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having made a distinction, he makes that his second object of strategy, and the only safe one, though a very impious one; from those nearest him and from his own personal attendants, which is the custom for all persecutors, he begins his wickedness. For it is not possible to attack those on the outside, unless these have first been won over, just as it is not possible to lead an army against enemies when it is in revolt against its general.

LXIV. And for this reason he remodels the palace, having first led some out to death, and having thrust others aside; not only as being loyal to the great emperor, but also as being more loyal to the greater One, and unprofitable to him on both counts. And he wins over the military, partly by himself, partly through those in authority, which he supposed to be even more easily persuaded; one part being overcome by honors, the other being carried away by its simplicity, and knowing only one law, the will of the emperor.

LXV. Or rather, a not inconsiderable part of the army, and as much of it as he found corrupt and diseased, a slave of the moment both then and previously; of which one part was enslaved, the other was in hope. For he did not win over the whole, nor did the persecutor who acted through him grant him so much against us; but there remained more than the seven thousand, who had not bent the knee to Baal, nor worshipped the golden image, nor were wounded by the serpents, 35.588 by looking at the serpent that was hung up, and was destroyed by the sufferings of Christ. Many of those in power and high positions, whom it was more likely would be overcome both through fear and through hopes; and many of those below and known only by number, whom he attacked and was repulsed from, just as some ill-timed siege engine is by a strong wall. Nevertheless, that which escaped did not grieve him more than that which was captured encouraged him, as one raging; and his desire represented what was hoped for as already overcome.

LXVI. He now dares also against the great standard, which marches in procession with the cross, and leads the army, raised on high, being both a release from toils and named and ruling among the Romans, as one might say, over the other standards; as many as are adorned with the portraits of emperors, and with outspread cloths in various dyes and letters, and as many as, being filled with wind through the terrible gaping mouths of dragons on the ends of uplifted spears, and fanned by their trails, being speckled with woven scales, present a sight at once most pleasant and terrible to the eyes. And as the things near at hand were according to his mind, and he became master of the danger at hand, as he thought, so now he attempts what comes next.

LXVII. O most foolish, and most impious, and most uninstructed in great matters! you against so great an inheritance and the fruitfulness of the whole world, which has taken in all the ends of the earth through the simplicity of the Word and the foolishness, as you yourselves would say, of the preaching, which conquered the wise, and silenced demons, and outstripped time, being the same, at once both old and new, as you invent wondrous tales about one of the gods; the one for the few, the other for the many; and the one by the adumbration, the other by the consummation of the mystery, dispensed in its own seasons? You against the great inheritance of Christ? (who, and how great, and whence are you?) the great and never-ending inheritance, not even if some should rage more than you, but one that will always advance and be exalted even more; 35.589 for I believe the prophecies and what is seen; which as God He made, and as man He inherited; which the Law prefigured, and grace fulfilled, and Christ inaugurated; which prophets established, and apostles bound together, and evangelists perfected?

LXVIII. You against the sacrifice of Christ with your defilements? You against the blood that cleansed the world with your blood-offerings? You, war against peace? You, a hand against the hand nailed for you and because of you? You, your taste against the gall? a trophy against the cross? destruction against death? against the resurrection

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διελόμενος, δεύτερον ἐκεῖνο στρατηγεῖ, καὶ μόνον ἀσφαλῶς, εἰ καὶ ἀσεβῶς λίαν, ἐκ τῶν ἐγγυτάτω καὶ τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν χειρὸς, ὃ πᾶσι διώκταις σύνηθες, τῆς κακίας ἄρχεται· καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ οἷόν τε τοῖς ἐκτὸς ἐγχειρῆσαι, μὴ τούτων οἰκειωθέντων, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ στρατὸν ἐπάγειν ἐχθροῖς, πρὸς τὸν στρατηγὸν στασιάζοντα.

Ξ∆ʹ. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μεταποιεῖ μὲν τὰ βασίλεια, τοὺς μὲν θανάτῳ προϋπεξαγαγὼν πρότερον, τοὺς δὲ παρ ωσάμενος· οὐχ ὡς εὔνους τῷ μεγάλῳ βασιλεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς εὐνουστέρους τῷ μείζονι, καὶ ἀλυσιτελεῖς αὐτῷ κατ' ἀμφότερα· ὑποποιεῖται δὲ τὸ στρατιωτικὸν, τὸ μὲν δι' ἑαυτοῦ, τὸ δὲ διὰ τῶν ἐν τέλει, ὃ καὶ μᾶλλον εὔπιστον ὑπελάμβανε, τὸ μὲν τῶν τιμῶν ἡττώμενον, τὸ δὲ ἁπλότητι παρασυ ρόμενον, καὶ νόμον ἕνα γινῶσκον μόνον, τὴν τοῦ βα σιλέως βούλησιν.

