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therefore from outsiders, or he heard from those narrating, and saw the wonder in his own case, or happening to his neighbor, being star-like, or seeing him as such in his garments, more varied than any woven mosaic or elaborate painting. From this, what happens? Such astonishment at the things seen, that almost all, as if by one signal and one voice, were calling upon the God of the Christians, and propitiating him with many praises and supplications; and many, not with delay, but at the very moment of the events, running to our priests, and earnestly begging both to become a part of the Church, and to be initiated into the more perfect mysteries, having been purified by holy baptism, and having benefited because of fear.

8. So these things were thus; but he, being driven mad by degrees and shaken, comes to the very head of his own misfortunes. For as he thought that the affairs of the Christians were according to his mind, and by what he had already accomplished, hoping that everything would be attainable 35.673 if he only willed it, and having seized some success against the western barbarians, he devises this one plan, most wise and most humane. Raising a twofold army from here, the one of hoplites, the other of the demons leading him, in which he had more confidence, he marches against the Persians, trusting more in the irrationality of rashness than in the security of strength; and the most wise one not being able to perceive even this, that courage and rashness, even if they are close in name, are very widely separated from each other in their power, by both the bravery we speak of and cowardice. For to be confident in what ought to be dared is a mark of bravery, just as to give way is of cowardice; but where the danger is greater, to go to close quarters and to push on, and not to be restrained, is a mark of rashness, just as to retreat is of security. And it must not be put on the same account to guard what one has, and to acquire something of what one does not have; for the one must be honored most of all and first by those who have sense; but the other, if it is available with ease, should be accepted; but if it meets with opposition, should be disregarded. But he who risks all that he possesses for the sake of acquiring some of the things he hopes for is exceedingly foolish. And he seems to me to be like a boxer poor in his art, who throws a punch before properly setting his stance; or a helmsman whose ship is breaking up and is not seaworthy, sinking an enemy ship, or being eager to sink one. And having considered none of these things, it seems to me, he rashly undertakes what he had decided, while the Roman affairs were still in turmoil for him, and were in a bad state especially because of the persecution, plotting against what was another's; and being a certain Salmoneus thundering from a hide, looking to those famous Trajans and Hadrians, whose security was admired no less than their courage. But he did not consider that man Carus, nor Valerian, who paid the penalty for an irrational impulse, so that, as the tragedy says, I may not reproach their fortunes, being destroyed in the borders of Persia, at the height of their success.

9. But yet these things were resolved, and he was of an impulse, having brought into one every monstrous practice of divination and sorcery, of both spoken and unspoken 35.676 sacrifice, so that it might all be destroyed in a short time. And the sacrifice for good omens, how great and unnatural, O Christ, and Word, and sufferings of the Impassible one, and mystery of the whole world! to offer the whole race of Christians to the demons, if he should prevail in his undertaking. Therefore the first parts of his undertaking, and very youthful, and proclaimed by many of those who thought his thoughts, were these. For that whole part of Assyria which the Euphrates flows through, and passing by Persia, there mingles with the Tigris, having taken and ravaged this, and having captured some of the fortresses in the great absence of anyone to hinder him, whether having escaped notice due to the speed of his attack, or being so out-generaled by the Persians, and being led on little by little (for both are said), thus at any rate advancing, both with the army marching alongside, and with the ships through the river carrying both grain and baggage,

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οὖν τῶν ἔξωθεν, ἢ διηγουμένων ἤκουε, καὶ τὸ θαῦμα ἑώρα παρ' ἑαυτῷ, ἢ τῷ πλησίον γινόμενον, κατάστε ρος ὢν, ἢ ἐκεῖνον ὁρῶν τοιοῦτον ἐν τοῖς ἐσθήμασι, πάσης ἱστουργικῆς ψηφῖδος ἢ περιέργου ζωγρα φίας ποικιλώτερον. Ἐκ τούτου τί γίνεται; Το σαύτη τῶν ὁρωμένων κατάπληξις, ὡς μικροῦ μὲν ἅπαντας ὥσπερ ἐξ ἑνὸς συνθήματος καὶ μιᾶς φωνῆς τὸν τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἀνακαλεῖσθαι Θεὸν, εὐ φημίαις τε πολλαῖς καὶ ἱκεσίαις αὐτὸν ἐξιλάσκεσθαι· πολλοὺς δὲ οὐκ εἰς ἀναβολὰς, ἀλλὰ παρ' αὐτὰ τῶν συμβάντων προσδραμόντας τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἡμῶν, καὶ πολλὰ καταδεηθέντας τῆς τε Ἐκκλησίας γενέσθαι μέρος, καὶ μυηθῆναι τὰ τελεώτερα, τῷ ἱερῷ καθαγνισθέντας βαπτίσματι, καὶ διὰ τὸν φόβον ὠφεληθέντας.

