11

having passed laws that all those freed in the churches with the priests as witnesses should be deemed worthy of Roman citizenship. Time even now bears the proof of this pious invention, as the custom prevails that the laws concerning this be publicly posted in the records of manumissions. Constantine indeed enacted such laws and in all things was zealous to honor the religion; and it was also glorious in itself on account of the virtue of those who then practiced it. For there were many other good Christians then, and with the persecutions having recently ceased, very many of the confessors still surviving in life adorned the churches, such as Hosius the bishop of Cordova, and Amphion of Epiphania in Cilicia, and Maximus who after Macarius was entrusted with the church of Jerusalem, and Paphnutius from Egypt, through whom they say the divinity worked very many miracles, both having power over demons and granting to him healings of various afflictions. This Paphnutius and the aforementioned Maximus were from among those confessors whom Maximinus had condemned to work in the mines, after gouging out their right eyes and cutting their left hamstrings. We have received that about this time there was also Spyridon, the bishop of Trimithus in Cyprus, to demonstrate whose virtue I think the report about him that still prevails is sufficient. Of the things done through him with divine aid, the local people, as is likely, know most, but I will not conceal what has come to us. For this man was a countryman, having a wife and children, but not on account of this was he worse in divine matters. They say that once wicked men came by night to his sheepfold and having attempted to steal, suddenly became bound though no one tied them; and that at daybreak he arrived and found them shackled and released them from the invisible bonds, but rebuked them because though it was possible to persuade and receive what they desired, they chose rather to steal and to suffer so much in the night. Nevertheless, taking pity on them, or rather, instructing them to be converted to a better life, "Go," he said, "taking this ram; for you have grown weary from staying awake, and it is necessary that you depart from my fold not complaining of your toils." One might reasonably marvel at this, but no less at that which follows. to his daughter, a virgin, Irene by name, one of his acquaintances entrusted something. And she, having received it, buried it at home, so that it might be kept carefully. But it happened that the girl died having said nothing, and the man came demanding the deposit. And as Spyridon did not know what he was talking about, and having searched nevertheless through the house and not having found it, he wept and tore his hair and was clearly about to die. But Spyridon, moved to pity, went to the tomb and called the girl by name. And when she answered, he asked about the deposit, and having learned, he returned and having found it where she had indicated, he gave it back to the man. Since I have been led to this point of the account, it is not out of place to add this also. It was the custom of this Spyridon to distribute some of the fruits that came to him to the poor, and to lend the rest without interest to those who wished. And neither when giving nor when receiving back did he provide or receive it himself, but only showing the storehouse he permitted those who came to take as much as they needed and to give back again as much as they knew they had taken. A certain person therefore, having borrowed in this manner, came as if to return it. But being permitted according to the custom to return by himself to the storehouse what had been borrowed, he looked toward injustice; and thinking to escape notice he did not return the debt, but withholding the repayment of what was owed, he departed as if he had paid it back. But in fact it was not going to be hidden for long. For after some time, the man again needed to borrow, and he sent him to the storehouse, giving him authority to measure out for himself as much as he wanted. But seeing the chamber empty, he informed Spyridon. But he to him

