorious Augustus, I seem to myself to act rightly; for I know that He alone is the author of our empire. The God-loving Caesars also recognize Him as the source of all good, being instructed in this by their parent. The armies, the peoples, and the crowds, as well in the country as in the cities, and the governors of provinces, when they gather into the church, worship Him in due form, being instructed by the great Savior and Teacher. Finally, the whole human race together, all nations, tribes, and languages, as well those brought together as one as those living apart, although they may disagree among themselves on other matters, in this confession alone they agree; they invoke this One and only God with innate reason and notions implanted in them, not derived from any master’s teaching. Why, does not even the whole element of the earth recognize Him as Master, by the growths and animals produced from it, signaling its subjection to the nod of the Superior? ^B This, the flowing streams of rivers, the outbursts of fountains gushing from the deep, eternal, infinite abysses, acknowledge as the cause of their ineffable wonder-working; Him the abysses of the deep sea, enclosed in infinite depths, and the swelling waves raised high into the air and threatening the earth with fear, yet stopping when they reach their shores, dread, fettered by the command of divine law; Him the measured rivers of winter rains, the crashes of thunder and the flashes of lightning, the reciprocating gusts of winds, and the movements of clouds through the air, reveal to those who are unable to behold His sight; but also the all-shining sun, traversing the long ages, knows Him alone as Lord, serving His nod, and never daring to step outside its boundaries; the moon, too, yielding its light to the sun, ^C and waning and waxing at fixed periods of time, is subject to divine laws; the beauties of the heavens, sparkling with the dances of the stars, walking with order and harmony, and measuring their own circles, proclaim Him the Giver of all kinds of light, and all the heavenly luminaries together, having composed one melody by His nod and Word, completing a long course through the cycles of long ages, run the contests of the ethereal stadium; the reciprocal movements of nights and days, the changes of seasons and times, and the rhythms... ^D

and the manifold ordering of the universe—the ^A ranks of all things (of the immeasurably great power 45) honor with their manifoldly complex wisdom; and there also invisible powers, as they fly about the plains that extend through the air, send up the due and fitting theology to Him. All the world together hymns this great King, and the heavens from above, and the choirs that are above the heavenly arches, honor Him. The hosts of angels hymn Him with ineffable songs, ^B and the spirits, offspring of the intellectual light, theologize their own Begetter. Him the timeless ages before this heaven and before the world, and other infinite ages of ages, before any constitution of visible things, inscribe only as the great Master and Lord. Him also the Word of God Himself, who is before all and over all and after all 46—the pre-existing one, the great High Priest of the great God, the eldest of all time and of all ages, consecrated to the honor of the Father 47—the first and ^C alone, intercedes for the salvation of all, being glorified with the primacies of the rule of the universe, and with the second places of the Father's kingdom 48, because He Himself was the light that transcends the universe, dancing around the Father, and acting as mediator and intercessor for the essence of created things, that unoriginate and unbegotten ^D Idea. This, truly, sprouting from above from the unalloyed and unoriginate Godhead, proceeds forth, and illuminates the super-celestial realm, and all things within the heaven, with rays of wisdom more brilliant than the sun; and He Himself would be the leader of this entire universe, the Word of God, moving over all and through all and in all, both seen and unseen; from whom and through whom the friend of God, the emperor, bearing the image of the kingdom on high, steers and directs the rudders of all things on earth, in imitation of the One who is greater.

of ours, dear to God, bearing the image of the kingdom on high, steers and directs the rudders of all things on earth, in imitation of the One who is greater. ^A

CAPUT II.

And He, indeed, the only-begotten Word of God, reigns with the Father from ages having no beginning unto infinite and unending ages. Our emperor, truly, most dear to Him in perpetuity, who from the heavenly fountain receives certain imperial effluences and is strengthened by the namesake of the divine appellation, already governs the earth for many circles and revolutions of years. Furthermore, He—the conservator of all things—prepares heaven and the whole world, and the heavenly kingdom itself, as a most becoming and fitting place for His Father. This friend of His, truly, out of those who dwell on the earth, brings those subject to his own rule to the only-begotten Word of God and Savior, and makes them suitable for His kingdom.

And He, indeed, the common Savior of all, drives far away—like a good shepherd with wild beasts—those rebellious powers which, flying about through this air above the earth, used to brood upon the souls of men, by an invisible and divine power. This friend of His, adorned from on high by Him with trophies over his enemies, conquers the manifest enemies of the truth by the law of war and brings them to their senses. ^B And the Word, existing before the world and being the Savior of all, delivering rational and saving seeds to His own associates, renders them rational and instructed in the knowledge of the Father's kingdom. This friend of His, as a kind of interpreter of the Word of God, recalls the whole human race to the knowledge of God, crying out to the ears of all, and with a clear voice announces the laws of true piety and truth to all who dwell throughout the world.

And He, the Savior of all, opens the heavenly gates of the Father’s kingdom to those migrating hence to that place. This one, however, in his zeal for the Greater One, after having purged the earthly kingdom of all the filth of godless error, invites the choirs of holy and pious men into sacred houses and basilicas, showing the utmost care and diligence so that the entire fleet which he has received to govern may be saved along with the passengers themselves. And he alone of all who have ever governed the Roman empire, having been honored by God, the universal King, with three successive cycles of ten years, ^C is glorified with the first prizes of the rule over all and with the second prizes of the paternal kingdom.

^A And he does not perform these rites to spirits of the underworld, according to the ancients, nor does he celebrate them with the phantoms of soul-deceiving demons, nor with the deceits and fabrications of impious men, but he renders thanks to God, by whom he has been honored, conscious of the good things he has received from Him. He does not follow the rite of the ancients, polluting the royal palaces with blood and gore, nor does he appease the spirits of the underworld with smoke and fire and the sacrifices of burnt offerings of animals. But he consecrates to God a victim that is pleasing and acceptable to the supreme King of all—namely, his own royal soul and his most God-befitting mind. For this alone is the sacrifice welcome to God, which our emperor has learned to offer without fire and blood, through the pure contemplations of his mind, while he confirms piety in his heart by means of true dogmas and inner convictions, while he glorifies the theology of God through magnificent speeches, and while he emulates the transcendent philanthropia of God through his royal deeds. Wholly devoted to Him, and dedicating himself to Him as a great gift, as the first-fruits of the world whose administration he has received—this, then, is the greatest sacrifice which the emperor, before all others, duly offers. And he sacrifices, being a good shepherd, not ^B by slaughtering the hecatombs of firstling lambs, but by leading the souls of the rational flock which is shepherded by him to the knowledge and worship of God.

CHAPTER III

He who rejoices in such a sacrifice, and gladly welcomes the gift offered to Him, and praises the high priest of this venerable and noble sacrifice, adds to his empire long periods of time, reciprocally increasing his benefits in proportion to the religion with which he is honored by the emperor. He has granted him to celebrate all kinds of festivals with the great ease of a single monarchy, and at each ten-year cycle of the festival, he appoints one of his sons to share in the royal throne. For first, he declared his eldest son, who is called by his father’s name, to be a partner in the royal inheritance during the first ten-year period of his reign ^C, and a second during the second decade, and a third likewise during the third decade of the festival now in hand. And now, as a fourth cycle begins to turn, as the lengths of time extend themselves ever further, increasing his sovereignty through the abundant partnership of his family and through the appointments of Caesars ^D.

^A He fulfills the divine oracles, which long ago loudly proclaimed here: «And the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom» (Dan. vii, 18). Thus, indeed, God himself, the King of all, bestowing upon the most God-beloved Emperor increments of both time and progeny, makes his sovereignty over the nations of the earth both flourishing and youthful, as if it had only just begun to sprout; and He himself completes this festival for him, establishing him as conqueror over all enemies and foes, and manifesting him to all upon the earth as a pattern of true piety.

Like the sun’s light with the radiance of the Caesars’ beams, he illuminates those who live in the farthest regions, shining upon them with the rays sent forth from him to distant lands; here, to us who have been allotted the East, he grants his own worthy fruit, ^B while to another part of humanity he gives another of his children, and again others elsewhere, distributing them like lamps and luminaries from the lights flowing out of him. And then, having yoked these most valiant Caesars under the single yoke of a royal chariot, as if they were his own colts, and having adjusted them with the reins of divine harmony and concord, he himself, as charioteer, drives from on high, riding over the whole earth, as much as the sun surveys, being present to all and overseeing everything. Then, adorned with the image of the heavenly kingdom, looking upward, he steers those below according to the archetypal ^C pattern, strengthened by the imitation of the monarchical power; for this the King of all has bestowed upon man alone of all creatures upon the earth; for this is the law. ^D

^A Indeed, it is the law of royal power which determines that all things are subject to one rule. For a single rule stands above all states and administrations. For the rule of many, having equal power among themselves, which is opposed to this, should rather be called a mob and a tumult. Therefore there is one God, not two, or three, or even more. For a multitude of gods is, strictly speaking, atheism. There is one King, and his Word and kingly law is one, ^B not uttered in words and syllables, nor worn away by length of time on papers and tablets, but the living and self-subsisting Word of God, who disposes and orders the kingdom of the Father for all who are under him and after him. Heavenly hosts encompass him, and infinite thousands of angels ministering to God, and throngs of the supramundane army, and spirits residing within the heavens, invisible, who serve the order of the whole world. Of all these the royal Word is the leader and prince, as a kind of prefect of the supreme Emperor. This master of the army, the great high priest, the prophet of the Father, the messenger of the great counsel, the radiance of the Father's light, the only-begotten Son, and other such countless titles do the sacred oracles of the theologians call him. ^C When the Father had established this living Word, this law and wisdom, the fullness of every good, he bestowed this supreme good as a gift upon all who are under his kingdom. And he, pervading all things and proceeding everywhere, and spreading the benefits of the Father copiously upon all, even to those rational animals that dwell upon the earth, produced a likeness of the royal sovereignty, adorning the human soul, fashioned in his own image, with divine faculties. Hence it is that the soul of man also participates in other virtues through a certain divine derivation. For he alone is wise who is also alone God. The same is alone good by nature, alone strong and powerful. The same is the procreator of justice, the father of reason and wisdom, the fountain of light and life, the dispenser of truth and virtue, and finally the author of the sovereignty itself, and of all rule and power. ^D

CHAPTER IV

^A Whence was the notion of legitimate empire and royal power offered to men? Whence did imperial power fall to a creature composed of flesh and blood? Who explained to those on earth the invisible and shapeless ideas, and the incorporeal and featureless substance? Verily, there was one interpreter of these things, the Word of God, who passes through all things; the Father of the rational and intellectual substance which is perceived in men, who alone is fastened to the divinity of the Father, and who waters his own offspring with paternal emanations. Hence for all men, Greeks and barbarians alike, there exist rational thoughts by nature without the instruction of any; hence come the notions of reason and wisdom; hence the seeds of prudence and justice; hence the comprehension of the arts; hence the knowledge of virtue and the honored name of philosophy and the venerable love of wisdom; hence the knowledge of every good and honest thing; ^B hence the image of God himself is fashioned in the soul, and a way of life answeringly suitable to divine worship. Hence, the power of kingship is supplied to man, and an unconquerable command over all things that are on earth. For when the Word, the Father of rational beings, had fashioned the character according to the image of God and His likeness in the soul of man, He made this animal royal, showing it to be the only one of those upon earth that knows both how to rule and how to be ruled, and to practice and learn beforehand ^C from this source the promised hope of the heavenly kingdom. For the sake of this, He himself has arrived, and the Father of children did not shrink from coming to associate with mortals; and, cultivating his own seeds and renewing the gifts from above, he announced to all that there would be an abundance of the heavenly kingdom. He likewise called all, and urged them to be ready and prepared for that journey into heaven, and to prepare for themselves a garment worthy of that calling. And by an ineffable power, he filled the whole world which the sun illuminates with his preaching, portraying the heavenly kingdom by the likeness of the kingdom upon earth; to which he encourages and impels the whole human race, having set forth this as a good hope.

CHAPTER V

Of this hope, our emperor, dear to God, becomes a participant even in this life, inasmuch as he has been adorned by God with innate virtues and has derived heavenly emanations into his soul from that source. For he is rational by reason of that universal Word; wise ^D by participation in divine wisdom, good by communion with the Good, and just by partaking of justice, and temperate by the practice of temperance.

