Panegyric orations

 To run against you from an opposing lot, he endured but the pentathlon was accomplished for you and the pancratium was completed with no one having c

 The votes, i imagine the divine judgment and i refer to the incorruptible tribunal. when i test you in elections, i admire your intelligence and your

 From afar it shines on those landing and extends a hand to those from the sea, escorting them to rome most painlessly. what in addition to these does

 Using it and bending and curving it towards the drooping jaw, i remember the indian's eyebrow at this, how he held it more than a cubit above his head

 And to a rival. let others, then, measure you against and compare you with whomever they wish, but i, though i seem to make a strange and dissimilar c

 In prose, not in meters and poems or perhaps many are present, but they have no account of the matter, as if it were of no account to them. and time

 The hegemony of his father, with kingdoms overthrown and not a few changes having occurred in both, those who, having exchanged their fortune for the

 He took counsel of opposing nations, but by making everything purchasable with gold and royal splendors, from this he gained the goodwill of all, and

 Opened, and flung wide the very gates of the soul, and associated with wicked and corrupt lives. for he did not at once know the whole line of the fam

 To work deeds of injustice for he was angry with those who did wrong and would punish them. but when he began to be sick and his body was wasting awa

 Not a magnificent spirit, not a musical and graceful speech, nothing else of the sort that knows how to beautify the soul and the nature of the body.

 Drives a sphere, and the other the superterrestrial one, so that the one might wind its own zone in a single cycle, and the other in twelve cycles, an

 Defining the virtues by its power, and practicing the higher geometry. for this, as proclus also says, has occupied the middle ground between the indi

 The power of the kingdom came to him, besides these the life of david among the flocks, the pursuit, those many dangers into which he fell but was not

 He locks up the monarchy into a tyranny, having exchanged one evil for another. justice is not quiet, it kindles the coals, it sends the arrow, the wi

 I call it his girdle-and he draws away no small cavalry and infantry force from old rome, he adds to these also the best army of the east, and no smal

 An angel wrought a more manifest victory. i have something more to say than those wonders there the cross was in types and images, a bronze serpent s

 You, o king the more abundantly you pour out benefits upon us, the more you increase by being filled. from this, no one has been left out of such wea

 With the eyes, then poured out and dissolved, but better and higher than all that is visible. but, o emperor—for i repeat the title to you and call it

 You fill the western beacon, neither grudging us your rays nor altering the color of your disk, but the more time increases the distances, the more be

 The rising of the sun, the land upon which it immediately rises, so that, if any of our people wished, having gone there he could, not with geometrica

 I am an unskillful chronicler of your deeds and erring in my timing, and i do not have a nature that strikes out in both directions at once. for you a

 To wish. for you both comprehend the present and conjecture the future and discover the unseen, discerning character from eyebrows and eyelids, so tha

 To speak? -unseemly even in his appearance, made of tin or dipped in bile and altogether counterfeit gold, but since he was in the midst of dangers, t

 With stones lying along each side, so that the conjoined may seem continuous and the well-fitted of one nature. behold for me the heights and beauties

 But here is a distinct hand divided into five rosy branches. but this is a most unerring testimony of that godlike soul. but do you wish to see some t

 Transcending substance and holding the principles of the forms folded together and least of all divided from the one. and you, being such, do you not

 The fountains of good deeds flowed, as if from a sheer rock, having received the impetus for their flowing these proclaimed you by reputation even be

 A guide, so also there an arbiter of the administrations, that i may suit you for both, both speaking your deeds and doing the words of your administr

 P]ortions are deprived of praise, but no one of all men has been suited to all words of praise. but to you so much is granted [against] all in all thi

 To bring to the highest point of keenness, or your soul which was not [shattered by] trials, but also most nobly endured through the magnitude of the

 And they were torn away, and their manner altered their nature [....], and they have remained, and after the separation, being both nourished and fatt

 But the love of art and the care concerning the divine sanctuaries, what demostheneses or the best of the writers could describe and praise? how beau

 Having surpassed in his heroic deeds him and the kings up to you, but in his plans he is recorded as being less than his accomplishments, winning in [

 Less, you have given the first place to reason over passion, and you have established the one like some foundation upon the acropolis, but the other y

 Having considered what is seen, but when i also behold the tomb of the queen, and i behold it often whenever i wish to console some hardship of fortun

 To comprehend in a speech. for to whom could the unattainable be attainable, even if he were rich in the homeric power for speeches, or the herodotan

 Admiring and in return is eager to make an image and someone already having constructed a stele for you inscribed the gentle one. therefore solomon

 Much praise and measured against all of time. how then could i summarize the whole in a few words? i will speak, therefore, a little of your virtues,

