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the nation that shone forth throughout the world, the royal priesthood, which grew with much labor and many toils, have you thus, in a short time and at a brief peak of opportunity, carried it and handed it over to the common murderer?

36. Perhaps, brothers, I seem to you to be impious and unreasonable in these words, and because I do not quickly follow the words of accusation with those of truth. And yet I have made a sufficient defense, even through the very things of which I have accused, if you pay any attention to the accusation; and only in this does the accusation find its pardon; for in speaking of his kindness, I revealed the defense. For who, even of those who knew him moderately, does not know that for the sake of piety and his affection for us, and his desire for every good for us, he would have overlooked not only that man, or the honor of his whole family, or an addition to the empire, but even the empire itself, and all his possessions, and his very soul, than which nothing is more precious to anyone, he would not have hesitated to exchange for our security and salvation? 35.564

37. For no ardent desire for anything ever assailed anyone as it did him for Christians to increase, and to advance to the greatest glory and power; and neither the subduing of nations, nor the good ordering of the commonwealth, nor the abundance of wealth, nor the excess of glory, nor being and being called king of kings, nor any of the other things by which men's happiness is recognized; none of all these things so gladdened him as that through him we, and through us he, should be well-pleasing both to God and to men, and that our power should remain for us indestructible for all time. For besides other things, he knew this clearly, thinking on these matters in a loftier and more kingly manner than the many, that with the affairs of the Christians the affairs of the Romans grew, and with the coming of Christ the empire entered, which had not before completely conquered to a monarchy; and for this reason it seemed to me he took more care in doing good to our affairs; who, even if he grieved us in anything, did so not out of contempt, nor insolence, nor by favoring others before us, but so that all might be one and of one mind he grieved us, and not be torn apart or divided by schisms.

38. But as I said, simplicity is unguarded, and benevolence is joined with what is unsound, and that which is free from evil is least suspicious of evil; for this reason the future was unknown, and the pretense was not detected, and impiety crept in little by little, and two kindnesses came together, that towards the pious family and that towards the most impious and godless of all men. Who, finding what fault with Christians, and having what of ours not to praise, and considering what dogma of the Greeks extraordinary and hard to move by reason, and following what sort of example, made himself most notorious for his impiety, and in a newer way vied with him who had appointed him? Since it was not possible to excel in virtue and in better things, striving to appear illustrious through the opposite, through immoderation in impiety, and ambition for what is worse. Such then is the defense of the man on behalf of Christians, and to Christians, and so just for those who have understanding. 35.565

39. But since there are some who, even if they release us from this charge, do not acquit us of another, but accuse us of folly, because he entrusted the rule to the most hostile and warlike man, and made the same man first an enemy, then powerful, who had previously laid the foundation of his enmity through the slaughter of his brother, and added power through the empire; it is necessary to discuss this briefly and to show that his benevolence was not entirely irrational, nor outside of kingly magnanimity and foresight; for I would be ashamed if, having received such honor from him, and having believed that he so excelled in piety, we should not plead his just cause;

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ταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκλάμψαν ἔθνος, τὸ βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, τὸ πολλῷ πόνῳ καὶ πολλοῖς ἱδρῶσι συν αυξηθὲν, οὕτως ἐν ὀλίγῳ καὶ ἀκμῇ βραχείᾳ καιροῦ τῷ κοινῷ παλαμναίῳ φέρων παρέδωκας;

Λςʹ. Ἴσως τι καὶ ἀσεβεῖν ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοὶ, φαίνομαι, καὶ ἀγνωμονεῖν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις, καὶ ὅτι μὴ ταχὺ τοῖς τῆς κατηγορίας ῥήμασιν ἐπάγω τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας. Καίτοι γε ἱκανῶς ἀπολελόγημαι, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν ὧν ἐγκέκληκα, εἴ τι τῇ κατηγορίᾳ τὸν νοῦν προσέχετε· κἀνταῦθα μόνον ἡ κατηγορία τὴν ἄφεσιν ἔχει· χρηστότητα γὰρ εἰπὼν, τὴν ἀπολογίαν ἐδήλωσα. Τίς γὰρ οὐκ οἶδε καὶ τῶν μετρίως ἐκεῖνον ἐπισταμένων, ὅτι ἕνεκα μὲν εὐσεβείας καὶ τοῦ περὶ ἡμᾶς φίλτρου, καὶ τοῦ βούλεσθαι πᾶν ἡμῖν ἀγαθὸν, μὴ ὅτι ἐκεῖνον παρεῖδεν ἂν, ἢ γένους ὅλου τιμὴν, ἢ προσθήκην τῆς βασιλείας, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς βασιλείας, καὶ πάντων τῶν ὄντων, καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς, ἧς οὐδὲν οὐδενὶ τιμιώτερον, τὴν ἡμετέ ραν ἀσφάλειάν τε καὶ σωτηρίαν οὐκ ἂν χαλεπῶς ἠλλάξατο; 35.564

