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entrusted. One of these, therefore, from the people, to whom the multitude appeared 35.1116 infinite, and like a sea not bounded by the eyes, is said to have spoken to one of his own companions and friends, as is wont to happen in such circumstances: “Tell me, my good sir; have you ever before seen a crowd so great and so animated, poured out in honor of one man?” “No,” the young man is said to have replied; “but it seems to me, not even Constantius himself would receive such an honor;” as if the highest degree of honor were signified through the emperor. And the other, laughing very wittily and pleasantly; “What is this you have said,” he said, “as if saying something great and wonderful? I think scarcely even Athanasius the Great would be thus brought in;” and at the same time he added a certain local oath for the confirmation of his statement. But his statement meant, as I think is clear to you also, to place the one now being praised even before the emperor himself.

29. So great was the reverence for this man among all; and so great the astonishment at the entrance now being remembered. For having been divided according to tribes, and ages, and trades, (for this city especially loves to arrange itself so, whenever they bestow a public honor on someone; how could I represent in words that great spectacle?) they were one river, and it was a poet's task indeed to speak of the Nile, the truly gold-flowing and fruitful, flowing backwards from the city to Chaereu, a day's journey I think, and beyond. Allow me to delight a little longer in the narrative. For I am going there, and it is not easy for my account to be drawn away from that ceremony. A colt was carrying him (and do not blame me for my presumption), as that colt almost carried my Jesus (whether the people from the Gentiles, on which he rides doing good, being loosed from the bonds of ignorance, or whether the account wishes to signify something else); and branches receive him, 35.1117 and spreads of many-colored and various garments cast before and under him; here alone the high and costly was dishonored, and did not have its equal. This too is an image of the advent of Christ, and those crying out before, and those dancing before; except that it was not only a crowd of children acclaiming, but also every tongue in harmony and rivalry, eager to surpass one another. For I pass over the public applause, and the pouring out of perfumes, and the all-night festivals, and the whole city gleaming with light, and the public and private feasts, and all the ways cities show their joy; which were then bestowed on him with exaggeration, and beyond what was likely. Thus did that wonderful man take possession of his own city, and with such a festival.

30. Did he then live, as is fitting for those who will preside over so great a people? Did he teach, but not as he had lived? Did he contend, but not as he had taught? Did he risk less than some of those who had contended for the Word? Was he honored less than he had contended for? Did he disgrace any aspect of his entrance after the entrance? By no means. But all things followed one another, as on one lyre, and of the same harmony: his life, his word, his contests, his dangers, the events of his return, the events after his return. For at once he takes possession of the Church, and does not suffer the same thing as those who are blinded by immoderate anger, and whatever comes their way, this they first thrust aside or strike, even if it happens to be something worthy of forbearance, while their wrath holds sway. But considering this to be for him the best opportunity for winning approval (since the one suffering evil is always more moderate; while the one with the power to retaliate is less restrained), he handles the affairs of those who had grieved him so gently and mildly, that not even to them, if it is possible to say this, did the man's return become unpleasant.

31. He purges the sanctuary of the god-traffickers, and Christ-merchants, so that in this too he might imitate Christ; except that he does this not with a woven scourge, but with persuasive speech; and he reconciles the factious party both towards itself and him, 35.1120

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ἐγχει ρισθεῖσα. Τούτων οὖν τινα τοῦ δήμου, ᾧ φανῆ 35.1116 ναι τὸ πλῆθος ἄπειρον, καὶ οἷόν τι πέλαγος οὐχ ὁρί ζον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, πρός τινα λέγεται τῶν ἑαυ τοῦ συνήθων καὶ φίλων, ὃ φιλεῖ συμβαίνειν ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις, εἰπεῖν· «Εἰπέ μοι, ὦ βέλτιστε· Ἤδη ποτὲ τεθέασαι δῆμον τοσοῦτον καὶ οὕτως ἔμψυχον, ἐφ' ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου τιμῇ χυθέντα; -Οὒ,» φάναι τὸν νεανίαν· «ἀλλ' ἐμοὶ μὲν δόξαι, μηδ' ἂν αὐτὸς ταύτης τυχεῖν Κωνστάντιος·» ὡς τοῦ ἀκροτά του τῆς τιμῆς δηλουμένου διὰ τοῦ βασιλέως. Καὶ τὸν γελάσαντα μάλα κομψὸν καὶ ἡδύ· «Τί τοῦτο ἔφης,» εἰπεῖν, «ὡς δή τι λέγων μέγα καὶ θαυμαστόν; Μόλις ἂν οἶμαι καὶ Ἀθανάσιον οὕτως εἰσαχθῆναι τὸν μέγαν·» καὶ ἅμα ὅρκον τινὰ προσθεῖναι τῶν ἐπιχωρίων εἰς τὴν τοῦ λόγου βεβαίωσιν. Ἐβού λετο δὲ ὁ λόγος αὐτῷ, ὃ καὶ ὑμῖν οἶμαι δῆλον, καὶ βασιλέως αὐτοῦ ἔμπροσθεν ἄγειν τὸν νῦν εὐφημού μενον.

