18

And what is the proof of these things? he said. And they bring forward John, who was the sakellarios of Peter the

who was general of Numidia in Africa, saying, That twenty-two years ago the grandfather of the master ordered the blessed Peter, to take an army, and go to Egypt against the Saracens, and he wrote to you as one speaking to a servant of God, having confidence in you as a holy man, whether you advise him to go. And you wrote back to him, saying, to do no such thing, because God is not pleased during the reign of Heraclius, and of his family, for the Roman state to succeed.

The servant of God says: If he is telling the truth, you surely have both Peter's letter to me, and my letter to him; let them be brought forth, and I submit to the penalties deemed fit by the law. And he says: I do not have a letter, nor do I know, if he wrote to you at all. But in the camp, everyone was saying these things at that time.

The servant of God said to him: If the whole camp was speaking of this, how is it that you alone slander me with this? Have you ever seen me, or I you?

And he says: Never. 15Γ_074 Then turning to the senate, the servant of God said: If it is just for such accusers, or witnesses, to be brought forward, you judge. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you, says the God of all.

B. And after this man they bring Sergius the Magoudan, saying: Nine years ago the

blessed Abba Thomas, having come from Rome, said to me that Pope Theodore sent me to the patrician Gregory, to tell him not to fear anyone. For the servant of God, Abba Maximus, had seen a dream, that in the heavens to the east and to the west there were companies of angels; and those to the east were crying out: Constantine Augustus, thou art victorious!; while those to the west were shouting: Gregory Augustus, thou art victorious!; and the voice of those to the west prevailed over the voice of those to the east.

And then the sakellarios cries out: God has sent you to be burned in this city.

The servant of God says: I thank God, who cleanses me from my voluntary evils, by an involuntary punishment; however, Woe to the world because of scandals. For it is necessary that scandals come; but woe to him through whom the scandal comes. Truly, such things should not be spoken in the presence of Christians; nor should those who do such things to please men, who are here today and are not tomorrow, remain unpunished. This man should have said these things while Gregory was alive, 0113 and made known his good will toward the emperor. And it is just, if it seems so to you, that the slanderer before this one be compelled to go and bring the patrician Peter, 15Γ_076 and this Abba Thomas, and that blessed Pope Theodore; and then, in the presence of all, I would say to the patrician Peter: 'Tell me, lord patrician, did you ever write to me about the things your sakellarios has spoken, or I to you?' And when he had testified, I would have been under punishment. And likewise to the blessed pope: 'Tell me, master, did I ever relate a dream to you?' And when he had convicted me, the charge would have been his, not mine who saw it. For a dream is an involuntary thing; and the law punishes only voluntary acts, if they are opposed to it.

Then Troilus says to him: You are jesting, Abba, you do not know where you are.

18

Καί τίς τούτων ἀπόδειξις; ἔφη. Καί παραφέρουσιν Ἰωάννην τόν γενόμενον σακελλάριον Πέτρου τοῦ

γενομένου στρατηγοῦ Νουμηδίας τῆς Ἀφρικῆς λέγοντα, Ὅτι πρό εἰκοσιδύο ἐτῶν ὁ πάππος τοῦ δεσπότου ἐκέλευσε τῷ μακαρίῳ Πέτρῳ, λαβεῖν στρατόν, καί ἀπελθεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον κατά τῶν Σαρακηνῶν, καί ἔγραψέ σοι ὡς πρός δοῦλον τοῦ Θεοῦ λαλῶν, πληροφορίαν ἔχων εἰς σέ ὡς ἅγιον ἄνθρωπον, εἰ συμβουλεύεις αὐτῷ ἀπελθεῖν. Καί ἀντέγραψας αὐτῷ λέγων, μηδέν τοιοῦτο ποιῆσαι, ἐπειδή οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ὁ Θεός ἐπί τῆς βασιλείας Ἡρακλείου, καί τοῦ γένους αὐτοῦ, συμπραχθῆναι τήν πολιτείαν τῶνῬωμαίων.

Λέγει ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ Θεοῦ· Ἐάν ἀληθεύῃ, πάντως ἔχεις καί τήν πρός ἐμέ Πέτρου, καί τήν ἐμήν πρός αὐτόν ἐπιστολήν· παρενεχθῶσι, καί ὑπόκειμαι ταῖς δοκούσαις τῷ νόμῳ ποιναῖς. Καί λέγει· Ἐγώ οὐκ ἔχω ἐπιστολήν, ἀλλ' οὔτε οἶδα, εἰ ὅλως ἔγραψέ σοι. Ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ φοσσάτῳ ταῦτα κατ' ἐκεῖνον ἐλάλουν πάντες τόν καιρόν.

