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to fall into such a scarcity and want, as men of our time do not recall ever happening at Rome before. 1.37.1 But Constantine, taking pity on all these things, armed himself with every preparation against the tyranny. Setting before himself God, the savior and helper over all, and invoking Christ, and setting forth His victorious trophy, the saving sign, before his hoplites and bodyguards, he led his whole army, seeking for the Romans the freedom inherited from their forefathers. 1.37.2 While Maxentius, trusting more in the devices of sorcery than in the loyalty of his subjects, and not even daring to advance beyond the gates of the city, but having fortified every place and region and city that was enslaved under him with an innumerable multitude of hoplites and countless companies of soldiers, the emperor, who was attached to the alliance of God, attacked the first, second, and third battle lines of the tyrant, and having very easily subdued them all from the very first assault, advanced over most of the land of Italy. 1.38.1 And he was already very near Rome itself. Then, so that he might not be compelled to make war on the Romans for the tyrant's sake, God Himself, as if with certain bonds, dragged the tyrant far away from the gates; and those things of old against the impious, disbelieved by most as being in the category of myth, but indeed trustworthy to the faithful, recorded in sacred books, he confirmed by the actual deeds for all, simply speaking, both faithful and unfaithful, who beheld the wonders with their own eyes. 1.38.2 For just as once in the time of Moses himself and the God-fearing race of the Hebrews, "6the chariots of Pharaoh and his host he has cast into the sea, and his chosen mounted captains he drowned in the Red Sea,"6 in the same way also Maxentius and the hoplites and bodyguards around him "6sank to the bottom like a stone,"6 when, having turned his back on the power from God with Constantine, he was crossing the river in his path, which he himself, having joined with boats and very well bridged, had constructed as a device of destruction against himself, 1.38.3 hoping in this way to capture the one dear to God. But to this one his own God was present at his right hand, while the other, wretched man, was setting up the secret devices against himself. Wherefore one might also say, that "6he dug a pit, and hollowed it out, and will fall into the ditch which he made. His trouble shall return upon his own head, and his iniquity shall come down upon his own crown."6 1.38.4 Thus, by the nod of God, when the engines on the bridge and the hidden mechanism within them were loosed, not at the expected time, the crossing gave way, and the boats with the men went down at once to the bottom; and first the wretched man himself, then also the shield-bearers and bodyguards around him, as the divine oracles had proclaimed, "6sank like