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considering it a plaything. And having tied him to some ropes and let them down, they drew up the child, who immediately ran to the feet of the Presbyter, saying he had seen him in the waters, holding him up and preventing him from sinking. Such a reward did the wonderful woman receive from the blessed Presbyter for her hospitality. 2.18 And to leave aside the other things that happened on the way, they came to Antioch; and everyone ran together from all directions, both longing to see the man of God and each one desiring to receive some healing for his suffering. He was lodged in the caves at the foot of the mountain; where they say the divine apostle, the blessed Paul, was both lodged and hidden. But immediately, so that all might learn that he was a man, a most violent attack of fever came upon him. And when the great Acacius saw the multitude that had gathered and was vexed by the illness that had occurred— for he thought that the men who had come together, expecting to find a cure through his hand, would be dismayed if they learned of the sickness; "Do not be disheartened," said the Presbyter; "for if the matter of health is necessary, God will grant this immediately." Therefore, immediately after these words, turning to supplication and, as was his custom, bringing his knees and forehead to the ground, he implored to receive health, if any benefit would come from it for those who had gathered. He had not yet finished his prayer, when a great sweat suddenly breaking out extinguished the flame of the fever. 2.19 From there, having freed many from all kinds of diseases, he went to the assembly of the pious. And as he was passing through the palace gates, a certain beggar who used his buttocks instead of his feet, and dragged himself along the ground, stretched out his hand, and bringing it near the Presbyter's cloak, drove out his affliction by his faith, and leaping up, he demonstrated the running he had before his illness, doing the same as the lame man whom Peter and John raised up. When this happened, the entire multitude of the city streamed together, and the military training ground became full of those running together. And the slanderers and artisans of falsehood were in shame, but the disciples of piety were in all cheerfulness and joy. 2.20 From there those in need of healing drew the luminary of piety to their houses. And a certain man, who had been entrusted with the highest office and was believed to hold the rudders of the East, sent and besought him to come and free him from his pressing illness. And he, without any delay, came and, having supplicated the common master, he dissolved the affliction with a word, and urged him to give thanks to God. 2.21 Having done these and such things, he then decided to return to his ascetic's hut. And making his journey through Cyrrhus—this is a city two days' journey distant from Antioch—, he was lodged in the shrine of the victorious martyr Dionysius. And the leaders of the pious there came together and besought him to help them, as they were expecting manifest destruction. For they said that Asterius, having been trained in sophistic falsehood, then having insinuated himself into the church of the heretics and been deemed worthy of the episcopal office, was terribly advocating for falsehood and using evil artifice against the truth; "And we are afraid," they said, "that by concealing the falsehood with his eloquence as with some bait, and spreading out the complexities of his arguments like some kind of net, he might catch many of those who live in simplicity. For it is for this reason that he has been summoned by our opponents." But the Presbyter said: "Be of good courage, and supplicate God with us, adding fasting and hardship to your prayer." Thus as they were beseeching God, one day before the festival on which he was about to deliver his speeches

