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wielding the scepters at that time, placed a certain small and seemingly incidental barrier on this part. 8.5 From that time indeed until now this same thing has remained, with there never being, as he thought, even a suspicion of harm from there. 8.6 For though the city often endured many and very violent wars, both from the barbarians and from the bordering Scythians themselves, with every kind of defense being devised against it, and they flowing in like sand in the multitude of their army and striving not to withstand their threat (for truly they were unrestrained in their impulses and fortified with diverse panoply), 8.7 but the battle was, as it were, terrestrial and it escaped the plots by evading the assault with the security of the wall and entrusting its own salvation to the one who customarily and fervently fights for it, I mean the all-glorious martyr Demetrios. 8.8 For this savior of his country rescued it from many dangers and often mercifully granted victory to it even before it had experienced the war. 8.9 But having yielded the narration of these things to the books of his miracles, let us proceed to what follows from what has already been said. 9.1 The city was, therefore, for the reasons mentioned, beyond all danger. 9.2 For ever since the font of divine baptism conformed the nation of the Scythians to the Christian people and the milk of piety was distributed commonly to both, the strife of wars had ceased, and the sword that practiced slaughter was stayed from its activity, and what was foretold by the most loud-voiced of the prophets, Isaiah, was clearly fulfilled in us: 9.3 for our swords were turned into sickles and our spears into ploughs, and war was nowhere, and peace presided over the entire surrounding region, and there was no occasion for a good life that we did not enjoy to the full, whence the abundance of agriculture, thence the provisions of commerce. 9.4 For land and sea, appointed from the beginning to serve us, bore a rich and inexpensive bounty in every respect. For of what the land was lacking or unsuitable for bearing fruit, the sea by itself contrived the possession of these things and, bringing them in with merchant ships, provided what was lacking without want to those in need. 9.5 What should I say first of those visiting from all over, and especially of those with whom they vied in honor with us citizens, giving what was theirs and receiving what was ours in return? 9.6 For since a public highway leading to the east from the west passed through the middle of this city and necessarily persuaded passersby to stay with us and to procure things for their needs, we both reaped and acquired whatever good thing one might mention from them. 9.7 Hence also a certain mixed crowd always thronged the streets, of both the native-born and of others visiting as foreigners, so that it was easier to count the sand on the seashore than those passing through the market and carrying on the business of transactions. 9.8 From this, very great treasures of gold and silver and precious stones came to be for the many, and fabrics from the Seres were thought of as woolens are by others. 9.9 For concerning the other materials, bronze and iron and tin and lead and glass, with which the arts using fire sustain life, I consider it superfluous even just to mention them, there being so many that another city could be built and completed with them. 10.1 Thus prospering and abounding from every side, being adorned with technical methods and priding itself on the splendors of its buildings, did it seem to be lacking in comparison with others in the observances of the laws or in the order of its government or in its boasts about learning? By no means; 10.2 for knowledge was pursued by it as sight is by the eyes, and good order as the business of life. 10.3 And you would have seen the youthful bloom of the children occupied with nothing else than with studies, from which knowledge and the arts derive their strength. 10.4 And the

