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III. On the very feast of the child's birthday, about fifty-five chosen men, who had devoted themselves to the star-gazing wisdom of the Chaldeans, came together to the king. And the king, having them stand very near, asked each to declare what the child born to him was to become. And they, after much deliberation, said that he would be great in both wealth and power, and would surpass all the kings who had reigned before him. But one of the astrologers, the most distinguished of all those with him, said, "From what the courses of the stars teach me, O king, the advancement of the child now born to you will not be in your kingdom, but in another, better and incomparably superior. And I think that he will take up the religion of the Christians, which is persecuted by you, and I for my part do not think he will be cheated of that aim and hope." These things the astrologer said, like Balaam of old, not because astrology is true, but because God reveals the things of truth through its opponents, so that every excuse might be taken away from the impious. But the king, when he heard these things, received the news gravely, and grief interrupted his joy. Nevertheless, in a separate city, 34 having built a most beautiful palace and skillfully crafted splendid houses, he placed the boy there to live, after the completion of his first stage of life, and he commanded him not to go out, having appointed for him tutors and servants, young in age and most fair in appearance, charging them to make known to him none of the sorrows of life, not death, not old age, not sickness, not poverty, nor anything else sorrowful and able to interrupt his joy, but to set before him all things pleasant and enjoyable, so that his mind, delighted and reveling in these, might not be able at all to ponder on things to come, nor hear, even so much as a bare word, about Christ and his doctrines. For this, above all, he intended to hide from him, being suspicious of the astrologer's prediction. And if any of his servants happened to fall ill, he commanded that this one be cast out from there quickly, and gave another in his place, vigorous and healthy, so that the child's eyes should see nothing at all unpleasant. Thus, then, the king both planned and did these things; for seeing he did not see, and hearing he did not understand. But learning that some of the monks still survived, of whom not even a trace was thought to be left, he was filled with anger and was moved most sharply against them, and he commanded heralds to run through all the city and the country, proclaiming that no one at all from the order of monks was to be found after three days. And if any were found after 36 the appointed days, let them be delivered to destruction by fire and sword. "For these men," he said, "persuade the people to pay attention to the crucified God." In the meantime, something of this sort also happened, at which the king was even more vexed and angered against the monks. XVIII. For a certain man, one of the first in rank, happened to be in the palace, gentle in his life, and pious in his faith; and, seeking his own salvation as best he could, he was in hiding for fear of the king. Whence some, envying his freedom of speech with the king, plotted to slander him, and this was their concern. And indeed, once when the king went out to hunt with his usual bodyguard, that good man was one of the fellow hunters. And while he was walking alone, this happening by divine providence, as I think, he finds a man in

