they subscribe to the exposition of the faith, and in all things follow the holy Fathers. And the emperor, being persuaded by these things, recalled them from exile, and deemed them worthy of the greatest possible honor. And when the throne of the city of Constantine was vacant, Eusebius, using his own machinations, tyrannically seized the throne of the ruling city. And having taken hold of the greater authority, he also restored those of like mind with him to the services of the Church, having driven out those who worthily performed them. And when this was done, they then turned their attention against Athanasius of Alexandria, devising many wicked plots against him. But the emperor considered it just to also call Athanasius to the consecration of the holy places. Therefore, he orders the synod to convene first in Tyre, and to examine the matters concerning Athanasius, and thus for all to set out for the festival without any division. He also sent his nephew Dalmatius to be an overseer of the synod. And when the bishops had gathered in Tyre, Maximonas, the bishop of Aelia, was also present with them, being completely ignorant of the things being heaped up against Athanasius. And when Athanasius entered the council, the accusers surrounded him, bringing great and heavy charges against him, which the judges present, Eusebius of Nicomedia and those with him, had suggested to them. But they were not strong enough to prove them, as Athanasius made his defense, and like a spider's web tore apart the things proposed by them. But the accusers, turning to madness at being caught in their lies, threw the whole council into confusion, shouting: "Away with the sorcerer, for using some sorcery he has muzzled everyone." And Athanasius would have been murdered, if the emperor's nephew had not led him out of their hands by means of soldiers. And a report prevails that Athanasius, having fled from there, went up to the holy city, and having made a prayer, and having anointed with the holy myrrh and consecrated the houses of prayer before the arrival of the other bishops, he reached the emperor, telling him everything concerning himself. And he, having heard and marveled at the wickedness of his adversaries, and having deemed him worthy of the greatest honor, sent him to Alexandria with imperial letters. And the bishops, having arrived in Jerusalem, very joyfully celebrated the festival of the consecration, as the emperor had sent treasures and all sorts of gold and silver things, adorned with precious stones, and embroidered and very valuable curtains, and sufficient money for distribution to the poor and for the liberality of all those coming to the festival. And when the Christ-loving emperor heard the things concerning the consecration of the holy places, he gave many thanks to God, and was added more to Christianity. And this was the thirtieth year of his reign. And he immediately wrote a law with imperial form, so that Jews would not be able to appear in Jerusalem, within a circle of six milestones. And he rejoiced in the grace of God, seeing also the barbarian nations running to the word of truth, and gladly submitting to the emperor. And having survived for one more year and a few months, he fell into a certain illness, in which he was also baptized in Nicomedia and died. And he had postponed this until this time, desiring to be deemed worthy of this in the Jordan river. And becoming cheerful, he arranged his affairs piously, leaving his three sons as heirs of his kingdom and piety, having appointed the eldest, his namesake Constantine, as ruler of the western parts. And the second, the namesake of his grandfather Constantius, he appointed emperor of the East, and the youngest of Europe. And none of these was present at his death. And the all-praised Constantine the emperor died, being sixty-five years old, and he reigned piously and in a manner pleasing to God for thirty-two years, and having left the earthly kingdom, he received the heavenly one. And his precious remains in a golden coffin, soldiers
16
