History of the Arians

 a wild beast has come forth upon the earth, this heresy. For not only does it harm the innocent with its words as with teeth, but it has also hired ex

 Nevertheless, since Eusebius was lusting after and wanting to seize the episcopate of the city (for thus also he had moved from Berytus to Nicomedia),

 seeing themselves, who happened to be suspected in all things, not prevailing in an ecclesiastical judgment, they approach Constantius alone and then

 you deemed them worthy to have communion from them, they were not worthy of blows but if you were beating them as wicked men, why were you summoning

 of the accusers, as they themselves had suborned everything and contrived such things. Seeing these things, although they had come with haste, thinkin

 deeds to be revealed. For since those in Adrianople did not wish to have communion with them, as men who had fled from the Synod and had become liable

 wonderful and daring in all things, as they have seen them in Antioch, they plotted together, but Stephen alone undertook the drama as being well-suit

 the people of Alexandria. Making our aim your good order in all things ... (This too was likewise written in the same 65th oration and because it vari

 having received letters from him. And having gone up also to Rome, they were repenting, confessing that everything whatsoever they had done and said a

 present, not with palace officials or notaries having been sent, such as they themselves now do, but not even when the emperor was present, nor having

 the emperor commanded.” How many were harassed by them in every city, so that they might not 31.6 condemn them as friends of the bishops. For letters

 Lucifer the bishop from the metropolis of Sardinia, and Eusebius from Vercelli in Italy, and Dionysius 33.7 from Milan, which is also a metropolis of

 Accept these things.” 36.1 But the bishop, persuading by speech, was teaching: “How is it possible for this to happen against Athanasius? For how can

 of the gates, so that no orthodox person, entering, might see Liberius? Rome also had experience of the Christ-fighters and knew at last what it had n

 with 40.3 Constantius’ soldiers. Truly, wickedness is blind for in that by which they thought to vex the confessors by separating them from one anoth

 he might write against us, but hold communion with the Arians. 43.2 But the old man, finding the hearing of it unpleasant and being grieved that he sh

 What courtier of his compelled him to subscribe against anyone, that Valens and his party should say such things? Cease, I beseech you, and remember t

 (for he was now a hundred years old) the heartless one was put to shame. For the new Ahab, another Belshazzar who had arisen among us, overlooked all

 he writes evil things again to the council and the people of Alexandria, inciting the younger men, so that they all might come together and either exp

 to Felicissimus, the then duke, and to Nestorius the prefect, so that if either Philip the prefect or anyone else should dare to plot against Athanasi

 ordered the church to be handed over.” And while all were marveling at this and nodding to one another and saying, “Has Constantius become a heretic?”

 the miracle had a more manifest proof. For a certain licentious young man, running in and daring to do so, sat upon the throne. And sitting down, the

 And to their women they have given authority to abuse whomever they wish. And the respectable and faithful women would turn aside and yield the way to

 And they, seeing the man blind from birth now seeing, and the man who had been a paralytic for a long time made well, they accused the Lord who had do

 the evils that have come to pass, after the persecution which occurred through Heraclius, they again do not cease slandering to the emperor. For they

 the antichrist himself? For he himself, because of his heresy, was the first to hasten to rival Saul in cruelty. For that one, when the priests had gi

 writing, he repents, and repenting, he is provoked, and again he laments and not having what he should do, he shows the desolation of his soul's mind.

 For they did not even pity them when they were sick, but even drove them on when they were bearing up with difficulty on account of their weakness, so

 he is, such as that one might become. For he speaks words against the most high, being the head of the impious heresy, and he makes war against the sa

 to the man. But if you speak having heard from these men, it is just for you to believe also the things said by him, but if you do not believe him, bu

 having caused the Arian heresy to be so much as 78.5 named in it. For still only in the whole of Egypt was there freedom of speech for orthodoxy, and

 It is good to be content with the divine scripture and for all to be persuaded by it as it commands, both because of the other heresies and especially

 as the soldiers were coming on, and men were being shot with arrows and killed. And some of the soldiers also turned to plundering and stood the virgi