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ιιι Ἐν αὐτῇ δὲ τῇ τῶν γενεθλίων τοῦ παιδὸς ἑορτῇ συνῆλθον πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἐξ ἐπιλογῆς ἄνδρες ὡσεὶ πεντηκονταπέντε, περὶ τὴν ἀστροθεάμονα τῶν Χαλδαίων ἐσχολακότες σοφίαν. καὶ τούτους ἐγγυτάτω παραστησάμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνηρώτα ἐξειπεῖν ἕκαστον τί μέλλει ἔσεσθαι τὸ γεννηθὲν αὐτῷ παιδίον. οἱ δέ, πολλὰ διασκεψάμενοι, ἔλεγον μέγαν αὐτὸν ἔσεσθαι ἔν τε πλούτῳ καὶ δυναστείᾳ, καὶ ὑπερβάλλειν πάντας τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ βεβασιλευκότας. εἷς δὲ τῶν ἀστρολόγων, ὁ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ πάντων διαφορώτατος, εἶπεν ὡς, Ἐξ ὧν με διδάσκουσιν ὁ τῶν ἀστέρων δρόμοι, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἡ προκοπὴ τοῦ νυνὶ γεννηθέντος σοι παιδὸς οὐκ ἐν τῇ σῇ ἔσται βασιλείᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν ἑτέρᾳ κρείττονι καὶ ἀσυγκρίτως ὑπερβαλλούσῃ. δοκῶ δὲ καὶ τῆς παρὰ σοῦ διωκομένης αὐτὸν ἐπιλαβέσθαι τῶν Χριστιανῶν θρησκείας, καὶ οὐκ ἔγωγε οἶμαι τοῦ σκοποῦ ἐκεῖνον καὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος ψευσθήσεσθαι. ταῦτα μὲν εἶπεν ὁ ἀστρολόγος, ὥσπερ ὁ πάλαι Βαλαάμ, οὐ τῆς ἀστρολογίας ἀληθευούσης, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας παραδεικνύντος, ὥστε πᾶσαν τοῖς ἀσεβέσι πρόφασιν περιαιρεθῆναι. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, ὡς ἤκουσε ταῦτα, βαρέως τὴν ἀγγελίαν ἐδέξατο, λύπη δὲ τὴν εὐφροσύνην αὐτῷ διέκοπτεν. ἐν πόλει δὲ ὅμως ἰδιαζούσῃ 34 παλάτιον δειμάμενος περικαλλὲς καὶ λαμπρὰς οἰκίας φιλοτεχνήσας, ἐκεῖ τὸν παῖδα ἔθετο κατοικεῖν, μετὰ τὴν συμπλήρωσιν τῆς πρώτης αὐτῷ ἡλικίας, ἀπρόϊτόν τε εἶναι παρεκελεύσατο, παιδαγωγοὺς αὐτῷ καὶ ὑπηρέτας καταστήσας, νέους τῇ ἡλικίᾳ καὶ τῇ ὁράσει ὡραιοτάτους, ἐπισκήψας αὐτοῖς μηδὲν τῶν τοῦ βίου ἀνιαρῶν κατάδηλον αὐτῷ ποιήσασθαι, μὴ θάνατον, μὴ γῆρας, μὴ νόσον, μὴ πενίαν, μὴ ἄλλο τι λυπηρὸν καὶ δυνάμενον τὴν εὐφροσύνην αὐτῷ διακόπτειν, ἀλλὰ πάντα τὰ τερπνὰ καὶ ἀπολαυστικὰ προτιθέναι, ἵνα τούτοις ὁ νοῦς αὐτοῦ τερπόμενος καὶ ἐντρυφῶν μηδὲν ὅλως περὶ τῶν μελλόντων διαλογίζεσθαι ἰσχύσειε, μήτε μέχρι ψιλοῦ ῥήματος τὰ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ δογμάτων ἀκούσειεν. τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα πάντων ἀποκρύψαι αὐτῷ διενοεῖτο, τὴν τοῦ ἀστρολόγου προαγόρευσιν ὑφορώμενος. εἴ τινα δὲ τῶν ὑπηρετούντων αὐτῷ νοσῆσαι συνέβη, τοῦτον μὲν θᾶττον ἐκβαλεῖν ἐκεῖθεν παρεκελεύετο, ἕτερον δὲ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ σφριγῶντα καὶ εὐεκτοῦντα ἐδίδου, ἵνα μηδὲν ὅλως ἀνώμαλον οἱ τοῦ παιδὸς ὀφθαλμοὶ θεάσαιντο. ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς οὕτω ταῦτα διενοεῖτό τε καὶ ἐποίει· βλέπων γὰρ οὐχ ἑώρα, καὶ ἀκούων οὐ συνίει. Μαθὼν δέ τινας τῶν μοναζόντων ἔτι περισώζεσθαι, ὧν μηδὲ ἴχνος ὑπολελεῖφθαι ἐδόκει, θυμοῦ ὑπερεπίμπλατο καὶ ὀξύτατα κατ' αὐτῶν ἐκινεῖτο, κήρυκάς τε ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὴν χώραν ἐκέλευε διαθέειν, ἐκβοῶντας μηδαμοῦ τινὰ τὸ παράπαν μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας τοῦ τῶν μοναζόντων τάγματος εὑρεθῆναι. εἰ δέ τινες εὑρεθεῖεν μετὰ 36 τὰς διωρισμένας ἡμέρας, τῷ διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ξίφους ὀλέθρῳ παραδοθήτωσαν· Οὗτοι γὰρ (φησίν) ἀναπείθουσι τὸν λαὸν ὡς Θεῷ προσέχειν τῷ ἐσταυρωμένῳ. ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταξὺ συνέβη καί τι τοιοῦτον, ἐφ' ᾧ ἐπὶ πλέον χαλεπαίνων ἦν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ κατὰ τῶν μοναζόντων ὀργιζόμενος. ιῃ Ἀνὴρ γάρ τις, τῶν ἐν τέλει τὰ πρῶτα φέρων, ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἐτύγχανε, τὸν μὲν βίον ἐπιεικής, εὐσεβὴς δὲ τὴν πίστιν· καί, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίαν, ὡς οἷόν τε, ἐμπορευόμενος, λανθάνων ἦν διὰ τὸν φόβον τοῦ βασιλέως. ὅθεν τινές, τῆς εἰς τὸν βασιλέα παρρησίας τούτῳ βασκήναντες, διαβάλλειν αὐτὸν ἐμελέτων, καὶ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς διὰ φροντίδος ἦν. καὶ δή ποτε πρὸς θήραν ἐξελθόντι τῷ βασιλεῖ μετὰ τῆς συνήθους αὐτῷ δορυφορίας, εἷς ἦν τῶν συνθηρευτῶν καὶ ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἐκεῖνος ἀνήρ. περιπατοῦντι δὲ αὐτῷ κατὰ μόνας, ἐκ θείας τοῦτο συμβάν, ὡς οἶμαι, οἰκονομίας, εὑρίσκει ἄνθρωπον ἐν