lead in the mighty water."6 1.38.5 So that it would be fitting, if not in words, at least in deeds, for those who had gained the victory from God, just like those with the great servant Moses, to praise the very things that happened to the impious tyrant of old in this way and say: "6Let us sing to the Lord, for he has been gloriously glorified. Horse and rider he has thrown into the sea; he became my helper and protector for salvation;"6 and "6Who is like you among the gods, O Lord, who is like you? Glorified in saints, wonderfully glorious, doing wonders."6 1.39.1 These things and whatever is akin to them Constantine, having praised by deeds themselves at the right time to the ruler of all and cause of the victory, in like manner to the great servant, 1.39.2 rode into the imperial city with songs of victory. And all at once, those from the senatorial council and the otherwise distinguished and famous men of this place, as if freed from prisons, along with the whole populace of Rome, with cheerful eyes and their very souls, received him with acclamations and insatiable joy; and together men with women and children and countless multitudes of servants 1.39.3 acclaimed him as liberator, savior, and benefactor with unrestrained shouts. But he, possessing an innate piety towards God, was neither puffed up by the shouts nor elated by the praises, but being conscious of the help from God, 1.40.1 gave a thank-offering

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σπάνει καὶ ἀπορίᾳ καταστῆναι, ὅσην ἐπὶ Ῥώμης οὐδ' ἄλλοτέ ποτε οἱ καθ' ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι μνημονεύουσιν. 1.37.1 Ἀλλὰ γὰρ τούτων ἁπάντων οἶκτον ἀναλαβὼν Κωνσταντῖνος πάσαις παρασκευαῖς ὡπλίζετο κατὰ τῆς τυραννίδος. προστησάμενος δῆτα ἑαυτοῦ θεὸν τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων σωτῆρά τε καὶ βοηθὸν ἀνακαλεσάμενος τὸν Χριστόν, αὐτοῦ τε τὸ νικητικὸν τρόπαιον τὸ δὴ σωτήριον σημεῖον τῶν ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ὁπλιτῶν τε καὶ δορυφόρων προτάξας ἡγεῖτο πανστρατιᾷ, Ῥωμαίοις τὰ τῆς ἐκ προ1.37.2 γόνων ἐλευθερίας προμνώμενος. Μαξεντίου δῆτα μᾶλλον ταῖς κατὰ γοητείαν μηχαναῖς ἢ τῇ τῶν ὑπηκόων ἐπιθαρροῦντος εὐνοίᾳ, προελθεῖν δ' οὐδ' ὅσον πυλῶν τοῦ ἄστεος ἐπιτολμῶντος, ὁπλιτῶν δ' ἀναρίθμῳ πλήθει καὶ στρατοπέδων λόχοις μυρίοις πάντα τόπον καὶ χώραν καὶ πόλιν ὅση τις ὑπ' αὐτῷ δεδούλωτο φραξαμένου, ὁ τῆς ἐκ θεοῦ συμμαχίας ἀνημμένος βασιλεὺς ἐπιὼν πρώτῃ καὶ δευτέρᾳ καὶ τρίτῃ τοῦ τυράννου παρατάξει εὖ μάλα τε πάσας ἐξ αὐτῆς πρώτης ὁρμῆς χειρωσάμενος, πρόεισιν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ὅσον τῆς Ἰταλῶν χώρας. 