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But Peter, it says, was in the prison sleeping between two soldiers and bound with two chains. "But earnest prayer was being made for him by the church."

16 For what reason was he guarded for so many days, and why, with anger boiling and the Jews thirsting for his death, did they not immediately lead this chief one to it? According to the mind of the author, it was on account of the days of Unleavened Bread, during which the Jews, cleansing themselves and separating themselves from every improper deed, were celebrating the feast of Passover, partaking of the legal sacrifice with innocent hands. But in another way, Herod, filled with boundless rage against the apostle, decreed his imprisonment for an extension of days [f. 161 ro], so that he might be tortured and punished for longer, and be surrounded by grief and afflictions, both by the weight of the chains, and he hoped for death from starvation, and by the inhuman disposition of the soldiers sleeping with him.

17 For how many bold and threatening words would they have uttered to him in the midst of these days? how many reproaches? how many insults and dishonors? now as one destroying and overturning the traditions of the foreign Jews, then as one contradicting the royal commands; and at one time slandered as seditious and a cause of disturbances, at another reviled as an opponent of the Mosaic laws. And at times also being beaten and tortured with fists and slaps and blows. And one would not disbelieve that they also bound and crushed him more violently and painfully with the chains; so that the onset and perception of pains upon him from all these things, becoming greater, might most quickly deliver him from life. But they were proven through all these things to be writing on water and boxing the air. For the apostle, being shown to be all the more steadfast by the extension of his imprisonment, and being pricked and roused by the terrible things surrounding him as if by certain goads [f. 161 vo], was so far from being weakened and worn down by these things, that the guards were both confounded and put to shame by the saving and heartening joy that was upon him.

18 While these things were thus being done to him, the prayer made by the church was being carried up to heaven; and immediately an angel was sent from there, and coming upon the prison, filled it with light, so that the chief apostle might have a clear vision of the wonders being worked. And striking him on the side, "Rise up," he says, "quickly." And so that nothing strange might run through his mind, since even Satan himself at times transforms himself into an angel of light, deceiving the senses in his apparent form, with the word his chains fell from his hands, so that the words might be confirmed by the deed, and that he might not consider the apparition to be a rebellious power or an unreal fantasy, but a true angel and a real vision possessing undeniable, self-evident truth.

19 And as these things had so proceeded for the apostle, since he was still very fearful and trembling, being tossed about not only by doubts concerning the apparition, but also about how he might pass through the appointed guards of the soldiers, [f. 162 ro] who were using great security concerning him and sleeplessly watching over the matter, the one who had appeared says: "Put on your sandals and wrap your cloak around you and follow me." For since, he says, the royal and Jewish fear, and the encompassing and close guard of those watching in a circle have made you afraid and astonished, and for this reason you are not readily willing to believe the things said by me, I fill you with so much help and alliance, and I strike away every fear from your mind, that you may even put on your cloak without any fear, and put on your sandals. O the swiftest assistance from God and the apostolic intercession to him! O greatest heartfelt prayer, which, as from

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Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν Πέτρος, φησίν, ἦν ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ κοιμώμενος μεταξὺ δύο στρατιωτῶν καὶ δεδεμένος ἁλύσεσι δυσί. «Προσευχὴ δὲ ἦν ἐκτενὴς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας».

16 Τίνος χάριν ἐπὶ τοσαύταις ἐφρουρεῖτο ταῖς ἡμέραις, καὶ οὐ παρ' εὐθὺ τοῦ θυμοῦ ζέοντος καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὸν αὐτοῦ θάνατον διψώντων, παρ' αὐτίκα τοῦτον ἐπῆγον τῷ κορυφαίῳ; Κατὰ μὲν τὸν νοῦν τοῦ συγγραφέως, διὰ τὰς τῶν ἀζύμων ἡμέρας, ἐν αἷς καθαίροντες ἑαυτοὺς Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ παντὸς ἀτόπου χωριζόμενοι πράγματος, τὴν τοῦ Πάσχα διήνυον ἑορτὴν, ἀθώοις χερσὶ, τῆς νομικῆς ἐφαπτόμενοι θυ σίας. Κατὰ δὲ τρόπον ἕτερον, λύσσης ἀπείρου κατὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου πεπληρωμένος ὁ Ἡρώδης, εἰς παρέκτασιν ἡμερῶν [φ. 161 ρο] τὴν τούτου κάθειρξιν διωρίσατο, ὡς ἂν ἐπὶ πλέον αἰκίζοιτο καὶ τιμωροῖτο, καὶ ἀνίαις καὶ θλίψεσι περιστοιχίζοιτο, τῇ τε τῶν ἁλύσεων βαρύτητι, καὶ τῇ ἐκ τοῦ λιμοῦ θανατώσεώς γε ἤλπιζε, καὶ τῇ τῶν συγκαθευδόντων αὐτῷ στρατιωτῶν ἀπανθρώπῳ διαθέσει.