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σκῆπτρα κατ' ἐκείνους τοὺς καιροὺς ἰθύνων μικρόν τινα καὶ ὡς ἐκ τοῦ παρατυχόντος φραγμὸν τῷ τῇδε περιέθηκε μέρει. 8.5 ἀφ' οὗ δὴ χρόνου καὶ μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο διαμεμένηκεν, οὐδέποτε τῆς ἐκεῖθεν βλάβης, ὡς ᾤετο, κἂν ἐν ὑπονοίᾳ τισὶν ἐσομένης. 8.6 εἰ γὰρ καὶ πολλοὺς πολλάκις ἀνέτλη πολέμους καὶ λίαν σφοδροτάτους ἡ πόλις, τούς τε ἐκ τῶν βαρβάρων καὶ αὐτῶν δὲ τῶν συνομορούντων Σκυθῶν, πᾶν εἶδος ἀμυντηρίων κατ' αὐτῆς ἐπινοουμένων καὶ ψάμμου δίκην τῷ πλήθει τῆς στρατιᾶς εἰσρεόντων καὶ μηδὲν ὑποφέρειν τὴν ἀπειλὴν αὐτῶν φιλονεικούντων (καὶ γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἦσαν ἀκάθεκτοι ταῖς ὁρμαῖς καὶ ποικίλῃ τινὶ πανοπλίᾳ πεφραγμένοι), 8.7 ἀλλ' ἦν ἄρα περίγειος ὥσπερ ἡ μάχη καὶ διέφευγε τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ τοῦ τείχους τὴν ἔφοδον ὑπεκκλίνασα καὶ τῷ συνήθως αὐτῇ καὶ θερμῶς ὑπερμαχοῦντι, λέγω δὴ τῷ πανενδόξῳ μάρτυρι ∆ημητρίῳ, τὴν ἑαυτῆς σωτηρίαν καταπιστεύουσα. 8.8 ἐκ πολλῶν γὰρ αὐτὴν κινδύνων ὁ σωσίπατρις οὗτος ἐρρύσατο καὶ τὸ νικᾶν αὐτῇ καὶ μήπω τοῦ πολέμου πειραθείσῃ πολλάκις συμπαθῶς ἐδωρήσατο. 8.9 ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ταῖς τῶν θαυμάτων αὐτοῦ βίβλοις ἐξηγεῖσθαι παραχωρήσαντες τοῖς ἑξῆς ἡμεῖς τῶν ἤδη λεχθέντων προΐωμεν. 9.1 Ἦν οὖν ταῖς ῥηθείσαις αἰτίαις ἀνωτέρα κινδύνου παντὸς ἡ πόλις. 9.2 ἐξ ὅτου γὰρ ἡ κολυμβήθρα τοῦ θείου βαπτίσματος τὸ τῶν Σκυθῶν ἔθνος τῷ χριστωνύμῳ λαῷ συνεμόρφωσε καὶ τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας γάλα κοινῶς ἀμφοτέροις διείλετο, πέπαυτο μὲν ἡ τῶν πολέμων στάσις, ἀνεῖτο δὲ τῆς ἐνεργείας ἡ τὰς σφαγὰς ἐπιτηδεύουσα μάχαιρα, καὶ τὰ προλεχθέντα τῷ μεγαλοφωνοτάτῳ τῶν προφητῶν Ἠσαΐᾳ ἐναργῶς ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐπληροῦτο· 9.3 αἱ μάχαιραι γὰρ ἡμῶν μετῆλθον εἰς δρέπανα καὶ αἱ ζιβύνες εἰς ἄροτρα, καὶ πόλεμος ἦν οὐδαμοῦ, καὶ τὴν περίχωρον ἅπασαν εἰρήνη κατεπρυτάνευε, καὶ οὐδεμία ἦν εὐζωΐας ἀφορμὴ ἧς οὐκ εἰς κόρον ἡμεῖς ἀπελαύομεν, ἔνθεν αἱ τῆς γεωργίας ἀφθονίαι, ἐκεῖθεν αἱ τῆς ἐμπορίας χορηγίαι. 9.4 γῆ γὰρ καὶ θάλασσα λειτουργεῖν ἡμῖν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ταχθεῖσαι πλουσίαν καὶ ἀδάπανον τὴν περὶ ἕκαστον ἐδωροφόρουν. ὧν γὰρ ἦν ἐνδεῶς ἢ καὶ ἀνεπιτηδείως ἔχουσα πρὸς καρπογονίαν ἡ γῆ, τούτων παρ' ἑαυτῆς ἡ θάλασσα τὴν κτῆσιν μηχανωμένη καὶ ταῖς ὁλκάσι συνεισκομίζουσα ἀνενδεὲς τὸ λεῖπον ἐδίδου τοῖς χρῄζουσι. 9.5 τί δὲ τῶν ἁπανταχόθεν ἐπιδημούντων εἴποιμι πρῶτον, καὶ μάλιστα οἷς ἐφιλοτιμοῦντο τοὺς πολίτας ἡμᾶς, τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν διδόντες καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ἀντιλαμβάνοντες; 9.6 λεωφόρου γὰρ δημοσίας τῆς πρὸς ἀνατολὴν ἀγούσης ἀπὸ τῆς δύσεως διὰ μέσου τῆσδε χωρούσης τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἀναγκαίως πειθούσης τοὺς παροδεύοντας πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐνδιατρίβειν καὶ τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν πορίζεσθαι, πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ἂν εἴποι τις τῶν καλῶν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐκαρπούμεθά τε καὶ προσεκτώμεθα. 9.7 ἔνθεν καὶ παμμιγής τις ὄχλος ἀεὶ περιεστοίχει τὰς ἀγυιὰς τῶν τε αὐτοχθόνων καὶ τῶν ἄλλως ἐπιξενουμένων, ὡς εὐχερέστερον εἶναι ψάμμον παράλιον ἐξαριθμεῖν ἢ τοὺς τὴν ἀγορὰν διοδεύοντας καὶ τῶν συναλλαγμάτων ποιουμένους τὴν μέθοδον. 9.8 ἐντεῦθεν χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου καὶ λίθων τιμίων παμπληθεῖς θησαυροὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐγίνοντο, καὶ τὰ ἐκ Σηρῶν ὑφάσματα ὡς τὰ ἐξ ἐρίων τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπινενόητο. 9.9 περὶ γὰρ τῶν ἄλλων ὑλῶν, χαλκοῦ καὶ σιδήρου κασσιτέρου τε καὶ μολύβδου καὶ ὑέλου, οἷς αἱ διὰ πυρὸς τέχναι τὸν βίον συνέχουσι, καὶ μνησθῆναι μόνον παρέλκον ἡγοῦμαι, τοσούτων ὄντων ὡς ἄλλην τινὰ δύνασθαι πόλιν δι' αὐτῶν δομεῖσθαί τε καὶ ἀπαρτίζεσθαι. 10.1 Οὕτω δὲ πανταχόθεν εὐθηνουμένη καὶ πλεονάζουσα, ταῖς τεχνικαῖς τε καλλυνομένη μεθόδοις καὶ ταῖς τῶν οἰκημάτων ὑπερηφανευομένη λαμπρότησιν, ἆρα ταῖς ἐκ νόμων παρατηρήσεσιν ἢ ταῖς περὶ τὸ πολίτευμα τάξεσιν ἢ ταῖς περὶ λόγους αὐχήσεσιν ἐφαίνετο τῶν ἄλλων ἐνδεῶς ἔχουσα; οὐμενοῦν· 10.2 ἐσπουδάζετο γὰρ αὐτῇ γνῶσις ὡς ὀφθαλμοῖς βλέψις καὶ εὐνομία ὡς ζωῆς πραγματεία. 10.3 καὶ εἶδες ἂν περὶ μηδὲν ἄλλο τὴν νεάζουσαν τῶν παίδων κήραν σχολάζουσαν ἢ περὶ λόγους, ἐξ ὧν ἐπιστῆμαι καὶ τέχναι τὸ κράτος ἔχουσι. 10.4 τὰ δὲ