ὑπογράφουσι τῇ ἐκθέσει τῆς πίστεως, καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ἀκολουθοῦσι τοῖς ἁγίοις Πατράσιν. Πεισθεὶς δὲ τούτοις ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνεκαλέσατο αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς ἐξορίας, καὶ τιμῆς ὅτι μάλιστα πλείστης ἠξίωσε. Σχολάζοντος δὲ τοῦ Κωνσταντίνου πόλεως θρόνου, ταῖς οἰκείαις μηχανίαις χρώμενος τυραννικῶς κατ έσχεν τὸν τῆς βασιλευούσης θρόνον ὁ Εὐσέβιος. Ἐπι λαβόμενος δὲ τῆς μείζονος ἐξουσίας καὶ τοὺς ὁμό φρονας αὐτοῦ ἀποκατέστησεν εἰς τὰς τῆς Ἐκ κλησίας ὑπηρεσίας, ἐξεώσας τοὺς ἀξίως διενεργοῦν τας αὐτάς. Τούτου δὲ γενομένου κατὰ Ἀθανασίου λοιπὸν Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐσχόλαζον, πολλὰς κατ' αὐτοῦ σκαιο ρίας ἐπινοοῦντες. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς δίκαιον ἡγήσατο καὶ Ἀθανάσιον καλέσαι εἰς τὰ ἐγκαίνια τῶν ἁγίων τόπων. Κελεύει οὖν πρῶτον ἐν Τύρῳ συνελθεῖν τὴν σύνοδον, καὶ τὰ κατὰ Ἀθανάσιον διασκέψασθαι, καὶ οὕτω δίχα πάσης διχοτομίας ὁρμῆσαι πάντας ἐπὶ τὴν ἑορτήν. Ἀπέστειλε καὶ τὸν αὐτοῦ ἀνεψιὸν ∆αλ μάτιον ἐπόπτην γενέσθαι τῆς συνόδου. Συν ελθόντων δὲ τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἐν Τύρῳ, παρῆν σὺν αὐ τοῖς καὶ ὁ τῆς Αἰλίας ἐπίσκοπος Μαξιμωνᾶς, ἀγνοῶν παντάπασι τὰ κατὰ Ἀθανασίου σωρευόμενα. Ὡς δὲ εἰσῆλθεν Ἀθανάσιος εἰς τὸ συνέδριον, περιέστη σαν αὐτῷ οἱ κατήγοροι, μεγάλα καὶ βαρέα αἰτιάματα φέροντες κατ' αὐτοῦ, ἅπερ ὑπέθεντο αὐτοῖς οἱ παρ όντες δικασταὶ, Εὐσέβιος ὁ Νικομηδείας καὶ οἱ περὶ αὐτόν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἴσχυσαν ἀποδεῖξαι, Ἀθανασίου ἀπολογουμένου, καὶ ἀράχνης δίκην διεσπῶντος τὰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν προτεινόμενα. Εἰς μανίαν δὲ τραπέντες οἱ κατήγοροι, ἐφ' οἷς ἐφωράθησαν ψευσάμενοι, συν έχεον ἅπαν τὸ συνέδριον, βοῶντες· Ἄρατε τὸν γόητα, γοητείᾳ γάρ τινι χρησάμενος πάντας ἐφίμωσε. Καὶ ἐφονεύθη ἂν Ἀθανάσιος, εἰ μὴ ὁ ἀνεψιὸς τοῦ βα σιλέως ἐξήγαγεν αὐτὸν διὰ στρατιωτῶν ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτῶν. Λόγος δὲ κρατεῖ, ὅτι Ἀθανάσιος ἐκεῖθεν φυγὼν, ἀνῆλθεν εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν πόλιν, καὶ ποιήσας εὐχὴν, καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ μύρῳ χρίσας καὶ ἁγιάσας τοὺς εὐκτη ρίους οἴκους πρὸ τῆς τῶν λοιπῶν ἐπισκόπων παρ ουσίας, οὗτος κατέλαβε τὸν βασιλέα, πάντα τὰ κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐξειπών. Ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας καὶ θαυμάσας τῶν ἀντιδίκων αὐτοῦ τὴν πονηρίαν, καὶ τιμῆς μεγίστης ἀξιώσας αὐτὸν, μετὰ γραμμάτων βασιλικῶν ἀπέστειλεν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν. Παραγενόμενοι δὲ οἱ ἐπί σκοποι εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, φαιδρῶς λίαν ἐπετέλεσαν τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν ἐγκαινίων, τοῦ βασιλέως ἀποστεί λαντος κειμήλια καὶ παντοδαπὰ χρυσᾶ τε καὶ ἀργυρᾶ, λίθοις τιμίοις πεποικιλμένα, καὶ περιπετάσματα πε ποικιλμένα καὶ πολύτιμα, καὶ χρήματα ἱκανὰ εἰς 4068 διάδοσιν τῶν πτωχῶν καὶ φιλοτιμίαν πάντων τῶν συν ερχομένων εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν. Ὡς δὲ ἤκουσε τὰ κατὰ τὰ ἐγκαίνια τῶν ἁγίων τόπων ὁ φιλόχριστος βασι λεὺς, πολλὰ εὐχαρίστησεν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ μᾶλλον προσ ετέθη τῷ Χριστιανισμῷ. Ἦν δὲ τριακοστὸν τοῦτο ἔτος τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ. Νόμον δὲ εὐθὺς ἔγραψε μετὰ βασιλικοῦ τύπου, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι φανῆναι Ἰουδαίους εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, ἀπὸ ἓξ σημείων κύκλῳ. Ἔχαιρε δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Θεοῦ, βλέπων καὶ τὰ βάρβαρα ἔθνη προσ τρέχοντα τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ ἡδέως ὑποτασ σόμενα τῷ βασιλεῖ. Ἐπιβιώσας δὲ ἔτι ἔτος ἓν καὶ μῆνας ὀλίγους περιέπεσεν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ τινὶ, ἐν ᾗ καὶ βαπτισθεὶς ἐν Νικομηδείᾳ ἀπέθανεν. Ἀνεβάλ λετο δὲ τοῦτο ἕως τοῦ τοῦδε καιροῦ, ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ τούτου ἀξιωθῆναι ποθῶν. Εὔθυμος δὲ γενόμενος διέθετο εὐσεβῶς, τοὺς τρεῖς υἱοὺς καταλείψας τῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλείας καὶ εὐ σεβείας κληρονόμους, τὸν πρεσβύτερον τὸν καὶ ὁμώ νυμον αὐτοῦ Κωνσταντῖνον ἄρχοντα ἀναδείξας τῶν ἑσπερίων μερῶν. Τὸν δὲ δεύτερον τὸν ὁμώνυμον τοῦ πάππου Κωνσταντίου, τῆς Ἀνατολῆς βασιλέα ἐχει ροτόνησεν, τὸν δὲ νεώτερον τῆς Εὐρώπης. Οὐδεὶς δὲ τούτων παρῆν εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ τελευτήν. Τελευτᾷ δὲ ὁ πανεύφημος Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ βασιλεὺς ὢν ἐτῶν ἑξήκοντα πέντε, ἐβασίλευσε δὲ εὐσεβῶς καὶ θεαρέ στως ἔτη τριάκοντα δύο, καὶ καταλείψας τὴν ἐπίγειον βασιλείαν, τῆς οὐρανίου ἀπελάβετο. Τὸ δὲ τίμιον αὐτοῦ λείψανον ἐν λάρνακι στρατιῶται χρυσέῳ
16