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the exposition of his impiety, but that he has come to these arguments out of necessity. For he wished by every means to proclaim this wicked and godless message, and to bring into the open the blasphemy which he had long conceived and been in travail with; but he saw that to sit in the seat of a teacher openly, besides being extremely burdensome and offensive to his hearers, would also make him untrustworthy and suspect to the many, as one who had come to innovate out of a desire for glory; but if he were to make his arguments in the guise of a defense, he would both escape the suspicion of innovation, and would by this means rather win over his hearers, since it is the nature of all men to be accustomed to give their good will to those who are at a disadvantage. For this reason he accuses accusers and slanderers, and attaches to them the cause of his argument. So that his artifice may be manifest to all, it is no worse to hear the very words of his proem. It runs thus. 29.504 {EUNOMIUS.} Now, to slander and calumniate some people out of an intemperate tongue and an ungrateful mind is the work, we know, of wicked and quarrelsome men; but for those who are thought to be wicked because of slander to try with all zeal to refute the falsehood with proofs is the mark of prudent men who, along with their own good counsel, hold the security of the many in high esteem. {BASIL.} The form of his argument, then, is such as would be used by one who does nothing simply or without guile. For he both overshadows what is suspect about his innovation with the cloak of a defense, and he hunts for good will from his hearers, as one who has come to these arguments by the necessity of slander. But his stage-play of a defense is refuted, because, being unable to name an accuser for the charge over which he pretends to be contending, he enters upon the drama of his defense without a character; not refraining from mentioning by name those who have vexed him out of long-suffering (for how could he, who washes his opponents with so many insults?), but because he suspects the manifestness of his falsehood, he is ashamed to assign definite persons as his accusers. For if he had been able to name anyone, he would surely have said so and proclaimed it aloud; if not to satisfy his own anger, then at least to manage the security of the many; for whom indeed he especially professes to take thought. For hidden wickedness is more harmful than that which is openly proclaimed. So, if we had known the slanderers, we would more easily have escaped their intemperate tongues and their ungrateful minds; for I shall use the words of this most wise man. But since at that time, for whatever reason, he was silent, let him now be asked, let him now answer: who are the accusers who, by getting a head start with their slanders, make his defense necessary? from what part of the world have they come? who are the judges before whom he arranges his contest? in what court did he bring this charge? assembled where on land or sea? For what could they say? In Seleucia? But they were convicted by their silence, who, when those who had assembled often called them to account for the charges brought against them, did not appear; for which indeed they were condemned at that time. For my argument is against the whole company together, which on account of its fellowship in impiety has been broken off from the healthy body of the Church like some diseased 29.505 member. But in Constantinople? But there was no need there of a defense and of arguments. For having made their own those from the imperial court, and of the rest those who had the greatest power, they approached matters with great advantage; they themselves being accusers, and judges, and executioners, and everything they wished, when, casting out some of the bishops, and installing others, and for others hanging over them the danger of their lives, they themselves divided the cities among themselves with great authority; and one man, having been expelled from the cities in Syria, seized Constantinople as if for a tyranny; and he himself, this invincible and