ΛΖʹ. Οὐδενὶ γὰρ οὐδενὸς οὕτω πώποτε πράγματος ἔρως θερμὸς ἐνέσκηψεν, ὡς ἐκείνῳ Χριστιανοὺς αὐ ξηθῆναι, καὶ εἰς πλεῖστον καὶ δόξης προελθεῖν καὶ δυνάμεως· καὶ οὔτε ἔθνη χειρούμενα, οὔτε τὸ κοινὸν εὐνομούμενον, οὐ πλῆθος χρημάτων, οὐ δόξης περιουσία, οὐ τὸ βασιλέα βασιλέων καὶ εἶναι καὶ ὀνομάζεσθαι, οὐχ ὅσοις ἄλλοις ἀνθρώπων εὐδαιμονία γνωρίζεται· οὐδὲν οὕτω τῶν πάντων ἐκεῖνον ηὔφραινεν, ὡς τὸ δι' ἑαυτοῦ μὲν ἡμᾶς, διὰ δὲ ἡμῶν ἐκεῖνον, καὶ παρὰ Θεῷ καὶ ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκιμεῖν, καὶ ἀκα τάλυτον ἡμῖν εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον παραμεῖναι τὴν δυναστείαν· καὶ γὰρ πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐκεῖνο ᾔδει σαφῶς, ὑψηλότερόν τε καὶ βασιλικώτερον ἢ κατὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς περὶ τούτων διανοούμενος, ὅτι τοῖς Χριστιανῶν πράγμασι τὰ Ῥωμαίων συνηύξησε, καὶ συνεισῆλθε τῇ ἐπιδημίᾳ Χριστοῦ τὸ κράτος, οὔπω πρότερον τελείως εἰς μοναρχίαν νενικηκός· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πλέον ἐδόκει μοι περιέπειν εὖ ποιῶν τὰ ἡμέτερα· ὅς γε, καὶ εἴ τι παρελύπησεν ἡμᾶς, οὐ περιφρονῶν, οὐδὲ ὑβρίζων, οὐδὲ ἄλλοις τισὶ πρὸ ἡμῶν χαριζόμενος, ἀλλ' ὥστε πάντας ἒν εἶναι, καὶ συμφρονεῖν παρελύπησε, καὶ μὴ διακεκόφθαι, μηδὲ διεστάναι τοῖς σχίσμασιν.

ΛΗʹ. Ἀλλ' ὅπερ εἶπον, ἀφύλακτον ἡ ἁπλότης, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ σαθροῦ τὸ φιλάνθρωπον, καὶ ἥκιστα κακίαν ὑφορᾶται τὸ κακίας ἐλεύθερον· διὰ τοῦτο ἠγνοήθη τὸ μέλλον, καὶ τὸ πλάσμα οὐκ ἐφω ράθη, καὶ παρεισῆλθε κατὰ μικρὸν ἡ ἀσέβεια, καὶ δύο χρηστότητες συνεισῆλθον ἀλλήλαις, ἥ τε περὶ τὸ εὐσεβὲς γένος καὶ τὸν ἀσεβέστατον πάντων καὶ ἀθεώτατον. Ὃς, τί μεμφόμενος Χριστιανοῖς, τί δὲ οὐκ ἐπαινεῖν ἔχων τῶν ἡμετέρων, τί δὲ τῶν παρ' Ἕλλησι δογμάτων ὑπερφυὲς νομίσας, καὶ δυσκίνητον λόγῳ, ποίῳ δὲ καὶ ἀκολουθῶν ὑποδείγμα τι, γνωριμώτατον ἑαυτὸν ἐξ ἀσεβείας κατέστη σε, καὶ καινότερον τρόπον ἡμιλλήθη τῷ ἀναδείξαντι; Ἐπειδή γε ὑπερβάλλειν οὐκ ἦν ἀρετῇ καὶ τοῖς κρείττοσι, διὰ τοῦ ἐναντίου φανῆναι φιλονεικήσας τῆς εἰς δυσσέβειαν ἀμετρίας, καὶ τῆς περὶ τὸ χεῖρον φιλοτιμίας. Ἡ μὲν οὖν ὑπὲρ Χριστιανῶν τοῦ ἀν δρὸς, καὶ πρὸς Χριστιανοὺς ἀπολογία τοιαύτη, καὶ οὕτω δικαία τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσιν. 35.565

ΛΘʹ. Ἐπεὶ δέ εἰσί τινες, οἳ, κἂν ταύτης ἡμᾶς ἀπολύσωσι τῆς αἰτίας, ἑτέρας οὐκ ἀφιέντες, ἀλλὰ κατηγοροῦντες εὐήθειαν, ὅτι τῷ δυσμενεστάτῳ καὶ πολεμιωτάτῳ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐνεχείρισε, καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐχθρὸν πρότερον, εἶτα ἰσχυρὸν κατεσκεύασε, τὴν μὲν ἔχθραν διὰ τῆς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σφαγῆς προκαταβαλόμε νον, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν διὰ τῆς βασιλείας προσθείς· ἀναγκαῖον καὶ περὶ τούτου βραχέα διεξελθεῖν καὶ δεῖξαι μὴ παντάπασιν ἄλογον τὸ φιλάνθρωπον, μηδὲ ἔξω τῆς βασιλικῆς μεγαλονοίας καὶ προμη θείας· καὶ γὰρ ἂν αἰσχυνοίμην, εἰ, τοιαύτης παρ' αὐτοῦ τυχόντες τιμῆς, καὶ τοσοῦτον αὐτὸν εὐσεβείᾳ διαφέ ρειν πεπιστευκότες, μὴ τὰ δίκαια συνηγορήσαι μεν·