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a gift; this house shall be hers. And her name is Mary.” But those who thought these things had been said about Rhea, named it after Rhea. Which house, in the time of Zeno the emperor, became a church of our lady and theotokos Mary. (2) And sailing up from there through Bithynia, having set out to cross the Pontic sea, and having arrived near the so-called Anaplous, they learned that a certain barbarian Amycus held that strait of the sea and was robbing and murdering those who sailed it, and having taken refuge in a very wooded bay, they saw in a vision a certain fearsome image of a man having eagle's wings on his shoulders, prophesying to them the victory over Amycus. So joining battle, they killed Amycus, and returning, they built a temple in that place, painting in an image the likeness which they had seen, and they named the place Sosthenion; which temple, in later times, the emperor of Byzantium, Constantine the Great, named in honor of the archangel Michael. (3) From there Jason and his companions, having arrived in Colchis through the Pontic sea, took Medea and the so-called golden fleece, which was not as it is poetically reported, but a book written on skins, containing how gold must be made through alchemy. (4) And in the land of the Phrygians at that time was Tros, the father of Ilus and Ganymede. 5. And in the same times there were Judges of the Jews: Chusarhom for 7 years, Gothonoel for 50 years (or 40), Gideon, Jephthah, who, having vowed to sacrifice the first thing that met him in his house, killed his daughter, Samson, son of Manoah, whose mind was beguiled by Delilah, and he fell from both his chastity and his strength; and he was given to grind at a mill, having been brought as a captive to Gaza. 16 Exc. De virt.: That Samson, son of Manoah, was a judge and a strong man. As long, therefore, as he was master of the pleasures of the body, he prevailed over his enemies; but when his mind was beguiled by Delilah the harlot, he fell from both chastity and strength; and being captured by his adversaries, he was led captive to Gaza, and deprived of his sight, he was given to grind at a mill. Wherefore, pulling down the pillars of the temple, he perished together with his adversaries, saying: “Let Samson now depart with the Philistines.” And so he perished, having judged the people for twenty years. 