^A For this cause, he will rightly be called emperor, who has fashioned his own soul with all the colors and lineaments of virtue, to the likeness of the heavenly empire. But he who is a stranger to these things, and who has denied the King of the universe, and has not acknowledged the heavenly Father of souls; nor has taken upon himself the adornment and splendor fitting an emperor, but has filled his soul with deformity and turpitude, and instead of imperial gentleness has taken on the ferocity of a wild beast; instead of a generous disposition, the pestilential poison of wickedness; instead of prudence, folly; and in short, in place of reason and wisdom, the most foul insipience of all vices—from which, as from a bitter potion, there spring up pernicious shoots: an intemperate and lost life, lusts, murders, war against God, and impiety—he who, I say, has been enslaved to all these vices, even if he may sometimes appear to rule by tyrannical violence, in truth he will never be deservedly called emperor. For how could he express the likeness of the heavenly monarchy, who carries in his soul thousands of false and adulterate images of demons impressed upon it? ^B How could he be a prince and master of all, who has himself brought into subjection to himself infinite and most cruel masters? Who is a slave to foul lust, a slave to intemperate madness for women, a slave to money acquired by unjust means, a slave to anger and rage, a slave to fear and panic, and finally, a vile chattel of bloodthirsty demons and spirits that create destruction in souls? Therefore, let only him be proclaimed by us as emperor, with truth as our witness, who is beloved by God, the King of all—he who is truly free, or rather, who is in very reality a master. He who is superior to the desire for money and the love of women, who is a victor over pleasures, even those which nature allows, who does not succumb to rage and anger but keeps those affects in his power—this man is truly emperor, having received a title befitting his actions. ^C He is truly Victor, for he has carried off the victory over the perturbations that are wont to crush the souls of men. He who has been fashioned toward that primitive archetype of the supreme Emperor of all, bears in his mind, as in a mirror, the splendor of virtues poured out from that heavenly exemplar, and thus, having been perfected by these virtues—temperate, good, just, brave, pious, a lover of God—this emperor is truly and alone a philosopher, who knows himself, and is fully aware of the dispensations of every good thing granted to him from without, or rather, from heaven. He who reveals the venerable name of the monarchical power in the exceptional covering of his mantle, and who alone is worthily wrapped in the imperial purple befitting him. ^D

^A This emperor, who by night and by day calls upon the heavenly Father and invokes Him in his prayers, is one who defines ^B himself by the highest kingdom. For, understanding that the present things are not worthy of the God who is King of all—things that are mortal, perishable, and flowing away like a river and passing to nothing—he longs for the incorruptible and incorporeal kingdom of God, and prays to attain it. Through a great-minded reason, he lifts his mind above the heavenly vault and is possessed by an unspeakable longing for the lights therein, by comparison with which he considers the treasures of the present life to be nothing different from darkness. He sees the sovereignty of men, a small and short-lived stewardship of a mortal and temporary life, as not much better than the rule of goatherds, or shepherds, or cowherds; indeed, he considers it more laborious and troublesome than the care of animals. Even the acclamations of the masses and the voices of flatterers he regards rather as a burden than as a pleasure, because of his steadfast character and the genuine discipline of his soul. Furthermore, ^C he is not at all struck with amazement when he looks upon the bodyguard of his subjects, the myriads of armies, the hosts of infantry and cavalry, slave and subject to him. Nor is he puffed up by his rule over these, for he turns his mind within himself and sees therein the common nature of all men. He laughs at the gold-woven robe embroidered with various flowers, and at the imperial purple and the diadem, seeing how the multitude is amazed by them, and how, like mere children, they stand in awe of such a phantom as if it were a terrifying mask. He himself, having suffered nothing of the sort ^D because of his knowledge of the divine, clothes himself in a garment that is truly suitable to an emperor, one adorned with temperance, justice, piety, and the rest of the virtues. Moreover, he considers the money so greatly desired by the many—I mean gold and silver and all the kinds of stones that are admired—to be in truth useless and worthless matter, for as they are by nature, so he sees them to be, unable to assist as a defense against evils. For what power do these have for the removal of diseases or the avoidance of death? Yet, even though he knows this with certainty, he utilizes them for the seemly decoration of those he rules, acting with an uninfluenced mind, while laughing at those who are wrapped in them.

these things due to a childish state of mind, drunkenness, and excessive indulgence in delicacies, such as are appropriate for gluttons; he considers that these things are appropriate for others but not for himself. For he is convinced that such things cause great harm and darken the intellectual power of the soul. For all these reasons, the emperor, having been instructed in divine matters and holding great thoughts, aspires to things better than the present life, calling upon the heavenly Father and longing for His kingdom, doing all things with piety, and presenting to those under his rule, as if they were being taught by a good master, the knowledge of God, the great King.

CAPUT VI.

^BMoreover, God, as if offering him certain pledges of future remuneration in advance, bestows upon him thirty-year crowns, woven from happy cycles of years. And now that three spaces of ten years have been completed, He grants that public festivals of the peoples—or rather, of the whole world—should be celebrated by all mankind. Meanwhile, while mortals, crowned with the flowers of the knowledge of God, exult, it would not be absurd if the heavenly choirs also, stirred by the laws of nature, were to leap with joy together with those on earth; and it is credible that the King of all Himself is affected with joy, like a good father, when He sees His good sons properly worshipping God; and for this reason, especially, He delights in honoring the prince and author of these things with more cycles of years. ^C So much so that He is no longer satisfied with granting thirty-year cycles to his empire, but extends it into the longest time and even to the final age. For the whole age is ageless and unending, and it does not lie in the nature of human reasoning to perceive its beginning or its end, nor can it be grasped in its middle center; nor does it allow those who wish to seize what is called "now," ^D let alone the future or the past of time; for...

what is past has already passed away, and what is future is not yet present, and therefore it does not exist at all. As for the "now," which refers to this moment, it slips away faster than either thought or speech. It is impossible in any other way to grasp it as if it were standing still. For one must either expect the future or contemplate the past; for as it slips away along with the thought itself, it flees. In this way, the whole of time does not endure being subjected to the calculations of mortals, but refuses to serve them. ^B Yet it does not refuse to acknowledge its own King and Master; it carries Him as He rides upon its back, exulting in the ornaments it has received from Him. And He who directs it from above does not bind it with a golden chain, as the poet has it, but, having bridled it as if with reins by means of the bonds of ineffable wisdom, He established within it months and times, seasons and years, and the alternating intervals of nights and days, with all harmony, having bounded it with various limits and measures. For it, being by nature straight ^C and extending to infinity—and having received the name of *aion* as though "always being"—is itself similar to its own parts, or rather, being partless and undivided, it increases by extending only in a straight line. But He, dividing it with middle segments, and having distinguished it as a straight line drawn out in length by points, deposited a great multitude within it. While it was one and assimilated to unity, He bound it with every kind of number, and, out of the formless, He established the variety within it. For first of all, He set up within it formless matter, as a kind of all-receptive substance. Second, He produced quality in the matter, by the power of the dyad, making form out of the formless. And by the number of the triad, ^D being extended threefold, into breadth, length, and depth, He fashioned a body composed of matter and form. And from the twofold dyad, the nature of the elements...

^A having devised the tetrad—earth, water, air, fire—He brought forth fountains as perpetual supplies for the benefit of this universe. For the tetrad begets the decad; since one, two, three, and four make up the number ten. And the triad, conjoined with the decad, formed the nature of the month. The month, by twelve revolutions, fulfilled the circuit of the sun. Hence come the cycles of years and the changes of seasons, which, as if in the variety of a many-flowered painting, fashioned the previously formless and featureless aeon, for the rest and pleasure of those who ride ^B through the course of life within it. For just as for those who, spurred by the hope of prizes, contend in the sacred contests, the intervals are marked out by stages, and for those traveling on a long journey, the public road is defined by certain resting places and stages, so that no one, extending his expectation into infinity, may become exhausted in his zeal; in the very same way, the King of all things, having encompassed the entire aeon with the bonds of wisdom, leads and steers it, driving as a charioteer in whatever way seems right to Him. The same Moderator of the universe, clothing the aeon, previously devoid of figure, with the beauty of colors and the freshness of flowers, brightened the day, indeed, with the brilliance of the sun, but by spreading night with a darker color, He caused the sparks of the stars to glitter therein like golden shavings. ^C Moreover, having kindled the bright beams of the morning star, and the changing light of the moon, and the highly luminous assemblies of the stars, He adorned the entire heaven, like a vast robe, with every kind of beauty of form. And having extended the air from the heights down into the depths, and by its means having cooled the entire breadth and length of the world, He commanded it to be adorned with every kind of bird, opening this vast sea—as it were—for all things passing through the air, both visible and invisible, to swim in. Finally, having balanced the earth in the middle like a center, He surrounded it with the Ocean, which exults in the ^D azure color of its garment. And after He had shown this to be the hearth, the nurse, and the mother of all living things within it, and had watered it with rains and fountain-fed streams, He granted it to flourish with all sorts of plants and seasonal flowers for the cheerful enjoyment of life. And having fashioned in it the most precious thing, and the one dearest to God Himself, after His own image—having endowed it with mind and knowledge, the offspring of reason and wisdom—He gave to rational man the power to rule, by sovereign authority, over all the rest of those things which creep and feed upon the earth. For man was to Him, of the animals upon the earth, the most God-beloved.

As a father, He entrusted ^A to him the generations of irrational creatures; for man, He rendered the sea navigable, and crowned the earth with plants of every kind; to him He gifted scientific faculties for the reception of all manner of knowledge; to him He made subject those things that creep in the depths and the birds that soar aloft; to him He revealed heavenly contemplations, making manifest the courses of the sun, the turnings of the moon, and the periods of the wandering and fixed stars. Man is the only being on earth whom He appointed to know the heavenly Father and to honor the great King of the entire age with hymns. But furthermore, the World-Maker wrapped the immutable age in the four seasons of the year, sketching the wintry hours by means of spring, and balancing the inception of the annual seasons ^B of spring with equal scales. Then, after having crowned the entire age with the abundant fruitfulness of spring, He handed it over in the peak of summer [(95)]—then, as if allowing it to rest from labor, He refreshed it with the autumnal interval. With the moist pouring of winter rains, as if washing down some royal steed, and rendering it bright with the streams from it, and having sufficiently watered it with the irrigation of the rains, He again set it at the threshold of the gates of spring.

From this point, therefore, the great King, having harnessed his own age within the cycle of the entire year with such reins of wisdom, commanded that it be borne under a greater ^C governor [(96)], having entrusted the reins of the whole to His own only-begotten Word, the common Savior of all things. And He, as one who has received the inheritance from a good Father, and having encompassed all things whatsoever are within and without the container of heaven [(97)], looks after his rational creatures on earth with justice. Having legislated the measures of life for those who pass through this mortal life, he practices the preludes of the life beyond the present age, and has granted it to all men; for he taught that there is indeed a divine and blessed life beyond the present age, and that it is stored up for those who have struggled well, in the hope of good things. And for those who have lived temperately and piously, he taught that the transition and migration from here to better things will come to pass, while for those convicted here, he assigns the appropriate place.

Then, as in the contests of the games, having proclaimed all kinds of crowns for those who have conquered, he crowns them with one trophy of virtues [(98)] upon another, but for the good King who has adorned himself with piety, he proclaims that greater prizes are prepared, for which he even now permits them to celebrate in the preludes, as a festival of the perfect.

^A composed of numbers, of triads, and of tripled units. Of these, the first triad might be called the offspring of the unit, while the unit is the mother of numbers, presiding already over all months, hours, years, and the entire cycle of time; and since it is the beginning, foundation, and element of every multitude, the unit may deservedly be so named from its "remaining." For while every multitude is diminished or increased by the subtraction or addition of numbers, the unit alone has attained stability and permanence, separated from all multitude and from the numbers generated from it, bearing an image of that essence which is undivided and distinct from all others, through the power and participation of which the nature of all things consists. For the unit is the creator of every number, since every multitude is strengthened by the composition and addition of units; nor is it possible otherwise, apart from the unit, to conceive of the substance of numbers. It would, however, be outside of multitude, most remote and superior to every number, making and constituting all things, while itself receiving increase from nothing ^B ever. The triad, related to it, is likewise inseparable and indivisible, and is the first of the numbers consisting of even and odd; for the even number two, having taken the unit to itself, gave birth to the nature of the triad, the first odd number; and the triad was the first to manifest justice, having led the way to equality, as it possesses a beginning, a middle, and an end that are equal. These are an image of the mystical, most holy, and royal Trinity, which, tied to the nature that is without beginning and unbegotten, has received the seeds, the reasons, and the causes of the substance of all created things. And the power of the triad, therefore, might deservedly be considered the beginning of everything; but the decad, having attained the limit of all numbers, halts the whole at itself, being deservedly called full and most perfect, inasmuch as it contains all ideas and all measures of all numbers, of ratios, and of concords and harmonies. ^C Units, indeed, having increased by composition, are bounded by the ten. Having acquired this mother and solid boundary, they run around it as a turning-post in a racecourse. Then, having completed a second circle, and again a third and fourth, and so on up to ten, they fill out the hundred from ten decades; then they run back to the first starting-point. From there, beginning again and advancing as far as ten, and running around the hundred ten times, they wheel back through the same turning-posts, running long double-courses, and from them they cycle back into themselves. For the tenth of the ten is the unit; and ten units manifest one decad; and the decad is the limit of units, a boundary, and a consolidating turning-post ^D from which it permits [one] to celebrate the festival composed of perfect numbers. Of the decades, then, it is the tripled [set], and of the triads, the decupled.

δεκαπλασιόνων. ^A Since it consists in a nature exempt from origin and beginning, containing in itself the seeds, reasons, and causes of all things that have an origin. And the power of the triad is justly and deservedly considered the principle of all things. But the denary, containing the end of all numbers, halts and terminates all things that have progressed up to it; and it is deservedly called full and perfect in every respect, inasmuch as it embraces all species and all modes and measures of numbers, reasons, concurrences, and harmonies. Units, certainly, when increased by composition, are finished at the denary, and, having been allotted the decade ^B as a mother and a terminal boundary, run their course as if in a circus-track around this goal. Then, a second, third, and fourth time, until the tenth circuit is completed, they fill the centenary number from ten denaries. Hence, having returned to the first starting-points, and having progressed again by a repeated course to the denary; after they have circled the centenary ten times, they retrocede again, and complete the longest courses around the same goals, returning through a circuit into themselves. For in the denary, the unit is the tenth part; and ten units make one denary. The denary, indeed, is the limit, the end, the goal, and the perfection of units; it is the goal of the infinity of numbers, but the end—that is, the perfection—of the units. Furthermore, the ternary, when joined together with the denary, where it has completed the orbit of ten circuits, generates the number thirty, which is most natural. For what the ternary is in units, the very same is the tricenary in denaries. This ^C is also a certain boundary of that great luminary which is second from the sun. For the course of the moon from conjunction with the sun to the next conjunction completes the cycle of a month: upon which being finished, having again attained the beginning of its origin, it restores a new light and new days. And it is adorned by thirty units, but by three denaries, and by ten ternaries. By these same gifts, the empire of our August Victor, the lord of the whole world, is adorned by the most high Giver of all good things, and takes its beginning of new blessings; ^D hitherto indeed fulfilling the festival of the thirtieth year; but from this point on reaching toward longer intervals of time, and pledging hope of future blessings in the heavenly kingdom. Where not one sun, but hosts of innumerable lights exult around the supreme Emperor of all: of which each is more splendid than the sun itself, and [radiates] from the eternal fountain.

^A A sign [c8] by which, having vanquished death, [c7] He raised a triumph over His enemies; which, truly a victory-trophy and a scourge of demons, when you set it against the phantasms of error, bringing it into battle-array against all impious enemies and barbarians, and now also against the barbarians themselves, and other demons of this sort, you gained the victory [c(8)].