 Everyone rejoices and exults with the one who has taken up your encomiums and because i did not weave the words of praise sooner, he is rather vexed

 Gracefulness, the maturity of your thought, the symmetry of your greatness, the quick-wittedness, the stability of your mind, the unmarried life, the

 At once for us the lord and most skilled in command and pleasing to all, o most excellent foresight, o wise consideration, o most noble counsel, o div

 Of virtues? you, beyond any kings who ever were, honored justice and preferred philanthropy, and having attained the height of prudence, you appeared

 Accomplishments? o the arrows from heaven against the barbarians, o the unseen bowshots, o the angelic powers in the air, o the divine armies against

 The greatest part of character. for as many as have become of a civic disposition, if they have descended to this willingly, they seemed both prudent

 Of civil administration and of divine hearing. if therefore, being engaged in one, he also holds to the other, let this for now be a secret to many. b

 Of wise men going to ammon's shrine or being within the delphic tripod suddenly transferred their apparent wisdom to the more divine and greater, how

 We have taken starting points, and yet more absurd, if we render praises to the good and noble men who have died, for what they have said concerning w

 And not many months after the sowing, but immediately reaping the harvest and so that i might say what is from the gospel, the two were running toget

 If we should set about to build him up, this marvelous man, both in nature and in diligence, has received much contribution toward his eloquence from

 For having embraced one of these, they might neglect the rest, or putting ears before mind, they have an unintelligible tongue, or having drawn up spr

 Pleases the petty and the overly artful. therefore, of these enumerated wise men, the one now honored in this discourse wishes to imitate gregory, and

 I knew not only what the greeks knew, nor what the chaldeans or egyptians knew, but i had also condemned them, though not all of them, nor has my refu

 With magnanimity, he who was both namesake and like-minded with the great constantine, and who alone nobly contended against all, and taking his name-

 Regulates the state of the church, no less than moses who constructed the tabernacle below according to the pattern shown to him for whether melodies

 Concerning which things, before his high-priesthood, at a time when he did not even have many resources of money, he constructed brilliantly and accom

 And to impart to others. and perhaps he did not endure the waves of the sea, but in his toils on land he might in some way be compared to paul. and co

 One of two things happening, either god descending into the mind, or the mind ascending to god. but what is the place of god's rest, or by which of al

 Of a voice, nor were you instructed by any of the higher powers, to lay aside the symbols of the priesthood, and to transfer yourself to another life,

 Nothing unpleasant would happen to those handling these things but for you, who happen to be a philosopher, what harm will come from these affairs? j

 Of words but you, o king, will both speak publicly among the armies and bring an impulse with your speech and will rouse them together for the deed.

 May you be crowned on the head with glorious trophies. may you be adorned with deeds of valor against the barbarians, and be escorted by many victorie

 May you rend the sea and stop the river and vanquish amalek. may a cloud, giving shade over your head, take away your burning heat, and a pillar of li

the votes, I imagine the divine judgment and I refer to the incorruptible tribunal. When I test you in elections, I admire your intelligence and your rational judgment and the incalculability of your mind. When I turn my mind to you as a benefactor, I see the Atlantic sea and the rivers flowing from Eden, the inexhaustible spring of God. When I see you forced to punish the Titans, those who stretch their bow to heaven, that they might shoot you down, the child of God—for let it be said—in the dark of the moon. When I see the whetted knife, the polished broadsword, the burning coals, the sharpened rays of the scorching flame; when I see the tyrant thrust headlong into the pit, raised for sword-drawing, thrown to the ground and having yielded his eyes to the executioners, immediately I see you being transformed and making a libation to the murderer and looking gently at the tyrannical hand. When I hear you speak, I perceive the tongue of Demosthenes, of Pericles, of Polemon, of Plato, the eloquence of Lysias, the siren of Isocrates, the sweetness of Herodotus, the golden tongue of Dio; I stop up my hearing, I hold back my thoughts, so as not to be swept away by the flood of your words. When I encounter you being witty, oh the magic charms of Pindar's ode, of Sappho's lyre, of Orphic persuasion, of Homeric Calliope, of Anacreon's tongue, of the instrumental muse, with how much grace I am filled, how I am devoted to your smile, how cheerfully I am diffused. When I gaze upon you thinking, with your brows furrowed but nodding in assent to your mind, I picture the images of Xenocrates, of Heraclitus, who indeed were somehow dedicated to their character and were of a grave disposition. Oh how often I have embellished my words from your tongue, how many powers I have reaped, how many arts I have gathered, what methods I have perfected. I omit the rest. When I see your reverence for the great high priest, whom you anointed with the oil of gladness, and poured the myrrh of consecration down to his beard and garment, I recall David's deference to Samuel, since you are in no way inferior to them. I have seen you also weeping at the misfortunes of friends and softly sending up a groan. For the matter of the empress has not left even an exaggeration for those who come after. And if you would promise me now only to endure the grief, let us dwell for a little on the discourse concerning her. But behold, you are again distraught and with the cloud of grief you have hidden your sun-like face. For you yourself also bowed, if not the heavens like a god, yet the highest mountains of the kingdom, and you descended so far as to be subject to her nods and counsels. But her death proved these things to be hypocrisy and all for nought. But oh, the unemptied spring of tears, oh, the unspeakable power of your eyes. Even clouds dripping rain have grown weary, even rivers flowing perpetually have sometimes stopped their stream, and the hardness of stones has yielded to drops of water. But you yourself gush forth, causing the tear to spring, and you grow when shorn and increase when spent and flourish when withering. And the time of forgetting has been conquered by you; for having once planted her memory in your soul, you water it with tears and cultivate it like some ever-living plant. For all things seen lead you back to her: the temple, the tomb, the purple robes. If you see this one's image, you picture that one's form in your soul; if the veil, you model the sacred head; if the garment, the symmetry of the body; if you call to mind the island, the witness of injustice, you depart from the palace under full sail. And longing also for her—how could I say it, how could I endure it?—prison, you have transformed it into royal tents, and now the island is like some beacon

