devising in writing with the technical subtlety of his calculations. Indeed, the commands were not neglected, but the letter was a deed fulfilled eagerly by all, both citizens and strangers, and by those in offices and the highest dignities who undertook the voluntary labors.

For it was necessary, I think, for so great a master to have so many servants under his command, who, having learned the orders of his wise counsels, showed his words to be deeds. Thus, being ever-moving, the master, by the speed of his calculations and the insatiability of his mind, was present to the City from afar as if near and was with its cares everywhere, alone, as one mind sufficing for all. Nevertheless, the multitude of your labors, master, must be kept by us for a suitable time in which, when a calm is present, the voyage is opportune into the abysses of words. But since the circumstance held a dreadful fear, seeing the waves of the battle, it seemed good to the rulers, to the subjects, and to the master of the armed regiments—for, always joined with you in everything, they bore with you the common burdens of the labors, running daily like travelers and being present at the complex battle with the weapons of calculations, with tactical vigils, although indeed not laboring at these things by habit, which most of all makes labors labors for those for whom toiling in battle is not customary—nevertheless it seemed good that men should be sent to the barbarians, men exuding much harmony in every deed and word, to announce that the battle should be ended and a limit put to the common cares. While these things were being set in motion tactically by us, the Persian arrogance with guile again sends out messengers as thieves of the sea, hastening, like a sharpened sword, to whet the barbarian sword against us. But when the sent messengers, running together from obscurity from there and from here, came together into one place from two locations, the barbarian, as though having received so many envoys at once and being lifted up to pride, joined both together; this for the sake of glory, but mostly wanting to frighten us. For the Persian servant was kindling the anger of the barbarian, like fire from fire, and promised a thousand allies, and disparaged us with terrible words, and, having seized him, twisted together for the barbarian armed intentions and whetted words; induced by these words, the tyrant of the Scythians, the primary harm, was delighted. Nevertheless, the sure Balancer of all things turns even this purpose of his, against all expectations, to his own disaster; for though he should have concealed the trick and hidden in silence the secret messengers, he makes the hidden thing manifest and a hostile counselor and a friendly accuser comes into being. For when the well-sent men came, saying that the barbarian's purpose was an impossible word toward peace, and that the Persian trick did not escape them, the gate of the sea is guarded, having closed the entrances to the passages out, and the stolen goods are quickly captured, and a work of night the light of day held up; for both the Persian and the barbarian race had a common grief in one way, expecting the messengers in return.

But when at last the decisive moment of the battle came to the God-written judgment, you again labor; for not without purpose were you appointed beforehand as the commander of the community. And quickly taking up the advocate's word and running to the wall of justice, you securely set forth against them a writ, the dreadful form of the unwritten writing. Someone seeing this verdict will say, I think, that you by a trick snatched away the judge; for having shown it face to face to all the opponents, you raised up fear, and with the proofs not yet brought forward, the trial became for them a boast. May it go well for you with this good trick! For having judged in yourself and discerned nature, that nothing is more sympathetic to a child than a mother, you approached the Mother of the Judge with pity, prayer, tears, fasting, and with the gift of flowing money; from here and there having given and scattered much, you persuade her first; and she quickly persuades the Child and almost

μηχανουργῶν ἐγγράφως τῇ τῶν λογισμῶν τεχνικῇ λεπτουργίᾳ. οὐ μὴν παρημελεῖτο τὰ προστάγματα, ἀλλ' ἦν τὸ γράμμα πρᾶγμα πεπληρωμένον πάντων προθύμως καὶ πολιτῶν καὶ ξένων καὶ τῶν ἐν ἀρχαῖς καὶ μεγίσταις ἀξίαις ὑποδραμόντων τοὺς ἑκουσίους πόνους.