ΞΕʹ. Μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ στρατιωτικοῦ μέρος οὐκ ἐλάχιστον, καὶ ὅσον εὗρε σαθρὸν καὶ νοσῶδες, τοῦ καιροῦ δοῦλον καὶ τότε καὶ πρότερον· οὗ τὸ μὲν δεδού λωτο, τὸ δὲ ἤλπιζεν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὸ πᾶν ὑφεῖλεν, οὐδὲ τοσοῦτον ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ καθ' ἡμῶν ὁ δι' ἐκείνου διώκτης· ἀλλ' ἔμειναν ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἑπτακισχιλίους, οἱ μὴ κάμψαντες γόνυ τῇ Βαὰλ, μηδὲ τῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ προσκυνήσαντες, μηδὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ὄφεων τρωθέν 35.588 τες, ἐκ τοῦ βλέπειν εἰς τὸν ὄφιν τὸν κρεμασθέν τα, καὶ καταλυθέντα τοῖς Χριστοῦ πάθεσι· πολλοὶ μὲν τῶν ἐν δυναστείαις καὶ ὕψεσιν, οὓς καὶ μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἦν ἡττηθῆναι καὶ διὰ φόβον, καὶ δι' ἐλπίδας· πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν κάτω καὶ ἀριθμῷ μόνῳ γνωριζομένων, οἷς προσβαλὼν ἀπεκρούσθη, καθάπερ ὑπὸ γενναίου τείχους μηχάνημά τι τῶν οὐ καιρίων. Πλὴν οὐκ ἠνία μᾶλλον τὸ διαφεῦγον ἢ ἐθάρσυνεν, ὡς ἂν λυσ σῶντα, τὸ ἁλισκόμενον· καὶ τὸ βούλεσθαι παρίστη τὸ ἐλπισθὲν ὡς κρατούμενον.

Ξςʹ. Τολμᾷ δὲ ἤδη καὶ κατὰ τοῦ μεγάλου συνθήμα τος, ὃ μετὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ πομπεύει, καὶ ἄγει τὸν στρατὸν εἰς ὕψος αἰρόμενον, καμάτων λυτήριον ὄν τε καὶ κατὰ Ῥωμαίους ὀνομαζόμενον καὶ βασιλεῦον, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, τῶν λοιπῶν συνθημάτων· ὅσα τε βασιλέων προσώποις ἀγάλλεται, καὶ πεπετασμέ νοις ὑφάσμασιν ἐν διαφόροις βαφαῖς καὶ γράμ μασιν, ὅσα τε δρακόντων φοβεροῖς χάσμασιν ἐμπνεό μενα ἐπ' ἄκρων δοράτων αἰωρουμένοις, καὶ διὰ τῶν ὁλκῶν ῥιπιζόμενα φολίσιν ὑφανταῖς καταστίκτων, ἥδιστόν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ φρικτὸν θέαμα προσπίπτει ταῖς ὄψεσιν. Ὡς δὲ εἶχεν αὐτῷ κατὰ νοῦν τὰ πλησίον, καὶ τοῦ ἐν χερσὶν, ὡς ᾤετο, κινδύνου κρείττων ἐγένετο, οὕτως ἤδη πειρᾶται καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς.

ΞΖʹ. Εὐηθέστατε, καὶ ἀσεβέστατε, καὶ ἀπαιδευτό τατε τὰ μεγάλα! σὺ κατὰ τοσούτου κλήρου καὶ τῆς οἰκουμενικῆς καρποφορίας, τῆς πάντα διαλα βούσης τὰ πέρατα, διὰ τῆς εὐτελείας τοῦ λόγου καὶ τῆς μωρίας, ὡς ἂν αὐτοὶ φαίητε, τοῦ κηρύγματος, ὃ σοφοὺς ἐνίκησε, καὶ δαίμονας ἔπαυσε, καὶ χρόνον ὑπερηκόντισε, τὸ αὐτὸ παλαιόν τε ὁμοῦ τυγχάνον καὶ νέον, ὡς ὑμεῖς τῶν θεῶν τινα τερατεύεσθε· τὸ μὲν τοῖς ὀλίγοις, τὸ δὲ τοῖς πολλοῖς· καὶ τὸ μὲν τῇ σκιαγραφίᾳ, τὸ δὲ τῇ τελειώσει τοῦ μυστηρίου καιροῖς ἰδίοις ταμιευθέντος; Σὺ κατὰ τῆς μεγάλης τοῦ Χριστοῦ κληρονομίας; (ὁ τίς, καὶ πόσος, καὶ πόθεν;) τῆς μεγάλης καὶ οὐ παυσομένης, οὐδ' ἂν πλέον ἢ σὺ μανῶσί τινες, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἀεὶ 35.589 βαδιουμένης τε καὶ ἀρθησομένης· πιστεύω γὰρ ταῖς προῤῥήσεσι καὶ τοῖς ὁρωμένοις· ἣν ὡς Θεὸς ἐποίησε, καὶ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἐκληρονόμησεν· ἣν νόμος ἐτύπωσε, καὶ χάρις ἐπλήρωσε, καὶ Χριστὸς ἐνεκαίνισεν· ἣν προφῆται συνέπηξαν, καὶ ἀπόστολοι συνέδησαν, καὶ εὐαγγελισταὶ κατηρτίσαντο;

ΞΗʹ. Σὺ κατὰ τῆς Χριστοῦ θυσίας τοῖς σοῖς μιάσμα σι; Σὺ κατὰ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον καθήραντος αἵματος τοῖς σοῖς αἵμασι; Σὺ πόλεμον κατὰ τῆς εἰρήνης; Σὺ χεῖρα κατὰ τῆς ὑπὲρ σοῦ ἡλωθείσης τε καὶ διὰ σέ; Σὺ κατὰ τῆς χολῆς τὴν σὴν γεῦσιν; κατὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ τρόπαιον; κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου κατάλυσιν; κατὰ τῆς ἀναστάσεως