(for he was now a hundred years old) the heartless one was put to shame. For the new Ahab, another Belshazzar who had arisen among us, overlooked all these things on account of his impiety. For he used such violence against the old man and constrained him so much, that he, being under pressure, with difficulty entered into communion with Valens and Ursacius, but did not sign against Athanasius. But even so the old man was not neglectful, for as he was about to die, as if making a testament, he bore witness to the violence and anathematized the Arian heresy and charged no one to accept it. 46.1 Who, seeing these things or even only hearing of them, is not beside himself and will not cry out to the Lord, saying: "Will you utterly blot out Israel?" Who, considering these things, will not himself also cry out at the right time, saying: "Astonishment and horrible things have been done in the land," and "The heaven was astonished at this and the earth shuddered exceedingly"? The fathers of the peoples and teachers of the faith are taken away and the impious are brought into the churches. 46.2 Who, when Liberius the bishop of Rome was exiled, and the father of the bishops, the great Hosius, [suffering thus, or who] seeing so many bishops from Spain and the other parts being exiled, did not recognize, even if he has little perception, that the charges against Athanasius and the others are false pretexts and everything is full of calumny; for on account of this they also endured to suffer all things, seeing the plot that arose from their 46.3 calumny. For what was the charge against Liberius? Or what accusation against the old man Hosius? Who even lied against Paulinus and Lucifer and Dionysius and Eusebius? Or what sin against the other exiled bishops and presbyters and deacons? It is not so, may it not be, for the conspiracies were not because of crimes, nor was each one exiled because of an accusation, but it is a rebellion of impiety against piety, and zeal on behalf of the Arian heresy, and a prelude to the coming of the Antichrist, as Constantius prepares the way for him. 47.1 For after accomplishing everything that he wished in the churches in Italy and the other parts, after exiling some, and compelling others, and filling all places with fear, he then turned his own wrath like some disease to Alexandria. 47.2 And this was done craftily by the Christ-fighters. For in order that they might have the appearance of the signature of many bishops, and so that Athanasius, when persecuted, might not even be able to lament to a bishop, for this reason they preemptively filled all places with fear. And they kept this man in reserve for the plot, not knowing, the foolish ones, that they were displaying not the choice of bishops but the violence done by them, and that even if brothers abandon, even if friends and acquaintances stand far off, and no one is found to sympathise and comfort, yet above all else the refuge in God is sufficient. 47.3 For Elijah was also alone when persecuted, and God was all in all to the holy one. And the Savior has given us this example, and being left alone by his enemies he was plotted against, so that, if we when persecuted are left behind by men, we may not lose heart, but have our hope in him and not betray the truth, which, though it may seem to be afflicted at the beginning, yet later even those who persecute it will recognize it. 48.1 They therefore provoke him, and the emperor writes first and sends a threat to both the duke and the soldiers. And notaries Diogenes and Hilarius and palace officials are sent with them. And so many terrible and cruel things were done against the church, which were mentioned briefly a little before and which everyone knows, from the protests which the people made, 48.2 which one can also read, written at the end of these things. Then after the things done by Syrianus, after so many things had happened and the outrages against the virgins, having approved these and such things