CHAPTER VII

^A supreme god was death. And because they would render no account of themselves after the dissolution which occurs in death, they determined to live a life that was by no means life, committing such deeds as were worthy of a thousand deaths. For since they neither took God to mind, nor expected the tribunals of divine judgment, nor rekindled the memory concerning the substance of their souls, but used one terrible leader, death, and persuaded themselves that the corruption of bodies from this was the dissolution of everything, they declared death itself to be a great and wealthy god, and indeed Pluto. And death was to them not only a god, but also the things prior to it that were prized, which contributed to their voluptuous life. For a god to them was the pleasure of the flesh, a god was food, a god was the growth of these, a god the budding of fruits, a god the debauchery through drunkenness, a god the desire of bodies, a god the pleasure of these things. Hence the mysteries of Demeter and Persephone, and the abduction of Kore by Aidoneus, and again her return; hence the initiations of Dionysus, and Heracles conquered as if by a god stronger than drunkenness; hence the adulterous orgies of Eros and Aphrodite; hence Zeus himself, mad for women and lusting after Ganymede, and the obscene inventions of myths about gods who were pleasure-seekers and passion-lovers. With such shafts of god-fighting error, then, the cruel barbarians and enemies of the King of all oppressed those on earth; and they took the whole race into subjection, so that everywhere on earth, statues of godlessness were raised, and temples and shrines of a falsely-named theology were established in every corner. Those who were then thought to rule ^B were so enslaved to this error that they would sacrifice to their own gods with the slaughter of their own kinsmen and relatives, and sharpen their swords against the champions of the truth, and wage an implacable war and raise impious hands, not against alien and foreign enemies, but against those of their own household and friends, against brothers and relatives and those most dear, who had decided to honor and worship the Divinity by the seriousness of their life, by temperance, and by truly pious undertakings. But while they, in such a way, through the madness of their minds, slaughtered those dedicated to the King of all for their own demons, the noble martyrs of true piety, having practiced preferring the glorious death for the truth to life itself, set at naught such a tyranny. Like soldiers of God, fortified by the virtue of endurance, they made every manner of death a matter of laughter; fire and iron and nails, wild beasts and the depths of the sea, the cutting off of limbs and branding irons, the plucking out of eyes, the mutilation of the whole body, and in addition to these, famine and mines and chains—they considered these sweeter than every good and every pleasure, because of their love and desire for their ^C God. Those who were at that time thought to hold power were so enslaved to this error, that they would sacrifice to these gods with the slaughter of their own kinsmen and relatives; and they would sharpen their swords against the champions of the truth, and wage an inexpiable war and stretch forth impious hands, not against alien and barbarian enemies, but against those of their own household and relatives, against brothers and friends, who by the seriousness and modesty of their life and the institutions of true piety, [were devoted to the divine]. Before the Christian religion had occupied the whole world, just as the Christian religion was afterwards called "the prevailing glory" (and the Christians "those who prevail," as I have noted in my books of *Ecclesiastical History*), so the Gentiles, as long as their superstition flourished, are rightly called "those who prevail"—though later, in chapter 9, at the beginning, he spoke of "the rulers of that time." ^D

^A Likewise, souls of women, no less virile than men, bore the same struggles as the men and carried off equal prizes for their virtue; while others, fleeing the corruption of their bodies, delivered their soul to death faster than they delivered their body to defilement. Thousands more, during the reign of the rulers of that time, were unable to endure even the mention of the threat of rape, and courageously underwent every form of torture and every death sentence. But while the champions of the great King fought through the trials of the polytheistic army with a steady soul and reasoned judgment, those enemies of God and foes of human salvation—more savage than any barbarian—rejoiced in such libations of human blood. And the ministers of these beings ^B offered them such draughts of unjust murder, providing a bitter and impious banquet to the ruin of the common race of man.

When matters stood thus, what was God, the King of those being oppressed, to do? Was He to ignore the salvation of His most beloved, and look down upon His own intimates being attacked in this way? Yet, that wise governor could never be called wise who would allow his ship to sink along with its passengers, having contributed nothing of his own skill and industry for the safety of those sailing; nor would that cautious and provident leader ever be called prudent who had betrayed his own people to the enemy, unavenged and undefended. Moreover, ^C no good shepherd would ever passively ignore a sheep of his flock that had strayed from the rest of the company, but would rather leave those that were well and secure in a safe place, and would suffer anything for the sake of the salvation of the one that had strayed, even if he had to wrestle with wild beasts.

But the great King did not concern Himself with an irrational creature; rather, He was anxious for the sake of His own army, and for those who were being warred against for His sake. Accepting their contests and their struggles on behalf of godliness, He honored those who had set out on the journey toward Him with the victory rewards that are with Him, and inscribed them into the angelic choirs of heaven. He watched over those on earth, remaining as embers and seeds of godliness for those born later, while also making them spectators of the retribution visited upon the ungodly and narrators of the history of the events that transpired. Then, stretching out His own right hand for the defense against the enemies, He punished them with invisible blows, and suddenly rendered them unseen. ^D

^A And thereby He compelled them, even against their will, to sing a palinode for the wrongs they had committed against themselves; while those who were down in the dust He raised up, exalting those who were once lowly and despaired of by all. And this the great Emperor enacted from heaven, having set forth his own servant as an invincible soldier; for our emperor rejoices to be addressed in this way, by reason of his abundance of piety, he who indeed proved to be the victor over the entire race of his enemies, having roused one against the many. For they were ten thousand, and many against many, being friends ^B of demons, or rather they were nothing at all, whence they do not even exist. But he, the one emperor descending from the One, is an image of the One who is the Universal King. And they, with godless soul, destroyed pious men with murderous slaughters; but he, imitating his own Savior, and knowing only how to save, saved even the godless, instructing them in piety.

Then, as one who is truly a victor, he overcame that twofold race of barbarians: the wilder tribes of men he tamed with rational embassies, and compelled them to know their betters and not to be ignorant, shifting them from a lawless and bestial life to a rational and lawful one; but the harsh and brutal nature of the invisible demons he exposed by deeds themselves, as having been long since vanquished by the One who is greater. For the Savior of all invisibly avenged Himself upon the invisible, while this one, as an official of the Great Emperor, ^C followed against those already conquered, plundering the long-dead and lost, and distributing the spoils abundantly to the soldiers of the Victor. God indeed established him as the victor over every race of enemies, having aroused him alone against the many. For they were indeed innumerable; and many, as being friends of many demons. Or rather, they were nothing, and therefore in the present they are nothing. But this man, one emperor from the One, bears the likeness of the one God, the Emperor of all. They, possessed of godless minds, destroyed pious men with bloody slaughters; but he, imitating the example of his Savior, and knowing nothing else but to save men, saved even the impious themselves, instructing them unto true piety. Then indeed, as truly a victor, he overcame that double race of barbarians: the men themselves endowed with barbarian ferocity he softened with prudent embassies, compelling them to submit to their betters and leading them from an illicit and bestial mode of living to a civil and more ^D humane one. The cruel and savage race of invisible demons, however, he exposed, through the very facts themselves, as having long since been overcome by God. For the common Savior of all had vanquished the invisible spirits by a certain invisible power. But this man, in…

^A truth, as he perceived that the untrained multitude of men, like infants, was vainly terrified by the phantoms of this error, though they were fashioned of gold and silver, he thought it necessary to remove them from the way, just as if they were certain stumbling-blocks cast before the feet of those walking in darkness, so that the royal road might henceforth be plain and level for all. Having thought on these things, he did not consider that he needed the hand of soldiers or a multitude of armies to repress these things, but one or two of his familiar friends sufficed him for the performance of this task, whom he sent into all the provinces by a mere nod. And they, trusting both in the piety of the emperor and in their own religion towards God, passing through the most crowded throngs of men and numerous populace, searched out the lurking-places of ancient error throughout cities and fields. And first, indeed, they commanded the priests themselves, not without laughter and disgrace, to bring forth their gods from certain dark recesses. Then, stripping these same gods of their external adornment, they subjected their internal deformity, which lay hidden beneath the painted figure, to the sight of all. Finally, having scraped off the more useful material and cast and melted it in the fire, they themselves reserved what seemed convenient and necessary, but whatever was superfluous and utterly useless, they left for the superstitious as a perpetual memory of their shame. Something else, too, similar to this, was performed by the prince worthy of all admiration. For at the same time that the images of the dead made of precious material were being despoiled in the manner we have described, he took care that the others, which were fashioned of bronze, should be gathered up. Therefore, those gods, celebrated in the old wives' tales of the Greeks, were led away bound in nets. Thereafter, the emperor, as if raising a most splendid torch from a certain vantage point, began to look around with royal eyes on every side, in case any hidden remains of error still survived. And just as an eagle possessed of the sharpest sight, when it has been carried up into the sky on its wings, easily discerns from on high those things on earth which are at a very great distance, so he, while he dwelt in the palace of his most beautiful city, looked out as from a watchtower upon a certain deadly snare for souls lurking in ^D Phoenicia. This was a grove and shrine, which was not placed in the middle of the city, nor in the forum or squares, as many such are seen in cities, built ambitiously for the sake of ornament; but it was remote, far from the crossroads and the public street, dedicated to a most foul demon whom they call Venus, on a part of the summit of Mount Lebanon. This was a school of wickedness for all the dissolute, who had corrupted their bodies with great ease. Indeed, certain effeminate men—not men, but those who had denied the dignity of their nature—propitiated the demon with a female sickness, and illegitimate unions of women, and adulterous corruptions, and unspeakable and infamous deeds were attempted in this temple, as in a lawless and unrestrained place; and there was no overseer of the things being done, as there was no one...

^A of sound mind or character who dared approach. But the great Emperor was not unaware of what was being enacted there; for since he saw these things with his own eyes through the imperial providence, he judged such a temple unworthy to be illuminated by the sun itself, and ordered the whole structure to be utterly destroyed from its very foundations. By the imperial command, those contrivances of an unrestrained error were immediately destroyed, and the military force assisted in the cleansing of the place; and those who had hitherto been given to licentiousness, terrified by the threats of the Emperor, learned to conduct themselves with modesty. In this way, when the Emperor had exposed to the gaze of all the masks and outward coverings of the wickedness that had seduced the minds of the people, he proclaimed his Savior before all. And there was no one who could come to the aid of those who were convicted and caught; neither demon nor god, neither soothsayer nor prophet. For the minds of men were no longer wallowing in deep darkness, but, being illuminated by the rays of true piety, they ^B condemned the ignorance of their ancestors and pitied their blindness, and accounted themselves blessed, for having been liberated from so terrible an error. Thus, in a short time, by the will of the great God and the ministry of the Emperor, the whole race of enemies, both visible and those who escape the sharp edge of the eyes, was destroyed; and henceforth, peace, the excellent nurse of youth, occupied the whole world. And there were no longer wars, for there were no longer gods. Nor did battles persist throughout the fields and cities as before, when the worship of demons flourished; nor was the shedding of blood among men seen to be rampant, as when the fury of the polytheistic mania was at its height.

CHAPTER IX.

It is now a fitting time to compare the new with the old, and to observe the change for the better brought about by the comparison with the worse; let us see in what manner, in former times, ^C vestibules and shrines, groves and temples, were laboriously constructed for them in every city, and the temples were crowned with very many votive offerings. And the gods were held in high regard by the tyrants of that time, and the nations and peoples in the fields and in every place, and already in their homes, in their own storerooms and chambers and with statues, were honoring the ancestral traditions.

^A The fruit of their piety, however, was not the peace which we now see with our eyes, but all things quite the contrary: wars, namely, and battles and seditions, by which they were worn out through their whole life, and filled their own lands with blood and internal slaughter. Moreover, the gods who were worshipped by them, while they enjoyed power at that time, promised them prophecies and oracles and the foreknowledge of future events, basely fawning upon them. Yet they could not foresee or predict their own destruction. This, indeed, is the greatest proof for convicting them of fraud. Certainly, no one of those who were formerly admired for their oracles ever predicted the most splendid advent of the common Savior of all upon the earth, nor the new proclamation of the divine knowledge brought forth by Him; ^B nor did the Pythian himself, nor any other of the number of great demons, foresee their own desolation, nor did he prophesy who was about to attack and overthrow them. And what soothsayer or prophet ever predicted that the worship of the gods would be utterly extinguished in the lands by the advent of a new one, but that the knowledge and piety toward the King of all would be handed down to all mankind? Who foresaw this holy and religious reign, this victor himself, and the trophies everywhere on earth erected by him against the demons, and the destruction of the high places ^C and their annihilation? And who of the heroes ever spoke of the smelting in fire, and the transformation of inanimate things from a useless form into necessary uses? Who of the gods ever made mention of his own statues being melted down and cut up into thin plates, not without mockery? Where, I ask, were their defenders, that they could not aid the monuments consecrated to themselves which were being destroyed by men? Where are they who previously stirred up wars, and who now behold their own conquerors living in the deepest peace? Where are they who trusted in them as gods, and who had puffed up their minds with vain persuasion; they who, when they had raised the error of their own superstition to the highest peak, and had undertaken an unjust war against the champions of the truth, perished miserably in their misery? Where is the troop of giants ^D fighting against God Himself? Where are the hissings of the dragons who, sharpening their tongues against the supreme Moderator of all, were uttering impious voices? For indeed they, having waged war against the King of all, and relying on a multitude of gods, advanced with a great force of military hand, protected by the images of dead men—those images of the dead, cast into lifeless statues—but he, protected by the breastplate of piety, [used] the saving and life-giving sign as a kind of terror...

and bulwark against the forces of the enemy, and won the victory over both the enemies and the demons alike. Thereafter, showing his grateful spirit, having offered prayers with thanksgiving to God who had been the author of the victory, he proclaimed the triumphal sign to all men with a loud voice and with the erection of statues; setting this signal trophy in the midst of the royal city against all enemies; and clearly declaring this to be the indelible saving sign of the Roman Empire, and indeed the protector of the whole dominion. He taught all men to know this, and before all, the military, whom he especially urged not to pin their hopes on spears and armor, nor on the strength of their bodies, but to acknowledge the God over all as the giver of every good thing and of the victory itself. Thus the Emperor himself—O what a marvelous report!—became the teacher of prayerful words to his own army, and delivered pious prayers to them in accordance with divine statutes, [bidding them] lift their hands on high toward heaven, and raise the eyes of their mind to the King in heaven, and call upon Him ^B as the giver of victory, savior, guardian, and helper; and moreover, he led them in observing the day of prayer appropriate thereto, the day that is truly the Lord's and is in reality the first.

