in the interval between the armies, and each one of us easily looked toward the false battlements of the ravines, in which the multitude of poured-out barbarians were densely turning about without moving. But they were flowing apart in such a storm of cares like the waves, which, driven by their own sallies, some rise to the height from the depth, while others fall forward and again are hollowed out; so those disordered battalions surging among the waterless rocks, some rose to the height from the depth, while others, falling to the very lowest limits, caused dense confusions. Thus each one was senselessly unfortunate, and the one falling forward was only an object of envy; for among them everyone was judged fortunate who was found quicker to die. But for us there was all calm and grace, and delight rather than fear came upon us; and everyone stretched out his hands with his heart to the God of creations on high and prayed fervently for the general. For all those who previously could not even bear to see Persian dust did not even then take down their tents, but each one left what shelter he had just as it had been pitched; but fear shook all the barbarians, so that then no one unloaded a burden from an animal, nor indeed did anyone fill his stomach with food, nor did anyone, bending his knee, make his labors light, but casting themselves into by-ways and wandering paths, they judged in fear that flight was salvation. Thus, by measuring these many and strange signs against the times that had passed, he made the generalship out to be divine. For who hoped that the most difficult to fight race of the Persians would turn their backs to the Roman sword? Who in such mighty waves of misfortunes hoped to find also calm in their midst? Who, in such a scarcity of necessities, persuaded the cities to share their food, unless the Balancer of all things had, through you, again driven the avengers far from our neighboring sojourn? But as the barbarians, mixed in such confusion, had already renounced the battle, you indeed, most excellent one—for you wished to remain, your thoughts being inflamed for labors—, you devised many reasonable pretexts, wishing to be with the army and run with it; but since even the western nations held an implacable suspicion from custom, and again, as new cares were stirred up, the City needed your presence, and your army begged you greatly, both wanting and weeping, to do this as was necessary—for it hastened to sympathize with the City and it reckoned being deprived of you a loss—it persuades for the future. For not so easily does another prepare to take something pleasant, as you more quickly prepare yourself for labors. And just as is the manner of a faithful chief shepherd, who, looking upon his flock surrounded by wicked and ravenous beasts, is at a loss as to where he should turn for the fight, yet still he toils, running about everywhere, if somehow he might snatch the flock from them, so you are at a loss as you look upon the faithful race of the rational flock each time it is surrounded by the faithless beasts, yet still you toil and run about always, from there and from here, laboring everywhere, striking, pursuing, running out, returning, if somehow by offering yourself as a ransom you might free the flock from bloodshed.

Wherefore, having arranged all things in a prudent manner and having joined the army to the general and having given the hopes for them to God, you run again swiftly to your City itself, having done and accomplished so many things. For you did not accomplish the struggles of the battle alone, but you also set your soul aright even more; for you yourself, often recounting to us the measure of your life, made it clear that "having lived for so long a time in indolence, I have lived these days for God." And this is clear; for it is not fitting to cover the truth with a veil of falsehood. For now the mysteries of the Persian error come forth naked; now the many-headed error of the hidden hydra among them deigns to stretch forth one neck, which now seeing, we greatly marvel that it has met a Heracles and has been saved. And I think, you will soon see it captive

