Seeing a multitude, like stars in a cloudless firmament, having exchanged their position above and being called earthly, they truly enclose the moon and preserve the form of an orderly moving chorus, having the righteous man as a sort of chorus leader in their midst. But as he came nearer, the psalmody fell upon his ears, and one would have thought to be witnessing an image of the incarnation of the Word of God on earth, according to which the choir of angels cried out "Glory in the highest." Such was the bodyguard and procession around the great John, such a crowd flowed together from all sides. The return of what king, then, who had subdued countless nations and taken walled cities by storm, was escorted with such honor? Or who had so many running together for the spectacle? And so when they arrived at the acropolis opposite this queen of cities, one could see the strait between them being crowded as if by a fleet, with small cargo boats and launches and skiffs hurrying to the meeting. Nor did the ferrymen have any other business, nor was a ship seen being carried anywhere else. For the senate and council were crossing with the emperor, and the entire body allotted to the archiepiscopal community went forth together. Nor did continuous confinement at home restrain the women at that time, but many, daring for the first time then even the sight of a man, went out to the meeting, believing they would partake of sanctification even from the sight alone. 314 An imperial trireme was prepared, which was to receive him who was already reigning with God. And again here too God magnified the entrance with wonders; for suddenly a violent squall having arisen, and the expanse of the sea being parted by a violent south wind, and a great surge having been roused, and the waves clashing disorderly and having much swell and confusion, the other ships were scattered here and there, as each happened to run aground in some hollows or even to be saved in harbors. But the one carrying the righteous man, its ropes having been broken, as if steered by a hand with the power of the good man being carried, was brought to moor at the field of the widow, which the tyrannical empress had wickedly seized from the impoverished woman, as if, I think, God were showing even to those less endowed with sagacity and sense the reason for this exile. Rather, not even in death did the righteous man cease from his advocacy and from avenging the wronged woman, but like a truthful witness summoned from afar to point out the boundaries, he cast his own vote and testified with a voice better than a tongue whose the land was. And when his will concerning this had been accomplished—that her field be immediately returned to the widow—the sea was immediately calmed, and the swell was smoothed, and it became such as is wont to be in these circumstances, when a calm glows purple and plays sweetly and gently upon the shores. And as if saved from some shipwreck, the small boats gathered together from all sides and, acting as a bodyguard, they escorted the one carrying that precious coffin, as if it were an admiral's ship. And thus was returned to the queen city her seemly ornament and truly royal diadem. And so much for these things. But as for now, splendor upon splendor and unapproachable light and joy suffusing the hearts of the faithful. For as the day just began to dawn, and the golden-mouthed and sun-bright tabernacle was casting brilliant rays upon our city, the church of the renowned apostle Thomas, the one situated by the sea, which the city knows to call of Amantius, receives so great a good. And being honored with all-night hymns and acclamations throughout the whole night and having received many embraces with tears, just as someone who has been truly ungratefully treated and unjustly wronged receives those who seem to have wronged him and are seeking reconciliation, approaching with reverence and some shame, so indeed also the high priest of God first received the one who directs the government, who on the one hand honored and magnified him as a father and godfather from the divine bath, and on the other hand asked pardon for the just anger of his mother according to the flesh