On the Lord's Day

And custom and propriety require us to honor every Lord's Day and to keep festival on this day, for the reason that on this day our Lord Jesus Christ provided us with His resurrection from the dead. Wherefore it is also called in the Holy Scriptures the "first," as being the beginning of our life, and the "eighth," as having passed beyond the Jewish Sabbath. [alt-version omitted]

^{C D} [index: entries preserved]

^A And he handed down laws and ceremonies in accordance with this, so that, with hands raised heavenward, but with the eyes of their mind lifted even higher toward the heavenly King Himself, they might invoke Him as the author of victory, as Savior, protector, and helper in their prayers; and that they might judge that day to be the one consistent with their prayers which ^B truly is the first and the head of the rest, and which is truly the Lord’s and life-giving, and is called by the name of light, of life, of immortality, and of every good thing. Moreover, having himself become a teacher of such great blessings, he venerates his Savior in the very interior chambers of the palace; and now by praying he fulfills divine laws and ceremonies; now by the reading of the sacred Scriptures he instructs his mind. Furthermore, he appointed as ministers and as guards of his entire household men consecrated to God, who were adorned with the gravity of life and the rest of the virtues. Finally, his faithful protectors and attendants, armed with the weapons of benevolence, acknowledge the emperor himself as their teacher in a life of piety.

The emperor honors that triumphant sign, as one who has experienced the power of divinity hidden within it. For truly, hosts of enemy armies turned to flight before this sign, and armies of invisible demons were routed. By this sign the insolence of those who had declared war on God was suppressed; and the tongues of slanderers and impious men were bound. By this sign ^C barbarian nations were subdued, and the superstitious frauds and mockeries of the demons were exposed. Finally, to this, which is the head and sum of all good things, the emperor, as if paying a debt, erected triumphal arches everywhere on earth. He built temples and shrines in His honor with royal opulence and generosity, and commanded that oratories be built for everyone. Immediately, therefore,

The gathering of all, whether they remain in cities or in the country, on the day called of the Sun

(36) He says that it is named for light and life, not because the day of the Sun was [so] called by the Gentiles, but because it is the day of the Lord, on which, that is to say, the Lord rose again and gave us life and light: and because on that day we received the Holy Spirit, the illuminator of our souls. (37) "Himself becoming a teacher," that is, not content to instruct others, he himself did the things he teaches, according to the precept of the Gospel. (38) *Vulgate*. "Was raised up." It should be read "was raised up." Certainly in the codex of Fuk. it is read "was raised up."

^A dramatic spectacle, through which, as if defending the Divine, they straightway experienced the proof of their insanity. Nor indeed did a short space of time pass for them before, in one moment of a heaven-sent tempest, it rendered them invisible, so that neither race, nor seed, nor any remnant of their memory remained among men; but they were all utterly consumed in a short time, though they were divided into a multitude, being punished by heaven-sent scourges. But these men of God-opposing madness found such an end; whereas he who had been shielded by the saving trophy, alone—yet not alone, for the one true King was with him and helping him—rendered the new works that were built to replace those destroyed a little before far better, and the latter he made far more honorable than the first. In this way did he brighten the city that bears his name with various Churches of God; in this way did he honor the one that rules over the Bithynians, ^B by making it the greatest and most beautiful. (59) And as for the rest of the nations, he adorned the most powerful amongst them with similar works. But he took two particularly exceptional portions of the East: one in the Palestinian nation, as if from thence, as from a source, a life-giving stream had rained down upon all, and the other in the metropolis of the East, which claims the title of Antioch. (40) In the latter, as if at the head of all the nations of that region, he dedicated a divine and unique structure, for the sake of its size and beauty; enclosing the entire temple with long outer circuits, and inside, raising the palace to an inconceivable height, he adorned it in an octagonal shape; and by surrounding it with many halls and cloisters in a circle, he crowned it with every kind of beauty. Now ^C these things were being accomplished in such a way. But as to those in the Palestinian nation, in the midst of the royal seat of the Hebrews, at the very site of the saving martyrdom, (41) he decorated a vast house of prayer and a holy temple to the saving sign with rich and bountiful liberalities, a monument filled with eternal memory, and he honored the very trophies of the great Savior against death with adornments that surpass any description. And having taken three regions there, honored by three mysterious caves, (42) he adorned them with rich buildings: to the cave of the first theophany he allotted the honor that was appropriate, ^D and to that of the last...

ascension, he honored the memory upon the summit of the mountain, while in the cave that lies in the midst between the two, he extolled the struggles and victory of our Savior. All these caves the emperor magnificently adorned, proclaiming to all men the salutary sign of the cross. Furthermore, this sign, yielding the reward of piety to the emperor, amplifies his entire house and empire, and confirms the time of his reign with many circles of years, reserving the fruits of virtue and rewards for his excellent children and his lineage and their descendants. And this is the greatest argument of the power of God who is worshipped by the emperor, because, balancing the straight scales of justice with equal weight on both sides, he attributes to each party its congruent reward. For those who had stormed the holy houses, the penalty of impiety pursued them instantly. For all of them were straightway taken from the midst without offspring, without house, without hearth, and without a trace. But he who worships and observes his Lord with every kind of piety; and now builds basilicas in his honor, and now with gifts consecrated everywhere in the world displays him to his subjects, is seen by right and merit to have him as the savior and guardian of his family, empire, and lineage. In this way, the deeds of God, through the divine virtue of the salutary sign, became known to all.

CHAPTER X

to be worshiped. Of so many blessings, then, has He become the cause to men, which this great and marvelous sign has manifested; by which, those things that are worthless are no more, and those things that were not before, are now beaming forth to all the rays of piety; and words and instructions and exhortations to a sober and godly life are preached to the hearing of all nations, and the Emperor himself preaches them; and it is the greatest wonder that so great an Emperor, with a most mighty voice, like some interpreter of the sovereign King, God, cries out to the whole world, calling all those pastured under him, together, to the knowledge of the One who is; and indeed in the midst of the imperial palaces, no longer as before ^A the chatter of ungodly men, but priests and ministers of God, conspicuous in piety, celebrate the festival day with royal hymns of praise; and God, the one King of all, is proclaimed to all, and the evangelical word, promising all good things to us, joins the human race to God, announcing the heavenly Father to be propitious and kind to his children on earth; and choirs celebrate Him with songs of victory of every kind, and the whole mortal race joins its voice in song with the angelic hosts in heaven; and rational souls, through the bodies in which they are clad as if through musical instruments, send up to Him the fitting hymns and God-beloved theologies; and those who dwell toward the east, together with those who have obtained the regions toward the west, are instructed at the same moment of time in His teachings; and those who have occupied the northern lot, together with those who dwell toward the south, resound in harmonious melodies, following the same ways and words, pursuing a godly life; and they praise one God who is above all, and acknowledge one only-begotten Savior, the cause of all ^B good things, and acknowledge one corrector of the world on earth, and recognize his God-beloved children; and he, like a wise, high-seated pilot, sitting at the helm, and steering a straight course, with a favorable breeze, conducts all who are under him to a safe and calm harbor. But God Himself, the great King, extending His right hand to him from above, makes him, for the time being, the victor over all enemies and foes, increasing the power of his empire through long periods of years; and He is yet to show him a partaker of better blessings, confirming to him by deeds His own promises, which the present time does not allow to be spoken of; but one must wait for the journey thither, for it is not in the nature of mortal eyes, or of the ears of the flesh, to perceive divine things. ^C And he, like a wise ^D pilot, high-seated, sitting at the helm, and steering a straight course, with favorable wind, guides all his subjects to a safe and tranquil port. But God supremely...

^A granting to him from on high His right hand, thus far renders him victorious over all enemies and foes, and enlarges the strength of his empire through many circuits of years. But He is about to make him a participant in far superior blessings, and will confirm His promises by the things themselves. Which promises the present time does not yet allow to be commemorated, but his departure from this life must be awaited: since divine things can in no way be grasped by mortal eyes and ears of flesh.

CHAPTER XI

Come now, O greatest Victor Constantine, let us impart to you, in this imperial book, the mysteries of things unutterable concerning the King of all, ^B not that we may teach you who have been instructed by God: nor that we may reveal to you mysteries, to whom God Himself, long before our words—not from men nor through any man, but through the common Savior of all Himself, and through the divine appearance of His divinity which has often shone upon you—has opened and unveiled the hidden things of the sacred; but that we may lead ignorant and unlearned men to the knowledge of the truth, and explain to those who know not the causes and reasons for your pious and religious deeds. For those things which, for the honor and worship of the supreme Emperor God, your ^C extraordinary virtue performs daily throughout the whole world, are celebrated in the speech of all mortals. But those things which you have consecrated as tokens of grateful spirit to your guardian and savior in our own soil (I mean the province of Palestine) and in that city from which the saving word, as if from a fountain, overflowed into all men; and the trophies of victory over death which you have erected in the buildings of prayer-houses and the dedications of sacred temples—those lofty and exceedingly beautiful works of imperial magnificence, truly imperial, constructed around the saving monument of immortal life—do not have a cause manifest and plain to all. For those who are enlightened by the celestial power of the divine Spirit know and understand the cause itself; and they ^D justly admire and call you blessed for that counsel, and that impulse of soul which you assumed not without some divine motion. But those who are unskilled in divine matters, through the blindness of their soul, place ridicule and broad laughter upon the matter, supposing it unseemly and inappropriate for so great an emperor to be concerned with monuments of dead bodies and tombs; or rather, would it not be better, one of them might say,

^A to preserve ancestral customs and to propitiate the heroes and gods honored in each nation, nor to spit upon them and shun them on account of such calamities? For either they, too, ought to be honored with divine honors on account of their sameness of suffering, or, if they are to be rejected on account of their human sufferings, the same judgment must be passed upon this one.

These things some perhaps might say, with brow tightly furrowed, ^B thinking themselves wiser than the rest and elevating their own vanity with gravity of speech. Yet, to such a one, as one erring through imprudence, the most merciful Son of the all-good Father, the Word of God, granting pardon—not only to him, but freely inviting all who have strayed from the straight path to the instruction of divine discipline—builds schools and lecture halls throughout the entire world, in regions and villages, in fields and desert places, and in all cities alike, commanding Greeks and barbarians, the wise and the unlearned, the poor and the rich, servants and masters, ^C subjects and princes, the impious, the unjust, the ignorant, the profligate, and the blasphemous, to come and hasten to the divine therapy, as a most humane Savior and physician of souls. And so, announcing to all an oblivion of former sins, He once called out in a clear voice: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. XI, 28). And again: “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matt. IX, 13). And He adds the reason, saying: “For those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Ibid. 12). And: “I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he should repent” (Ezech. XVIII, 23).

Hence, it occurs to the man trained in divine things, who has learned the causes of the zeal proposed, that it is through an inspiration greater than human that the assent of our Emperor is moved, and he marvels at the godliness of his manner, believing that his zeal for the memorial of the saving resurrection did not come about without God, but by the inspiration, truly, of a higher power, and he glories in being a good servant of a good Master. These things, greatest Emperor, since I am truly persuaded they are most dear and acceptable to you, the present discourse desires to explain to all, ^D acting as an interpreter of your mind, and rejoicing to exist as a messenger of your god-loving soul, teaching all things that it behoves one who has been trained in divine things to learn.

^A for those who possess an earnest desire to learn the words of the power of our God, through which He, who existed of old and was providing for the whole, at last descended to us from heaven, and through which He put on human nature, and through which He approached death, and the causes of the immortal life and the resurrection from the dead that followed! Not only this, but also logical demonstrations and clear teachings, necessary for those who still require them, it is time that we should take up the discourse from somewhere here.

Those who have transferred the worship of God, the Maker of the universe and Supreme Ruler of all, to those things brought into existence by Him—exchanging the sun and the moon and the remaining parts of the world, and the first elements of all things, earth, water, air, fire, honor with the same name as their Maker and Creator, and calling them gods, which never were and never would have existed, nor even have had a name, had they not stood in attendance upon the Word of God who is the Maker of the world—seem to me to differ but little from those who, overlooking the architect of the noble works within the imperial palaces, wonder exceedingly at the vaults, and the walls, and the polychrome and many-flowered paintings within them, and the gold-wrought decorations and the carvings of stones, ^B and ascribe to these very things the praise and the name of the artisan's skill; whereas it is fitting to attribute the cause of admiration, not to those things which are perceived by the eyes, but solely to the architect, and to confess that while the many works are indeed those of skill, he alone is skillful and wise who was the author of those things which are gazed upon by the many. Indeed, they would differ in no way from children who admire the musical instrument of the seven-stringed lyre itself, but not the inventor and master of its harmony; or those who pass by the hero in the wars, but adorn the spear and the shield with triumphal crowns; or those who honor the marketplaces, and plazas, and edifices void of sense, and temples, and gymnasia, with the same honor as the great emperor, the author of the great and royal city, ^C when, however, it is fitting to wonder, not at columns nor stones, but rather at the very founder and legislator of the great work. In the same way, those who behold this whole universe with the eyes of the flesh should not attribute the cause of it either to the sun, or to the moon, or to any other of the heavenly bodies, but to confess that all these things are the works of Wisdom, while likewise remembering their Maker and Creator, and setting it before all else to honor and worship Him. ^D And from this point of view, one must no longer worship with the eyes of the body, but with a clear and pure mind alone, and worship and theologize about the all-sovereign Word of God with the whole disposition of the soul; for even in the case of a man, no one has ever declared the cloak covering the body of the wise and learned man, or the furniture of his house, to be the wise, or the eyes, or the head, or the hands, or the feet, or the rest of the flesh!