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ἀσεβείας τὴν ἔκθεσιν, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐπὶ τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐληλυθέναι. Ἐβούλετο μὲν γὰρ ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου τὸ πονηρὸν τοῦτο καὶ ἄθεον περιαγγεῖλαι κήρυγμα, καὶ εἰς μέ σον ἐνεγκεῖν ἣν πάλαι συνέλαβε καὶ ὤδινε βλασφη μίαν· ἑώρα δὲ, ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἐκ τοῦ προφανοῦς ἐν διδασκάλου τάξει προκαθεσθῆναι, πρὸς τῷ λίαν φορτικῷ καὶ προσάντει τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, ἔτι καὶ ἀπί θανον ἑαυτὸν καὶ ὕποπτον τοῖς πολλοῖς καταστήσει, ὡς δόξης ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἐπὶ τὸ νεωτερίζειν ἐληλυθότα· εἰ δὲ ἐν ἀπολογίας πλάσματι τοὺς λόγους ποιοῖτο, τῆς τε καινοτομίας τὸ ὕποπτον διαφεύξεσθαι, καὶ μᾶλλόν τι τούτῳ προσάξεσθαι τοὺς ἀκούοντας, φύσει πάντων ἀνθρώπων ταῖς εὐνοίαις εἰωθότων τοῖς ἐλαττουμένοις προστίθεσθαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κατηγόρους αἰτιᾶται καὶ συκοφάντας, κἀκείνοις τοῦ λόγου τὴν αἰτίαν προσάπτει. Ὥστε δὲ πᾶσιν αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι τὴν τέχνην καταφανῆ, οὐδὲν χεῖρον αὐτῆς ἀκοῦσαι τοῦ προοιμίου τῆς λέξεως. Ἔχει δὲ οὕτως. 29.504 {ΕΥΝΟΜΙΟΣ.} Τὸ μὲν οὖν συκοφαντεῖν καὶ διαβάλ λειν τινὰς ἐξ ἀκολάστου γλώττης καὶ γνώμης ἀγνώ μονος, μοχθηρῶν καὶ φιλαπεχθημόνων ἔργον εἰ δότες· τὸ δὲ τοὺς ἐκ διαβολῆς εἶναι δόξαντας πονη ροὺς πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ πειρᾶσθαι τὸ ψεῦδος τοῖς ἐλέγ χοις ἀποτρέπειν ἀνδρῶν σωφρόνων καὶ μετὰ τῆς ἰδίας εὐβουλίας τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἀσφάλειαν περὶ πολ λοῦ ποιουμένων. {ΒΑΣΙΛΙΟΣ.} Τὸ μὲν οὖν σχῆμα τοῦ λόγου τοιοῦτον, οἷον ἂν γένοιτο τοῦ μηδὲν ἁπλῶς μηδὲ ἀδόλως ποιοῦντος. Τό τε γὰρ περὶ τὴν καινοτομίαν ὕποπτον τῷ τῆς ἀπολογίας προκαλύμματι συσκιάζει, καὶ εὔνοιαν θηρᾶται παρὰ τῶν ἀκουόντων, ὡς τῇ ἀνάγκῃ τῆς διαβολῆς ἐπὶ τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐλθών. Ἐλέγχεται δὲ αὐτοῦ ἡ περὶ τὴν ἀπολογίαν σκηνὴ, ὅτι τοῦ ἐγ κλήματος, ἐφ' ᾧ διαγωνίζεσθαι προσποιεῖται, κατ ήγορον εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἔχων, ἀπρόσωπον τὸ τῆς ἀπολο γίας ὑπεισέρχεται δρᾶμα· οὐ διὰ μακροθυμίαν ὀνομαστὶ μνησθῆναι τῶν λελυπηκότων ἀπεχόμενος (πῶς γὰρ, ὅς γε τοσαύταις λοιδορίαις πλύνει τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας), ἀλλὰ τοῦ ψεύδους τὸ περιφανὲς ὑφ ορώμενος, ἐπιφημίζειν ἑαυτῷ ὡρισμένα πρόσωπα κατηγόρων αἰσχύνεται. Εἰ γὰρ εἶχεν ὀνομάσαι τι νὰς, εἶπεν ἂν πάντως καὶ διεβόησεν· εἰ καὶ μὴ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ὀργὴν ἐκπληρῶν, ἀλλὰ τήν γε τῶν πολλῶν ἀσφάλειαν διοικούμενος· ὧν δὴ καὶ μάλιστα προ νοεῖν ἐπαγγέλλεται. Λανθάνουσα γὰρ πονηρία τῆς προκεκηρυγμένης βλαβερωτέρα. Ὥστε, εἴπερ ἔγνω μεν τοὺς συκοφάντας, ῥᾷον ἂν διεφύγομεν τὰς ἀκο λάστους γλώσσας αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς ἀγνώμονας γνώ μας· αὐτοῖς γὰρ χρήσομαι τοῦ σοφωτάτου τοῖς ῥή μασιν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τότε, δι' ἢν δήποτε αἰτίαν, ἀπεσιώπησε, νῦν ἐρωτάσθω, νῦν ἀποκρινέσθω· τίνες οἱ κατήγοροι οἱ, τῷ προλαβεῖν ταῖς διαβολαῖς, ἀναγκαίαν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀπολογίαν κατασκευάζοντες; ἐκ ποίας οἰκουμένης ἐλθόντες; τίνες οἱ δικασταὶ, ἐφ' ὧν διατίθεται τὸν ἀγῶνα; ἐν ποίῳ δικαστηρίῳ τὴν γραφὴν ταύτην ὑπεισῆλθε; ποῦ γῆς ἢ θα λάττης συγκροτηθέντι; Τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ εἴποιεν; Ἐν Σελευκείᾳ; Ἀλλὰ σιωπήσαντες ἑάλωσαν, οἵ γε, προκαλουμένων πολλάκις τῶν συνελθόντων εἰς τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπιφερομένων εὐθύνας, οὐκ ἀπήντησαν· ἐφ' οἷς δὴ καὶ κατεκρίθησαν τηνικαῦτα. Κοινὸς γάρ μοι ὁ λόγος πρὸς ἅπαν ὁμοῦ τὸ σύνταγμα, τὸ διὰ τὴν κοινωνίαν τῆς ἀσεβείας, ὥσπερ τι μέλος νενο 29.505 σηκὸς τοῦ ὑγιαίνοντος σώματος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀποῤῥαγέν. Ἀλλ' ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἐκεῖ ἀπολογίας ἔδει καὶ λόγων. Τοὺς γὰρ ἐκ τῆς βασιλικῆς αὐλῆς, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν τοὺς τὰ μέ γιστα δυναμένους ἑαυτῶν ποιησάμενοι, ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος τοῖς πράγμασι προσεφέροντο· αὐτοὶ καὶ κατήγοροι, καὶ δικασταὶ, καὶ δήμιοι, καὶ πάντα ὄντες ὅσα ἐβούλοντο, ὅτε, τῶν ἐπισκόπων τοὺς μὲν ἐκβάλλοντες, τοὺς δὲ ἐγκαθιστῶντες, τοῖς δὲ τὸν περὶ τοῦ ζῇν ἐπικρεμῶντες κίνδυνον, αὐτοὶ τὰς πό λεις ἐν ἀλλήλοις κατ' ἐξουσίαν πολλὴν διελάγχανον· καὶ ὁ μέν τις τῶν ἐν Συρίᾳ πόλεων ἐκπεσὼν, τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν, ὡς ἐπὶ τυραννίδα, κατ έλαβεν· αὐτὸς δὲ οὗτος ὁ ἄμαχος καὶ