ἔδει γάρ, οἶμαι, τὸν τοσοῦτον δεσπότην ἔχειν τοσούτους εἰς ἀνάγκην οἰκέτας, οἳ τὰς κελεύσεις τῶν σοφῶν βουλευμάτων μαθόντες ἔργα τοὺς λόγους ἐδείκνυον. οὕτως ἀεικίνητος ὢν ὁ δεσπότης τάχει λογισμῶν καὶ φρενῶν ἀπληστίᾳ πόρρωθεν ἐγγὺς τῇ Πόλει παρίστατο καὶ ταῖς μερίμναις πανταχοῦ συνῆν μόνος ὡς εἷς λογισμὸς ἀντὶ πάντων ἀρκέσας. ὅμως τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πόνων σου, δέσποτα, εἰς καιρὸν ἡμῖν εὔθετον τηρετέον ἐν ᾧ παρούσης τῆς γαλήνης ἐν μέσῳ εὔκαιρος ὁ πλοῦς ταῖς ἀβύσσοις τῶν λόγων. ἐπεὶ δὲ φρικτὸν ἡ περίστασις φόβον εἶχε βλέπουσα τῆς μάχης τὰ κύματα, ἔδοξε τοῖς ἄρχουσι, τοῖς ὑπηκόοις καὶ τῷ μαγίστρῳ τῶν ἐνόπλων ταγμάτων ἀεὶ γὰρ ὑμῖν εἰς τὸ πᾶν συνημμένοι τὰ κοινὰ σὺν σοὶ τῶν πόνων ἐβάστασαν καθ' ἡμέραν τρέχοντες ὡς ὁδοιπόροι καὶ συμπαρόντες τῇ πολυπλόκῳ μάχῃ ὅπλοις λογισμῶν, τακτικαῖς ἀγρυπνίαις, καίτοιγε ταῦτα μὴ πονοῦντες ἐξ ἔθους, ὅπερ μάλιστα τοὺς πόνους ποιεῖ πόνους παρ' οἷς τὸ μοχθεῖν εἰς μάχην οὐ γίνεται, ὅμως ἔδοξεν ὥστε πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους ἄνδρας σταλῆναι παντὸς ἔργου καὶ λόγου πολλὴν ἀποστάζοντας εὐαρμοστίαν προσαγγελοῦντας ὥστε λῦσαι τὴν μάχην πέρας τε κοινῶν συντεθῆναι φροντίδων. τούτων παρ' ἡμῖν τακτικῶς κινουμένων τὸ Περσικὸν φρύαγμα σὺν δόλῳ πάλιν στέλλουσι κλέπτας τῆς θαλάττης ἀγγέλους σπεύδοντας ὥσπερ ἠκονημένον ξίφος θήγειν καθ' ἡμῶν τὸ ξίφος τὸ βάρβαρον. ἐπεὶ δὲ συνδραμόντες ἐξ ἀδηλίας ἐκεῖθεν ἔνθεν οἱ σταλέντες ἄγγελοι εἰς ἓν μέρος συνῆλθον ἐκ τόπων δύο, ὁ βάρβαρος μὲν ὡς ὁμοῦ δεδεγμένος πρέσβεις τοσούτους καὶ πρὸς ὄγκον ἠρμένος συνῆψεν ἄμφω· τοῦτο δὴ δόξης χάριν τὸ δ' αὖ γε πλεῖστον ἐκφοβεῖν ἡμᾶς θέλων. ὁ Περσικὸς γὰρ ἐξανῆπτεν οἰκέτης τὸν θυμόν, ὡς πῦρ ἐκ πυρός, τοῦ βαρβάρου, καὶ χιλίους μὲν συμμάχους ὑπέσχετο, ἡμᾶς δὲ δεινοῖς ἐξεφαύλισεν λόγοις συνέστρεφέν τε συλλαβὼν τῷ βαρβάρῳ γνώμας ἐνόπλους καὶ τεθηγμένους λόγους· τούτοις ὑπαχθεὶς τοῖς λόγοις ἐτέρπετο ὁ τῶν Σκυθῶν τύραννος, ἡ πρώτη βλάβη. ὅμως ὁ πάντων ἀσφαλὴς Ζυγοστάτης καὶ τοῦτον αὐτοῦ τὸν σκοπὸν παρ' ἐλπίδας εἰς τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ συμφορὰν ἀντιστρέφει· δέον γὰρ αὐτὸν συγκαλύψαι τὸν δόλον σιγῇ τε κρύψαι τοὺς λαθόντας ἀγγέλους· ποιεῖ τὸ κρυπτὸν ἐμφανὲς καὶ γίνεται σύμβουλος ἐχθρὸς καὶ κατήγορος φίλος. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἦλθον οἱ καλῶς ἐσταλμένοι ἀμήχανον μὲν τὸν πρὸς εἰρήνην λόγον φήσαντες εἶναι τὸν σκοπὸν τοῦ βαρβάρου, τὸν Περσικὸν δὲ μὴ διαδρᾶσαι δόλον, φυλάττεται μὲν τῆς θαλάττης ἡ θύρα τὰς εἰσόδους κλείσασα ταῖς διεξόδοις, ἁλίσκεται δὲ συντόμως τὰ κλέμματα καὶ νυκτὸς ἔργον φῶς ἀνέσχεν ἡμέρας· κοινὸν γὰρ εἶχον πένθος ἐξ ἑνὸς τρόπου τὸ Περσικόν τε καὶ τὸ βάρβαρον γένος τοὺς ἀνταμοιβοὺς προσδοκῶντες ἀγγέλους.

ἐπεὶ δὲ λοιπὸν τῆς μάχης ἡ κυρία πρὸς τὴν κρίσιν συνῆλθε τὴν θεόγραφον, πάλιν σὺ κάμνεις· οὐ γὰρ ἀσκόπως φθάσας τῆς κοινότητος ἐντολεὺς κατεστάθης· λαβὼν δὲ θᾶττον τὸν συνήγορον λόγον καὶ πρὸς τὸ τεῖχος ἐκδραμὼν τὸ τῆς δίκης γραφὴν κατ' αὐτῶν ἀσφαλῶς προεξέθου τὸ φρικτὸν εἶδος τῆς γραφῆς τῆς ἀγράφου. ταύτην τις, οἶμαι, τὴν διάγνωσιν βλέπων φήσει δόλῳ σε τὸν κριτὴν ὑφαρπάσαι· δείξας γὰρ αὐτὸ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ὅλοις ἀντιπρόσωπον ἐξανέστησας φόβον καὶ τῶν ἐλέγχων μηδέπω παρηγμένων κόμφευσος αὐτοῖς ἡ δίκη καθίστατο. ὡς εὖ γέ σοι γένοιτο τοῦ καλοῦ δόλου· κρίνας γὰρ ἐν σοὶ καὶ διαγνοὺς τὴν φύσιν ὡς μητρὸς οὐδὲν παιδὶ συμπαθέστερον τὴν τοῦ ∆ικαστοῦ Μητέρα προσηγάγου οἴκτῳ, δεήσει, δακρύοις, ἀσιτίᾳ καὶ τῇ δόσει δὲ τῶν ῥεόντων χρημάτων· ἐκεῖθεν ἔνθεν πολλὰ δοὺς καὶ σκορπίσας πείθεις ἐκείνην πρῶτον· ἡ δὲ συντόμως πείθει τὸ Τέκνον καὶ σχεδὸν