παρέστη. ^A to acknowledge the works of wisdom; remembering meanwhile Him who created them, and preferring His worship and observance to all other things. From the sight of these things, one must venerate and adore with the whole affection of the soul Him who is perceived not by the eyes of the body, but by the pure and refined sight of the mind alone—namely, the Word of God, the commander of this universe. For no wise and learned man ever called the eyes, or the head, or the hands, or the feet, or the other limbs of a human body, "wisdom"; much less the cloak with which he is wrapped, or household furniture, or vessels necessary for the use of a philosopher; but every prudent man admires the mind itself that lies hidden and invisible within. Thus, too, before all the visible works of this world, which are corporeal and fabricated from one and the same matter, we ought to marvel at that invisible Word who formed and adorned this universe; who is the only-begotten Son of God, whom He, the Creator of all things, who transcends every substance, brought forth from Himself and appointed prince and ruler of this universe. ^B For since it was impossible that the fleeting substance of bodies and the nature of rational animals, which had been recently brought forth, should approach the most high Ruler of all, God, because they are surpassed by Him by infinite spaces—inasmuch as He is indeed unbegotten, set above and beyond all things, inexplicable, inaccessible, and to whom it is impossible to attain, dwelling in light unapproachable, as the sacred oracles speak—while those things were produced from nothing, divided and separated by a very long interval from that unbegotten nature; not without cause does God, the Best and Greatest, interpose as a medium the divine and pre-eminent power of His only-begotten Word. This power indeed dwells and converses most perfectly and closely with the Father; and remaining within Him, it enjoys His mysteries, yet nonetheless benignly descends, and in a certain manner composes and adapts itself to those who are furthest from the supreme heights. For otherwise it would be unlawful for Him who is set above and beyond all things to be joined with corruptible matter and body. Therefore, the divine Word, mingling Himself with this universe, taking into His hands the reins of the whole world, guides and carries it, steering it with all-wisdom, as seems fit to Him. And there is a clear proof of this Word. For if the parts of the world themselves, which we are accustomed to call the primary elements—earth, water, air, fire—which consist of a senseless nature, and which we behold with our own eyes; if one substance underlies them all, ^C which those skilled in these matters are wont to call the "all-receptive" mother and nurse—and this is formless and shapeless, and utterly lifeless and senseless—whence, one might ask, could the order that is in it exist within it? Whence the distinction of the elements? Whence the concurrence of opposites into one and the same place? Who commanded the heavy element of earth to be carried upon a liquid substance? Who…

turned back the downward-tending nature of water and carried it aloft in the clouds? Who constrained the power of fire and bade it lie hidden in wood and mix with things contrary to its nature? Who, having mixed the cold air with the hot nature of fire and broken off the mutual strife between them, brought them into grace and concord? Who propagated the mortal race by the device of succession to a long-lived state of a kind of immortal life? Who fashioned in the manner we see the male and female, and having joined both into one harmony, contrived a beginning of generation for all animals? Who made the fluid nature of seed, which was corruptible, flowing, and void of sense, to be prolific and fit for generating an animal? Who even now continues to perform all these things, and ten thousand things greater than these, which are beyond wonder and amazement? Who, on each day and hour, accomplishes the generations [and hours] ^B of these things by a secret and invisible power? But indeed, the wonder-working Word of God might justly be declared the cause of all these things. For the Word, truly almighty, having spread Himself through all things, and having stretched Himself incorporeally upwards to the height and downwards to the depth, having embraced the breadths and lengths ^C of the All as if with broad hands, gathered and tightened the whole, and having fashioned this, a panharmonic instrument, for Himself, He directs by unspoken reasons the irrational and formless and shapeless substance of bodies—very wisely and with logical power, effectively joining the disconnected ^D by means of the intervals—and He governs the sun itself, and the moon, and the light-bearers in the heavens, leading them to the utility of the whole. And the same Word of God, having also gone deep into the earth, established the kinds of animals and the multiform beauties of plants. This same Word of God, having also descended into the depths of the sea, devised the nature of swimming creatures, having there too wrought myriad and innumerable forms and differences of diverse animals. And this same One, inside the workshop of nature, completes and fashions the creatures within the womb. He it is who, having lifted ^D the fluid and heavy nature of the liquid substance up into the air, and then having sweetened it by the transformation, introduces it to the earth by measure, and completes the provision at appointed times. Here, as a skilled husbandman, having irrigated the land well and having mixed the moist with the dry, He transforms it in every way, at one time with beautiful flowers, at another time with various shapes, at another time with sweet fragrances,

or by providing a variety of fruits for the taste. Why need I venture to describe the powers of the Word of God, and attempt what is impossible, when His activity far surpasses every human intellect? ^A Some, indeed, have called Him the nature of the universe, others the soul of the whole, others fate; and there are those who, I know not how, confounding things that are most widely separated, have declared Him to be the God who is beyond all things—while yet casting down the Ruler of all and the unbegotten and most high Power to the earth, and binding Him up with corruptible matter, describing Him as taking a middle position between irrational and rational animals, and between mortal and immortal substances. But so much for them.

CHAPTER XII

The divinely inspired teaching, however, asserts that that which is the highest of all goods, the very cause of all things, is beyond all comprehension; and for this reason, it is ineffable, unspeakable, and nameless, surpassing not only voice but every conception, not comprised in any place, nor existing in bodies, nor in heaven, nor in the ether, ^B nor in any part of the universe, but being everywhere and outside of everything, stored up in the secret abyss of knowledge; and it designates this alone as the true God.

^A The sacred oracles teach that ^A He must be recognized as the only true God, who is separated from every corporeal substance, and is alien to every ministry of dispensation. Wherefore, all things are said to have existed from Him, but not through Him. But He Himself, like an emperor, dwelling within ^B secret and inaccessible recesses, inhabiting light inaccessible, everywhere ordains and commands according to the judgment of His own will. For by His will whatever exists comes to be; and by His not willing, it does not exist. Moreover, He wills all things that are good, because He is by His own nature goodness itself. But the Word of God, through whom are all things, flowing down from the good Father like an eternal and infinite fountain, ^C like a river, proceeds forth, gushing out entirely for the common salvation of all. And just as in our own example—the mind within us, which is spiritual and invisible, the substance of which ^D no mortal has ever known, or what it is, or of what kind—residing like an emperor in the secret recesses of the palace, alone looks upon what must be done. But the Word, like an only-begotten Son, generated from the mind itself in an ineffable way and by a secret power which cannot be expressed in words, goes out from its hidden bosom as from a parent; and having become the first messenger and interpreter of paternal thoughts, He openly announces to all what has been established by the parent in secret and hiddenly, and being brought to the ears of all, He executes the counsels of His Father by His very works. And while they indeed receive great benefit from the Word Himself, no one has ever beheld with their eyes the mind itself, which is the hidden and invisible parent of the Word. Thus plainly, or rather in a more excellent way and one far surpassing every comparison of example, the most perfect Word of God, the King of all, as His only-begotten Son, not consisting in the power of prolation, nor composed of syllables and names and words, nor expressed by voice through the striking of the air; but as the living and efficacious Word of the most high God, and personally subsisting: for He is the power of God and His wisdom, proceeding from the divinity and kingdom of the Father. And since He is the good offspring of a good Father, and the common conservator of all things, He permeates and irrigates the universe, and through the abundance of reason, wisdom, light, and all the good things that are in Him, He diffuses Himself into all things, irrigating not only the things that are near and next to Him, but even things far distant across land and sea, and whatever other lot may fall to them in the universe; to all of which together He ordains boundaries, regions, laws, and allotments in the most righteous manner, distributing and granting to each what is fitting with royal authority, and [D (part two)] for some He ordains the super-celestial arches, for others...

the heaven itself, for others the ether, for others the air, and for others the earth to be cultivated. ^A And again, moving them from these places to others, He judges the lives of each most excellently, and rewards their characters and the habits of their conduct; He provides for their sustenance and nourishment, not only for rational beings, but also for irrational animals for the use of the rational. And to some He grants the enjoyment of a mortal and temporal life, and to others participation in an immortal one, for He Himself, as God the Word, accomplishes all things, being present to all, and traversing all things with a rational power; looking upward to His own Father, He governs the lower things according to His nod, and those consequent to Him, as the common Savior of all; ^B being somehow in the middle, and gathering the begotten substance to the Unbegotten. This unbreakable bond of God is the Word, standing in the middle, binding togetherthings that are separated, and not allowing them to fall far away; this is the universal providence, this is the guardian and corrector of all; this is the power of God and the wisdom of God, this is the only-begotten God, the Word born of God: "For in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; all things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that has been made," as the sacred voices of theological men teach us. This is the common cultivator of all, through whom the substance of all things grows and flourishes, being constantly watered by the showers ^C from Him, and providing the freshness of everything with a youthful and lovely bloom. And He who holds the reins completes His course by the Father’s nod, piloting the great vessel of the entire universe. Having thus, as the best of Fathers, begotten such an Artificer, the only-begotten Son, from Himself as an excellent fruit, the God who is above all gave Him to this world as the greatest good, as it were infusing His own Word into the irrational nature of bodies, just as a soul into a lifeless body, and enlightening and animating the formless, shapeless, and lifeless substance with the divine power of the Word. He is the one whom we must know and observe, present everywhere in matter and the elements of bodies, and animating all things—the same being light and the intellectual offspring of the ineffable Light, one in substance as being from one Father, ^D yet possessing many powers within Himself. For we ought not to believe that because there are many parts of the world, there are also many powers, nor because the things created are many,

must we therefore posit many gods. But like foolish ^A children, they have wandered into a terrible error, those born of polytheistic men, by deifying the parts of the universe and dividing the one world into many. Just as if someone, having taken the eyes of a man—since he is composed of one body—were to claim that these alone are a man, and again the ears were another man, and similarly the head, neck, chest, and shoulders, the feet and hands, and having fragmented the remaining limbs and divided the faculties of the senses by his reasoning, were to say that the one was many humans—he would provide nothing more than a laughingstock of folly to the sensible. Such would be he who posits countless gods for himself from the parts of one world, or who thinks that this generated world itself is God, consisting as it does of many parts; not knowing that the divine nature is not ^B even partible, for how could it ever consist of parts? For if it were composite, it would require another to compose it. It is not, then, partible; for how could it be divine, composed as it would be of unlike differences, of inferior and superior things? But the divine nature is utterly simple, indivisible, and incomposite, and is placed beyond all the arrangement of the world perceived by the eyes. ^C Therefore, that herald of truth loudly proclaims this clearly: "The Word of God, who existed before all things, is the only Savior of all rational beings. But the God who is above all, the principle and author of generation, being alone..." ^D

^A properly called Father, acknowledges no cause superior to himself. He therefore is the one God. But the Only-Begotten proceeds from him, the one Word of God, existing through all things and the conservator of all. And this sensible world, not otherwise than a lyre composed of many and dissimilar strings, of which some are acute, others grave; some relaxed, others intense; some intermediate between these, yet all well-tuned according to the precepts of the musical art: so also [the world] itself is composed of many parts, namely, of the cold and its contrary, heat; likewise of the moist and its contrary, the dry substance; and producing from all these one harmony, it may deservedly be called the great instrument and work of the great God. But the divine Word, who consists neither of parts nor is composed of contraries, but is simple and indivisible, skillfully and harmoniously touches this universe, and emits the due and fitting concert to his Father, the supreme moderator of all.

And just as in one body, parts and members, viscera also and intestines are fashioned together in great numbers, yet one soul is diffused through all things, and an indivisible and incorporeal mind is one: so in this universe, the world itself is indeed gathered into one from many parts; but the divine Word, powerful in much strength and omnipotent, is likewise one, existing through all things, and diffused through all without wandering error, [and] is the cause of all that happens in them. ^B Do you not see with your eyes this universal world? How the one heaven embraces the innumerable choirs of stars moving in circles around it. How also the one sun leads many other choirs of stars, and by the excellence of its light hides the splendor of all others. Thus, since the Father is one, one also must his Word be, as the best offspring of the best Father. But if anyone complains that there are not more [such fathers or words], he could with equal reason complain that there are not more suns, more moons, more worlds, and six hundred other things; like some madman, attempting to tear apart those things which have been most excellently and prudently constituted by nature. Indeed, just as among visible things the sun alone illuminates the world subject to the senses, so among things perceived by the intellect, the one omnipotent Word of God, by a certain invisible and, to us, occult reason, illuminates the universe. ^C For even in man, one soul and one faculty of reasoning is the artificer of many things at once, since the same soul [is able] to till a field, and build a ship and steer it, and construct a house; now it is carried here, now there, but as a soul, which is diffused through all the members at once, and does not wander from these to those. ^D For just as in one body, myriad limbs and parts, viscera and entrails are gathered, and a soul, invisible and one, is spread through the whole, and the mind is one—indivisible and incorporeal; so indeed in this [universe], the world consists of one [whole] through many parts, and the Word of God, likewise, being one, all-powerful and omnipotent, proceeding through all things and spread out without error through all, would be the cause of all things that are in them. Do you not see with your eyes the whole world? As one heaven embraces around it 91 myriads of choirs of stars revolving; again, the sun is one, but there are not several, and by its excess of light it covers the coruscations of all things; so indeed, since the Father is one, one also must his Word be, being good from the good Father. But if someone blames that there are not several [Gods], it is time for such a one, since he does not construct several suns, and moons, and worlds, and myriad other things, to be accused, after the manner of one who is mad, attempting to distort the right and well-ordered things of nature. But as in visible things the one sun illuminates the entire sensible world, so indeed even in intelligible things, invisible and unseen to us, the one omnipotent Word of God illuminates all things; since even in man one soul and one rational power could be the creator of most things at once, if the same soul, having learned to farm, and to build ships, and to govern, and to build, were to set itself to the task; and one mind and reason in man might accept myriads of sciences, and the same [mind] will measure geometry and study astronomy, and will deliver the discourses of grammar and rhetoric and medicine, and will preside over both studies and manual works; and yet no one has ever thought that there are several souls in one body, nor has he marveled at many essences in man, because of the reception of many learnings. And if someone, having found the formless matter of clay, and then having softened it with his hands, should give it the figure of a living creature, by one shape [giving] a head, and to another [part] hands and feet, and again to another eyes and likewise cheeks, ears and mouth and nose, chest and shoulders, sketching them with the plastic art; but since many shapes and parts and members have been fashioned under one body, it is not necessary to think that there are so many creators, but to know that one is the artificer of the whole at once, and it is necessary to praise the one who, with one reason and one power, fashioned the whole; so indeed even with regard to this universal world, being one, but having come into existence from very many parts, one must not hypothesize many creative powers, nor name many gods, but profess one theology, the all-wise and all-harmonious, the truly divine wisdom, one in power and one in virtue, resounding through all things, and moving through the whole world, and all things...