1.38.1 Ἤδη δ' αὐτῆς Ῥώμης ἄγχιστα ἦν. εἶθ' ὡς μὴ τοῦ τυράννου χάριν Ῥωμαίοις πολεμεῖν ἐξαναγκάζοιτο, θεὸς αὐτὸς οἷα δεσμοῖς τισι τὸν τύραννον πορρωτάτω πυλῶν ἐξέλκει, καὶ τὰ πάλαι δὴ κατ' ἀσεβῶν ὡς ἐν μύθου λόγῳ παρὰ τοῖς πλείστοις ἀπιστούμενα, πιστά γε μὴν πιστοῖς ἱεραῖς βίβλοις ἐστηλιτευμένα, αὐταῖς ἐνεργείαις ἅπασιν ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν πιστοῖς ἅμα καὶ ἀπίστοις 1.38.2 ὀφθαλμοῖς τὰ παράδοξα θεωμένοις ἐπιστώσατο. ὥσπερ γοῦν ἐπ' αὐτοῦ ποτε Μωϋσέως τοῦ τε θεοσεβοῦς Ἑβραίων γένους "6ἅρματα Φαραὼ καὶ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ ἔρριψεν εἰς θάλασσαν καὶ ἐπιλέκτους ἀναβάτας τριστάτας κατεπόντισεν ἐν ἐρυθρᾷ"6, κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ καὶ Μαξέντιος οἵ τ' ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ὁπλῖται καὶ δορυφόροι "6ἔδυσαν εἰς βυθὸν ὡσεὶ λίθος"6, ὁπηνίκα νῶτα δοὺς τῇ ἐκ θεοῦ μετὰ Κωνσταντίνου δυνάμει τὸν πρὸ τῆς πορείας διῄει ποταμόν, ὃν αὐτὸς σκάφεσι ζεύξας καὶ εὖ μάλα γεφυρώσας μηχανὴν ὀλέθρου καθ' 1.38.3 ἑαυτοῦ συνεπήξατο, ὧδέ πῃ ἑλεῖν τὸν τῷ θεῷ φίλον ἐλπίσας. ἀλλὰ τῷδε μὲν δεξιὸς παρῆν ὁ αὐτοῦ θεός, ὁ δ' ἄρα τὰς κρυφίους μηχανὰς καθ' ἑαυτοῦ δείλαιος συνίστη. ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ ἦν εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἄρα "6λάκκον ὤρυξε καὶ ἀνέσκαψεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς βόθρον ὃν εἰργάσατο. ἐπιστρέψει ὁ πόνος αὐτοῦ εἰς κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ κορυφὴν αὐτοῦ ἡ ἀδικία αὐτοῦ καταβήσεται."6 1.38.4 οὕτω δῆτα θεοῦ νεύματι τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ ζεύγματος μηχανῶν τοῦ τ' ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐγκρύμματος οὐ κατὰ καιρὸν τὸν ἐλπισθέντα διαρρυεισῶν ὑφιζάνει μὲν ἡ διάβασις, χωρεῖ δ' ἀθρόως αὔτανδρα κατὰ τοῦ βυθοῦ τὰ σκάφη, καὶ αὐτός γε πρῶτος ὁ δείλαιος, εἶτα δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ὑπασπισταί τε καὶ δορυφόροι, ᾗ τὰ θεῖα προανεφώνει λόγια, "6ἔδυσαν ὡσεὶ μόλιβδος ἐν ὕδατι σφοδρῷ."6 1.38.5 ὥστ' εἰκότως ἂν εἰ καὶ μὴ λόγοις, ἔργοις δ' οὖν ὁμοίως τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν μέγαν θεράποντα Μωϋσέα τοὺς παρὰ θεοῦ τὴν νίκην ἀραμένους αὐτὰ δὴ τὰ κατὰ τοῦ πάλαι δυσσεβοῦς τυράννου ὧδέ πως ἀνυμνεῖν καὶ λέγειν· "6ᾄσωμεν τῷ κυρίῳ, ἐνδόξως γὰρ δεδόξασται. ἵππον καὶ ἀναβάτην ἔρριψεν εἰς θάλασσαν, βοηθὸς καὶ σκεπαστὴς ἐγένετό μοι εἰς σωτηρίαν·"6 καί "6τίς ὅμοιός σοι ἐν θεοῖς, κύριε, τίς ὅμοιός σοι; δεδοξασμένος ἐν ἁγίοις, θαυμαστὸς ἐνδόξως ποιῶν τέρατα."6 1.39.1 Ταῦτά τε καὶ ὅσα τούτοις ἀδελφὰ Κωνσταντῖνος τῷ πανηγεμόνι καὶ τῆς νίκης αἰτίῳ κατὰ καιρὸν ὁμοίως τῷ μεγάλῳ θεράποντι ἔργοις αὐτοῖς ἀνυμνή1.39.2 σας, μετ' ἐπινικίων εἰσήλαυνεν εἰς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν πόλιν. πάντες δ' ἀθρόως αὐτὸν οἵ τ' ἀπὸ τῆς συγκλήτου βουλῆς οἵ τ' ἄλλως ἐπιφανεῖς καὶ διάσημοι τῶν τῇδε, ὥσπερ ἐξ εἱργμῶν ἠλευθερωμένοι, σὺν παντὶ δήμῳ Ῥωμαίων φαιδροῖς ὄμμασιν αὐταῖς ψυχαῖς μετ' εὐφημιῶν καὶ ἀπλήστου χαρᾶς ὑπεδέχοντο, ὁμοῦ τ' ἄνδρες ἅμα γυναιξὶ καὶ παισὶ καὶ οἰκετῶν μυρίοις πλήθεσι 1.39.3 λυτρωτὴν αὐτὸν σωτῆρά τε καὶ εὐεργέτην βοαῖς ἀσχέτοις ἐπεφώνουν. ὁ δ' ἔμφυτον τὴν εἰς τὸν θεὸν εὐσέβειαν κεκτημένος μήτ' ἐπὶ ταῖς βοαῖς χαυνούμενος μήτ' ἐπαιρόμενος τοῖς ἐπαίνοις, τῆς δ' ἐκ θεοῦ συνῃσθημένος βοηθείας, 1.40.1 εὐχαριστήριον ἀπεδίδου