τὰς ψήφους, τὴν θείαν δίκην φαντάζομαι καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἀδέκαστον δικαστήριον ἀναφέρομαι. ὅταν ἐν ἀρχαιρεσίαις σε δοκιμάσω, θαυμάζω τὴν σύνεσιν καὶ τὴν κατὰ λόγον κρίσιν καὶ τὸ ἀπαραλόγιστον τοῦ φρονήματος. ὅταν εὐεργετοῦντί σοι προσέξω τὸν νοῦν, τὸ Ἀτλαντικὸν ὁρῶ πέλαγος καὶ τοὺς ἐξ Ἐδὲμ ῥέοντας ποταμούς, τὴν ἀνεξάντλητον πηγὴν τοῦ θεοῦ. ὅταν βλέπω τοὺς Τιτᾶνας κολάζειν ἀναγκαζόμενον, τοὺς εἰς οὐρανὸν τὸ τόξον ἐντείνοντας, ἵνα σὲ τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ παῖδα, εἰρήσθω γάρ, ἐν σκοτομήνῃ κατατοξεύσωσιν. ὅταν ἴδω τεθηγμένην τὴν μάχαιραν, τὴν ῥομφαίαν ἐστιλβωμένην, ἀνημμένους τοὺς ἄνθρακας, ἀνεστομωμένας τὰς ἀκτῖνας τῆς πρηστηρίου φλογός· ὅταν ἴδω τὸν τύραννον ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ὠθούμενον εἰς τὸ βάραθρον, πρὸς ξιφουλκίαν αἰρόμενον, κατὰ γῆς ἐρριμμένον καὶ τοῖς δημίοις ἀφεικότα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, εὐθύς σε μετατιθέμενον ὁρῶ καὶ σπενδόμενον τῷ φονεῖ καὶ πρὸς τὴν χεῖρα ἥμερον βλέποντα τὴν τυραννικήν. Ὅταν ὁμιλοῦντος ἀκούσω, τῆς ∆ημοσθένους γλώττης αἰσθάνομαι, τῆς τοῦ Περικλέους, τῆς τοῦ Πολέμωνος, τῆς τοῦ Πλάτωνος, τῆς Λυσιακῆς εὐστομίας, τῆς Ἰσοκράτους σειρῆνος, τῆς Ἡροδότου γλυκύτητος, τῆς χρυσῆς γλώττης τοῦ ∆ίωνος· ἐμφράττω τὴν ἀκοήν, ἐπέχω τοὺς λογισμούς, ὥστε μὴ τῷ κατακλυσμῷ τῶν σῶν λόγων ἀπορρυῆναι. ὅταν χαριεντιζομένῳ ἐντύχω, βαβαὶ τῶν ἰΰγγων τῶν θελκτηρίων τῆς Πινδαρικῆς ᾠδῆς, τῆς Σαπφικῆς λύρας, τῆς Ὀρφικῆς πειθοῦς, τῆς Ὁμηρικῆς Καλλιόπης, τῆς Ἀνακρέοντος γλώττης, τῆς ὀργανικῆς μούσης, ὅσης πληροῦμαι τῆς χάριτος, ὡς προσανάκειμαί σου τῷ μειδιάματι, ὡς ἱλαρώτατα διαχέομαι. ὅταν ἐνατενίσω φροντίζοντι καὶ συνεσπακότι μὲν τὰς ὀφρῦς, συννεύοντι δὲ πρὸς τὸν νοῦν, τὰς Ξενοκράτους εἰκόνας ἀνατυποῦμαι, τὰς Ἡρακλείτου, οἳ δὴ ἐγκείμενοί πως ἦσαν τοῦ ἤθους καὶ ἐμβριθῶς ἔχοντες. ὢ ποσάκις ἀπὸ τῆς σῆς γλώττης τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους ἐπήνθισα, ὅσας ἐκαρπωσάμην