^A both in general and in particular, as well as the bodies and elements, receiving from it a varied supply; just as the light of the sun, being one and the same radiance, at once and at the same moment illuminates the air, lights up the eyes, warms the touch, makes the land fertile, increases plants, establishes time, leads the stars, moves around the heavens, makes the world bright, and establishes God’s visible power in everything—all these things it accomplishes by a single impulse of nature. In the same way, the nature of fire, in a single burning power, purges gold, melts lead, dissolves wax, dries out mud, and burns wood, ^B achieving so many things by one act. Thus, the all-sovereign Word of God, who comes through all things, being in all, and observing all—heavenly and earthly, hidden and visible—governs them, steering the sun itself, the heaven, and the entire universe with ineffable powers; present in all things by an active power, and passing through all regions. If He pours eternal light from His own fountain upon the sun, the moon, and the stars, and holds up the heavens as a most fitting image of His own magnitude forever, He also fills the powers beyond heaven and the world—the angels and spirits, those intellectual and rational beings, with life and light, with wisdom and all virtue, with everything beautiful and good—from the treasures within Himself. ^C By one and the same creative art, He never ceases to provide substance to the elements, and to bodies their mixtures and temperaments, and even their forms and shapes, and countless qualities, both in animals and in plants, and in souls both rational and irrational, decorating them now in one way, now in another, and providing all things for all at once by a single power. He openly demonstrates that this is not a seven-stringed lyre, but one world, full of many harmonies, the work of one world-creating Word. ^D

CHAPTER XIII.

Let us now proceed to explain the reason why such a Word of God descended upon the earth. Foolish and senseless men, not understanding this Word of God (who is the presiding ruler of heaven and earth, brought forth from the divinity of the Father as from a fount, and who is ever present and co-existent with this world, providing clear tokens of His providence and of His benevolence toward men), did not hesitate to bestow the venerable name of God upon the sun, the moon, the heaven itself, and the stars. And not stopping there, they deified the earthly nature, the fruits produced from the earth, and every kind of nourishment for the body, fashioning for themselves images of ^A Ceres, Proserpina, Bacchus, and other such deities. Nor did they halt their progress here; for they did not scruple to call the very thoughts of their own minds and reason itself, the interpreter of those thoughts, gods: naming the mind Minerva, reason Mercury, and the faculties of the soul by which the arts are learned, Moneta and the Muses.

And still they did not stop here, but, increasing their madness through an excess of impiety, they heaped new additions upon their delusions day by day, and consecrated the very perturbations of their own souls—which they ought to have detested and repressed by the precepts of temperance. Indeed, they called their own cupidity—that passionate and licentious disease of the soul—and the very parts and members of ^B the body that drive one toward obscenity, and finally that intemperance which is poured out into shameful pleasures, by the names of Cupid, Priapus, and Venus.

Nor did they stop here; but falling down to the generation of bodies and this mortal life on earth, they deified mortal men, and after the common death, they proclaimed them heroes and gods, imagining that the divine and immortal essence wandered about tombs and sepulchers. Nor did their insanity stay here, but they honored various kinds of brute animals, even the most baneful of serpents, with the august name of divinity. And proceeding further, having hewn trees and stones, and having dug up the metals of the earth—bronze, iron, and other materials—they fashioned the likenesses of women and men, and the forms of beasts ^C and serpents, and thereafter offered them worship.

Nor did they reach the end of their madness here; but they gave the very name of gods to the wicked demons who lurked hidden within the images, and who had taken up residence in dark recesses, and who were greedy for the libations and odors of offerings. And not satisfied with this, they [sought to control] those very demons and the invisible powers that are carried about through the air, by means of certain forbidden magical arts. ^D

^A And, having invited these to be their assessors, they have bound themselves by means of wicked and impious chants and incantations. And not all men have consecrated the same beings, but some have consecrated others. The Greeks, indeed, have honored Bacchus, Hercules, Aesculapius, Apollo, and certain other men with the appellation of gods and heroes. The Egyptians, for their part, have deemed Horus, Isis, and Osiris, and other men similar to these, to be gods. And those who boast that the disciplines of geometry, astronomy, and arithmetic were discovered among them—although they consider themselves so very wise—have, ^B by no means, been able to understand or discern the limit of divine power, nor how great a difference there is between this and mortal, brute nature. Hence, they have not hesitated to call even the most repulsive species of various brutes, as well as venomous serpents and wild beasts, gods. The Phoenicians, in turn, proclaimed Melcatharus ^C and Usorus, and certain other less noble men of old, to be gods; the Arabs likewise proclaimed one Dusares and Obodas, the Getae proclaimed Zamolxis, the Cilicians Mopsus, the Thebans Amphiaraus; and some, indeed, made these into gods, and others made those, in no way differing from the common nature of men, but in reality being mere men. All, in truth, with one consent—Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Greeks, and the entire mortal race that is illuminated by the rays of the sun—have conferred divine honors upon the parts of the world, its elements, and the fruits that grow from the earth. And what is more to be wondered at is that, while they acknowledge their adulteries, ^D their shameful deeds with boys, and their rapes of women, they nonetheless filled all their cities, villages, and fields with temples, shrines, and statues, destroying their own souls by such imitation of the gods. And thus, they proclaimed [all these] as gods and children of gods.

^A Indeed, you might often hear them called by these names—gods, sons of gods, heroes, and good spirits—but the reality of the matter is clearly the opposite. For they honored contraries with contraries, just as if someone, wishing to show another the sun and the lights of the heavens, were not to lift his eyes upward, but instead cast his hands down to the earth and, throwing himself upon the ground, were to seek out the heavenly powers in mud and mire. Thus, the human race, deceived by mental blindness and the fraud of wicked demons, persuaded itself that the intelligible divine nature, which transcends both heaven and the world itself, resided down here in the generation of bodies and in human passions and death.

Indeed, men progressed to such a degree of madness that they even sacrificed their own dearest pledges; nor did they spare nature itself, but in their frenzy and mental aberration, they slaughtered even their own only-begotten and beloved children. For what could be more frenzied than this—to sacrifice men, and to pollute entire cities and their own households with domestic murders? ^B Or do the sons of the Greeks themselves not testify to these things, and is not all history filled with the remembrance of them? For the Phoenicians used to sacrifice their beloved and only-begotten children to Cronus every year. To this same god, on the sixth day of the month Metageitnion, they used to slaughter men in Rhodes. At Salamis, in the sanctuary of Athena Agraulos and Diomedes, it was the custom for a man to be driven while his pursuers made him circle the altar three times; then the priest would pierce his stomach with a spear, and thus cast him upon the burning pyre to be utterly consumed. ^C Numerous human sacrifices also occurred in Egypt; and at Heliopolis, three men were sacrificed daily to Hera, until King Amosis, perceiving the cruelty of the deed, ordered that waxen figures be substituted in their place. In the island of Chios, they sacrificed a man to Dionysus Omadios, and likewise in Tenedos. In Lacedaemon, too, a human victim was sacrificed to Ares. The same was done in Crete, where they sacrificed a man to Cronus. In Laodicea of Syria, a virgin was sacrificed annually to Athena, though now a deer is offered instead. The Africans and Carthaginians also placated their gods with human sacrifices. The Dumateni of Arabia, too, used to sacrifice a boy every year, whom they would bury beneath the altar; ^D and history teaches that all Greeks, generally, before setting out for war, would offer human sacrifice, as the Thracians and Scythians likewise did. The Athenians also [sacrificed] the Leocorai.

Certainly, Porphyry, when he was dealing with human victims and speaking about the Athenians, ought not to have omitted this example. There was once a man among the Athenians named Leos, the son of Orpheus, as Suidas says; when Attica was suffering from famine, and it was answered by the Delphic Apollo that the city would not be saved unless one of the citizens sacrificed his own daughters, he offered his three daughters—virgins—to be slaughtered for the salvation of the city: Phasithea, Theope, and Eubule. Aelian, in book XII of his *Various History*, ch. 28, names Praxithea instead of Phasithea. Nothing occurs more frequently among the Greek orators than the mention of these daughters of Leos; as in Aristides in his *Panathenaic*, or Libanius in his *Declamation XIII*; Demosthenes, or whoever else the author may be in the oration which is inscribed [Funeral Oration], counts this Leos among the *eponymoi* or founders of the tribes, from whom the Leontian tribe received its name.

The Leontidae, whom the myth speaks of as the daughters of Leos, had heard that they were to be given as a sacrifice for the citizens for the sake of the country. Phocion, a man of good character, said that those who were to be surrendered must imitate the daughters of Leos and the Hyacinthides, and willingly endure death so that the fatherland should suffer no irremediable harm. In the Funeral Oration, all the Erechtheidae [are said] to have sacrificed Erechtheus, their eponym, to save the country, and his own children, whom they call the Hyacinthides, to a death determined in advance. Euripides, at any rate, in his *Erechtheus*, says that the daughters of Erechtheus—three in number—became the Hyades. ^A They commemorate the daughter of Erechtheus who was sacrificed. Yet who is ignorant, even now, of the human being sacrificed in the great city ^B at the festival of Jupiter Latiaris? The most approved philosophers have testified that these things are so. Diodorus, the abbreviator of the libraries, says that the Libyans publicly sacrificed two hundred of the most prominent children to Cronus, and that they added three hundred others to the sacrifice. And Dionysius, the writer of the Roman history, states by name that Zeus and Apollo demanded human sacrifices in Italy from those called Aborigines. He says that those who were requested to pay the debt of all their crops to the gods, because they did not also sacrifice human beings, ^C at the time of the truce the prefect did not perform the Latiaria—things neither otherwise fitting for him, nor accustomed to be done at that time—in the same way as the idol honored among you; on which not only is the blood of irrational animals sprinkled, but also that of humans, as they perform the libation of the blood of the slain through the most distinguished and noble man among you. ^D

s from the aboriginal peoples but from the Pelasgians; nor that human beings were slaughtered by them, but sent away outside the country. In the Codex Fukensis the word is missing. ^A Thus they were caught in all manner of disasters, and found no respite from their evils until they had tithed themselves; and so, being deprived of tenths of human beings and sacrificing them, they became the cause of the desolation of their land. By such evils the whole race of man was previously being worn down. Nor did it suffice for them to be faring ill in these matters alone, for they were enslaved by ten thousand other irreparable calamities. For the nations throughout the whole inhabited world, Greeks and barbarians alike, as if goaded by demonic energy, were divided by a terrible and most grievous disease, because the race of men was unmixable and irreconcilable toward itself; the great body of common nature was thus torn apart, and in every corner of the earth people were rebelling, contending with one another through their laws and polities. ^B And not only this, but they were also becoming savage through frequent uprisings against one another, so that they spent their whole lives in mutual strife and war, and it was not possible for anyone who wished to travel anywhere unless armed in the manner of an enemy. In the fields and villages the farmers went about carrying swords, and they procured the implements of war rather than those necessary for the cultivation of the fields, and they considered it a virtue to plunder and to take into slavery those who were their neighbors. And not only this, but also from the very stories they invented about their own gods, they took provision for a shameful and lawless life, and in all manners of incontinence they corrupted both their bodies and their souls. ^C And not only this, but they even crossed the limits of nature, proceeding further into unspeakable deeds and things incredible to hear of, behaving wantonly against one another, “males with males working indecency, and receiving in themselves the due recompense of their error,” as the holy words say. And not only this, but they also perverted the natural notions concerning God, imagining that all things here were without providence or oversight, and they attributed the origination and constitution of the whole universe to irrational and automatic nature and to the necessity of fate. And not only this, but also, because they supposed that their souls perished along with their bodies, they led a bestial life and an unlivable existence, neither investigating the substance of the soul, nor awaiting the tribunals of divine judgment, nor contemplating in their minds the rewards of virtue or the punishments prepared for an unjust life. ^D Indeed, whole nations were already wasting away in the bestial life through manifold species of wickedness—some having shameful and most lawless intercourse with their mothers, others marrying their own sisters, others corrupting their own daughters. Some were slaughtering visiting strangers, others were even tasting human flesh, some were strangling the aged with a noose and then feasting upon them, and others were throwing them while still alive to dogs. Time will fail me to tell of all the

evils of that ancient ^A malady which had oppressed the whole human race, ^B and which I have been describing as having laid hold of all mankind. These things, and countless others akin to them, were the reason why the Word of God, who loves mankind, taking pity on the rational flock of men, long ago through certain of his prophets, and even before them through other men beloved of God, and after them through those who later became renowned, called back those who had been given up for lost, by means of various laws and exhortations and teachings, laying down for men the very foundations and seeds of piety. But when the human race no longer required merely human aid, but stood in need of a more excellent power and might—inasmuch as it was being carried about here and there in wandering error, and was being cruelly torn, not by wolves and untamed beasts, but by terrible and savage demons and by cruel and soul-destroying spirits—at last he himself, the Word of God, came to us most willingly, and arrived at our encampments, obeying the nod of the all-good Father. The cause of his presence here below was what has been described. On account of all this, approaching the company of mortals, he did not do what was familiar and usual to him—for he, being incorporeal and invisibly pervading the entire universe, was wont to manifest his own greatness of power by his very works, both heavenly and those upon earth—but he used a new and unusual manner of acting. For, having assumed a mortal body, he deigned to converse and associate with mortals, with the intention of saving the race of mortals through that which was like unto itself. ^C

CHAPTER XIV

Come now, let us also explain for what reason the incorporeal Word of God, having assumed a body as a kind of instrument, drew near to the dwellings of men. And in what other way could that divine and intangible, immaterial and invisible essence have shown itself to those who seek God in matter and down upon the earth, since they are unable—or perhaps unwilling—to look upon the Creator and Artificer of all things, unless it had presented itself to be seen under a human form and appearance? Therefore, having assumed a mortal body as a most suitable instrument, it descended to converse with mortals, because this was pleasing to them; for as they say, like naturally delights in like.

