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he shone forth rays of light from his own nobility. And it was not otherwise possible to come near him without partaking of some good, nor was it ever possible for those who expected to receive his aid to fall from a good hope. 1.44.1 In general, then, he was of such a character towards all. But bestowing special care from himself on the church of God, when some were disagreeing with one another 1.44.2 in different regions, like some common bishop appointed by God, he convened synods of the ministers of God. And in the midst of their proceedings, not disdaining to be present and to sit with them, he became a partaker in the things under deliberation, awarding the peace of God to all, and he sat in their midst, as if one of the many, having put aside his spearmen and soldiers and the whole company of his bodyguards, but clothed in the fear of God and 1.44.3 surrounded by the most loyal of his faithful companions. Then, as many as he saw to be obedient to the better opinion and prepared for a stable and harmonious way, these he approved of very much, showing himself rejoicing in the common harmony of all, but those who were disobedient he turned away from. 1.45.1 Indeed, he bore with forbearance even some who acted harshly against him, exhorting them with a calm and gentle voice to be of sound mind and not to be seditious. And of these, some departed, ashamed at his admonitions, but those who were incurably disposed towards sound reasoning, he let go, entrusting them to God, himself intending nothing grievous at all against anyone. 1.45.2 From this, it naturally happened that those engaged in sedition in the land of the Africans were driven to such a degree of perdition as to attempt certain daring acts, since some evil demon, as it seems, was bewitching the abundance of present good things and inciting the men to outrageous deeds, so that he might stir up against them the 1.45.3 emperor's anger. But he did not succeed in his envy, since the emperor made a mockery of what was being done and said that he understood the motion was from the evil one; for the things dared were not those of sound-minded men, but either of those completely deranged or of those driven mad by the evil demon, whom it was necessary to pity rather than to punish; and that he himself was in no way harmed by the madness of the foolish, except insofar as to sympathize with them with an excess of benevolence. 1.46.1 In this way, then, the emperor, serving God the overseer of all through every action, made his providence for His churches unwearying. And God, rewarding him, subjected all races of barbarians to his feet, so that he raised trophies against his enemies in every way and everywhere, and proclaimed him victor among all, and made him feared by his foes and enemies, although he was not such by nature, but was the most gentle and mild and benevolent, if ever anyone else was. While he was engaged in these things, the second of those who had laid down their power was caught plotting a scheme of death and ended his life by a most shameful death. And of the first of these, they took down the inscriptions in his honor, his statues, and whatever else of such kind had been customary for the dedication of honor everywhere on earth, as being of an unholy and impious man. 1.47.2 Then also, after this man, others of his relatives were caught devising secret plots against him, as God miraculously revealed the counsels of all these men to His 1.47.3 servant through apparitions. For indeed, He often deemed him worthy of divine manifestations, a most wonderful divine vision appearing to him and providing foreknowledge of all kinds of things that were about to happen. The ineffable wonders, then, from the grace of God it is not possible to comprehend in speech, 1.47.4 all that God himself deemed worthy to grant to his servant; fortified by which, he henceforth passed his life in safety, rejoicing in the good will of his subjects, and rejoicing also in that he saw all those under him continuing to lead a cheerful life, but exceedingly gladdened by the brightness of the churches of God. 1.48.1 While he was in this state, a ten-year period of his reign was being completed; on which occasion celebrating public festivals to the king of all