17 Codex 1630: Eli (who), when four myriads of the people 17 and his sons were slain, expired from grief. And the ark, having been plundered by the barbarians, was returned again after a twenty-year period, when the barbarians were beset by famine. And the judges lasted for 337 years. Then, when the multitude gathered and compelled Samuel to appoint a king, as the nations had, Saul was first appointed king. And Boaz, a just man, from the pious woman Ruth, begot Obed, and Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David, who, having fought and conquered the barbarian Goliath, was judged great by all, but Saul was belittled. And when Saul was captured by the enemies and ended his life, he was immediately appointed king of Israel. And David appointed his own son Solomon as successor to the kingdom; in whose times the Trojan war also was waged; which Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem; and he judged the people with wisdom. But having taken a thousand wives, he was persuaded by them to become an idolater; for which reason God also commanded his kingdom to be divided. 18 Exc. De virt.: That Saul, the king of the Jews, was possessed by a demon, and neither slept nor rested. Whom David soothed with melodies. 2. That David the king was excellent in wars and a strict keeper of the laws, and he subdued all his enemies. But being afflicted in the body by some few stumblings, he was chastised by divine scourges. For by his own sons he nearly fell from his kingdom, and was made a laughingstock to his enemies. And these things he healed with repentance and tears. 3. That Solomon the son of David the king

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δῶρον· αὐτῆς ἔσται δόμος οὗτος. Μαρία δὲ τοὔνομα αὐτῆς.» Οἱ δὲ νομίσαντες περὶ Ῥέας ταῦτα λελέχθαι, ἐπωνόμασαν αὐτὸν τῆς Ῥέας. Ὅστις οἶκος ἐπὶ Ζήνωνος τοῦ βασιλέως, ἐκκλησία γέγονε τῆς δεσποίνης ἡμῶν καὶ θεοτόκου Μαρίας. (2) Ἐκεῖθέν τε ἀναπλέοντες διὰ τῆς Βιθυνίας ὡρμημένοι τὴν Ποντικὴν διαπεράσαι θάλασσαν, καὶ φθάσαντες περὶ τὸν καλούμενον Ἀνάπλουν, ἔμαθον ὅτι τὸ στενὸν ἐκεῖνο τῆς θαλάσσης βάρβαρός τις Ἄμυκος κατέχει καὶ τοὺς πλέοντας λῃστεύει καὶ φονεύει, καὶ καταφυγόντες ἐν κόλπῳ δασυτάτῳ ἐθεάσαντο ἐν ὀπτασίᾳ τινὰ φοβερὰν ἀνδρὸς εἰκόνα ἀετοῦ ἔχοντος πτέρυγας κατὰ τῶν ὤμων, προθεσπίζοντος αὐτοῖς τὴν κατὰ Ἀμύκου νίκην. Συμβαλόντες γοῦν ἀναιροῦσι τὸν Ἄμυκον, καὶ ὑποστρέψαντες ᾠκοδόμησαν ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ τόπῳ ἱερὸν, γράψαντες ἐν εἰκόνι ὅπερ εἶδον ἐκτύπωμα, καὶ ὀνομάσαντες τὸν τόπον Σωσθένιον· ὅπερ ἱερὸν χρόνοις ὕστερον ὁ τοῦ Βυζαντίου βασιλεὺς Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ μέγας εἰς ὄνομα τοῦ ἀρχαγγέλου Μιχαὴλ ὠνόμασεν. (3) Ἐκεῖθεν οἱ περὶ Ἰάσονα διὰ τῆς Ποντικῆς θαλάσσης εἰς Κολχίδα παραγενόμενοι ἔλαβον τὴν Μήδειαν καὶ τὸ χρυσοῦν λεγόμενον δέρας, ὅπερ ἦν οὐχ ὥσπερ ποιητικῶς φέρεται, ἀλλὰ βιβλίον ἐν δέρμασι γεγραμμένον, περιέχον ὅπως δεῖ γίνεσθαι διὰ χημείας χρυσόν. (4) Ἐν δὲ τῆ Φρυγῶν χώρᾳ ἦν τότε Τρὼς ὁ πατὴρ Ἴλου καὶ Γανυμήδους. 