δυνάμεις, ὅσας συνέλεξα τέχνας, οἵας μεθόδους ἠκριβωσάμην. ἐῶ τἆλλα. Ὅταν ἴδω σου τὴν πρὸς τὸν μέγαν ἀρχιερέα αἰδῶ, ὃν τῷ ἐλαίῳ τῆς ἀγαλλιάσεως ἔχρισας, καὶ τὸ τοῦ τελέσματος μῦρον ἐπέχεας ἄχρι πώγωνος καὶ ἐνδύματος, τὴν τοῦ ∆αυὶδ ἐνθυμοῦμαι περὶ τὸν Σαμουὴλ ὑποχώρησιν, ἐπεὶ μηδ' ὑμεῖς ἐκείνων ἐλάττονες. Εἶδόν σε καὶ ἐπὶ φίλων δακρύσαντα συμφοραῖς καὶ ἠρέμα στεναγμὸν ἀναπέμψαντα. τὸ γὰρ τῆς βασιλίδος οὐδ' ὑπερβολὴν τοῖς μετέπειτα καταλέλοιπε. καὶ ἢν ὑπόσχοιό μοι νῦν μόνον ἐγκαρτερῆσαι τῷ πάθει, τῷ περὶ ἐκείνης λόγῳ μικρὸν ἐμφιλοχωρήσωμεν. ἀλλ' ἰδοὺ καὶ πάλιν συγκέχυσαι καὶ τῷ τῆς λύπης νέφει τὴν ἡλιῶσαν ὄψιν ἠφάνικας. ἔκλινας γὰρ καὶ αὐτός, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ὡς θεός, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὑψηλοτάτους τῆς βασιλείας ὄρους, καὶ καταβέβηκας τοσοῦτον ὥστε καὶ ὑποκεῖσθαι τοῖς ἐκείνης καὶ νεύμασι καὶ βουλεύμασιν. ἀλλ' ὑπόκρισις ταῦτα καὶ πάντα φροῦδα ὁ ἐκείνης ἤλεγξε θάνατος. ἀλλ' ὢ τῆς ἀκενώτου τῶν δακρύων πηγῆς, ὢ τῆς ἀρρήτου τῶν ὀμμάτων δυνάμεως. ἔκαμον καὶ νεφέλαι στάζουσαι ὑετούς, ἔστησάν ποτε καὶ ποταμοὶ τὸ ῥεῖθρον ἀένναα ῥέοντες, καὶ λίθων στερρότητες σταγόσιν ὑδάτων ἐνέδοσαν. αὐτὸς δὲ βλύζεις πηγάζων τὸ δάκρυον, καὶ φύεις κειρόμενος καὶ αὐξάνεις δαπανώμενος καὶ ἀνθεῖς μαραινόμενος. ὁ δὲ τῆς λήθης χρόνος νενίκηται παρά σοι· τὴν γὰρ ἐκείνης μνήμην ἅπαξ τῇ σῇ ἐμφυτεύσας ψυχῇ ἀρδεύεις τοῖς δάκρυσι καὶ οἷόν τι φυτὸν ἐργάζῃ ἀείζωον. πάντα γάρ σε πρὸς ἐκείνην ἀνάγει βλεπόμενα, ὁ ναός, ὁ τύμβος, ἡ ἁλουργίας. ἂν τὴν εἰκόνα ταύτης θεάσῃ, τὴν ἐκείνης ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ἐξεικονίζεις μορφήν· ἂν τὴν καλύπτραν, τὴν ἱερὰν ἀνατυποῖς κεφαλήν· ἂν τὴν ἐσθῆτα, τὴν συμμετρίαν τοῦ σώματος· ἂν τὸ τῆς ἀδικίας μαρτύριον τὴν νῆσον ἐνθυμηθῇς, ὅλοις ἱστίοις τῶν βασιλείων ἀπαίρεις. ποθῶν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐκείνης-πῶς ἂν εἴποιμι, πῶς καρτερήσαιμι; - δεσμωτήριον εἰς βασιλείους σκηνὰς μετεποίησας, καὶ νῦν οἷά τις φρυκτὸς ἡ νῆσος