I will be judged for my hope, as not describing even these things in my speech nor going forward and speaking the crucial things. You made the roads into strategies, and your paths into tactical skill; for you, both table and food and drink were prepared with bows and shields. But every practical word of yours was unadorned, both the rhythm and rule of all good counsel. For finding an army formerly from indolence [...] full of disorder, neglected, you swiftly set it right both with words and formations, shaping, dividing, showing, sketching, as a tutor of armed letters. O sufficient mind, imitating the Ocean, both circling the earth and running around the universe, both watering all and remaining full. Therefore, how many you went through in a short time, one after another, mighty waves of cares, acting, caring, preparing, prescribing, so that you might join together the host of the army, scattered in many parts of the earth—for the fear was not trivial, lest before you could prevent it, the barbarian, having passed through their midst, should split the divided battalions of your army—and how you supported with more accurate judgments the frequent, many counsels that did not run together with the hopes of the goal, I will willingly omit. For you yourself, lord, while doing so many things, contrived to be unnoticed, so that the community might not share in the toil. Nevertheless, they came together, just as flowing streams from some mountain having many projections and positions run together into the same place from the clefts through a many-cleft channel. And wonder fittingly came upon me, how the outpouring of so many reasonings was prudently ordered by your reasoning. But, as it seems, the active Word of God, having come upon these things, bent not only the necks of all, but their hearts as well. And when all, having run to your tracks, as if from one harmony, hymned your God-supported power, and bowed to the ground the necks that were proud of their trophies, like flames raised on high, who, arranged in a well-rounded design, are heralds of tactical movements, seen by all from far and near, and all earnestly proclaimed a common benefactor and ruling lord, you yourself, having taken the awesome image of the divinely-inscribed type, briefly said: "My relationship and the manner of my kingship has joined you to me as brothers; for we decree that authority should not so much shine forth in fear as in desire. For it is our law, against the inhuman forces which tyranny armed against the laws, to now introduce in opposition the philanthropic force, and to set the one against so many, which by irreproachable necessities always enforces the well-established laws. I am thus, both in manner and in form; but this one is the common king and master and leader of our armies, with whom it is safer to be a general, through whom it is more pious to conquer. Trusting in whom and having now arrived, as one of you I arm myself for the toils. For it is fitting for us, as his creations, to advance against enemies who worship created things, who have mixed the tables unmixed with blood with the gore of murderous blood; who defile the churches, which are unreceptive of passions, with the most passionate pleasures; who wish to uproot with a barbarian sword the vine planted by the Word; on account of whom David, inspired, uttered, saying blessed is he who has dashed the children of Persia, leveled to the ground, against the rocks." Thus with your speech you yourself transformed all from indolence to zeal; thus by everywhere placing God before you as general and master, you secure your power. And so straightway, anticipating any delay, you begin new trainings of the army.

