of those kindling such a conflagration, it turned back the flame and pursued them and set them on fire, as it did to the Chaldeans before. 35 This is not an unattested account, fabricated by us for the pleasure of hearing or for deception, but three patriarchs together, Job of Alexandria, Christopher of Antioch, and Basil of Jerusalem, recorded and made known that these things were so, writing to the emperor Theophilus who had insulted the holy icons, when, demonstrating through many proofs the sacred and venerable nature of the divine icons, they also discussed this matter, and it is possible for one who wishes to read that lengthy letter and to learn about this. 36 But also if anyone has diligently encountered the Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius, he certainly knows what he says about this holy icon in the fourth book. For he records that among other things Chosroes also did this, wishing to manifestly prove false the account widely told among Christians concerning such a city, that it was impregnable. For having gathered by command a great mass and infinite multitude of wood in a short time by the many hands of the army, and having fixed these in two rows around the city, then having thrown earth in the middle and building another wall opposite, he became higher than the walls of Edessa and as from a superior position the arrows were about to be shot against those risking themselves for the city. 37 which the Edessenes, seeing being raised like a mountain opposite the walls, through which they expected the enemy to mount the city as from level ground, although they were at a loss, but nevertheless contriving in opposition what was possible, they themselves also undertook to dig a tunnel in front of that newly constructed wall, so that if they should be able to set fire to the wooden supports in front of the mound, they might draw out the earth towards the tunnel, and thus that great wall, as if fashioned from a dream, might quickly be brought down and collapse. 38 But when the mine was finished, in applying fire to the wood they were missing their mark, the fire not being able to take hold of the material because the earth inside was compressed and the wood still green, without any empty space, having brought this holy icon into that newly-made trench and having sanctified water with it, and having sprinkled this besides upon the pyre and the wood, they brought it about that the fire became effective; and with the faith of those who had done it, the divine power assisting, the water became like oil to the fire, and it kindled the flame and consumed everything it met. Then therefore the king of the Persians, despairing of the capture of the city and having learned from where they had help, proceeded to negotiations and, having made peaceful treaties, returned back home. 39 But as it turned out, this man also, not long after, was to receive a benefit from this holy icon, the benefactor of his enemies and the destroyer of his own men. For his little daughter, seized by a demonic spirit and having departed from her natural state, continuously cried out, being worked through by it: unless the icon not made by hands comes from Edessa, its inhabitant will not come out from here. When the king heard this, and reflected on the events of the siege—for not even the sudden, paradoxical strength and courage of the Edessenes had escaped his notice—he wrote immediately both to the chief magistrate of the city and to the metropolitan Eulalius and to the community of the city that the divine and all-powerful image be sent to him quickly, adding also the reason, the misfortune of his daughter, and in every way both requesting and insisting not to fail in his request. 40 But they, suspecting the faithlessness of the Persian character and surmising that the Persian wished by deceit to take away their strength, and taking care not to give up their protectress and benefactress, but neither to break the peace for the sake of such a pretext, they devised a plan prudent and advantageous to them. For having copied an image equal in all respects and similar, as was possible, to the unwritten one

