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having held such a great city as nothing, he resolved neither to come himself nor to send any of his men to assist us, surrounded as we were by such a great disaster, but having misled us all with the expectation that he would always be present until the last day of the war, he secretly brought to completion the plot against us and laughed loudly and cleverly at the destruction by which we were constrained. 21.1 And so, being deceived in our hope of help from our Sclavenian allies, although we ourselves were not few in number, but fulfilling the need with a great multitude and greatly surpassing the army of the barbarians, nevertheless, the fact that we had no experience of war, nor had we any prior training in this matter, made their assault something fearful and full of terror. 21.2 And besides, the fact that we had not managed to find any defense for this appeared evil to us. 21.3 And to resort to flight was for the time being grievous; for if we turned aside, the city was destined to be captured and the ornament of gold and silver and other useful material to be taken away from the aforementioned venerable houses, or even the all-holy houses themselves to be burnt down. 21.4 And at the same time, while avoiding the harm from the barbarians, we had no way to escape the indignation of the emperor against us. 21.5 But these things were tolerable and connected with complete safety, even if only the mention of such things, to those who have not yet had the experience of evil, is harder than any death; 21.6 for the populace to proceed to such an affair, being accustomed to nothing other than pursuing a delicate and luxurious life and not yet trained in the contests of war, created ecstasy and horror in us. 22.1 Nevertheless, wrestling in our minds with one of these options, so we passed the succeeding days. 22.2 And what alone is left for those in despair, this we also now hastened to do, calling upon the ineffable mercies of divine compassion and the intercessions of the saints. 22.3 For having occupied the aforementioned most magnificent house of the all-glorious martyr Demetrios, all of us who inhabited the city and all who were strangers from abroad, every rank and age, and forming choirs of lamentation, we were crying out to the martyr to become our protector against the expected threat of the barbarians, 22.4 saying, “You have shown, O noble martyr, the warmth of your help in many dangers that have often come upon your city, and you have scattered every plot of the enemy, and you have kept it untouched by all destruction. 22.5 Show now also, most compassionate one, your immeasurable care for us, and let not barbarian and foreign nations, who know not God, boast against us; 22.6 nor allow this house of yours, which the whole inhabited world possesses as a common hospital and refuge, to be profaned by accursed and godless men, who mock our faith and despise our worship, and bring against us this sole charge of godliness, and threaten an untimely and destructive death. 22.7 For even if we are worthy of countless punishments for the sins we have committed on earth, and have become liable to this approaching catastrophe. 22.8 But we have known no other God but the one who crowned you, for whom you also completed your divine contests, whom you also supremely glorified by the imitation of his passion, from whom you also received the grace of many miracles, and you have given us a strong wall and unshaken support, by always making supplications to him on our behalf and asking for us what is expedient. 22.9 Look therefore now also upon the despair and helplessness of this people, and having heard our prayer, stand with bold intercession for us, your servants, and snatch us from the expected turmoil, so that the children of the handmaiden Hagar may not boast against us, nor say, ‘Where is their protector?’ 22.10 For you yourself see, most gracious one, that we have not put our trust in spears or in shields, but we have committed everything to your powerful intercession, of your providence once again