5. Ἐγένοντο δὲ κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους Κριταὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων Χουσαρθὼμ χρόνους ζʹ, Γοθονοὴλ χρόνους νʹ (λ. μʹ), Γεδεὼν, Ἰεφθάε, ὃς ταξάμενος τὸ πρῶτον ὑπαντῆσαν αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ καταθύειν, ἀνεῖλε τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ, Σαμψὼν, παῖς Μανωὲ, ὃς ὑπὸ ∆αλίλας ὑπεκλάπη τὸν νοῦν, καὶ τῆς σωφροσύνης ἅμα καὶ τῆς ἰσχύος ἐξέπεσεν· καὶ ἐδόθη ἀλήθειν ἐν μύλῳ, δέσμιος εἰς Γάζαν ἀχθείς. 16 Exc. De virt.: Ὅτι Σαμψὼν, παῖς Μανωὲ, κριτὴς καὶ ἀνὴρ ἰσχυρός. Ἄχρι μὲν οὖν οὗτος ἐκράτει τῶν τοῦ σώματος ἡδονῶν, τῶν πολεμίων κατεδυνάστευσεν· ἐπειδὰν δὲ ὑπὸ ∆αλιλᾶ τῆς πόρνης ὑπεκλάπη τὸν νοῦν, ἅμα καὶ σωφροσύνης καὶ τῆς ἰσχύος ἐξέπεσεν· ὑπό τε τῶν ἐναντίων ἁλοὺς δέσμιος εἰς Γάζαν ἀπήχθη, καὶ τῶν ὄψεων στερηθεὶς ἐδόθη ἀλήθειν ἐν μυλῶνι. ∆ιὸ δὴ συμπεσὼν τοῖς τοῦ ἱεροῦ κίοσι συναπώλετο τοῖς ἐναντίοις εἰπών· «Ἀπελθέτω δὴ Σαμψὼν μετὰ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων.» Καὶ ὁ μὲν οὕτω διεφθάρη κρίνας τὸν λαὸν ἔτη εἴκοσι. 17 Codex 1630: Ἠλεὶ (ὃς), μυριάδων λαοῦ τεσσάρων 17 καὶ τῶν παίδων αὐτοῦ ἀναιρεθέντων, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἐξέπνευσε. Καὶ ἡ κιβωτὸς διαρπαγεῖσα παρὰ τῶν βαρβάρων πάλιν ἀπεδόθη μετὰ εἰκοσαετῆ χρόνον, λιμῷ περιπεσόντων τῶν βαρβάρων. Καὶ διήρκεσαν οἱ κριταὶ χρόνους τλζʹ. Ἔπειτα περιστάντος τοῦ πλήθους καὶ βιαζομένου χειροτονῆσαι Σαμουὴλ βασιλέα, καθάπερ εἶχον τὰ ἔθνη, πρῶτος ἀνεδείχθη βασιλεὺς Σαούλ. Βοὰζ δὲ δίκαιος ἀνὴρ ἐκ τῆς εὐσεβοῦς γυναικὸς Ῥοὺθ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ὠβὴδ, Ὠβὴδ δὲ τὸν Ἰεσσαῒ, Ἰεσσαῒ δετὸν ∆αυὶδ, ὃς τὸν βάρβαρον Γολιὰθ καταγωνισάμενος ἐκρίθη ὑπὸ πάντων μέγας, Σαοὺλ δὲ ὑπεκορίζετο. Ἡνίκα δὲ Σαοὺλ ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων ἥλω καὶ τὸν βίον μετήλλαξεν, εὐθέως βασιλεὺς ἀπεδείχθη τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. ∆αυὶδ δὲ διάδοχον τῆς βασιλείας τὸν ἑαυτοῦ παῖδα Σολομῶνα ἀπέδειξεν· ἐν οἷς καὶ ὁ Τρωϊκὸς ἐκινήθη πόλεμος· ὅστις Σολομῶν οἰκοδομεῖ τὸν ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ναόν· ἐδίκαζέ τε τῷ λαῷ ἐν σοφίᾳ. Γυναῖκας δὲ χιλίας ἀγαγόμενος πείθεται ὑπ' αὐτῶν εἰδωλολάτρης γίνεσθαι· διὸ καὶ προσέταξεν ὁ Θεὸς διαμερισθῆναι τὴν αὐτοῦ βασιλείαν. 18 Exc. De virt.: Ὅτι ὁ Σαοῦλ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὑπὸ δαίμονος κατείχετο, καὶ οὔτε ἐκάθευδεν οὔτε ἐκοιμᾶτο. Ὅντινα ὁ ∆αβὶδ ταῖς μελῳδίαις κατέθαλπεν. 2. Ὅτι ὁ ∆αβὶδ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν πολέμοις ἄριστος ἦν καὶ τῶν νόμων ἀκριβὴς φύλαξ, καὶ πάντας τοὺς πολεμίους ἐχειρώσατο. Ὀλίγοις τέ τισι πταίσμασι τὸ σῶμα πιεσθεὶς θείαις ἐπαιδεύετο μάστιξι. Πρὸς γὰρ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ παίδων μικροῦ δεῖν τῆς βασιλείας ἐξέπεσεν, γέλως τε τοῖς πολεμίοις ἀπεδείχθη. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν μετανοίαις καὶ δάκρυσιν ἐθεράπευσεν. 3. Ὅτι Σολομῶν ὁ υἱὸς ∆αβὶδ ὁ βασιλεὺς