τῶν ἀναφλεγόντων τὴν τοιαύτην πυρκαϊὰν τὴν φλόγα ἐπέστρεψε καὶ ἐδίωκε τούτους καὶ ἐνεπύριζεν ὡς τοὺς Χαλδαίους τὸ πρίν. 35 ταῦτα οὐκ ἀμάρτυρός ἐστι λόγος εἰς ἡδονὴν ἀκοῆς ἢ ἀπάτην παρ' ἡμῶν συμπλασθείς, ἀλλὰ τρεῖς ὁμοῦ πατριάρχαι, Ἰὼβ Ἀλεξανδρείας, Χριστοφόρος Ἀντιοχείας καὶ Βασίλειος Ἱεροσολύμων ἀνέγραψαν καὶ οὕτως ἔχειν ταῦτα ἐγνώρισαν Θεοφίλῳ γράφοντες τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰς ἱερὰς εἰκόνας ἐξυβρικότι, ὅτε διὰ πολλῶν ἀποδεικνύντες τὸ τῶν θείων εἰκόνων ἱερὸν καὶ σεβάσμιον καὶ περὶ τούτου διέλαβον, καὶ ἔξεστι τῷ βουλομένῳ τὴν πολύστιχον ἐκείνην ἐπιστολὴν ἀναλέξασθαι καὶ περὶ τούτου μαθεῖν. 36 ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ Εὐαγρίου ἐκκλησιαστικῇ ἱστορίᾳ εἴ τις φιλοπόνως ἐνέτυχεν, ἔγνω πάντως οἷα περὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς ταύτης εἰκόνος κατὰ τὸν τέταρτον λόγον φησίν. ἀναγράφει γὰρ ὡς μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ὁ Χοσρόης καὶ τοῦτο πεποίηκε θέλων περιφανῶς ἐλέγξαι ψευδῆ τὸν παρὰ Χριστιανοῖς θρυλούμενον περὶ τῆς τοιαύτης πόλεως λόγον, ὡς εἴη ἀπόρθητος. ξύλων γάρ τι μέγα χρῆμα καὶ πλῆθος ἄπειρον ἐν βραχεῖ τῇ τοῦ στρατεύματος πολυχειρίᾳ συναθροίσας ἐξ ἐπιτάγματος καὶ ταῦτα κατὰ δύο τοίχους πηξάμενος κύκλῳ τῆς πόλεως, εἶτα χοῦν κατὰ τὸ μέσον ἐπεμβαλὼν καὶ ἀντιμέτωπον ἄλλο τεῖχος οἰκοδομῶν ὑψηλότερος ἐγίνετο τῶν τῆς Ἐδέσης τειχῶν καὶ ὡς ἐξ ὑπερδεξίων τὰ βέλη κατὰ τῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως προκινδυνευόντων ὅσον οὔπω ἀφίεσθαι ἔμελλεν. 37 ὅπερ οἱ Ἐδεσηνοὶ ὥσπερ ὄρος ἀντικρὺ τῶν τειχῶν ὁρῶντες ἐξεγειρόμενον δι' οὗ ὡς ἐκ τοῦ ἰσοπέδου τοὺς πολεμίους ἐπιβῆναι τοῦ ἄστεος ἤλπιζον ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ καίπερ ὄντες, ἀντιμηχανώμενοι δὲ ὅμως τὰ δυνατὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ διώρυγα ἐπεχείρουν πρὸ τοῦ νεοσυστάτου ἐκείνου τείχους ὀρύξασθαι, ὡς ἂν εἰ δυνηθεῖεν τὰ πρὸ τοῦ χώματος ὑφάψαι σταυρώματα πρὸς τὴν διώρυγα τὸν χοῦν ὑποσπάσωνται καὶ οὕτως τὸ μέγα τεῖχος ἐκεῖνο οἷον ἐξ ὀνείρου ἀναπλασθὲν θᾶττον κατενεχθῇ καὶ διαρρυῇ. 38 ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ μὲν ὄρυγμα διήνυστο, πῦρ δὲ τοῖς ξύλοις ἐνιέντες τοῦ σκοποῦ διημάρτανον μὴ δυναμένου τοῦ πυρὸς διὰ τὸ συμπεπιλημένον ἔνδον εἶναι τὸν χοῦν καὶ τὰ ξύλα ἔτι χλωρὰ κενοῦ τινος δίχα τῆς ὕλης ἐμπεριδράξασθαι, τὴν ἱερὰν ταύτην εἰκόνα εἰς τὴν νεότευκτον ἐκείνην τάφρον εἰσαγαγόντες καὶ ὕδωρ ἐκ ταύτης καθαγιάσαντες καὶ τοῦτο τῇ πυρᾷ καὶ τοῖς ξύλοις προσεπιρράναντες ἐνεργὸν γενέσθαι τὸ πῦρ κατεπράξαντο· καὶ τῇ πίστει τῶν δεδρακότων τῆς θείας συνεπιλαβομένης δυνάμεως, ὡς ἔλαιον τὸ ὕδωρ ἐγένετο τῷ πυρὶ καὶ ἐξῆψε τὴν φλόγα καὶ κατανάλωσεν ἅπαν τὸ προστυχόν. τότε οὖν ὁ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεὺς τὴν ἅλωσιν τῆς πόλεως ἀπογνοὺς καὶ τὴν βοήθειαν ὅθεν ἔσχον μαθὼν πρὸς συμβιβάσεις ἐχώρησε καὶ σπονδὰς εἰρηνικὰς ποιησάμενος πρὸς τὰ οἰκεῖα ἀνθυπενόστησεν. 39 ἔμελλε δὲ ἄρα καὶ οὗτος οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν εὐεργεσίας τυχεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς ἱερᾶς ταύτης εἰκόνος, τῆς τῶν πολεμίων αὐτοῦ εὐεργέτιδος καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἀναιρέτιδος. τὸ γὰρ τούτου θυγάτριον ὑπὸ δαιμονίου πνεύματος συσχεθὲν καὶ τῆς κατὰ φύσιν ἐκστὰν καταστάσεως ἐβόα συνεχῶς δι' αὐτοῦ ἐνεργούμενον· εἰ μὴ ἐξ Ἐδέσης ἡ ἀχειροποίητος ἔλθῃ εἰκών, ἐντεῦθεν τὸν ἔνοικον τούτου μὴ ἐξελεύσεσθαι. ὅπερ ἀκούσας ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς πολιορκίας ἀναλογισάμενοςοὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδ' αὐτὸν ἡ παράδοξος ἐξαίφνης ἰσχὺς καὶ τὸ θάρσος διέλαθε τῶν Ἐδεσηνῶν γράφει παραχρῆμα πρός τε τὸν τῆς πόλεως προεξάρχοντα καὶ πρὸς τὸν μητροπολίτην Εὐλάλιον καὶ πρὸς τὸ κοινὸν τῆς πόλεως ἀποσταλῆναι θᾶττον αὐτῷ τὸ θεῖον καὶ πανσθενὲς ἀπεικόνισμα, προσθεὶς καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τὴν τῆς θυγατρὸς συμφορὰν καὶ παντοίως ἀξιῶν τε καὶ βιαζόμενος μὴ ἀποτυχεῖν τῆς αἰτήσεως. 40 οἱ δὲ τό τε τοῦ Περσικοῦ ἤθους ἄπιστον ὑπονοοῦντες καὶ ὑποπτεύοντες δόλῳ βούλεσθαι τὸν Πέρσην τὴν αὐτῶν ὑφελέσθαι ἰσχὺν καὶ μὴ προέσθαι τὴν προστάτιν καὶ εὐεργέτιδα προνοούμενοι, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ τὴν εἰρήνην λῦσαι τῆς τοιαύτης προφάσεως ἕνεκα βουλὴν βουλεύονται συνετὴν καὶ λυσιτελοῦσαν αὐτοῖς. μεταγράψαντες γὰρ ἴσην κατὰ πάντα καὶ ὁμοίαν ὡς ἐνῆν εἰκόνα τῆς ἀγράφου