But a certain desire came upon me here to see the delightful preludes of battle and without fear to record the fear. Nevertheless, the manner of the contests presented a dreadful appearance as it approached. For there was a precise, armed formation, where there were trumpets and phalanxes of shields, spear-points, quivers and arrows and swords, and a terrible din of breastplates was made, woven from iron weavings, on which the shining torch of the sun, with requitals as if with counter-flashes, sent forth a lightning-bearing gleam. And when, drawn up as if opponents, they tightened their own

ἐλπίδος κριθήσομαι ὡς μηδὲ ταῦτα τῷ λόγῳ περιγράφων μηδὲ προβαίνων καὶ λέγων τὰ καίρια. σὺ τὰς ὁδοὺς μὲν εἰργάσω στρατηγίας, τρίβους δὲ τὰς σὰς τακτικὴν εὐτεχνίαν· σοὶ καὶ τράπεζα καὶ τροφὴ καὶ πώματα τόξοις παρεσκεύαστο καὶ ταῖς ἀσπίσι. ψιλὸς δέ σου πᾶς πρακτικός τις ἦν λόγος ῥυθμός τε πάσης καὶ κανὼν εὐβουλίας. στρατὸν γὰρ εὑρὼν τὸ πρὶν ἐκ ῥαθυμίας [...] ἀταξίας γέμοντας, ἠμελημένους, θᾶττον κατορθοῖς καὶ λόγοις καὶ σχήμασι, τυπῶν, διαιρῶν, δεικνύων, ὑπογράφων ὡς παιδαγωγὸς τῶν ἐνόπλων γραμμάτων. ὦ νοῦς διαρκὴς Ὠκεανὸν μιμούμενος, κυκλῶν τε τὴν γῆν καὶ τὸ πᾶν περιτρέχων, καὶ πάντας ἄρδων καὶ μένων πεπλησμένος. ὅσας μὲν οὖν μετῆλθες ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ ἄλλας ἐπ' ἄλλαις φροντίδων τρικυμίας, πράττων, μεριμνῶν, εὐτρεπίζων, προγράφων, ὅπως τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ στρατοῦ συναρμόσῃς εἰς πολλὰ τῆς γῆς ἐσκεδασμένον μέρη δέος γὰρ ἦν οὐ φαῦλον, ὥστε μὴ φθάσας τὰ διαιρεθέντα τοῦ στρατοῦ σου τάγματα σχίσῃ παρελθὼν ἐν μέσοις ὁ βάρβαροςκαὶ πῶς τὰ πυκνὰ πολλάκις βουλεύματα μὴ συνδραμόντα τοῦ σκοποῦ ταῖς ἐλπίσι γνώμαις ὑπεστήριζες ἀκριβεστέραις, ἑκὼν παρήσω· καὶ γὰρ αὐτός, δέσποτα, τοσαῦτα πράττων λανθάνειν ἐτεχνάσω, ὅπως τὸ κοινὸν μὴ μετάσχοι τοῦ πόνου. ὅμως συνῆλθον, ὥσπερ ἐξ ὄρους τινὸς πολλὰς ἔχοντος ἐξοχάς τε καὶ θέσεις κρουνοὶ ῥέοντες τῷ πολυσχιδεῖ πόρῳ εἰς ταὐτὸ συντρέχουσιν ἐκ τῶν σχισμάτων. ἐμοὶ δὲ θαῦμα προσφόρως ἐπήρχετο πῶς τῶν λογισμῶν τῶν τοσούτων ἡ χύσις τῷ σῷ λογισμῷ σωφρόνως ἐτάττετο· πλήν, ὡς ἔοικε, δραστικὸς Θεοῦ Λόγος τούτοις ἐπιστὰς οὐ μόνον τοὺς αὐχένας ἔκαμψε πάντων, ἀλλ' ὁμοῦ καὶ καρδίας. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῖς σοῖς προσδραμόντες ἴχνεσιν ἅπαντες, ὥσπερ ἐκ μιᾶς συμφωνίας, τὸ σὸν θεοστήρικτον ὕμνησαν κράτος, καὶ τῶν τροπαίων τοὺς κομῶντας αὐχένας πρὸς γῆν ἔκλιναν ὡς μεταρσίους φλόγας, οἳ συντεθέντες εὐτρόχῳ ποικίλματι κήρυκές εἰσι τακτικῶν κινημάτων πόρρωθεν ἐγγὺς τοῖς ὅλοις ὁρώμενοι, κοινὸν δὲ πάντες ἐκτενῶς εὐεργέτην ἀνηγόρευον καὶ κρατοῦντα δεσπότην, τὸ φρικτὸν αὐτὸς τοῦ θεογράφου τύπου λαβὼν ἀπεικόνισμα συντόμως ἔφης· «ἐμοὶ μὲν ὑμᾶς ὡς ἀδελφοὺς ἡ σχέσις καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ὁ τρόπος συνήρμοσεν· ἐξουσίαν γὰρ οὐ τοσοῦτον ἐν φόβῳ ὅσον προλάμπειν ἐν πόθῳ θεσπίζομεν· νόμος γὰρ ἡμῖν ταῖς ἀπανθρώποις βίαις, ἃς ἡ τυραννὶς τοῖς νόμοις ἀνθώπλισεν, ἀντεισάγειν νῦν τὴν φιλάνθρωπον βίαν, καὶ ταῖς τοσαύταις ἀντιτάξαι τὴν μίαν, ἣ ταῖς ἀνάγκαις ταῖς ἀνεγκλήτοις ἀεὶ τοὺς εὖ τεθέντας ἐκβιάζεται νόμους. ἐγὼ μὲν οὕτω καὶ τρόπῳ καὶ σχήματι· οὗτος δὲ κοινὸς καὶ βασιλεὺς καὶ δεσπότης καὶ τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἡγεμὼν στρατευμάτων, μεθ' οὗ στρατηγεῖν ἐστιν ἀσφαλέστερον, δι' οὗ τὸ νικᾶν ἐστιν εὐσεβέστερον· ἐφ' ᾧ πεποιθὼς καὶ τὰ νῦν ἀφιγμένος ὡς εἷς ἀφ' ὑμῶν πρὸς πόνους ὁπλίζομαι. πρέπει γὰρ ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἐκείνου πλάσματα, χωρεῖν κατ' ἐχθρῶν προσκυνούντων κτίσματα, οἳ τὰς τραπέζας τὰς ἀμίκτους αἱμάτων λύθροις ἔμιξαν αἱμάτων μιαιφόνοις· οἳ τὰς ἀδέκτους τῶν παθῶν ἐκκλησίας ἐν ἡδοναῖς χραίνουσιν ἐμπαθεστάταις· οἳ τὴν φυτουργηθεῖσαν ἄμπελον Λόγῳ ξίφει θέλουσιν ἐξορύξαι βαρβάρῳ· δι' οὓς ὁ ∆αβὶδ ἐνθέως ἐφθέγξατο μακάριος εἰπὼν ὃς τὰ τέκνα Περσίδος πέτραις προσαντέκρουσεν ἠδαφισμένα.» οὕτως ἅπαντας αὐτὸς ἐκ ῥαθυμίας λόγῳ μετεσκεύαζες εἰς προθυμίαν· οὕτω στρατηγὸν πανταχοῦ καὶ δεσπότην Θεὸν προτάττων ἀσφαλίζῃ τὸ κράτος. καὶ δὴ παρευθὺς τὴν ὑπέρθεσιν φθάσας καινῶν ἀπάρχῃ τοῦ στρατοῦ γυμνασμάτων.

πόθος δέ μοί τις ἐνθάδε προσήρχετο ἰδεῖν τὰ τερπνὰ τῆς μάχης προαύλια φόβου τε χωρὶς ἱστορῆσαι τὸν φόβον· ὅμως δὲ φρικτὴν τῶν ἀγώνων ὁ τρόπος καὶ τὴν δόκησιν εἰσάγων προσήρχετο. τάξις γὰρ ἦν ἔνοπλος ἠκριβωμένη, σάλπιγγες ἔνθα καὶ φάλαγγες ἀσπίδων, αἰχμαί, φαρέτραι καὶ βέλη καὶ φάσγανα, καὶ δεινὸς ἐσκεύαστο θωράκων κλόνος ἐκ τῶν σιδηρῶν συμπλακεὶς ὑφασμάτων ἐν οἷς ἐπαυγάζουσα λαμπὰς ἡλίου ταῖς ἀνταμοιβαῖς ὥσπερ ἀντιλάμψεσι στίλβωσιν ἐξέπεμπεν ἀστραπηφόρον. ἐπεὶ δὲ συνταγέντες ὡς ἐναντίοι ἔσφιγξαν αὑτῶν