^A Since then those who are led by the sense of sight, and who seek for the divine in the carvings of statues and inanimate images, imagining the divine to be in matter and body, declare mortal men to be gods, in this same way the Word of God showed himself. Wherefore he prepared for himself a most holy temple, a bodily instrument, a sensible dwelling-place of rational power, a venerable and most sacred image, more precious than any inanimate statue. For while that image made of inanimate material, fashioned by the hands of base men in an icon of bronze and iron, of gold and ivory, of stone and wood, would be a suitable dwelling for demons; the divine image, adorned by the power of divine wisdom, was a participant in life and intellectual substance, an image filled with every virtue, an image and dwelling-place of the Word of God, and a holy temple of the holy God. ^B In this the indwelling Word, while he companied with and was known to mortals through that which was familiar and kindred to them, yet did not succumb to their passions, nor was he bound to the body in the manner of a human soul, nor, by becoming less than himself, did he alter his own divinity. For just as the rays of the sun, which fill all things and touch both dead bodies and impure things, suffer nothing thereby, so much the more the incorporeal power of the Word of God, even while it was applied incorporeally to a body, would neither suffer in its substance, nor be harmed, nor ever become worse than itself. Thus did the Savior of all become beneficial and saving to all, through the instrument of the human nature he had taken up, just as a musician might display his skill through the lyre. ^C The Greek myth tells that Orpheus, by his song, charmed all kinds of wild beasts and tamed the ferocity of the wild, with an instrument whose strings were struck by a plectrum; and this is sung everywhere in the choir of the Greeks, and it is believed that a lifeless lyre tamed the beasts, and even changed the oak trees by the charm of its music. Therefore, the all-wise and all-harmonious Word of God, applying every kind of healing to the souls of men who were subjected to manifold wickedness, taking up as a musical instrument the human nature fashioned by his own wisdom, ^D played songs and incantations through it, not to irrational beasts, but to rational beings; and through the remedies of divine instruction, he healed in every way the untamed passions of the souls both of Greeks and of barbarians, and of those who, being in a diseased state of soul, sought for the divine in generation and in bodies, acting like a most excellent physician, and by a kindred and suitable remedy made God present in man. Furthermore, being no less concerned for bodies than for souls, he provided the eyes of the flesh to see certain paradoxical wonders and divine marvels and powers, and again to the ears of the flesh he whispered teachings through his tongue and body, and accomplished all things through that which he had assumed, the human nature, through the medium of the instrument he had assumed.

^A It was to those who could perceive his divinity in no other way than this that he ministered in accordance with the Father's counsels, remaining himself immaterial, just as he was before this with the Father, having neither altered his essence, nor having had his own nature obliterated, nor having been fettered by the bonds of flesh. Nor was he, while residing here where he had his human vessel, prevented from being present elsewhere in the universe. Rather, even in that time when he lived among men, he filled all things, and was with the Father, and was in Him; and he cared for all things together, both those in heaven and those upon earth, in no way restricted like us to a localized presence, nor hindered from performing his divine works in his customary manner. ^B But he gathered what was from himself and imparted it to the human nature, while he himself, in turn, did not receive the things belonging to the mortal nature. And thus he conferred his divine power upon the mortal nature, yet he himself derived nothing from its participation. Therefore, he was not defiled by any stain while his body was brought into the light, nor again, while it was being dissolved, did he himself, as one impassible, suffer any detriment to his substance. For neither, if a lyre should by some chance be broken, or its strings, being fragile, be snapped, is it necessary for the one who plays the lyre to suffer anything. Nor, if by chance the body of some wise man should happen to be subjected to punishment, would any reasonably say that the wisdom that is in him, or the soul that is hidden in his body, is struck or burned. ^C By the same token, and by a much stronger right, it is reasonable to say that the power of the Word suffered no damage from the passions of the body, just as even the example of light does not allow the solar rays, which are sent down from heaven to earth, to be defiled by touching mud and mire and every species of pollution. For while one could not deny that these things are illuminated by the rays of the light themselves, the light is not thereby rendered muddy, nor is the sun defiled by the commingling with bodies. And yet, such things would not be foreign to the nature of light. But the Saviour, and incorporeal Word of God, being life-itself 26 and intellectual light-itself, whatever he might touch with his divine and incorporeal power, that thing must necessarily live and exist in rational light. ^D For this reason, whatsoever part of the body he touched was hallowed and illuminated, and immediately every disease and infirmity and passion departed from it, and it received from his fullness what it lacked. For this reason, then, he spent his whole life in this way, at one time demonstrating through the bodily instrument the fellowship of suffering that he had with us, and at another time revealing the Word of God, performing great works and wonders as God, and proclaiming beforehand the prophecies of things to come, and [the One who is not...]

^A neither should the power of the divine Word be said to have suffered any loss from the accidents of the body; just as that example of light we have already used—sunbeams sent from heaven to earth, which touch mire, mud, and filth of every kind—does not allow itself to be defiled in any way. For although nothing prevents our saying that those things are illuminated by the splendor of the light, we do not for that reason say that the light itself is stained by the mud, or that the sun is tarnished by contact with bodies, even though these things are not entirely alien to its nature. But that Savior and incorporeal Word of God, since He is life itself and intellectual light itself, whatever thing He once touches with His divine and incorporeal power must necessarily thereafter live and move in rational light. Likewise, whatever body He touches is immediately made holy and is illuminated, and all disease, sickness, and perturbation withdraws from it; and those parts which were previously empty receive a portion from His abundance. Therefore, He passed through almost the whole course of His life in such a way that He would at one time show His body to be subject to the same affections as our own, and at another time indicate that He was God the Word; while He performed certain great and admirable works as God, and foretold future things long before they happened, and manifested the Word of God—who was seen by most people not at all—through the very facts themselves, by means of prodigious works, miracles, signs, and stupendous powers, and finally by divine preachings, by which He spurred the minds of men to prepare themselves for the blessedness of that supernal dwelling which is beyond the heavens.

CHAPTER XV

^A For this reason, then, since it was necessary that the mortal instrument, after the sufficient service which it had performed for the divine Word, should attain an end worthy of God, through this very path also death was ordained for Him. For since two possibilities remained at the end, either to deliver the whole to corruption and destruction and to make the closing of his life the most shameful of any drama, or to show Himself superior to death by establishing His mortal nature as immortal through divine power; the former was foreign to His promise. For it is not the property of fire to cool, nor of light to darken ^B (54); and thus it is not the property of life to bring death, nor of the divine Word to act irrationally. What reason, then, would there be to overlook His own instrument being corrupted—He who had promised life to others—to deliver to destruction His own image and to allow the interpreter of His divinity to be ravaged by death, He who promised immortality to those who took refuge in Him? Accordingly, the second was necessary, I mean that He should show Himself superior to death. How, then, was this to be done? Secretly and by stealth, or openly and clearly to all? But a triumph achieved in darkness and in secret, known to no one, would have benefited no one, whereas one proclaimed and heard by all would provide the greatest benefit to all through the miracle of the event. Reasonably, therefore, since it was necessary that His instrument be shown superior to death, and that this be done not in secret but before the eyes of men, He does not flee death—for in that case He would have been thought a coward and inferior to death—but by the ^C engagement with death as with an adversary, He presents His mortal nature as immortal, having undertaken this struggle on behalf of the life, immortality, and salvation of all. And just as if someone wished to demonstrate to us a vessel that is fireproof and stronger than fire (35), he could not otherwise demonstrate the wonder than by committing to the fire the object in his hands and then bringing it out from the fire safe and incorrupt, in the same way the Word of God, the Life-giver of all, wishing to show that the mortal instrument which He had used for the salvation of men was superior to death, and to make it a partaker of His own life and immortality, very usefully underwent ^D the economy (56) Alias præterea rationes affert, quibus id astruat. Quibus expositis ita demum concludit. Has omnes ob causas, inquit, quando quidem prorsus necesse erat ut corpus illius exitum Deo dignum sortiretur, mortem suam Christus ita dispensavit. Duorum alterum in fine hujus vitæ ipsi faciendum erat, et cætera, ut jam dixi. Et hæc quidem optime inter se cohærent. Interpretis autem expositio, ab Eusebii mente prorsus aliena est, cum Eusebius non duplicem ex hac vita discedendi rationem, sed unicam Christo relictam fuisse demonstraverit.

^A And he provided that which was mortal with that which is immortal; yet, since he underwent death for the life and salvation of all, even as if someone wished to show us a certain fire-proof vessel, and one superior to any conflagration, he could not otherwise obtain belief in the miracle unless he took the vessel himself with his hand and cast it into the fire, and then brought it forth from the flames whole and unharmed; so, clearly, the Word of God, who bestows life upon all, when He wished to manifest more powerfully than death itself—and to reveal as a participant in His own life and immortality—that mortal body of His which He had used as an instrument for the salvation of mankind, He underwent a useful dispensation: for a little while He abandoned His body, and delivered what was mortal to death, so that its nature might be proven by this test ^B and then, shortly after, He withdrew it from death, that He might declare His divine power, by which He showed that this eternal life, which He Himself had promised to all, was superior to every death. The cause of this matter is manifest and clear. For since it was absolutely necessary for His disciples that they should behold with their own eyes the restoration of future life, in which He had taught them to place their hope, since He was making them contemptuous of death and victors over it, it was not without cause that He wished them to see it with their own eyes. For whoever is about to enter upon a pious and religious life must necessarily draw this first and most necessary instruction ^C into their very eyes; and this is especially true for those who were about to preach Him immediately throughout the whole world, and to announce to all men the knowledge of God, the seeds of which He Himself had already scattered among the nations. For it was necessary that they should receive a firmest persuasion [(41)] of the life after death, so that, being fearless and undaunted by death, they might eagerly undertake the struggle against the polytheistic error of the nations [(42)]; for if they had not been trained to despise death, they would never have been prepared for hardships. Therefore, of necessity, arming them against the tyranny of death, He did not deliver the lesson in empty words and mere sounds, nor, as human discourse is wont, by constructing a persuasive argument regarding the immortality of the soul from probabilities; but by the very deed He demonstrated to them the trophies against death. This, then, is the first and greatest cause of our Savior’s battle against death: He showed that death, which is terrible to all, was in fact nothing to His disciples, and [He proved] the life promised by Him to those who followed Him. ^D

^A This He placed before their eyes by a clear manifestation, as the first fruits of our hope and of the life and immortality with God in the future, having made it that very thing. A second reason for the resurrection would be the manifestation of the divine power which had resided in His body. For since people formerly used to deify men who had been vanquished by death, and were accustomed to call those who had been mastered by death heroes and gods, for this very reason the most loving Word of God quite rightly proclaimed Himself, showing to men a nature ^B superior to death, leading the mortal part after its dissolution to a second life, and providing for all to see a trophy of immortality over death, and teaching them to confess that He alone is the true God in death, He who bore away the prizes of victory over death. I could also describe to you a third reason for the Lord’s death. That was a certain sacred victim offered to God, the King of all, for the whole human race: a victim sacrificed for the entire flock of mankind, a victim that put to flight the error of daemonic superstition. For after that one victim and outstanding sacrifice, namely the most holy body of our Saviour, was slaughtered for the human race, and was offered as a kind of substitute for the life of all the nations, which were bound by the impiety of daemonic superstition and held guilty as if of high treason, the entire power of the foul and profane ^C demons thereafter collapsed; and every earthly and fraudulent error was immediately broken and weakened by a stronger power. Thus, the saving sacrifice from among men, the very bodily organ itself of the Word, was consecrated for the common flock of mankind; and this, then, was the victim cast before death, concerning which the voices of the sacred oracles cry out, at one time saying thus: "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world," and at another time proclaiming beforehand thus: "As a sheep He was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is dumb." And they teach the cause, adding: "He bears our sins, and suffers for our sake. And we considered Him to be in toil and in blow and in affliction; but He was wounded for our sins, and was made weak for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. By His stripe we were healed; all we like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord delivered Him up to our ^D sins."

The human instrument of the Word of God was therefore consecrated for these reasons. But that great High Priest, who was consecrated to the universal Ruler and all-sovereign God, being himself other than the sacrifice—the Word of God, the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God—before long recalled his mortal body from death. And this offering he presented to the Father as the first-fruits of our common salvation, setting it up for the entire human race as a triumphal trophy over death and the demonic host, and as an averter of the ancient bloody sacrifices. ^B

CHAPTER XVI

But since these things are so, it is time to come to the proofs; if, that is, the truth of these matters requires proof, and if it is necessary to confirm the testimonies by evident facts. Receive these proofs, then, having prepared your ear to be well-disposed to the hearing of this discourse. All the nations on earth of old, and the whole human race, ^C were divided into provinces and ethnarchies, and toparchies, and had been split into tyrannies and multi-regencies; from which there resulted constant strife and wars, and sackings and enslavements in the countryside and in the cities, which never left them; and there were countless themes of history, adulteries, and the rape of women, whence came the woes of Troy and the tragedies of antiquity remembered by all men. You would not be wrong if you were to attribute the causes of these to the polytheistic error. But when the saving instrument, that most holy body of Christ itself—having been seen to be stronger than any demonic error and alien to any evil in deed or word—was raised up as a victorious trophy and an averter of ancient evils against the demons, all the works of the demons were immediately dissolved; and there were no longer toparchies and multi-regencies, tyrannies and democracies, nor the sackings and sieges that arose in cities and regions on their account; but one God was proclaimed to all. At the same time, also, one kingdom, that ^D of the Romans, flourished for all.