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τοσαύτης πόλεως εἰς μηδὲν θέμενος οὔτε αὐτὸν δι' ἑαυτοῦ οὔτε τινὰ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτὸν ὄντων ἐλθεῖν καὶ συνεπαμῦναι τοσαύτῃ συμφορᾷ περιστοιχηθεῖσιν ἡμῖν ἐβουλεύσατο, ἀλλὰ τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τοῦ ἀεὶ παρεῖναι μέχρι τῆς ἐσχάτης ἡμέρας τοῦ πολέμου πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀποπλανήσας, ἔλαθε συμπεράνας τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν ἐπιβουλὴν καὶ τῷ ὀλέθρῳ μέγα καὶ κομψὸν ἐγγελάσας, ᾧ συνεσχέθημεν. 21.1 Οὕτω δὲ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν συμμάχων Σκλαβήνων ἀποβουκοληθέντες ἐλπίδος, καίτοι οὐδ' ἡμεῖς ὄντες εὐαρίθμητοι, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πλήθει τὴν χρείαν ἀποπληροῦντες καὶ λίαν τὴν τῶν βαρβάρων καθυπερβαίνοντες στρατιάν, ὅμως τὸ μηδεμίαν πεῖραν πολέμου ἐνυπάρχειν ἡμῖν μηδὲ προαποκειμένην ἔχειν τὴν περὶ τούτου μελέτην φοβεράν τινα καὶ ἐκπλήξεως γέμουσαν τὴν ἔφοδον αὐτῶν ἐνεποίει. 21.2 ἄλλως τε καὶ τὸ μηδὲν φθάσαι πρὸς τὴν τούτου ἐξευρεῖν ἄμυναν πονηρὸν ἡμῖν κατεφαίνετο. 21.3 καὶ φυγῇ μὲν χρήσασθαι τέως φορτικὸν ἦν· ἔμελλε γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐκτραπέντων τε πόλις τε ἁλωθῆναι καὶ τῶν προλεχθέντων σεβασμίων οἴκων ὅ τε διὰ χρυσοῦ καὶ ἀργύρου καὶ λοιπῆς χρειώδους ὕλης ἀφαιρεθῆναι κόσμος ἢ καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ πανευαγεῖς οἶκοι πυρίκαυστοι γενέσθαι. 21.4 ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὴν τῶν βαρβάρων ὑπεκκλίνοντες βλάβην, οὐκ εἴχομεν ὅπως τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν τοῦ κρατοῦντος ἀγανάκτησιν διαθώμεθα. 21.5 ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἦν ἀνεκτὰ καὶ πάσης σωτηρίας ἐχόμενα, εἰ καὶ ὅτι πρὸς μνείαν μόνον ἐλθεῖν τῶν τοιούτων μήπω τοῦ κακοῦ τὴν πεῖραν ἐσχηκόσι παντὸς θανάτου χαλεπώτερα· 21.6 τοῖς τοσούτου πράγματος χωρεῖν δῆμον, μηδὲν ἄλλο προεθισθέντα πλὴν τὸ ἁβρὸν μεταδιώκειν καὶ τρυφηλὸν βίον καὶ πολεμικοῖς ἀγῶσι μήπω προγυμνασθέντα, ἔκστασιν ἡμῖν ἐνεποίει καὶ φρίκην. 22.1 Πλὴν ὅτι τοῖς λογισμοῖς θατέρου τούτων παλαίοντες, οὕτω τὰς ἐφεξῆς ἡμέρας διετελοῦμεν. 22.2 καὶ ὃ μόνον τοῖς ἀποροῦσιν ὑπολείπεται, τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσπουδάζομεν ἤδη, τοὺς ἀφάτους τῆς θείας συμπαθείας οἰκτιρμοὺς καὶ τὰς τῶν ἁγίων πρεσβείας ἐπικαλούμενοι. 22.3 κατειληφότες γὰρ τὸν προλεχθέντα πανευπρεπέστατον οἶκον τοῦ πανενδόξου μάρτυρος ∆ημητρίου, ὅσοι τε τὴν πόλιν οἰκοῦμεν καὶ ὅσοι ἐξ ἀλλοδαπῆς ἦσαν ἐπήλυδες, ἀξία πᾶσα καὶ ἡλικία, καὶ θρηνώδεις χοροὺς συστησάμενοι ἐπεβοῶμεν τῷ μάρτυρι προστάτην ἡμῖν γενέσθαι κατὰ τῆς προσδοκωμένης ἀπειλῆς τῶν βαρβάρων, 22.4 «ἔδειξας» λέγοντες, «ὦ γενναῖε μάρτυς, τὸ θερμὸν τῆς σῆς ἀντιλήψεως ἐν πολλοῖς κινδύνοις πολλάκις ἐπελθοῦσι τῇ πόλει σου, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐναντίων ἐπιβουλὴν διεσκέδασας, καὶ ὀλέθρου παντὸς ἀπείρατον αὐτὴν διετήρησας. 22.5 δεῖξον καὶ νῦν, συμπαθέστατε, τὴν ἄμετρόν σου περὶ ἡμᾶς κηδεμονίαν, καὶ μὴ καυχήσωνται καθ' ἡμῶν ἔθνη βάρβαρα καὶ ἀλλόφυλα, μὴ εἰδότα θεόν· 22.6 μηδὲ δῷς βεβηλωθῆναί σου τοῦτον τὸν οἶκον, ὃν πᾶσα ἡ οἰκουμένη κοινὸν ἰατρεῖον καὶ προσφύγιον κέκτηται, ὑπὸ ἐναγῶν καὶ ἀθέων ἀνθρώπων, τὴν πίστιν ἡμῶν μυκτηριζόντων καὶ τὴν λατρείαν ἐξουθενούντων, καὶ τοῦτο μόνον ἔγκλημα καθ' ἡμῶν ἐπαγόντων τὴν θεοσέβειαν, καὶ θάνατον ἀπειλούντων ἄωρον καὶ ὀλέθριον. 22.7 εἰ γὰρ καὶ μυρίων ἐσμὲν ἄξιοι τιμωριῶν δι' ἃς ἐπράξαμεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ τῆσδε τῆς ἐπερχομένης καταστροφῆς ὑπόδικοι καθεστήκαμεν. 22.8 ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔγνωμεν ἕτερον θεὸν εἰ μὴ τὸν σὲ στεφανώσαντα, δι' ὃν καὶ τοὺς θείους ἄθλους διήνυσας, ὃν καὶ τῇ μιμήσει τοῦ πάθους ὑπερεδόξασας, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τῶν πολλῶν θαυμάτων τὴν χάριν ἀπείληφας, καὶ ἡμῖν δεδώρησαι τεῖχος ὀχυρὸν καὶ ἀκλόνητον ἔρεισμα, τὰς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἑκάστοτε ποιούμενος πρὸς αὐτὸν ἱκεσίας καὶ ἐξαιτῶν ἡμῖν τὰ συμφέροντα. 22.9 ἔπιδε οὖν καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπορίαν καὶ ἀμηχανίαν τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ τῆς δεήσεως ἡμῶν ἐπακούσας στῆθι εὐπαρρησιάστῳ τῇ πρεσβείᾳ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῶν οἰκετῶν σου, καὶ τῆς προσδοκωμένης ἐξάρπασον συστροφῆς, ἵνα μὴ καυχήσωνται καθ' ἡμῶν τὰ τέκνα τῆς παιδίσκης Ἄγαρ, μηδὲ εἴπωσι, ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ προστάτης αὐτῶν; 22.10 ὁρᾷς γὰρ καὶ αὐτός, εὐμενέστατε, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν δόρασιν οὐδ' ἐν ἀσπίσι πεποιθότες ἐσμέν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν ἀνεθέμεθα τῇ δυνατῇ σου πρεσβείᾳ, τῆς σῆς προνοίας καὶ αὖθις