11

νόμους ψηφισάμενος πάντας τοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἐλευθερουμένους 1..7 ὑπὸ μάρτυσι τοῖς ἱερεῦσι πολιτείας ῾Ρωμαϊκῆς ἀξιοῦσθαι. ταύτης τῆς εὐσεβοῦς ἐφευρέσεως εἰσέτι νῦν ὁ χρόνος φέρει τὸν ἔλεγχον, ἔθους κρατοῦντος τοὺς περὶ τούτου νόμους προγράφεσθαι ἐν τοῖς γραμματείοις τῶν ἐλευθεριῶν. ὁ μὲν δὴ Κωνσταντῖνος τοιαῦτα ἐνομοθέτει καὶ διὰ πάντων ἐσπούδαζε τὴν θρησκείαν γεραίρειν· ἦν δὲ καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὴν εὐκλεὴς διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν τῶν· τότε μετιόντων αὐτήν. 1.10.1 ῎Αλλοι τε γὰρ πολλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ Χριστιανῶν ἦσαν τότε, ἔναγχός τε τῶν διωγμῶν πεπαυμένων εἰσέτι πλεῖστοι τῶν ὁμολογητῶν τῷ βίῳ περιόντες τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἐσέμνυνον, ὡς ὁ ῞Οσιος ὁ Κουρδούβης ἐπίσκοπος καὶ ᾿Αμφίων ὁ ᾿Επιφανείας τῆς Κιλίκων καὶ Μάξιμος ὁ μετὰ Μακάριον τὴν ῾Ιεροσολύμων ἐκκλησίαν ἐπιτραπεὶς καὶ Παφνούτιος ὁ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, δι' οὗ φασι πλεῖστα θαυματουργῆσαι τὸ θεῖον, δαιμόνων τε κρατεῖν καὶ ποικίλων παθημάτων 1.10.2 ἰάσεις αὐτῷ χαρισάμενον. ἐγένοντο δὲ Παφνούτιος οὗτος καὶ Μάξιμος ὁ δηλωθεὶς ἐξ ἐκείνων τῶν ὁμολογητῶν, οὓς Μαξιμῖνος ἐν τοῖς μετάλλοις ἐργάζεσθαι κατεδίκασε, τοὺς δεξιοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκκόψας ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ τὰς ἀριστερὰς ἀγκύλας ἀποτεμών. 1.11.1 Κατὰ τούτους δὲ γενέσθαι παρειλήφαμεν καὶ Σπυρίδωνα τὸν Τριμυθοῦντος τῆς Κύπρου ἐπίσκοπον, οὗ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπιδεῖξαι τὴν ἔτι κρατοῦσαν περὶ αὐτοῦ φήμην ἀρκεῖν ἡγοῦμαι. τῶν δὲ δι' αὐτοῦ σὺν θείᾳ ῥοπῇ γενομένων τὰ μὲν πλείω, ὥς γε εἰκός, οἱ ἐπιχώριοι ἴσασιν, ἐγὼ δὲ τὰ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐλθόντα οὐκ ἀποκρύψομαι. ἐγένετο γὰρ οὗτος ἄγροικος, γαμετὴν καὶ παῖδας ἔχων, 1.11.2 ἀλλ' οὐ παρὰ τοῦτο τὰ θεῖα χείρων. φασὶ δέ ποτε νύκτωρ ἐλθεῖν κακούργους ἄνδρας ἐπὶ τὴν αὐλὴν τῶν αὐτοῦ προβάτων καὶ κλέψαι ἐπιχειρήσαντας ἐξαπίνης γενέσθαι δεσμίους μηδενὸς δήσαντος· ἅμα δὲ ἡμέρᾳ παραγενόμενον αὐτὸν πεπεδημένους εὑρεῖν τούτους καὶ λῦσαι μὲν τῶν ἀοράτων δεσμῶν, μέμψασθαι δὲ ὅτι ἐξὸν πεῖσαι καὶ λαβεῖν, ἅ γε ἐπεθύμουν, κλέψαι μᾶλλον 1.11.3 εἵλοντο καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ τοσοῦτον ταλαιπωρῆσαι. ὅμως δ' οὖν αὐτοὺς ἐλεήσας, μᾶλλον δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἀμείνω βίον μετατεθῆναι παιδεύων «ἄπιτε», ἔφη, «τοῦτον τὸν κριὸν λαβόντες· κεκμήκατε γὰρ ἀγρυπνοῦντες, καὶ δεῖ ὑμᾶς μὴ μεμφομένους τοὺς πόνους ἐκ τῆς ἐμῆς αὐλῆς ἀπαλλάττεσθαι.» 1.11.4 Τοῦτο θαυμάσειε μὲν ἄν τις εἰκότως, οὐχ ἧττον δὲ κἀκεῖνο. θυγατρὶ αὐτοῦ παρθένῳ Εἰρήνῃ τοὔνομα παρέθετό τι τῶν γνωρίμων τις. ἡ δὲ λαβοῦσα κατώρυξεν οἴκοι, ὅπως ἐπιμελῶς φυλάττοιτο. συμβὰν δὲ τὴν κόρην τελευτῆσαι μηδὲν εἰποῦσαν, ἧκεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὴν παρακαταθήκην ἀπαιτῶν. ἀγνοοῦντος δὲ Σπυρίδωνος ὅ τι λέγοι, ἀναζητήσαντος δὲ ὅμως κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ μὴ εὑρόντος ἔκλαιε καὶ τὰς τρίχας ἔτιλλε καὶ θανατιῶν δῆλος ἦν. 1.11.5 κινηθεὶς δὲ πρὸς ἔλεον ὁ Σπυρίδων ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν τάφον καὶ ὀνομαστὶ τὴν παῖδα ἐκάλεσε. τῆς δὲ ἀποκριναμένης ἤρετο περὶ τῆς παρακαταθήκης, καὶ μαθὼν ἀνέστρεφε καὶ εὑρών, ᾗ ἐσήμανεν, ἀπέδωκε τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ. ᾿Επεὶ δὲ εἰς τοῦτο προήχθην λόγου, οὐκ ἄτοπον καὶ τοῦτο προσθεῖναι. 1.11.6 ἔθος ἦν τούτῳ τῷ Σπυρίδωνι τῶν γινομένων αὐτῷ καρπῶν τοὺς μὲν πτωχοῖς διανέμειν, τοὺς δὲ προῖκα δανείζειν τοῖς ἐθέλουσιν. οὔτε δὲ διδοὺς οὔτε ἀπολαμβάνων δι' ἑαυτοῦ παρεῖχεν ἢ ὑπεδέχετο, μόνον δὲ τὸ ταμιεῖον ἐπιδεικνὺς ἐπέτρεπε τοῖς προσιοῦσιν, ὅσου δέονται, κομίζεσθαι καὶ πάλιν ἀποδιδόναι, ὅσον ᾔδεσαν κομισάμενοι. δανεισάμενος οὖν τις τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἧκεν ὡς ἀποδώσων. ἐπιτραπεὶς δὲ κατὰ τὸ ἔθος αὐτὸς καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀποδοῦναι τῷ ταμιείῳ τὰ δεδανεισμένα, πρὸς ἀδικίαν εἶδε· καὶ νομίσας λανθάνειν οὐκ ἀπέδωκε τὸ χρέος, ἀλλ' ὑφελόμενος τοῦ ὀφλήματος τὴν ἀπόδοσιν, ὡς 1.11.7 ἀποτίσας ἀπῆλθε. τὸ δὲ ἄρα οὐκ ἤμελλεν ἐπὶ πολὺ λήσειν. μετὰ γάρ τινα χρόνον ὁ μὲν πάλιν ἐδεῖτο δανείζεσθαι, ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὸ ταμιεῖον ἀπέπεμπεν ἐξουσίαν δοὺς αὐτὸν ἑαυτῷ παραμετρεῖν ὅσον βούλεται. κενὸν δὲ τὸν οἶκον ἰδὼν ἐμήνυσε τῷ Σπυρίδωνι. ὁ δὲ πρὸς αὐτόν