ΚΘʹ. Τοσοῦτον ἦν παρὰ πᾶσι τὸ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τούτου σέβας· καὶ τοσαύτη τῆς μνημονευομένης εἰσ όδου νῦν ἡ κατάπληξις. Κατὰ γὰρ γένη, καὶ ἡλικίας, καὶ τέχνας διαιρεθέντες, (φιλοῦσι γὰρ μάλιστα ἡ πόλις αὕτη οὕτω διασκευάζεσθαι, ὅταν τινὶ πλέκωσι τιμὴν δημοσίαν· πῶς ἂν παραστήσαιμι τῷ λόγῳ τὸ μέγα ἐκεῖνο θέαμα;) ποταμὸς ἦσαν εἷς, ποιητοῦ δὲ ἦν ἄρα καὶ τὸν Νεῖλον εἰπεῖν, τὸν χρυσοῤῥόαν ὄντως καὶ εὔσταχυν, ἔμπαλιν ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ἐπὶ τὴν Χαιρέου ῥέοντα, ἡμερησίαν ὁδὸν οἶμαι, καὶ πε ραιτέρω. ∆ότε μοι μικρὸν ἔτι ἐντρυφῆσαι τῷ διηγή ματι. Ἐκεῖσε γὰρ εἶμι, καὶ οὐδὲ ἀπαχθῆναι τὸν λόγον τῆς τελετῆς ἐκείνης ῥᾴδιον. Πῶλος μὲν ἦγεν αὐτὸν (καὶ μή μοι τῆς ἀπονοίας μέμψησθε), ὡς μι κροῦ τὸν ἐμὸν Ἰησοῦν ὁ πῶλος ἐκεῖνος (εἴτ' οὖν ὁ ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαὸς, ὃν εὖ ποιῶν ἐπιβαίνει, τῶν τῆς ἀγνοίας δεσμῶν λυόμενον, εἴτε τι ἄλλο βούλεται πα ραδηλοῦν ὁ λόγος)· κλάδοι δὲ αὐτὸν ὑποδέχονται, 35.1117 καὶ στρώσεις ἱματίων πολυανθῶν καὶ ποικίλων προῤ ῥιπτουμένων τε καὶ ὑποῤῥιπτουμένων· ἐνταῦθα μό νον ἀτιμασθέντος τοῦ ὑψηλοῦ καὶ πολυτελοῦς, καὶ τὸ ἴσον μὴ ἔχοντος. Εἰκὼν καὶ αὕτη τῆς ἐπιδημίας Χρι στοῦ, καὶ οἱ προβοῶντες, καὶ οἱ προχορεύοντες· πλὴν ὅσον οὐ παίδων ὅμιλος μόνον τὸ εὐφημοῦν ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα σύμφωνος καὶ ἀντίθετος, νικᾷν ἀλλήλους ἐπειγομένων. Ἐῶ γὰρ λέγειν κρό τους πανδήμους, καὶ μύρων ἐκχύσεις, καὶ παννυχί δας, καὶ πᾶσαν φωτὶ καταστραπτομένην τὴν πόλιν, καὶ δημοσίας ἑστιάσεις καὶ οἰκιδίας, καὶ ὅσοις αἱ πόλεις τὸ φαιδρὸν ἐπισημαίνουσιν· ἃ τότε μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἐκείνῳ, καὶ παρὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἐχαρίζοντο. Οὕτω τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πόλιν ὁ θαυμάσιος ἐκεῖνος, καὶ μετὰ τοιαύτης καταλαμβάνει τῆς πανηγύρεως.

Λʹ. Ἆρ' οὖν ἐβίω μὲν, ὥσπερ εἰκὸς τοὺς λαοῦ τοσούτου προστησομένους; ἐδίδαξε δὲ, οὐχ ὡς βε βίωκεν; ἠγώνισται δὲ, οὐχ ὡς ἐδίδαξεν; ἐκινδύνευσε δὲ τῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ λόγου τινὸς ἠγωνισμένων ἐλάττω; τετίμηται δὲ ὧν ἠγώνισται μεῖον; κατῄσχυνε δέ τι τῶν τῆς εἰσόδου μετὰ τὴν εἴσοδον; Οὐδαμῶς. Πάντα δὲ ἀλλήλων ἐχόμενα, ὥσπερ ἐν λύρᾳ μιᾷ, καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἁρμονίας, ὁ βίος, ὁ λόγος, οἱ ἀγῶνες, οἱ κίν δυνοι, τὰ τῆς ἐπανόδου, τὰ μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον. Ὁμοῦ τε γὰρ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν καταλαμβάνει, καὶ οὐ πάσχει ταυτὸν τοῖς δι' ἀμετρίαν ὀργῆς τυφλώττουσι, καὶ ὅ τι ἂν παραπέσῃ, τοῦτο πρῶτον περιωθοῦσιν ἢ παίουσι, κἄν τι τῶν φειδοῦς ἀξίων ὂν τύχοι, τοῦ θυμοῦ δυναστεύοντος. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτον μάλιστα εὐδοκιμήσεως αὐτῷ καιρὸν εἶναι νομίσας (ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὲν πάσχον κακῶς, ἀεὶ μετριώτερον· τὸ δὲ ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ τοῦ ἀντιδρᾷν, ἀκρατέστερον), οὕτω πράως καὶ ἠπίως τὰ τῶν λελυπηκότων μεταχειρίζεται, ὡς μηδὲ αὐτοῖς ἐκείνοις, εἰ οἷόν τε τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, ἀηδῆ γενέσθαι τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὴν ἐπάνοδον.

ΛΑʹ. Καθαίρει μέν γε τὸ ἱερὸν τῶν θεοκαπή λων, καὶ χριστεμπόρων, ἵνα καὶ τοῦτο τῶν Χριστοῦ μιμήσηται· πλὴν ὅσον οὐ φραγελλίῳ πλεκτῷ, λόγῳ δὲ πιθανῷ τοῦτο ἐργάζεται· καταλλάττει δὲ τὸ στα 35.1120 σιάζον πρός τε αὑτὸ καὶ ἑαυτὸ,