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φωτὸς αὐγὰς τῆς οἰκείας ἐξέλαμπε καλοκαγαθίας. οὐκ ἦν τ' ἄλλως αὐτῷ πλησίον γενέσθαι μὴ οὐχὶ ἀγαθοῦ τινος ἀπολαύσαντα, οὐδ' ἦν ποτ' ἐκπεσεῖν ἐλπίδος χρηστῆς τοῖς τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ τυχεῖν ἐπικουρίας προσδοκήσασι. 1.44.1 Κοινῶς μὲν οὖν πρὸς ἅπαντας ἦν τοιοῦτος. ἐξαίρετον δὲ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ νέμων φροντίδα, διαφερομένων τινῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους 1.44.2 κατὰ διαφόρους χώρας, οἷά τις κοινὸς ἐπίσκοπος ἐκ θεοῦ καθεσταμένος συνόδους τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ λειτουργῶν συνεκρότει. ἐν μέσῃ δὲ τῇ τούτων διατριβῇ οὐκ ἀπαξιῶν παρεῖναί τε καὶ συνιζάνειν κοινωνὸς τῶν ἐπισκοπουμένων ἐγίνετο, τὰ τῆς εἰρήνης τοῦ θεοῦ βραβεύων τοῖς πᾶσι, καθῆστό τε καὶ μέσος ὡσεὶ καὶ τῶν πολλῶν εἷς, δορυφόρους μὲν καὶ ὁπλίτας καὶ πᾶν τὸ σωματοφυλάκων γένος ἀποσεισάμενος, τῷ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ φόβῳ κατημφιεσμένος τῶν 1.44.3 τε πιστῶν ἑταίρων τοῖς εὐνουστάτοις περιεστοιχισμένος. εἶθ' ὅσους μὲν ἑώρα τῇ κρείττονι γνώμῃ πειθηνίους πρὸς εὐσταθῆ τε καὶ ὁμογνώμονα παρεσκευασμένους τρόπον, εὖ μάλα τούτους ἀπεδέχετο, χαίροντα δεικνὺς ἑαυτὸν τῇ κοινῇ πάντων ὁμονοίᾳ, τοὺς δ' ἀπειθῶς ἔχοντας ἀπεστρέφετο. 1.45.1 Ἤδη δέ τινας καὶ κατ' αὐτοῦ τραχυνομένους ἔφερεν ἀνεξικάκως, ἠρεμαίᾳ καὶ πραείᾳ φωνῇ σωφρονεῖν ἀλλὰ μὴ στασιάζειν τούτοις ἐγκελευόμενος. τούτων δ' οἱ μὲν ἀπηλλάττοντο καταιδούμενοι τὰς παραινέσεις, τοὺς δ' ἀνιάτως πρὸς σώφρονα λογισμὸν ἔχοντας τῷ θεῷ παραδιδοὺς ἠφίει, μηδὲν μηδαμῶς αὐτὸς κατά τινος λυπηρὸν διανοούμενος. 1.45.2 Ἔνθεν εἰκότως τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς Ἄφρων χώρας διαστασιάζοντας εἰς τοσοῦτον συνέβαινεν ἐπιτριβῆς ἐλαύνειν ὡς καὶ τολμηροῖς τισιν ἐγχειρεῖν, πονηροῦ τινος ὡς ἔοικε δαίμονος βασκαίνοντος τῇ τῶν παρόντων ἀγαθῶν ἀφθονίᾳ παρορμῶντός τ' εἰς ἀτόπους πράξεις τοὺς ἄνδρας, ὡς ἂν κινήσειε κατ' αὐτῶν τὸν 1.45.3 βασιλέως θυμόν. οὐ μὴν προὐχώρει τῷ φθόνῳ, γέλωτα τιθεμένου βασιλέως τὰ πραττόμενα καὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ κίνησιν συνιέναι φάσκοντος· μὴ γὰρ σωφρονούντων εἶναι ἀνδρῶν τὰ τολμώμενα ἀλλ' ἢ πάντῃ παρακοπτόντων ἢ ὑπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ δαίμονος οἰστρουμένων, οὓς ἐλεεῖσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ κολάζεσθαι χρῆναι· αὐτὸν δὲ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ζημιοῦσθαι πρὸς τῆς τῶν ἀφραινόντων μανίας, ἢ ὅσον τὸ συμπαθεῖν αὐτοῖς ὑπερβολῇ φιλανθρωπίας. 1.46.1 Ὧδε μὲν οὖν τὸν τῶν ἁπάντων ἔφορον θεὸν διὰ πάσης βασιλεὺς θεραπεύων πράξεως ἄτρυτον ἐποιεῖτο τὴν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν αὐτοῦ πρόνοιαν. θεὸς δ' αὐτὸν ἀμειβόμενος πάντα γένη βαρβάρων τοῖς αὐτοῦ καθυπέταττε ποσίν, ὡς πάντῃ καὶ πανταχοῦ τρόπαια κατ' ἐχθρῶν ἐγείρειν, νικητήν τ' αὐτὸν παρὰ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀνεκήρυττεν ἐπίφοβόν τε ἐχθροῖς καὶ πολεμίοις καθίστη, οὐκ ὄντα τὴν φύσιν τοιοῦτον ἡμερώτατον δὲ καὶ πραότατον καὶ φιλανθρωπότατον εἴ τις πώποτε καὶ ἄλλος. Ἐν τούτοις δ' ὄντι αὐτῷ μηχανὴν θανάτου συρράπτων ἁλοὺς τῶν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀποθεμένων ὁ δεύτερος αἰσχίστῳ καταστρέφει θανάτῳ. πρώτου δὲ τούτου τὰς ἐπὶ τιμῇ γραφὰς ἀνδριάντας τε καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τοιαῦτα ἐπ' ἀναθέσει τιμῆς νενόμιστο πανταχοῦ γῆς ὡς ἀνοσίου καὶ δυσσεβοῦς καθῄρουν. 1.47.2 εἶτα δὲ καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον τῶν πρὸς γένους ἕτεροι κρυφίους αὐτῷ συρράπτοντες ἐπιβουλὰς ἡλίσκοντο, παραδόξως τοῦ θεοῦ τὰς τούτων ἁπάντων βουλὰς τῷ 1.47.3 αὐτοῦ θεράποντι διὰ φασμάτων ἐκκαλύπτοντος. καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ θεοφανείας αὐτὸν πολλάκις ἠξίου, παραδοξότατα θείας ὄψεως ἐπιφαινομένης αὐτῷ παντοίας τε παρεχούσης πραγμάτων ἔσεσθαι μελλόντων προγνώσεις. τὰ μὲν οὖν ἐκ θεοῦ χάριτος ἀδιήγητα θαύματα οὐδ' ἔστι λόγῳ περιλαβεῖν δυνατόν, 1.47.4 ὅσα περ θεὸς αὐτὸς τῷ αὐτοῦ θεράποντι παρέχειν ἠξίου· οἷς δὴ πεφραγμένος ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ λοιπὸν τὴν ζωὴν διῆγε, χαίρων μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἀρχομένων εὐνοίᾳ, χαίρων δὲ καὶ ἐφ' οἷς τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν πάντας εὔθυμον διατελοῦντας ἑώρα βίον, ὑπερβαλλόντως δ' ἐνευφραινόμενος τῇ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ θεοῦ φαιδρότητι. 1.48.1 Οὕτω δ' ἔχοντι δεκαετὴς αὐτῷ τῆς βασιλείας ἠνύετο χρόνος· ἐφ' ᾧ δὴ πανδήμους ἐκτελῶν ἑορτὰς τῷ πάντων βασιλεῖ