with easy proofs, he orders him to come out, and he came out, having overthrown a tyrant with his speech; and he immediately invited him to his table through the chamberlains, and, when he obeyed this (for he seemed to be well disposed toward an inclination for virtue), 6.5.8 he came to the feast. And he became his table-companion, and he so prevailed with his speech, that the Persian king came very near to changing his upright tiara and taking off his purple and jewel-studded ornaments, and putting on the coarse cloak of Eustathius; so great an attack did he make on fortune and bodily adornments, and to such a degree of wretchedness did he reduce those who love the body. 6.5.9 But the magi who were present prevented this, claiming that the man was a complete sorcerer, and persuading the king to reply to the emperor of the Romans: 6.5.10 why, when you are so fortunate in men of this kind, do you then send men who are in no way different from wealthy slaves? But everything concerning the embassy was beyond expectations. 6.6.1 Concerning this man, something of this sort also chanced to come into my history, how all of Greece prayed to see him 6.6.2 and asked the gods for his visit; and the oracles for those skilled in these things concurred in this. But when they were disappointed, for he did not visit, the Greeks sent an embassy to him, having chosen the most eminent in wisdom for the embassy. And their intention was to discuss with 6.6.3 the great Eustathius: why, given these signs, did the event not come to pass? And when he had heard, and was examining and testing those who were famous and much-hymned for these things, he asked about the size and the color and the shape of the signs, then, smiling at them as was his custom, when he heard what was real (for falsehood stands not only outside the divine chorus, but also outside of reason), he said, "But these signs did not prophesy this visit of mine." 6.6.4 And he uttered something beyond human, at least in my judgment; for he answered that "the signs that appeared were smaller and slower than my good qualities." 6.6.5 Thus this great Eustathius lived with Sosipatra, who, because of her superiority in wisdom, made her own husband appear to be of little account 6.6.6 and small. It is fitting to speak about her at greater length in the catalogues of wise men, so great was the fame of this woman that went abroad. For she was from that part of Asia around Ephesus, all the land that the river Cayster, flowing over and through it, gives its name to the plain. And she was of fortunate and blessed parents and family; and being still a little child, she made everything more blessed, so much 6.6.7 did beauty and modesty illuminate her youth. And she completed her fifth year; and at this time two old men (both past their prime, but one was older) carrying deep satchels, and with skins fastened on their backs, crowded towards a certain estate of Sosipatra's parents, and they persuaded the steward (and it was easy for them to do this) to entrust the care of the vineyards to them. 6.6.8 And when the harvest came contrary to expectation (and the master was present and the child Sosipatra was also present with him), the wonder was boundless and led to the suspicion 6.6.9 of some divine intervention; and the master of the estate made them his table-companions and deemed them worthy of much care, finding fault with his fellow husbandmen of the estate, because 6.6.10 they did not do the same things. But the old men, having received Hellenic hospitality and a place at the table, and being smitten and captivated by the extraordinary beauty and charm of the child Sosipatra, said, "But we, for our part, keep other matters secret and unspoken among ourselves, and this praised †goodwill† is a laugh, and a sort of game with disdain for our own 6.6.11 advantages. But if you wish something to be given to you by us in return for this table and this hospitality, not in money nor in perishable and corruptible favors, but as much as is beyond you
