fleeing and as a sheep, he says .. wandering". He does not have strength from the truth; do not trust his arts and deceits; he is terrible, he is crafty in evil, not having firm power and greatly fearing your attack and pushing it away in every way, he tries with deceits and phantoms to frighten your souls. Now he contrives to have it announced that another force has come to him and allies have been sent from elsewhere, now that a multitude of funds has been sent to him from another place, at other times he prepares for arrogant words to be spread about to the astonishment of those who hear. And all these things are of a soul that is greatly afraid, not courageous; for if it had courage from the truth, it would not have resorted to these arts and deceits. But now, being at a loss for the ability according to nature, it resorts to the contrivances of art. Do you not see this noble beast, the lions, how having mastery from nature it knows no deceits. it devises no arts? But considering these things small and unworthy and trusting in its natural strength, it fights directly against its opponent; but a fox and whatever such cowardly things, lacking true strength, desert to art, and on the one hand hunt by deceit, and on the other hand try by deceit to escape being hunted. If only it were possible to see his soul. And then you would have learned how much cowardice and how much fear besiege it, and how hearing of your power and suspecting the attack, he does not know what to do or where to turn, even if he now feigns courage and confidence. Let not these things disturb you, my people, nor pay attention to his contrivances, but trusting in Christ rise up against the enemies. You know what a fine thing it is to fight for Christians, how much glory the one who does this obtains for himself; this is more profitable than anything, this is more glorious than any other honor. Oh how great a desire for this possesses me, how great a love enkindles my soul and I already become wholly of this matter, and I daydream of those very days, I desire rather to put on a breastplate and to place the helmet on my head, and to brandish a spear with my right hand and to hear a trumpet calling together for the contest, than to put on a diadem and purple robe and to handle a scepter and to hear royal acclamations. For these things are given by God in ways which He knows, and often to the not good; but those things are only for those who love virtue, only for those who prefer glory to pleasure. Nevertheless I will not leave the zeal of those who fight unhonored nor unrewarded. For not in vain did I send my servants there, but as if wishing to use them as my own eyes, whom I will now also bind by an oath, and I will turn my speech to them. Therefore I adjure you both by God and by our own head and life, to prefer nothing to our love or, to speak better, to the good and the truth, but to report to our majesty about all men according as each one has virtue and zeal. Or rather, also to note down in writing, so that having come in here you might announce it to us, so that we will also see them gladly, and deem them worthy of praises and rewards from us; and as many of the generals as rule more humble themes are to be transferred to greater ones, and as many as rule greater ones are to be honored with other gifts and rewards. But also of the tagmatic soldiers and of the others, whoever may fight courageously, each is to be honored according to the deed; and some are to become tourmarchs, others kleisourarchs, and others topoteretes. But not only of these, but also of the others, the humble and common, whoever may display ways of virtue, it is worthy for them to receive their reward. But for now we receive through you the full information about each one, but after a little while we will have neither you, nor any others as witnesses of such things, but only our own eyes, and being present ourselves, ourselves seeing the virtue of each one, we ourselves will also provide the prizes to those who fight.