Λέγειν πρός αὐτόν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοῦλος· Εἰ τό φοσσάτον ὅλον τοῦτο διελάλει, πῶς σύ μόνος τοῦτο συκοφαντεῖς με; Ἐθεώρησάς μέ ποτε, ἤ ἐγώ σε;

Καί λέγει· Οὔδέποτε. 15Γ_074 Τότε στραφείς πρός τήν σύγκλητον ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοῦλος εἶπεν· Εἰ δίκαιόν ἐστι τοιούτους παρακομίζεσθαι κατηγόρους, ἤ μάρτυρας, κρίνατε· Ὧ γαρ κρίματι κρίνετε, κριθήσεσθε· καί οἵῳ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε, μετρηθήσεσθε, φησίν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός.

Β΄. Καί μετά τοῦτον φέρουσι Σέργιον τόν Μαγουδάν, λέγοντα· Πρό ἐννέα ἐτῶν ὁ

μακάριος ἀββᾶς Θωμᾶς ἐλθών ἀπόῬώμης εἶπέ μοι, ὅτι ὁ Πάππας Θεόδωρος ἔπεμψέ με πρός τόν πατρίκιον Γρηγόριον, ἵνα εἴπω αὐτῷ, μή φοβηθῆναί τινα. Ὁ γάρ δοῦλος τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ἀββᾶς Μάξιμος ἐθεώρησεν ὄναρ, ὅτι κατ' οὐρανούς εἰς ἀνατολάς καί δυσμάς ἦσαν δῆμοι ἀγγέλων· καί οἱ μέν εἰς ἀνατολάς ἔκραζον· Κωνσταντῖνε Αὔγουστε, τοῦ βίγκας· οἱ δέ εἰς δυσμάς ἐβόουν· Γρηγόριε Αὔγουστε, τοῦ βίγκας· καί ὑπερίσχυσεν ἡ φωνή τῶν εἰς δυσμάς, τήν τῶν εἰς ἀνατολήν φωνήν.

Καί τότε κραυγάζει ὁ σακελλάριος· Ἔπεμψέ σε ὁ Θεός καυθῆναι εἰς τήν πόλιν ταύτην.

Λέγει ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοῦλος· Εὔχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ, καθαίροντί με τῶν ἑκουσίων κακῶν, δι' ἀκουσίου κολάσεως· πλήν, Οὐαί τῷ κόσμῳ ἀπό τῶν σκανδάλων. Ἀνάγκη γάρ ἐλθεῖν τά σκάνδαλα· οὐαί δέ δι' οὗ σκάνδαλον ἔρχεται. Ὄντως οὐκ ἔδει τοιαῦτα λαλεῖσθαι παρουσίᾳ Χριστιανῶν· οὐδέ ἀτιμωρήτους μένειν τούς τά τοιαῦτα πράττοντας πρός τό ἀρέσαι ἀνθρώποις, σήμερον οὖσι, καί αὔριον οὐκ οὖσι. Ταῦτα ζῶντος Γρηγορίου ἔδει τοῦτον εἰπεῖν, 0113 καί γνωρίσαι τῷ βασιλεῖ τήν εἰς αὐτόν εὔνοιαν. ∆ίκαιον δέ ἐστι, εἰ καί ὑμῖν παρίσταται, τόν πρό τούτου συκοφάντην, ἐκβιασθῆναι ἀπελθεῖν ἐνέγκαι τόν πατρίκιον Πέτρον, 15Γ_076 καί τοῦτον τόν ἀββᾶν Θωμᾶν, κἀκεῖνον τόν μακάριον πάππαν Θεόδωρον· καί τότε παρουσίᾳ πάντων, ἔλεγον τῷ πατρικίῳ Πέτρῳ· Εἰπέ, κῦρι ὁ πατρίκιος· ἔγραψάς μοι ποτε περί ὧν εἶπεν ὁ σακελλάριός σου, ἤ ἐγώ σοί; Καί ὅταν κατέθετο, ὑπό κόλασιν ἐγενόμην. Ὁμοίως δέ καί τῷ μακαρίῳ πάππᾳ· Εἰπέ, δέσποτα, ἐγώ σοί ποτε ὄναρ ἀφηγησάμην; Καί ὅταν ἤλεγξέ με, ἐκείνου ἦν τό ἔγκλημα, οὐκ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἑωρακότος. Ἀπροαίρετον γάρ πρᾶγμα τό ὄναρ· μόνα δέ τά προαιρετικά κολάζει ὁ νόμος, εἴπερ αὐτῷ ἐναντιοῦται.

Τότε λέγει πρός αὐτόν ὁ Τρωΐλος· Παίζεις, ἀββᾶ, οὐκ οἶδας ποῦ εἶ.