εὐκόλως ἀποδείξεων, ἐξελθεῖν μὲν αὐτὸν κελεύει, καὶ ὃς ἐξῄει λόγῳ συνῃρηκὼς τύραννον· ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τράπεζάν τε εὐθὺς διὰ τῶν θαλαμηπόλων εἰσεκάλει, καί, πρὸς τοῦτο ὑπακούσαντος (ἐῴκει γὰρ εὖ πεφυκέναι πρὸς ἀρετῆς ῥοπήν), 6.5.8 ἀπήντησεν ἐπὶ τὴν θοίνην. καὶ ὁμοτράπεζος ἐγένετο, καὶ κατεκράτει τῷ λόγῳ τοσοῦτον, ὥστε μικροῦ τινὸς ἐδέησε τὸν Περσῶν βασιλέα τήν τε ὀρθὴν μεταβαλεῖν τιάραν καὶ τοὺς περιπορφύρους καὶ λιθοκολλήτους ἀπολῦσαι κόσμους, καὶ τὸ τριβώνιον Εὐσταθίου μεταμφιάσασθαι· τοσαύτην τῆς τύχης ἐποιήσατο καταδρομὴν καὶ τῶν περὶ σῶμα κόσμων, καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτο κακοδαιμονίας τοὺς φιλοσωμά6.5.9 τους ἀνήγαγε. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ἐκώλυσαν οἱ παρατυχόντες τῶν μάγων, γόητα εἶναι τελείως τὸν ἄνδρα φάσκοντες, καὶ τὸν βασιλέα συμπείσαντες ἀποκρίνασθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ 6.5.10 Ῥωμαίων· τί δήποτε ἄνδρας εὐτυχοῦντες τοιούτους, εἶτα πέμπουσιν ἀνδραπόδων πλουτούντων οὐδὲν διαφέροντας; τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὴν πρεσβείαν ἅπαντα ἦν ὑπὲρ ἐλπίδας. 6.6.1 Περὶ τούτου γε τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ τοιοῦτόν τι ἐς τὴν ἐμὴν ἱστορίαν συνέπεσεν, ὡς ἅπασα μὲν ἡ Ἑλλὰς ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν 6.6.2 ηὔχοντο καὶ ᾔτουν τοὺς θεοὺς τὴν ἐπιδημίαν· καὶ αἵγε μαντεῖαι τοῖς περὶ ταῦτα δεινοῖς ἐς τοῦτο συνέβαινον. ὡς δὲ διημάρτανον, οὐ γὰρ ἐπεδήμει, πρεσβείαν παρ' αὐτὸν στέλλουσιν οἱ Ἕλληνες, τοὺς ἄκρους ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ κατὰ τὴν πρεσβείαν προελόμενοι. νοῦς δὲ ἦν αὐτοῖς διαλέγεσθαι πρὸς 6.6.3 τὸν μέγαν Εὐστάθιον· τί δήποτε ἐπὶ τοῖσδε τοῖς σημείοις τὸ ἔργον οὐκ ἀπήντησεν; ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας, καὶ τοὺς ὀνομαστοὺς ἐπ' ἐκείνοις καὶ πολυυμνήτους ἀναθεωρῶν καὶ διακρίνων ἐβασάνιζε, καὶ συνηρώτα τό τε μέγεθος καὶ τὴν χροιὰν καὶ τὸ σχῆμα τῶν σημείων, εἶτα μειδιάσας συνηθῶς πρὸς αὐτούς, ὡς ἤκουσε τὰ ὄντα (ψεῦδος γὰρ οὐ μόνον ἔξω θείου χοροῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγου ἵσταται), "ἀλλὰ ταῦτά γε" εἶπεν "τὴν ἐμὴν τήνδε ἐπιδημίαν οὐκ ἐμαντεύετο." 6.6.4 καί πού τι καὶ παρὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπειον κατά γε ἐμὴν ἐφθέγξατο κρίσιν· ἀπεκρίνατο γὰρ ὡς "μικρότερα ἦν καὶ βραδύτερα τῶν ἐμῶν καλῶν τὰ φανθέντα σημεῖα." 6.6.5 Οὕτως Εὐστάθιος ὁ τοσοῦτος Σωσιπάτρᾳ συνῴκησεν, ἣ τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν ἑουτῆς δι' ὑπεροχὴν σοφίας εὐτελῆ 6.6.6 τινὰ καὶ μικρὸν ἀπέδειξε. περὶ ταύτης δὲ ἐν ἀνδρῶν σοφῶν καταλόγοις καὶ διὰ μακροτέρων εἰπεῖν ἁρμόζει, τοσοῦτον κλέος τῆς γυναικὸς ἐξεφοίτησεν. καὶ ἦν γὰρ ἐκ τῆς περὶ Ἔφεσον Ἀσίας, ὅσην Κάϋστρος ποταμὸς ἐπιὼν καὶ διαρρέων γῆν τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τῷ πεδίῳ δίδωσι. πατέρων δὲ ἦν καὶ γένους εὐδαίμονός τε καὶ ὀλβίου· παιδίον δὲ ἔτι νήπιον οὖσα, ἅπαντα ἐποίει ὀλβιώτερα, τοσοῦτό 6.6.7 τι κάλλους καὶ αἰδοῦς τὴν ἡλικίαν κατέλαμπεν. καὶ ἡ μὲν εἰς πενταετῆ συνετέλει χρόνον· ἐν δὲ τούτῳ πρεσβῦται δύο τινές (ἄμφω μὲν τὴν ἀκμὴν παρήλλαττον, ὁ δὲ ἕτερος ἦν ἀφηλικέστερος) πήρας βαθείας ἔχοντες, καὶ δέρματα ἐπὶ τῶν νώτων ἐνημμένοι, πρός τι χωρίον συνωθοῦνται τῶν γονέων τῆς Σωσιπάτρας, καὶ τὸν ἐπιτροπεύοντα συμπείθουσιν (ῥᾴδιον δὲ ἦν αὐτοῖς τοῦτο ποιεῖν) ἀμπελίων ἐπι6.6.8 μέλειαν αὐτοῖς πιστεῦσαι. ὡς δὲ ὁ καρπὸς ἀπήντησε παρὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα (καὶ ὁ δεσπότης παρῆν καὶ τὸ παιδίον ἡ Σωσιπάτρα συμπαρῆν), τὸ μὲν θαῦμα ἄπειρον ἦν καὶ πρὸς 6.6.9 ὑπόνοιαν ἔφερε θειασμοῦ τινός· ὁ δὲ τοῦ χωρίου δεσπότης ὁμοτραπέζους αὐτοὺς ἐποιήσατο καὶ πολλῆς ἐπιμελείας ἠξίου, τοῖς συγγεωργοῦσι τὸ χωρίον καταμεμφόμενος, ὅτι 6.6.10 μὴ τὰ αὐτὰ πράττοιεν. οἱ δὲ πρεσβῦται ξενίας τε Ἑλληνικῆς καὶ τραπέζης τυχόντες, τοῦ δὲ παιδίου τῆς Σωσιπάτρας τῷ τε περιττῶς καλῷ καὶ λαμυρῷ δηχθέντες καὶ ἁλόντες, "ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς γε" ἔφασαν "τὰ μὲν ἄλλα κρύφια καὶ ἀπόρρητα πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἔχομεν, καὶ ταυτησὶ τῆς ἐπαινουμένης †εὐνοίας† ἐστὶ γέλως, καὶ παίγνιόν τι μετ' ὀλιγωρίας τῶν 6.6.11 παρ' ἡμῖν πλεονεκτημάτων. εἰ δέ τι βούλει σοι τῆς τραπέζης ταύτης καὶ τῶν ξενίων δοθῆναι παρ' ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐν χρήμασι οὐδὲ ἐν ἐπικήροις καὶ διεφθαρμέναις χάρισιν, ἀλλ' ὅσον ὑπὲρ σέ