^A And that ancient and implacable hatred of the nations, which had existed from all time, was suddenly extinguished. And just as the knowledge of one God and one way of religion and salvation, namely the doctrine of Christ, was being delivered to men, so at the same time, when one emperor of the whole Roman world had been established, the deepest peace prevailed everywhere on earth. Thus, by the will of one God, two supreme goods for humanity, like two shoots, sprang up simultaneously at the same moment: namely, the Roman Empire and the doctrine of Christian piety. ^B And before that, some held the kingdom of Syria, others Asia, others Macedonia; others possessed Egypt, separate from the rest, and others likewise Arabia; and indeed, even the Palestinian lands were held by the people of the Jews. In individual villages and cities and in every place, men, as if seized by a certain insanity and truly demonized, were carried away into mutual slaughter through continuous wars and battles. But suddenly, as if from one starting line, two great powers went forth and tamed them and brought them into friendship: the Roman Empire, which from that time became a monarchy, and the doctrine of Christ, both having flourished together at the same time. ^C The power of our Savior indeed overturned the polyarchies and polytheisms of the demons, proclaiming to all men, both Greeks and Barbarians and those dwelling even at the ends of the earth, one kingdom of God. But the Roman Empire, as if the causes of polyarchy had been previously removed, joined to its own rule those that still remained: striving above all to bind the whole human race together in a common bond of concord. And it has already gathered and reconciled most nations; but in a short time it will reach even the extreme boundaries of the inhabited world, since the saving doctrine, joined with a certain divine power, renders all things easy and smooth for it. This surely will be confessed to be a great miracle by those who, led by a zeal for the truth, would rather consider the matter more attentively than seek to disparage the most beautiful things. ^D For at the same time the error of demonic superstition was refuted, and the hatred and war among the nations that had raged since ancient times was brought to an end; at the same time, one God and the knowledge of Him was proclaimed to all; at the same time, one kingdom was strengthened among men; and the whole human race was transformed into peace and friendship, and all acknowledged one another as brothers and recognized their own nature. Immediately, therefore, as if born of one father and as children of one God, and of one mother, the true piety, they greeted and embraced one another peacefully, so that the entire inhabited world was in no way lacking to become one well-ordered household and kinship, and it was possible for anyone who wished to travel anywhere with the greatest ease—those from the west safely going to the east, and those from there again to the other side—as if toward their own homeland.

^A Thus were the oracles of the ancients fulfilled, and the proclamations of the prophets brought to pass—a myriad of others which there is no leisure to cite now, but especially those concerning the saving Word, which cry out in this way: "He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the ends of the earth" (Ps. LXXI, 8). And again: "In his days shall righteousness flourish, and abundance of peace" (Ps. LXXI, 7). "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; and nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isa. II, 4). These things were predicted and proclaimed in the Hebrew tongue from long ago. These things, as they are seen to happen in our own time, confirm the testimony of the ancient voices. But if you desire an abundance of other proofs, do not look to words, but take these things to heart. Open the eyes of your own mind, and throw wide the gates of your understanding. Stay a long while with yourself and think; ask yourself, and as though inquiring of another, explore the nature of things in this way: "Who ^B of all the kings, or rulers, or philosophers, or lawgivers, or prophets from the beginning of time, whether Greek or Barbarian, ever attained to such virtue—not even after death, but while still living and breathing, and possessed of great power—to fill the ears and tongues of all mankind on earth with his own name?" Surely no one, except our one Savior, who accomplished this after his victory over death, having said to his own disciples and performed it in deed: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations in my name" (Matt. XXVIII, 19). Having told them this, and having foretold and declared that his Gospel must be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, he brought the deed to follow immediately upon the word. And straightway, not long after, the whole world was filled with his teachings. What then could he say to this, he who at the beginning of this discourse found fault with us, when the testimony provided by the evidence of one's own eyes is superior to all argument? For who ^C since the beginning of time has driven the destructive and deadly race of demons, which formerly preyed upon the whole nature of men and displayed many sorceries among men through the movement of idols, away from the flock of mankind like terrible wild beasts, with an invisible and mighty hand? And who else, like our Savior, through the invocation of him in the purest prayers sent up through him to the God of the universe, has granted power to those who live clearly and sincerely according to the philosophy handed down by him, to drive the remnants of evil spirits from men? Who else, save our one Savior, has handed down to his followers the performance of bloodless and rational sacrifices through prayers and secret theology? Therefore, throughout the whole inhabited world of men, altars have been ^D established, and offerings of churches.

^A And the hallowed ministries of intellectual and rational sacrifices are offered to the one Ruler of all, God, by all the nations. But the sacrifices formerly performed with blood, gore, and smoke—the cruel and maddened slaughters of men and human victims—who was it that caused them to be abolished and utterly extinguished by an invisible and unseen power, so that even the histories of the Gentiles themselves bear witness to this? For not until after the divine preaching of our Savior, around the times of Hadrian ^B, were all the human sacrifices of the earth everywhere abolished. Given such evident proofs, proving the virtue and power of our Savior after His death, who is so steely-hearted as not to bear witness to the truth and confess His divine life? For the achievements mentioned are those of the living, not the dead; they say that the things perceived are appearances of things unseen. Immediately, then, yesterday and a short time ago, a race of God-fighters disturbed, led about, and drove the life of men, and had much power. But since it has departed from men, it has lain upon the earth since then, ^C more cast-out than dung, breathless, motionless, speechless, and there is no longer any account or memory of them; for this is the nature of the dead, and he who is no longer is nothing. But could he who is nothing perform any act? But if someone is acting and working, and is more powerful than the living, how could he be supposed not to exist? And if he were invisible to the eyes of the flesh, he would not be so to the mind's faculty of judgment, ^D nor do we learn technical arguments or scientific theories through the senses of the body.

On the abolishing of sacrifices

(58) *The sacrifices performed with smoke:* He speaks of the sacrifices performed with smoke and fire, and the raw [meat], etc.; on this point nothing is more certain.

(59) *Around the times of Hadrian:* He borrowed this from Porphyry's book *On Abstinence*, where he writes thus: "Pallas, who wrote most excellently of all on the mysteries of Mithras, says that human sacrifices were almost everywhere abolished during the principate of the Emperor Hadrian." This is also confirmed by Lactantius in book 1 of the *Divine Institutions*, chapter 21, in these words: "Among the Cyprians, Teucer offered human victims to Jupiter, and handed down that sacrifice to his descendants: which was recently abolished under the Emperor Hadrian."

(60) *More cast-out than dung:* Eusebius alludes to that famous saying of Heraclitus, which Strabo mentions at the end of book 16, and Origen mentions in book 5 *Against Celsus*. From which the proverbial expression has flowed regarding a man of no value. Pollux in book 5, chapter 46: Julian, in his oration against the Cynic Heraclitus, page 421, makes use of the same opinion of Heraclitus with these words: "To disregard the body entirely, and to consider it, according to Heraclitus, even more cast-out than dung." And to perform its care with the greatest ease, until God commands the body to be used as an instrument.

(61) *Could he who is nothing perform any act?:* It must be written as a question, so that it reads "could he who is nothing perform any act?" And thus it seems Christophorsonus read. Certainly in the Fukelian codex it is written that it should be written as an interrogation.

(62) *Nor to the mind's faculty of judgment:* It is evident that *the judgment* is not placed in the sense. Therefore the word "is" is to be understood here, which Christophorsonus did not see, since he wrongly joined these words with the following ones. There was a great dispute among the ancient philosophers concerning the *criterion*. They called this the norm and rule by which the truth of things is judged by men. The most ancient philosophers indeed [held] this power and faculty not in the senses, but in reason.

^A nor did anyone ever behold with his eyes the mind that is in men, much less the power of God, but from [their] works such things are naturally expected to be considered; wherefore, concerning our Saviour, it is appropriate to examine and discern His invisible power from His works, whether one ought to confess that He is alive, seeing that the things accomplished by Him continue to this day, or whether one should say that He does not exist. But the question is foolish and inconsistent; for how could anyone reasonably say that He who is not, exists? If that which is not is by all votes declared to be nothing, nor to be able to do anything, nor to act, nor to perform acts; for this is the nature of the living [(63)], and the opposite is that of the dead.

CHAPTER XVII

^A And so, while they were setting up their own champions and defenders against our Master—having transformed their opinion and dared to wage war against God, placing their gods like vanguards and protectors in battle against our God—in an instant, at a single turning of the moment, by the nod and power of God whom they were attacking, all of them gave account for their transgressions. Yielding to Him who was being attacked, fleeing and turning their backs upon Him, they confessed His divinity and hastened to concede and permit the opposite of what they had dared only a short time before. Immediately, our Savior raised up trophies of victory everywhere on earth, and having adorned the whole world anew from the foundations upwards with holy temples and venerable shrines for prayer, He dedicated them in cities and villages, in all the countryside, and in the barbarian deserts; He dedicated them as holy places and temples to the one King of all, God, who is in very truth the Master of all. ^B Hence also these consecrated places have been deemed worthy of the Master's name, having gained this title not from men, but from the Master of all Himself. Indeed, from Him, they are called "Lord's houses" (Dominica). Let any man who wishes step forward and instruct us: who, after such subversion and desolation, raised up holy buildings from the very foundations to their highest peaks? Who renewed things for which no hope remained, making them much more illustrious than they had been before? And, what is most wonderful, he did not renew them after the death of those enemies of God, but while they themselves, who had subverted them, were still alive, so that they might sing their own palinode with their own mouths and in their own writings. And they did this not at a time when they were living in great joy and pleasure—for one might perhaps think that they had done this led by humanity—but at the very time when they were being afflicted by divinely-inflicted blows. Who, after so many and such storms of persecution, and in the very heat of these crises, established throughout the whole world—according to the precepts and instructions of His divine doctrine—innumerable followers of true philosophy and worshippers of God, consisting of men, and also holy women, and choirs of virgins who had dedicated themselves to perpetual chastity of soul and body? Who taught them to abstain most willingly from food and wine for many days, and to live a hard and severe life with singular modesty and temperance? Who compelled such an immense multitude of men and women, ^C that, spurning the food of the body, they might…

^A seek rather the rational food of divine readings, which is most suitable for souls endowed with reason? Who has taught barbarous and rustic men, and likewise women, children, and slaves, and in short an infinite multitude of every nation, to despise death, and to persuade themselves that their own soul is immortal, and that there is a certain eye of justice ^B which looks upon human affairs, and to expect the future judgment of God concerning the pious and the impious, and for this reason to strive to lead a life justly and holily? For those who might be otherwise disposed, it is in no way possible to submit to the yoke of piety; all of which things our Savior alone even now conspicuously performs. But let us pass over these things.

But come, let us approach him whose mind has hardened like flint, and let us attempt to overcome him with such-like interrogations, thus inquiring of him:

Tell me, you there, and at long last utter a rational voice, not bringing forth fruit from a brutish breast, but from a soul endowed with reason and intellect. Tell me, I say, having long pondered it within yourself: who among all the number of wise men who have existed before, has been, like our Savior, known and proclaimed before by the prophetic voices of old for ten thousand years among the ancient, God-beloved children of the Hebrews? ^C They who anticipated and committed to sacred books his very place of birth, and the times of his arrival, and his manner of life, and his powers, and words, and accomplishments. Or who has been shown to be so swift an avenger of those who dared things against him, that, at the same time with the impiety against him, the whole nation of the Jews was troubled by an invisible power, and their royal seat was uprooted from its foundations, and that very temple itself, along with the sacred things within it, was razed to the ground? And who has foretold regarding these very impious men, and concerning the Church established by him over the whole world, ^D speaking in a manner befitting the facts and confirming the truth of his predictions by the events themselves, as has our Savior? For regarding the temple of the impious he said: "Your house is left unto you desolate," and, "There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." But regarding his Church: "Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

And as for his having taken lowly and rustic men from their fishing, and having manifested these as legislators and teachers of the inhabited world, how does that seem to you? And that he should have promised—and in word indeed said, but in deed performed—to make them fishers of men, and to have bestowed upon them such virtue and power, as both to compile writings and to deliver books, and to strengthen all to such a degree, that over the whole inhabited world...

as they were translated into the tongue of both Barbarians and Greeks, they might be studied by all nations, and the oracles contained in them might be believed to be divine—how much does this contribute to declaring his divinity clearly? ^A Such as his having prophesied the future, and having testified beforehand to his disciples that they would be led before kings and rulers, and would suffer punishment and the ultimate torments, not for any wrong action, but for the sole confession of his name? And that he made them eagerly endure these things, and so fortified them with the arms of piety that they appeared in the contests against their adversaries with souls firmer than adamant—what speech could ever surpass this? And that he strengthened the powers of the soul ^B not only of those who had followed him, but even of their successors, and again of those who came later, and of those even down to our own time, such that, having done nothing worthy of death, they endured all manner of punishments and every kind of torture with joy, for the sake of their piety toward the God of all—what wonder could surpass this? But who among kings has ever continued to rule for such an age? Who thus makes war after death, and erects trophies against enemies, and subdues every place, and region, and city, ^C Greeks and Barbarians alike, overcoming his adversaries with an invisible and unseen hand? And what is the crown of all these things, the peace that was dispensed throughout the whole world by his power, concerning which we have discoursed at the appropriate time above—what mouth of slanderers would it not block, when in this way the teaching of our Savior, through the proclamation sent forth by him to the whole world, has worked in concert with the concord and harmony of all nations, and when in this way the peace of the nations of the world and the word delivered by him to the nations had been foretold long ago by the prophets of God? The entire length of the day ^D would fail me, O Emperor, if I should attempt to assemble in one place the manifest proofs of the divine power of our Savior, those drawn from the things we now see. For no one from all ages, neither among Greeks nor among Barbarians, has displayed such power of divine virtue as our Savior. And why do I speak of men? For not even they whom all nations call gods have exhibited such power and might on earth. Or if any one wishes, let him demonstrate it. Let every philosopher come forward and tell us: who from all ages has ever been heard of, whether god or hero, who has handed down to men teachings of eternal life and heavenly kingdom, such as our Savior has, having caused countless multitudes throughout the whole world to be trained in philosophical doctrines, and having persuaded them to pursue heaven and to hope for the dwellings in heaven reserved for God-loving souls? Which god or hero among men has ever—