,

to return as he had commanded the boy. 38. The slaying of the children of the king and the slaughter of Maurice the emperor. 39. Concerning the will of Maurice the emperor. 40. How the bodies of the emperors were delivered to the waves of the sea. 41. An epitaph for Maurice the emperor. 42. How the Roman forces received from divine providence retributions for the terrible things that had been done. 43. The slaying of Theodosius the emperor's son, and of Peter and Comentiolus and Constantine. 44. Concerning the rumor that arose, that Theodosius, the emperor's son, escaped the murder. 45. Concerning the demonic prophecy that occurred in Alexandria. 46. Concerning the miracles that were performed by Euphemia the martyr. 47. How the tyrant shut up Constantina, the emperor's wife, together with her daughters in a private house. 48. The embassy of the tyrant to Chosroes, the king of the Persians. 49. Concerning what befell Germanus the general. 50. The slaying of Alexander who had joined in the rebellion with the tyrant Phocas.

ECUMENICAL HISTORY BOOK I 1.p.t

[PROEM]

1.p.1 Man ought to be adorned not only with the good things of nature but also with his own discoveries. For reason is in him, a divine and admirable thing. By this he has learned both to reverence and worship God and to reflect upon the things of his own nature, and he has not been ignorant of the arrangement of his own 1.p.2 creation. Therefore by reason men also commune with one another, turning inward from the outward prospect to the mind itself, and they unfold the sacred rites 1.p.3 concerning their own creation. This, then, has bestowed many good things upon men and is the best fellow-worker of nature. 1.p.4 For what that one left unfinished, reason has perfected in the best way, embellishing some things for sight, sweetening others for taste, strengthening or softening some things for touch, making music of others for hearing, enchanting the soul with the magic of its harmony and drawing it towards 1.p.5 the sound. Or is not this also the most persuasive deviser of arts? Weaving from wool a finely-spun tunic, and from wood fashioning a plough-handle for farmers, and an oar for sailors, and for the soldier a pelta and a gerrhon, defenses against the dangers 1.p.6 of war. And most worthy of note of all, it has arranged history, which is most rich in experience, as a delight to the ear, and an 1.p.6 education for the soul; for there is nothing more alluring to inquiring souls 1.p.7 than history. A tale from some Homeric tablet is sufficient to prove this to anyone. The son of Laertes, having recently been cast ashore onto the mainland from the sea's surge, was entertained in the court of king Alcinous, and much friendliness was poured around 1.p.8 Odysseus. For it was ready at hand for him, though his body was naked and worn out by the disaster of shipwreck, to fasten on splendid clothing, and he had the shared honor of the king's table. And so to the newcomer was offered both freedom of tongue 1.p. and leave for the setting forth of his tales. And the tales so delighted the Phaeacians that, bidding farewell to their drinking, the banquet seemed to be a theater, and they pricked up their ears and gaped while gazing at the man, and were in no way 1.p.10 wearied by the length of the narration. And yet many of the narrations had downcast aspects; for the experience of the greatest dangers flowed through the gathering. For the ear is gluttonous and 1.p.11 insatiable when it is feasted on a marvelous tale. From this, it seems, also the poets upon

ἐπαναστρέφειν ὡς αὐτὸν προσέταξε τῷ παιδί. ληʹ. ᾿Αναίρεσις τῶν παίδων τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἀποσφαγὴ Μαυρικίου τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος. λθʹ. Περὶ τῆς διαθήκης Μαυρικίου τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος. μʹ. ῞Οπως τῶν βασιλέων τὰ σώματα τοῖς τῆς θαλάττης παρεδίδοντο κύμασιν. μαʹ. ᾿Επιτάφιος εἰς Μαυρίκιον τὸν αὐτοκράτορα. μβʹ. ῞Οπως ἀντιδόσεις τῶν πεπραγμένων δεινῶν αἱ ῾Ρωμαίων δυνάμεις ὑπὸ τῆς θείας προνοίας ἐλάμβανον. μγʹ. ᾿Αναίρεσις Θεοδοσίου τοῦ παιδὸς τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος καὶ Πέτρου καὶ Κομεντιόλου καὶ Κωνσταντίνου. μδʹ. Περὶ τῆς γεγονυίας πλάνης, ὡς Θεοδόσιος, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος, τὸν φόνον διέφυγεν. μεʹ. Περὶ τῆς δαιμονιώδους προαγορεύσεως τῆς γεγονυίας κατὰ τὴν ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν. μϛʹ. Περὶ τῶν γεγονότων παραδόξων ὑπὸ Εὐφημίας τῆς μάρτυρος. μζʹ. ῞Οπως ὁ τύραννος Κωνσταντίναν, τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ὁμόζυγον, ἅμα ταῖς θυγατράσιν ἐν ἰδιωτικῇ οἰκίᾳ ἐνέκλεισεν. μηʹ. Πρεσβεία τοῦ τυράννου πρὸς Χοσρόην, τὸν Περσῶν βασιλέα. μθʹ. Περὶ τῶν συμβεβηκότων Γερμανῷ τῷ στρατηγῷ. νʹ. ᾿Αναίρεσις ᾿Αλεξάνδρου τοῦ συννεωτερίσαντος τῷ τυράννῳ Φωκᾷ.

ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΗΣ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑΣ ΒΙΒΛΙΟΝ Αʹ 1.π.τ

[ΠΡΟΟΙΜΙΟΝ]

1.π.1 ῎Εδει μὴ μόνον τοῖς ἐκ φύσεως ἀγαθοῖς ἀλλὰ καὶ οἰκείοις εὑρήμασι κατακοσμεῖσθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον. ἔνεστι γὰρ λόγος αὐτῷ, χρῆμά τι θεῖον καὶ ἀξιάγαστον. τούτῳ καὶ θεὸν αἰδεῖσθαι καὶ σέβειν μεμάθηκε καὶ τὰ τῆς οἰκείας ἐνοπτρίζεσθαι φύσεως, καὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ διαπλάσεως τὴν σύν1.π.2 ταξιν οὐκ ἠγνόησεν. τοιγάρτοι λόγῳ καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς συννεύουσιν ἄνθρωποι ἐκ τῆς ἔξω περιωπῆς ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὸν νοῦν εἰσκυκλήσαντες, τά τε περὶ τῆς σφῶν αὐτῶν δημιουργίας 1.π.3 ἀνελίττουσιν ὄργια. πολλὰ μὲν οὖν οὗτος ἀγαθὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δεδώρηται καὶ συνέριθός ἐστι τῆς φύσεως ἄριστος. 1.π.4 ἃ γὰρ ἐκείνη διέλειπε λόγος τετελεσιούργηκε βέλτιστα, ἃ μὲν ἐς θέαν ἐγκαλλωπίσας, ἃ δ' ἐς γεῦσιν ἡδύνας, ἔνια πρὸς ἁφὴν τονώσας ἢ μαλακίσας, ἄλλα πρὸς ἀκοὴν μουσουργήσας, τῇ τῆς ἀπηχήσεως ἴυγγι κατακηλῶν τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ πρὸς 1.π.5 τὸ ἄκουσμα μεθελκόμενος. ἢ οὐχὶ καὶ τεχνῶν οὗτος σοφιστὴς πιθανώτατος; ἐξ ἐρίου μὲν εὐήτριον ἱστουργήσας χιτώνιον, ἐκ δὲ ξύλων γεωργοῖς μὲν τεκταινόμενος ἐχέτλην, πλωτῆρσί τε κώπην, τῷ τε στρατιώτῃ πέλτην καὶ γέρρον κινδύνων 1.π.6 πολεμικῶν ἀμυντήρια. ἀξιολογώτατόν τε πάντων, τὸ τῆς 1.π.6 ἱστορίας διέθετο πολυπειρότατον ἀκοῇ μὲν ἥδυσμα, τῇ δὲ ψυχῇ παιδευτήριον· οὐδὲν γὰρ ταῖς φιλοπευθέσι ψυχαῖς 1.π.7 ἔνεστιν ἱστορίας ἐπαγωγότερον. ἱκανὸν δέ τῳ τεκμηριῶσαι ῾Ομηρικῆς τι δέλτου διήγημα. ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Αλκινόου τοῦ βασιλέως αὐλὴν ὁ τοῦ Λαέρτου παῖς ἔναγχος ἐκ τοῦ θαλαττίου κλύδωνος ἐπὶ τὴν ἤπειρον ἐκβρασθεὶς ἐξενίζετο, καὶ πολλὴ ἀμφὶ τὸν 1.π.8 ᾿Οδυσσέα φιλοφροσύνη περιεκέχυτο. πρόχειρον γὰρ ἦν γυμνῷ καὶ τετρυχωμένῳ τὸ σῶμα συμφορᾷ ναυαγίας ἐσθῆτα λαμπρὰν ἐμπορπήσασθαι, ὑπῆν δ' αὐτῷ καὶ κοινὸν τῆς βασιλέως τραπέζης ἀξίωμα. καὶ οὖν τῷ ἐπήλυδι παρείχετο καὶ γλώττης 1.π. ἐλευθερία καὶ διηγημάτων ἐκθέσεως ἄδεια. τοὺς δὲ Φαίακας οὕτω τὰ τῆς ἱστορίας ἐνηύφραινεν ὡς χαίρειν εἰπόντας τῷ πότῳ θέατρον εἶναι δοκεῖν τὸ συμπόσιον καὶ διανιστᾶν τὰ ὦτα καὶ κεχηνέναι θεωμένους τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τῷ μήκει 1.π.10 μηδαμῶς τῆς διηγήσεως ἀποκναίεσθαι. καίτοι τὰ πολλὰ τῶν ἀφηγημάτων κατηφεῖς εἶχε τὰς ὄψεις· μεγίστων γὰρ κινδύνων ἐμπειρία περιέρρει τῇ συνουσίᾳ. λίχνον γὰρ ἀκοὴ καὶ 1.π.11 ἀκόρεστον, ἑστιωμένη λόγον παράδοξον. ἔνθεν ἄρα καὶ τοὺς ποιητὰς ἐπὶ