17 Πόσους γὰρ ἂν διὰ μέσου τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν λόγους θρασεῖς καὶ ἀπειλητικοὺς ἐξήνεγκαν πρὸς αὐτόν; πόσους ὀνειδισμούς; πόσας ὕβρεις καὶ ἀτιμίας; πῆ μὲν ὡς τὰ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων Ἰουδαίων καθαιροῦντα καὶ ἀνατρέποντα, πῆ δὲ ὡς βασιλικοῖς προστάγμασιν ἀντιλέγοντα· καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ὡς στασιώδη καὶ θορύβων αἴτιον διαβαλλόμενον, ποτὲ δὲ ὡς τῶν μωσαϊκῶν νόμων ἀντίπαλον λοιδορούμενον. Ἔστι δ' ὅτε καὶ πυγμαῖς καὶ ῥαπίσμασι καὶ κονδύλοις παιόμενον καὶ αἰκιζόμενον οὐκ ἀπιστήσειε δ' ἄν τις ὡς οὐχὶ καὶ ταῖς ἁλύσεσι σφοδροτέρως καὶ ἐπιπονοτέρως αὐτὸν συνέσφιγγον καὶ συνέθλιβον· ἵν' ἐκ πάντων ἡ τῶν ἀλγεινῶν αὐτῷ ἐπίστασις καὶ συναίσθησις ἐπὶ μεῖζον γενομένη, τάχιστα τοῦ ζῆν αὐτὸν ἀπαλλάξειεν. Ἠλέγχοντο δὲ διὰ πάντων εἰς ὕδωρ γράφοντες καὶ εἰς ἀέρα πυκτεύοντες. Στερρότερος γὰρ μᾶλλον τῇ παρατάσει τῆς καθείρξεως δεικνύμενος ὁ ἀπόστολος, καὶ τοῖς περικυκλοῦσιν αὐτὸν δεινοῖς ὥσπερ τισὶ κέντροις [φ. 161 ῃο] νυττόμενος καὶ διανιστάμενος, τοσοῦτον ἀπεῖχε τούτοις ἐξασθενεῖν τε καὶ κατατρύχεσθαι, ὅσον οἱ φύλακες τῇ ἐπ' αὐτῷ σωτηρίῳ καὶ θαρσοποιῷ εὐφροσύνῃ ἐνεκαλύπτοντό τε καὶ κατῃσχύνοντο.

18 Τούτων οὕτως ἐπ' αὐτῷ τελουμένων, ἡ μὲν παρὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας γενομένη εὐχὴ πρὸς οὐρανοὺς ἀνεφέρετο· παρ' αὐτίκα δὲ ἄγγελος ἐκεῖθεν ἐξεπέμπετο καὶ προσεπιστὰς τῇ εἱρκτῇ, ταύτην μὲν ἐπλήρου φωτὸς, ἵν' ἀκραιφνῆ τὴν ὅρασιν ἔχοι ὁ κορυφαῖος τῶν θαυματουργουμένων. Νύξας δὲ τοῦτον κατὰ πλευράν· «Ἀνάστα, φησὶν, ἐν τάχει». Καὶ ἵνα μήτι ἄτοπον κατὰ διάνοιαν αὐτὸν ὑποδράμῃ, ὡς καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ σατανᾶ ἔσθ' ὅτε εἰς ἄγγελον μετασχηματιζομένου φωτὸς, ὑποκλέπτην τε τὴν αἴσθησιν ἐν τῷ φαινομένῳ προσχήματι, ἅμα τῷ λόγῳ ἐξέπεσον αἱ ἁλύσεις αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν ὡς πιστωθῆναι τοὺς λόγους τῷ πράγματι, καὶ μὴ δύναμιν ἀποστατικὴν ἢ φαντασίαν ἀνύπαρκτον ἡγήσασθαι τὸ φανὲν, ἀλλ' ἄγγελον ἀληθῆ καὶ ὄψιν ὑπαρκτικὴν τὸ ἀψευδὲς αὐτόπιστον ἔχουσαν.

19 Τούτων δὲ οὕτω προκεχωρηκότων τῷ ἀποστόλῳ, ἐπείπερ ἔτι περιδεὴς ἦν καὶ ἔντρομος, οὐ μόνον ταῖς περὶ τοῦ φανέντος ἀμφιβολίαις κλυδωνιζόμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τοῦ πῶς τὰς τεταγμένας διέλθοι τῶν στρατιωτῶν φυλακὰς, [φ. 162 ρο] πολλῇ περὶ αὐτὸν κεχρημένων τῇ ἀσφαλείᾳ καὶ ἀκοιμήτως ἐπαγρυπνούντων τῷ πράγματι, φησὶν, ὁ φανείς· «Ὑπόδησαι τὰ σάνδαλά σου καὶ περιβαλοῦ τὸ ἱμάτιόν σου καὶ ἀκολούθει μοι». Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔτι σε, φησὶν, ὁ βασιλικὸς ἅμα καὶ ἰουδαϊκὸς φόβος, καὶ ἡ τῶν φυλασσόντων ἐν κύκλῳ περιοχὴ καὶ συντήρησις ὀρρωδοῦντα καὶ τεθηπότα πεποιήκασι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εὐχερῶς τοῖς παρ' ἐμοῦ λεγομένοις πιστεύειν ἐθέλεις, τοσαύτης σε βοηθείας καὶ συμμαχίας ἐμπιπλῶ, καὶ πάντα φόβον τῆς σῆς ἀπορραπίζω διανοίας, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἱμάτιον δίχα παντὸς δέους περιβαλέσθαι, καὶ τὰ σανδάλια ὑποδύσασθαι. Ὢ τῆς ἐκ θεοῦ ταχίστης ἐπικουρίας καὶ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐντεύξεως! Ὢ μεγίστης ἐγκαρδίου εὐχῆς, ἥτις ὡς ἀπό