φεῦγον καὶ ὡς πρόβατον, φησί .. πλανώμενον". Οὐκ ἔχει τὴν ἰσχὺν ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας· μὴ ταῖς τέχναις αὐτοῦ πιστεύετε καὶ τοῖς δόλοις· δεινός ἐστι, κακότεχνός ἐστι, δύναμιν οὐκ ἔχων βεβαίαν καὶ σφόδρα τὴν ὑμῶν δεδοικὼς προσβολὴν καὶ πάντα τρόπον αὐτῆς ἀπωθούμενος, πειρᾶται δόλοις καὶ φαστασίαις τὰς ὑμετέρας ψυχὰς ἐκφοβεῖν. Νῦν μὲν διαγγέλων δύναμιν αὐτῷ προσελθεῖν ἑτέραν καὶ συμμάχους ἀλλαχόθεν ἀποσταλῆναι, νῦν δὲ χρημάτων αὐτῷ πλῆθος ἑτέρωθεν ἐκπεμφθῆναι, ἄλλοτε λόγους ὑπερηφάνους διαθρυλεῖσθαι παρασκευάζει πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀκουόντων ἔκπληξιν. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα λίαν φοβουμένης ἔστι ψυχῆς, οὐ θαρρούσης· εἰ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ θαρρεῖν εἶχεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐπὶ τὰς τέχνας ταύτας κατέφευγε καὶ τοὺς δόλους. Νῦν δὲ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν δύνασθαι ἀπορῶν, πρὸς τὰς κατὰ τέχνην ἐπινοίας χωρεῖ. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε τὸ γενναῖον τοῦτο θηρίον, τοὺς λέοντας, πῶς ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως τὸ κρατεῖν ἔχον οὐ δόλους. οἶδεν οὐ τέχνας ἐπινοεῖ; Ἀλλὰ μικρὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἀναξία θεὶς καὶ τῇ κατὰ φύσιν ῥώμῃ πιστεύσας, ἐξ εὐθείας πρὸς τὸν ἀντίπαλον ἀγωνίζεται· ἀλώπηξ δὲ καὶ ὅσα δήπου τοιαῦτα δειλά, τῆς πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ἀποροῦντα ῥώμης, ἐπὶ τὴν τέχνην αὐτομολεῖ καὶ δόλῳ μὲν θηρεύει, δόλῳ δὲ πειρᾶται τὸ θηρευθῆναι διαφυγεῖν. Εἴθε τὴν ἐκείνου ψυχὴν δυνατὸν ἦν ἰδεῖν. Καὶ τότε ἂν κατεμάθετε πόση μὲν δειλία, πόσος δὲ φόβος ἐκείνην πολιορκεῖ, καὶ πῶς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀκούων δύναμιν καὶ τὴν προσβολὴν ὑποπτεύων, οὐκ ἔχει τίς γένηται, καὶ ποῖ τράπηται, κἂν τὸ θαρρεῖν νῦν πλάττηται καὶ τὸ πεποιθέναι. Μὴ ταῦτα ὑμᾶς θορυβεῖτο, λαὸς ἐμός, μηδὲ ταῖς ἐκείνου προσέχετε μηχαναῖς, ἀλλ' ἐν Χριστῷ θαρροῦντες κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν διανάστητε. Οἴδατε ποῖόν ἐστι καλὸν τὸ ὑπὲρ χριστιανῶν ἀγωνίσασθαι, πόσην ὁ τοῦτο πράττων ἑαυτῷ περιποιεῖται τὴν δόξαν· τοῦτο παντὸς κερδαλεώτερον, τοῦτο πάσης ἄλλης φιλοτιμίας ἐπικυδέστερον. Ὦ πόσος ἔχει μὲ τοῦτον πόθος, πόσος ἔρως διανάπτει μου τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ ὅλος ἤδη τοῦ πράγματος γίνομαι, καὶ αὐτὰς ἐκείνας ὀνειροπολῶ τὰς ἡμέρας, ἐφίεμαι μᾶλλον ἐνδῦναι θώρακα καὶ τὴν περικεφαλαίαν ἐπιθεῖναι τῇ κεφαλῇ, καὶ δόρυ διασεῖσαι τῇ δεξιᾷ καὶ σάλπιγγος ἀκοῦσαι συγκαλούσης πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα, ἢ διάδημα καὶ πορφύραν περιβαλέσθαι καὶ σκῆπτρον μεταχειρίσαι καὶ βασιλικῶν ἀκοῦσαι εὐφημιῶν. Ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ οἷς οἶδεν ἐκεῖνος τρόποις, καὶ τοῖς οὐκ ἀγαθοῖς πολλάκις, παρὰ Θεοῦ δίδοται· ἐκεῖνα δὲ μόνων τῶν ἀρετῆς ἐρώντων εἰσί, μόνων τῶν ἡδονῆς προτιμώντων δόξαν. Οὐ μὴν ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἄτιμον, οὐδ' ἀγέραστον ἐγὼ τὴν τῶν ἀγωνιζομένων καταλείψω σπουδήν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μάτην τοὺς ἐμοὺς θεράποντας αὐτόθι διέπεμψα, ἀλλ' ὡς ἂν ἐμοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς βουλόμενος αὐτοῖς χρήσασθαι, οὓς καὶ ὅρκῳ καταλήψομαι νῦν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς τρέψω τὸν λόγον. Ὀρκίζω τοιγαροῦν ὑμᾶς καὶ εἰς Θεὸν καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν κεφαλὴν καὶ ζωήν, μηδὲν προτιμῆσαι τῆς ἡμῶν ἀγάπης ἢ, κρεῖττον εἰπεῖν, τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀλλὰ περὶ πάντων καταμηνῦσαι τῷ ἡμετέρῳ κράτει καθὼς ἕκαστος ἀρετῆς ἔχει καὶ προθυμίας. Μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐγγράφως ἀποσημήνασθαι, ἵνα καὶ ἐνταῦθα εἰσελθόντες ἡμῖν ἀναγγείλητε, ὥστε καὶ ἡδέως αὐτοὺς ὄψεσθαι, καὶ τῶν παρ' ἡμῶν ἐπαίνων ἀξιῶσαι καὶ ἀντιλήψεων· καὶ ὅσοι μὲν τῶν στρατηγῶν εὐτελεστέρων ἄρχουσι θεμάτων εἰς μείζονα μετατεθῆναι, ὅσοι δὲ μειζόνων, δωρεαῖς ἑτέραις καὶ ἀμοιβαῖς φιλοτιμηθῆναι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ταγματικῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, οἵτινες ἂν εὐψύχως ἀγωνίσωνται, κατὰ τὸ ἔργον ἕκαστον τιμηθῆναι· καὶ τοὺς μὲν τουρμάρχας, τοὺς δὲ κλεισουράρχας, τοὺς δὲ τοποτηρητὰς γενέσθαι. Μὴ τούτων δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν εὐτελῶν καὶ κοινῶν, ὅσοι ἂν ἀρετῆς ἐπιδείξωνται τρόπους, ἄξιον ἀπολαβεῖν τὸν μισθόν. Ἀλλὰ νῦν μὲν δι' ὑμῶν δεχομένων ἡμῶν τὴν περὶ ἑκάστου πληροφορίαν, μετ' ὀλίγον δὲ οὐθ' ὑμᾶς, οὔτε τινὰς ἄλλους μάρτυρας τῶν τοιούτων, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἡμετέρους μόνους ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔξομεν, καὶ αὐτοὶ παρόντες, αὐτοὶ τὴν ἑκάστου βλέποντες ἀρετήν, αὐτοὶ καὶ τὰ βραβεῖα τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις παρέξομεν.