Ηʹ. Εἶχε μὲν οὖν οὕτω ταῦτα· ὁ δὲ, ταῖς κατὰ μι κρὸν μανίαις οἰστρηλατούμενος καὶ δονούμενος, ἐπὶ αὐτὸ τὸ κεφάλαιον ἀπαντᾷ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ συμφορῶν. Ὡς γὰρ κατὰ νοῦν ἔχειν αὐτῷ τὰ Χριστιανῶν ᾤετο, καὶ οἷς ἤδη κατείργαστο, τὸ καὶ πᾶν ἁλωτὸν εἶναι 35.673 θελήσαντι μόνον ἐλπίσας, καί τινα κατὰ τῶν ἑσπερίων βαρβάρων εὐημερίαν ἁρπάσας, μίαν βου λεύεται ταύτην βουλὴν συνετωτάτην τε καὶ φιλανθρω ποτάτην. Ἄρας διττὸν ἐνθένδε στρατὸν, τὸν μὲν ὁπλιτῶν, τὸν δὲ τῶν ἀγόντων αὐτὸν δαιμόνων, ᾧ καὶ μᾶλλον εἶχε θαῤῥεῖν, ἐπὶ Πέρσας στρατεύει, θράσους ἀλογίᾳ μᾶλλον ἢ ῥώμης ἀσφαλείᾳ πιστεύσας· καὶ οὐδ' ἐκεῖνο συνιδεῖν δυνηθεὶς ὁ σοφώτατος, ὅτι θάρσος καὶ θράσος, κἂν εἰ τοῖς ὀνόμασι πλησιάζοι, πλεῖστον ἀλλήλων τῇ δυνάμει κεχώρισται, ἀνδρίᾳ τε ἣν φαμὲν καὶ ἀνανδρίᾳ. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς τολμητέοις θαῤῥεῖν ἀνδρίας ἐστὶν, ὥσπερ τὸ ὑφίεσθαι δειλίας· οὗ δὲ πλείων ὁ κίνδυνος, ὁμόσε χωρεῖν καὶ ὠθίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ μὴ κατέχεσθαι, θράσους, ὥσπερ τὸ ὑποχωρεῖν ἀσφα λείας. Καὶ οὐ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λόγου θετέον φυλάξαι τὰ ὄντα, καὶ τῶν οὐκ ὄντων τι προσλαβεῖν· τὸ μὲν γὰρ μάλιστα καὶ πρῶτον τοῖς νοῦν ἔχουσι τιμητέον· τὸ δὲ, ἂν μὲν ὑπάρχῃ μετὰ ῥᾳστώνης, δεκτέον· ἂν δὲ ἀντιπίπτῃ, περιοπτέον. Ὁ δὲ ὑπὲρ τοῦ κτήσασθαί τι τῶν ἐλπιζομένων πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι κινδυνεύων λίαν ἀνόητος. Καί μοι προσεοικέναι δοκεῖ πύκτῃ κακῷ τὴν τέχνην, πρὶν τὴν στάσιν εὖ θέσθαι, προ βαλλομένῳ· ἢ κυβερνήτῃ λελυμένης αὐτῷ τῆς νηὸς, καὶ οὐ πλοΐμως ἐχούσης, ναῦν καταδύοντι πολεμίαν, ἢ καταδύειν ἐσπουδακότι. Ὧν μοι δοκεῖ μηδὲν ἐκεῖνος ἐνθυμηθεὶς, ἐγχειρεῖν ἀπερισκέπτως τοῖς ἐγνωσμένοις, ἔτι τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν ὠδινόντων αὐτῷ, καὶ κακῶς διακειμένων τῷ διωγμῷ μά λιστα, τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν περινοῶν· καὶ Σαλμωνεὺς εἶναί τις ἐκ βύρσης βροντῶν, πρὸς τοὺς Τραϊανοὺς βλέ πων ἐκείνους καὶ τοὺς Ἀδριανοὺς, ὧν οὐχ ἧττον τῆς ἀνδρείας τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἐθαυμάζετο. Τὸν Κάρον δὲ οὐκ ἐνενόει ἐκεῖνον, οὐδὲ τὸν Οὐαλεριανὸν, οἳ δίκας ἔδοσαν ὁρμῆς ἀλογίστου, ἵν', ὅ φησιν ἡ τραγῳδία, μὴ ὀνειδίζω τὰς τύχας, ἐν Περσῶν ὅροις, ἐν ἀκμῇ τῆς εὐτυχίας καταλυθέντες.

Θʹ. Ἀλλ' οὖν ἔδοξε ταῦτα, καὶ τῆς ὁρμῆς ἦν πᾶσαν μαντείας καὶ γοητείας, ῥητῆς τε καὶ ἀῤῥήτου 35.676 θυσίας τερατείαν εἰς ἓν ἀγαγὼν, ἵν' ἐν βραχεῖ πᾶσα καταλυθῇ. Καὶ τὸ καλλιέρημα ὡς μέγα καὶ ὑπερ φυὲς, ὦ Χριστὲ, καὶ Λόγε, καὶ πάθη τοῦ ἀπα θοῦς, καὶ κόσμου παντὸς μυστήριον! ὅλον τὸ Χριστιανῶν γένος παραστῆναι τοῖς δαίμοσιν, εἰ τοῦ προκειμένου κρατήσειε. Τὰ μὲν οὖν πρῶτα τῆς ἐγ χειρήσεως αὐτῷ, καὶ λίαν νεανικὰ, καὶ πολλοῖς τῶν τὰ ἐκείνου φρονούντων περιβοώμενα ταῦτα. Τὴν γὰρ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ὅσην διαῤῥέων ὁ Εὐφράτης, καὶ τὴν Περσίδα παραμειβόμενος, ἐκεῖσε τῷ Τίγριδι μίγνυ ται, ταύτην ἑλὼν καὶ τεμὼν, καί τινα τῶν φρουρίων ἐξελὼν κατὰ πολλὴν τοῦ κωλύσοντος ἐρημίαν, εἴτ' οὖν λαθὼν διὰ τὸ τῆς ἐφόδου τάχος, εἴτε ὑπὸ Περσῶν οὕτω στρατηγούμενος, καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ὑπαγόμενος εἰς τοὔμπροσθεν (λέγεται γὰρ ἀμφότερα), οὕτω γοῦν προϊὼν, καὶ τῷ στρατῷ παρα πορευομένῳ, καὶ ταῖς ναυσὶ διὰ τοῦ ποταμοῦ σιτη γούσαις τε καὶ σκευαγωγούσαις,