19

(ἑκατονταετὴς γὰρ λοιπὸν ἦν) αἰσχυνθεὶς ὁ ἄστοργος. πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα παρεῖδε διὰ τὴν ἀσέβειαν ὁ νέος Ἀχαὰβ καὶ ἄλλος Βαλθασὰρ ἐφ' ἡμῶν γενόμενος. τοσαύτην γὰρ βίαν πεποίηκε τῷ γέροντι καὶ τοσοῦτον αὐτὸν συνέσχεν, ὡς θλιβέντα αὐτὸν μόγις κοινωνῆσαι μὲν τοῖς περὶ Οὐάλεντα καὶ Οὐρσάκιον, μὴ ὑπογράψαι δὲ κατὰ Ἀθανασίου. ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτως οὐκ ἠμέλησεν ὁ γέρων, μέλλων γὰρ ἀποθνήσκειν ὥσπερ διατιθέμενος ἐμαρτύρατο τὴν βίαν καὶ τὴν ἀρειανὴν αἵρεσιν ἀνεθεμάτιζε καὶ παρήγγελλε μηδένα ταυτὴν ἀποδέχεσθαι. 46.1 Τίς ταῦτα βλέπων ἢ καὶ μόνον ἀκούων οὐκ ἐξίσταται καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ καταβοήσει πρὸς κύριον λέγων· «μὴ ἆρα εἰς ἐξάλειψιν σὺ ποιήσῃς τὸν Ἰσραήλ; » τίς ταῦτα κατα νοῶν οὐκ εὐκαίρως καὶ αὐτὸς ἀναβοήσει λέγων· «ἔκστασις καὶ φρικτὰ ἐγενήθη ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς» καὶ «ἐξέστη ὁ οὐρανὸς ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἔφριξε σφόδρα»; οἱ πατέρες τῶν λαῶν καὶ διδάσκαλοι τῆς πίστεως αἴρονται καὶ οἱ ἀσεβεῖς εἰς τὰς ἐκκλησίας εἰσάγονται. 46.2 τίς, ὅτε Λιβέριος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος Ῥώμης ἐξωρίσθη καὶ ὁ πατὴρ τῶν ἐπισκόπων ὁ μέγας Ὅσιος, [οὕτω πάσχοντα ἢ τίς] ὁρῶν τοσούτους ἐπισκόπους ἀπὸ τῆς Σπανίας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων μερῶν ἐξοριζομένους οὐκ ἐπέγνω, κἂν ὀλίγην αἴσθησιν ἔχῃ, ὅτι καὶ τὰ κατὰ Ἀθανάσιον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους προφάσεις εἰσὶ ψευδεῖς καὶ πάντα συκοφαντίας μεστά· τούτου γὰρ χάριν κἀκεῖνοι πάντα παθεῖν ὑπέμειναν συνορῶντες τὴν γενομένην ἐκ συκο 46.3 φαντίας ἐκείνων ἐπιβουλήν. ἐπεὶ ποῖον ἔγκλημα καὶ Λιβερίῳ; ἢ ποία κατηγορία κατὰ τοῦ γέροντος Ὁσίου; τίς κἂν ἐψεύσατο κατὰ Παυλίνου καὶ Λουκιφέρου καὶ ∆ιονυσίου καὶ Εὐσεβίου; ἢ ποῖον ἁμάρτημα κατὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐξορισθέντων ἐπισκόπων καὶ πρεσ βυτέρων καὶ διακόνων; οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο, μὴ γένοιτο, οὐ γὰρ δι' ἐγκλήματα γεγόνασιν αἱ συσκευαὶ οὐδὲ διὰ κατηγορίαν ἕκαστος ἐξωρίσθη, ἀλλ' ἐπανάστασίς ἐστι τῆς ἀσεβείας κατὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας, καὶ σπουδὴ μὲν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρειανῆς αἱρέσεως, προοίμια δὲ τῆς τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου παρόδου Κωνσταντίου ταύτην προκατασκευάζοντος ἐκείνῳ. 47.1 Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ διαπράξασθαι πάντα, ὅσαπερ ἠθέλησεν εἰς τὰς ἐκκλησίας τὰς ἐν τῇ Ἰταλίᾳ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα μέρη, μετὰ τὸ τοὺς μὲν ἐξορίσαι, τοὺς δὲ ἀναγκάσαι καὶ πληρῶσαι φόβου τὰ πανταχοῦ λοιπὸν εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ὥσπερ τι νόσημα τὸν ἑαυτοῦ θυμὸν 47.2 ἔστρεψεν· ἐγίγνετο δὲ τοῦτο πανούργως παρὰ τῶν χριστομάχων. ἵνα γὰρ φαντασίαν ἔχωσιν ὑπογραφῆς πολλῶν ἐπισκόπων, καὶ ἵνα διωχθεὶς Ἀθανάσιος μὴ ἔχῃ κἂν ἀπο δύρεσθαι πρὸς ἐπίσκοπον, διὰ τοῦτο προλαμβάνοντες τὰ πανταχοῦ πεπληρώκασι φόβου. καὶ τοῦτον ἔφεδρον εἰς τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ἐτήρησαν οὐκ εἰδότες οἱ ἄφρονες ὅτι οὐ προαίρεσιν ἐπισκόπων, ἀλλὰ τὴν παρ' αὐτῶν γενομένην βίαν ἐπεδείκνυντο, καὶ ὅτι, κἂν ἀδελφοὶ καταλείψωσι, κἂν φίλοι καὶ γνώριμοι μακρὰν ἀποστῶσι καὶ μηδεὶς εὑρεθῇ συλλυπούμενος καὶ παρακαλῶν, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ πάντα μᾶλλον ἡ πρὸς θεὸν ἐξαρκεῖ κατα 47.3 φυγή. μόνος γὰρ ἦν καὶ Ἠλίας διωκόμενος καὶ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ἦν ὁ θεὸς τῷ ἁγίῳ. καὶ τοῦτον δὲ τύπον δέδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ μόνος καταλειφθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐπεβουλεύετο, ἵνα, κἂν ἡμεῖς διωκόμενοι καταλειφθῶμεν ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων, μὴ ἐκκακῶ μεν, ἄλλ' ἔχωμεν εἰς αὐτὸν τὴν ἐλπίδα καὶ μὴ προδίδωμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἥτις, κἂν κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν θλίβεσθαι δόξῃ, ἀλλ' ὕστερον καὶ οἱ διώκοντες αὐτὴν ἐπιγνώσονται. 48.1 Παροξύνουσι τοίνυν καὶ γράφει τὸ πρῶτον βασιλεὺς καὶ πέμπει πρός τε τὸν δοῦκα καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας ἀπειλήν. νοτάριοί τε ∆ιογένιός τε καὶ Ἱλάριος καὶ παλατῖνοι σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀποστέλλονται. καὶ γέγονε τὰ τοσαῦτα δεινὰ καὶ ὠμὰ κατὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἃ μικρῷ πρόσθεν δι' ὀλίγων εἴρηται καὶ πάντες ἔγνωσαν, ἐξ ὧν ἔθηκαν οἱ λαοὶ διαμαρτυ 48.2 ριῶν, ἃς καὶ ἀναγνῶναι δύναταί τις γραφείσας ἐν τῷ τέλει τούτων. εἶτα μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι τὰ παρὰ Συριανοῦ, μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι τὰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τὰς κατὰ τῶν παρθένων ὕβρεις ἀποδεξάμενος τὰ οὕτω καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα

19