πλῆθος ἰδὼν ὡς ἀστέρες ἐν ἀνεφέλῳ τῷ καταστήματι τὴν ὑπερκειμένην θέσιν ἀμείψαντες καὶ πρόσγειοι χρηματίζοντες σελήνην ὄντως ἐγκλείουσι καὶ σχῆμα σώζουσιν εὐτάκτως κινουμένου χοροῦ οἷόν τινα κορυφαῖον μέσον τὸν δίκαιον ἔχοντες. Ὡς δ' ἐγγυτέρω προσελθόντος ταῖς ἀκοαῖς ἡ ψαλμῳδία προσέπεσεν, εἰκόνα ἂν ἔδοξε θεωρεῖν τῆς ἐπὶ γῆς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου ἐνσωματώσεως, καθ' ἣν ὁ τῶν ἀγγέλων χορὸς τὸ δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις ἐκραύγαζε. Τοσαύτη τις ἦν ἡ περὶ τὸν μέγαν Ἰωάννην δορυφορία τε καὶ πομπή, τοσοῦτος ὄχλος πανταχόθεν συνέρρεε. Τίνος οὖν βασιλέως ἐπάνοδος ἔθνη χειρωσαμένου μυρία καὶ πόλεις τειχήρεις κατὰ κράτος ἑλόντος τοιαύτη προεπέμφθη τιμή; Ἢ τὶς τοσούτους ἔσχε τοὺς πρὸς τὴν θέαν συντρέχοντας; Ὡς δ' οὖν πρὸς τὴν ἀντιπέρας τῆς βασιλείου ταύτης τῶν πόλεων ἀκρόπολιν ἔφθασαν, ἦν ἰδεῖν τὸν ἐν μέσῳ τούτων πορθμὸν ὥσπερ τινὶ στόλῳ ταῖς μικραῖς ὁλκάσι καὶ λέμβοις καὶ ἀκατίοις πρὸς τὴν ὑπάντησιν ἐπειγομένοις καταπυκνούμενον. Οὐδὲ πορθμεῦσιν ἄλλη τις ἦν ἐμπορία οὐδὲ ἑωρᾶτο τὸ πλοῖον, ἄλλοσέ ποι φερόμενον. Ἐπεραιοῦτο γὰρ σὺν τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ γερουσία βουλὴ καὶ τῇ ἀρχιερατικῇ πολιτείᾳ τὸ ἀποκληρωθὲν τὸ πᾶν συνεξήρχετο. Οὐδὲ γυναῖκας ἐπεῖχεν ἡ διηνεκὴς οἰκουρία τὸ τηνικαῦτα, ἀλλὰ πολλαὶ καὶ ὄψεως ἄρρενος τότε πρῶτον κατατολμήσασαι ἐξῄεσαν εἰς ὑπάντησιν ἁγιασμοῦ πιστεύουσαι μετασχεῖν καὶ ἀπὸ μόνης τῆς ὄψεως. 314 Τριήρης τῶν βασιλέων ἦν εὐτρεπής, ἡ δεξομένη τὸν ἤδη παρὰ θεῷ βασιλεύοντα. Καὶ πάλιν κἀνταῦθα τὴν εἴσοδον τοῖς θαύμασι θεοῦ ἐμεγάλυνεν· ἐξαίφνης γὰρ βιαίας ζάλης διεγερθείσης καὶ τοῦ τῆς θαλάσσης κύτους ἐν ἀνέμῳ νότῳ βιαίῳ διαστάντος καὶ κλύδωνος διεγηγερμένου μεγάλου καὶ τῶν κυμάτων συγκρουομένων ἀτάκτως καὶ πολὺν ἐχόντων σάλον καὶ τάραχον, τὰ μὲν ἄλλα τῶν πλοίων τῇδε κἀκεῖσε διερρίπτοντο ὡς ἕκαστον ἔτυχεν ἔν τισι κοιλώμασι προσοκεῖλαν ἢ καὶ πρὸς λιμένας διασωθέν. Τὸ δὲ φέρον τὸν δίκαιον τῶν κάλων ἀπορραγέντων οἱονεὶ χειρὶ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ φερομένου κάλου διακυβερνώμενον προσωρμίσθη τῷ τῆς χήρας ἀγρῷ, ὃν κακῶς ἡ τύραννος βασιλὶς τοῦ πενομένου γυναίου ἀφήρπασεν ὥσπερ οἶμαι καὶ τοῖς ἧττον μετέχουσι ἀγχινοίας τε καὶ φρενῶν δεικνύοντος τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς ἐξορίας τούτου τὸ αἴτιον. Μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ θανὼν ὁ δίκαιος τῆς συνηγορίας καὶ τοῦ ἐκδικεῖν τὸ ἐπηρεασθὲν ἐπαύετο γύναιον, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τις μάρτυς ἀψευδὴς πόρρωθεν εἰς ὁρίων ὑπόδειξιν μετακληθεὶς τὴν οἰκείαν ἔθετο ψῆφον καὶ κρείττονι γλώσσης ἐμαρτύρει φωνῇ, ἧς τὸ χωρίον ἐτύγχανεν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ περὶ τούτου αὐτοῦ διήνυστο βούλημα, τὸ παραυτίκα ἀποδοθῆναι τῇ χήρᾳ τὸν ταύτης ἀγρόν, κατηυνάσθη μὲν εὐθέως τὸ πέλαγος, ἐστορέσθη δὲ τῷ κλύδωνι καὶ οἷον φιλεῖ γίνεσθαι ἐν τούτοις, ὅταν γαλήνη πορφύρηται καὶ προσπαίζῃ ταῖς ἀκταῖς ἡδύ τι καὶ ἥμερον. Καὶ ὡς ἔκ τινος ναυαγίου διασωθέντα πανταχόθεν τὰ πλοιάρια συνηθροίζετο καὶ ὡς στρατηγίδα ναῦν τὴν φέρουσαν τὴν τιμίαν ἐκείνην σορὸν δορυφοροῦντα προέπεμπον. Καὶ οὕτως ἀπεδόθῃ τῇ βασιλίδι πόλει ὁ εὐπρεπὴς αὐτῆς κόσμος καὶ τὸ βασίλειον ὄντως διάδημα. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τούτοις. Τὰ δὲ νῦν ἄλληλα λαμπρότης καὶ φῶς ἀπρόσιτον καὶ χαρὰ διαχέουσα τῶν πιστῶν τὰς καρδίας. Ἡμέρας γὰρ ἄρτι διαγελώσης καὶ τοῦ χρυσοστομικοῦ καὶ ἡλιολαμποῦς σκήνους τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ πόλει λαμπρὰς ἀκτίνας ἐπαφιέντος ὁ τοῦ ἀοιδίμου ἀποστόλου Θωμᾶ ναός, ὁ πρὸς θάλασσαν κείμενος, ὃν Ἀμαντίου οἶδεν ὀνομάζειν ἡ πόλις, τοσοῦτον ἀγαθὸν δεξιοῦται. Καὶ ταῖς παννύχοις ὑμνῳδίαις καὶ εὐφημίαις δι' ὅλης νυκτὸς γεραιρόμενος καὶ πολλοὺς δεξάμενος σὺν δάκρυσιν ἀσπασμοὺς ὥσπερ τις ἀγνωμονηθεὶς τῳόντι καὶ παρὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἐπηρεασθεὶς τοὺς ἠδικῆσαι δοκοῦντας καὶ διαλλαττομένους προσίεται μετ' εὐλαβείας καί τινος προσιόντας αἰδοῦς, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ πρῶτα μὲν αὐτὸν τὸν τὸ κράτος ἰθύνοντα προσεδέχετο, τοῦτο μὲν ὡς πατέρα καὶ ἀνάδοχον ἐκ τοῦ θείου γεγονότα λουτροῦ τιμῶντα καὶ μεγαλύνοντα, τοῦτο δὲ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα μητρὸς παραιτούμενον τὴν δικαίαν ὀργὴν