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ἀθύρματα ἡγούμενον. Καὶ σχοίνοις τινὰ προσδήσαντες καὶ χαλάσαντες ἀνιμήσαντο τὸ παιδίον, ὃ καὶ παραυτίκα προσέδραμε τοῖς τοῦ Πρεσβύτου ποσίν, αὐτὸν τεθεᾶσθαι λέγον ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι φέροντα καὶ ὑποβρύχιον γενέσθαι κωλύοντα. Τοιοῦτον παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Πρεσβύτου τῆς φιλοξενίας ἡ θαυμασία γυνὴ τὸν μισθὸν ἐκομίσατο. 2.18 Καὶ ἵνα τὰ ἄλλα τὰ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν γεγενημένα καταλίπω, ἧκον μὲν εἰς τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν· πάντες δὲ παν ταχόθεν συνέθεον, ἰδεῖν τε ποθοῦντες τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπον καὶ ἰατρείαν τινὰ τοῦ πάθους λαβεῖν ἕκαστος ἐφιέμενοι. Κατήχθη δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἐν τῇ ὑπωρείᾳ σπηλαίοις· ἔνθα καὶ τὸν θεῖον ἀπόστολον, τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον, καταχθῆναί τε καὶ κρυφθῆναί φασιν. Ἀλλ' εὐθύς, ἵνα μάθωσιν ἅπαντες ὡς ἄνθρωπος εἴη, καταβολή τις αὐτῷ πυρετοῦ γίνεται σφοδροτάτη. Ἀκακίου δὲ τοῦ μεγάλου τὸ μὲν πλῆθος τῶν συνειλεγμένων ὁρῶντος καὶ τὴν συμβᾶσαν δυσχεραίνοντος ἀρρωστίαν- πληγήσεσθαι γὰρ τοὺς συνεληλυθότας ἐνόμισεν, εἰ τὸ νόσημα μάθοιεν ἄνδρες διὰ τῆς ἐκείνου χειρὸς θεραπείαν εὑρέσθαι προσδοκῶντες· "Μὴ ἀθύμει, ἔλεγεν ὁ Πρεσβύτης· εἰ γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον τῆς ὑγιείας τὸ χρῆμα, παραυτίκα καὶ τοῦτο δώσει θεός". Εὐθὺς τοίνυν μετὰ τούσδε τοὺς λόγους εἰς ἱκετείαν τραπόμενος καὶ συνήθως τὰ γόνατα καὶ τὸ μέτωπον τῷ ἐδάφει πελάσας, ἠντιβόλει τῆς ὑγιείας τυχεῖν, εἴπερ τις ὄνησις ἐντεῦθεν τοῖς συνεληλυθόσι γενήσεται. Οὔπω τὴν προσευχὴν συνεπέρανε, καὶ πολὺς ἱδρὼς ἐξαπι ναίως γενόμενος τοῦ πυρετοῦ τὴν φλόγα κατέσβεσεν. 2.19 Ἐκεῖθεν πολλοὺς παντοδαπῶν νοσημάτων ἐλευθερώ σας ἐπὶ τὸν σύλλογον ᾔει τῶν εὐσεβῶν. ∆ιϊόντος δὲ αὐτοῦ τῶν βασιλείων τὰς θύρας, προσαίτης τις ἀντὶ τῶν ποδῶν τοῖς γλουτοῖς κεχρημένος, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους συρόμενος, ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ τῇ σισύρᾳ τοῦ Πρεσβύτου πελάσας, ἐξήλασε μὲν τῇ πίστει τὸ πάθος, ἀναπηδήσας δὲ τὸν πρὸ τῆς ἀρρωστίας ἐπεδείκνυτο δρόμον, τὰ αὐτὰ ποιῶν τῷ χωλῷ ὃν Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης ἀνέστησαν. Τούτου γενο μένου, συρρεῖ ἅπαν τὸ τοῦ ἄστεως πλῆθος, καὶ τὸ πολεμικὸν γυμνάσιον πλῆρες τῶν συνθεόντων ἐγένετο. Ἐν αἰσχύνῃ δὲ ἦσαν οἱ συκοφάνται καὶ τοῦ ψεύδους τεχνῖται, ἐν εὐθυμίᾳ δὲ πάσῃ καὶ εὐφροσύνῃ τῆς εὐσεβείας οἱ τρόφιμοι. 2.20 Ἐκεῖθεν εἰς τὰς οἰκίας εἷλκον τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας φωστῆρα οἱ θεραπείας δεόμενοι. Καί τις, ἀνὴρ μεγίστην ἀρχὴν ἐγκεχειρισμένος καὶ τῆς ἕω τὰ πηδάλια κατέχειν πεπιστευμένος, πέμψας ἱκέτευσεν αὐτὸν ἀφικέσθαι, καὶ τῆς ἐπικειμένης ἀρρωστίας ἐλευθερῶσαι. Ὁ δὲ οὐδὲν μελλήσας παρεγένετο καί, τὸν κοινὸν ἱκετεύσας δεσπότην, ἔλυσε λόγῳ τὸ πάθος, καὶ χάριν ὁμολογεῖν τῷ θεῷ παρηγγύα. 2.21 Ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα διαπραξάμενος ἐπὶ τὴν ἀσκη τικὴν λοιπὸν ἐδοκίμασε καλύβην ἐπανελθεῖν. ∆ιὰ δὲ τῆς Κύρρου τὴν πορείαν ποιούμενος-πόλις δὲ αὕτη δύο σταθμοὺς Ἀντιοχείας ἀπέχουσα-, κατήχθη μὲν εἰς τὸν τοῦ νικηφόρου μάρτυρος ∆ιονυσίου σηκόν. Οἱ δὲ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐκεῖ προστατεύοντες συνελθόντες ἱκέτευον ἐπα μῦναι σφίσι προὖπτον ὄλεθρον προσδοκῶσιν. Ἀστέριον γὰρ ἔφασκον ἐν σοφιστικῇ ψευδολογίᾳ τραφέντα, εἶτα ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἐκκλησίαν εἰσφρήσαντα καὶ ἐπισκοπικῆς λειτουργίας ἀξιωθέντα, δεινῶς τῷ ψεύδει συνηγορεῖν καὶ κακοτεχνίᾳ κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας κεχρῆσθαι· "Καὶ δεδοίκαμεν, ἔλεγον, μὴ οἷόν τινι δελεάσματι τῇ εὐγλωττίᾳ τὸ ψεῦδος συγκαλύψας, καὶ τὰς τῶν συλλογισμῶν πλοκὰς οἷόν τινα δίκτυα πετάσας, πολλοὺς τῶν ἁπλότητι συνεζηκότων ἀγρεύσῃ. Τούτου γὰρ χάριν μετάπεμπτος ὑπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων γεγένηται". Ὁ δὲ Πρεσβύτης· "Θαρσεῖτε, ἔφη, καὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν τὸν θεὸν ἱκετεύετε, νηστείαν καὶ κακου χίαν τῇ προσευχῇ προστιθέντες." Οὕτω τούτων τὸν θεὸν ἀντιβολούντων, πρὸ μιᾶς τῆς πανηγύρεως ἡμέρας καθ' ἣν ἔμελλε τοὺς λόγους