ἐν τῇ μεταξὺ τῶν στρατῶν διαστάσει, καὶ πᾶς τις ἡμῶν εὐκόλως ἀπέβλεπε πρὸς τὰς ἐπάλξεις τῶν φαράγγων τὰς νόθους, ἐν αἷς τὸ πλῆθος ἐκχυθέντων βαρβάρων πυκνῶς ἐνεστρέφοντο μὴ κινούμενοι. ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ἦσαν ἐν τοσαύτῃ φροντίδων ζάλῃ διαρρέοντες ὡς τὰ κύματα, ἃ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἐκδρομαῖς ὠθούμενα τὰ μὲν πρὸς ὕψος ἐκ βάθους ἀνέρχεται, τὰ δὲ προπίπτει καὶ πάλιν κοιλαίνεται· οὕτως ἐκείνων τῶν ἀτάκτων ταγμάτων ἐν τοῖς ἀνύδροις κυματουμένων λίθοις, τὰ μὲν πρὸς ὕψος ἐκ βάθους ἀνήρχετο, τὰ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὰ τῶν κάτω τὰ τέρματα πίπτοντα πυκνὰς συγχύσεις εἰργάζετο. οὕτως ἕκαστος ἀφρόνως ἐδυστύχει, ὁ δὲ προπίπτων ἦν ἐπίφθονος μόνον· πᾶς γὰρ παρ' αὐτοῖς εὐτυχὴς ἐκρίνετο ὃς πρὸς τὸ θνῄσκειν εὑρέθη τομώτερος. ἡμῖν δὲ πᾶσα καὶ γαλήνη καὶ χάρις, τέρψις δὲ μᾶλλον ἢ φόβος προσήρχετο· καὶ πᾶς πρὸς ὕψος τῷ Θεῷ τῶν κτισμάτων τὰς χεῖρας ἐξέτεινε σὺν τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ τῷ στρατηγῷ συντόνως ἐπηύχετο. πάντες γὰρ οἱ πρὶν μηδὲ Περσικὴν κόνιν ἰδεῖν στέγοντες οὐδὲ τὰς σκηνὰς τότε καθεῖλον, ἀλλ' ἕκαστος ἣν εἶχε σκέπην οὕτως ἀφῆκεν ὥσπερ ἦν πεπηγμένη· τοὺς βαρβάρους δὲ πάντας ἐκλόνει φόβος, ἐντεῦθεν οὔτε φόρτον ἐκ κτήνους τότε καθεῖλεν οὐδείς, οὔτε μὴν τὴν γαστέρα τροφῆς ἀνεπλήρωσεν, οὔτε τις γόνυ κλίνας ἐλαφροὺς τοὺς πόνους εἰργάζετο, ἀλλ' εἰς παρεξόδους τε καὶ πλανωμένας τρίβους ἑαυτοὺς ἐμβαλόντες ἐν φόβῳ ἔκριναν εἶναι τὴν φυγὴν σωτηρίαν. οὕτω τὰ πολλὰ καὶ ξένα γνωρίσματα πρὸς τοὺς φθάσαντας ἀντιμετρήσας χρόνους θείαν ἀπηκρίβωσε τὴν στρατηγίαν. τίς γὰρ τὸ Περσῶν δυσμαχώτατον γένος ἤλπιζε δοῦναι νῶτα Ῥωμαίων ξίφει; τίς ἐν τοσαύταις συμφορῶν τρικυμίαις ἤλπιζεν εὑρεῖν καὶ γαλήνην ἐν μέσῳ; τίς ἐν τοσαύτῃ τῶν ἀναγκαίων σπάνει τροφῆς μετασχεῖν τὰς πόλεις ἐπείθετο, εἰ μὴ δι' ὑμῶν τοὺς ἀλάστορας πάλιν ἐκ τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς γείτονος παροικίας μακρὰν ὁ πάντων ἤλασε Ζυγοστάτης; ἀλλ' ὡς τοσαύτῃ συγχύσει μεμιγμένοι ἀπεῖπον ἤδη τὴν μάχην οἱ βάρβαροι, σὺ μέν, κράτιστεκαὶ γὰρ ἤθελες μένειν τῶν σῶν λογισμῶν πρὸς πόνους πυρουμένων, πολλὰς ἀφορμὰς εὐλόγους ἀνεπλάσω θέλων συνεῖναι τῷ στρατῷ καὶ συντρέχειν· ἐπεὶ δὲ καὐτὰ τὰ πρὸς ἑσπέραν γένη ἄσπονδον εἶχεν ἐξ ἔθους ὑποψίαν, αὖθίς τε καινῶν φροντίδων κινουμένων τῆς σῆς ἔχρῃζεν ἡ Πόλις παρουσίας, ὁ δὲ στρατός σου τοῦτο πράττειν εἰς δέον ἐδεῖτο πολλὰ καὶ θέλων καὶ δακρύων καὶ τῇ Πόλει γὰρ συμπαθεῖν ἠπείγετο καὶ σοῦ στερεῖσθαι ζημίαν ὡρίζετο, πείθει τὸ λοιπόν· οὐ γὰρ οὕτως εὐκόλως λαβεῖν τι τερπνὸν ἄλλος εὐτρεπίζεται, ὡς θᾶττον αὐτὸς εὐτρεπίζῃ πρὸς πόνους. οἷος δὲ πιστὸς ἀρχιποίμενος τρόπος ἐκ τῶν πονηρῶν ἁρπάγων τε θηρίων κυκλωθὲν αὑτοῦ προσβλέπων τὸ ποίμνιον ἀμηχανεῖ μὲν πῇ τραπῇ πρὸς τὴν μάχην, ὅμως δὲ κάμνει πανταχοῦ διατρέχων, εἴ πως παρ' αὐτῶν ἁρπάσοι τὸ ποίμνιον, οὕτω τὸ πιστὸν τῆς λογικῆς ποίμνης γένος ἀμηχανεῖς μὲν προσβλέπων ἑκάστοτε ἐκ τῶν ἀπίστων θηρίων κυκλούμενον, ὅμως δὲ κάμνεις καὶ περιτρέχεις ἀεὶ ἐκεῖθεν ἔνθεν πανταχοῦ πονούμενος, βάλλων, διώκων, ἐκτρέχων, ὑποστρέφων, εἴ πως ἑαυτὸν ἀντίλυτρον εἰσάγων ἐλευθερώσεις αἱμάτων τὸ ποίμνιον.

ὅθεν τυπώσας πάντα σώφρονι τρόπῳ καὶ τῷ στρατηγῷ τὸν στρατὸν συναρμόσας καὶ τῷ Θεῷ δοὺς τὰς ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἐλπίδας, πάλιν πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν Πόλιν σου συντόνως τοσαῦτα πράξας καὶ κατορθώσας τρέχεις. οὐ γὰρ μονήρεις τοὺς ἀγῶνας τῆς μάχης, ψυχὴν δὲ τὴν σὴν συγκατώρθωσας πλέον· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐξαριθμῶν πολλάκις τοῦ σοῦ βίου τὸ μέτρον, ἐτράνους ὅτι «βιοὺς χρόνον τοσοῦτον ἐν ῥαθυμίᾳ ἔζησα ταύτας τῷ Θεῷ τὰς ἡμέρας». καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον· οὐδὲ γὰρ καλύμματι ψεύδους προσήκει τὴν ἀλήθειαν σκέπειν. νῦν γὰρ τὰ Περσῶν τῆς πλάνης μυστήρια γυμνὰ πρόεισιν· ἄρτι τῆς κεκρυμμένης ὕδρας παρ' αὐτοῖς ἡ πολυκέφαλος πλάνη ἕνα προτείνειν ἀξιοῖ τὸν αὐχένα, ὃν νῦν βλέποντες εἰς ἄγαν θαυμάζομεν Ἡρακλέος τυχόντα καὶ σεσωσμένον. οἶμαι δέ, καὐτὸν αἰχμάλωτον ἐν τάχει ὄψει