19. Fourth charge, of having disobeyed an Imperial order.

And now, if it please you, let us consider the remaining accusation, and permit me to answer it likewise. They have dared to charge me with resisting your commands, and refusing to leave my Church. Truly I wonder they are not weary of uttering their calumnies; I however am not yet weary of answering them, I rather rejoice to do so; for the more abundant my defence is, the more entirely must they be condemned. I did not resist the commands of your Piety, God forbid; I am not a man that would resist even the Quæstor59    λογιστῇ, auditor of accounts? vid. Demosth. de Corona, p. 290. ed. 1823. Arist. Polit. vi. 8. of the city, much less so great a Prince. On this matter I need not many words, for the whole city will bear witness for me. Nevertheless, permit me again to relate the circumstances from the beginning; for when you hear them, I am sure you will be astonished at the presumption of my enemies. Montanus, the officer of the Palace60    Vid. Cod. Theod. vi. 30 [summer of 353 a.d. Prolegg. ch. ii. §7 fin.], came and brought me a letter, which purported to be an answer to one from me, requesting that I might go into Italy, for the purpose of obtaining a supply of the deficiencies which I thought existed in the condition of our Churches. Now I desire to thank your Piety, which condescended to assent to my request, on the supposition that I had written to you, and has made provision61    Apol. Ar. 70, note 5. for me to undertake the journey, and to accomplish it without trouble. But here again I am astonished at those who have spoken falsehood in your ears, that they were not afraid, seeing that lying belongs to the Devil, and that liars are alien from Him who says, ‘I am the Truth62    John xiv. 6..’ For I never wrote to you, nor will my accuser be able to find any such letter; and though I ought to have written every day, if I might thereby behold your gracious countenance, yet it would neither have been pious to desert the Churches, nor right to be troublesome to your Piety, especially since you are willing to grant our requests in behalf of the Church, although we are not present to make them. Now may it please you to order me to read what Montanus commanded me to do. This is as follows63    Lost, or never introduced..***

19 ∆ὸς δὴ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἴδωμεν διαβολήν, καὶ συγχώρησον ἀπολογήσασθαι καὶ περὶ αὐτῆς. Τετολμήκασι γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο διαβάλλειν, ὡς ἀντιστάντος ἐμοῦ τοῖς σοῖς προστάγμασιν, ὥστε μὴ ἐξελθεῖν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. Ἐκείνους μὲν οὖν θαυμάζω μὴ ἀποκάμνοντας ταῖς συκοφαντίαις· ἐγὼ δὲ ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀποκάμνω, χαίρω δὲ μᾶλλον ἀπολογούμενος. Ὅσῳ γὰρ ἀπολογίαι πολλαὶ τοσούτῳ καὶ πλέον ἐκεῖνοι δύνανται καταγινώσκεσθαι. Οὐκ ἀντέστην προστάγματι τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας, μὴ γένοιτο· οὐ γὰρ τηλικοῦτος ἤμην, ἵνα καὶ λογιστῇ πόλεως ἀντιστῶ, μήτιγε τηλικούτῳ βασιλεῖ, καὶ περὶ τούτου οὐ τοσούτων δεῖ τῶν παρ' ἐμοῦ λόγων· πᾶσα γὰρ ἡ πόλις μοι μαρτυρεῖ. Συγχώρησον δὲ ὅμως καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς διηγήσασθαι τὸ πρᾶγμα· καὶ γὰρ ἀκούσας, θαυμάσεις, εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι, τῶν ἐχθρῶν τὴν εὐχέρειαν. Μοντάνος ὁ Παλατινὸς ἦλθε κομίζων ἐπιστολὴν, ὡς ἐμοῦ γράψαντος, ἵνα εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἔλθω καὶ ἃ νομίζω λείπειν τοῖς ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς ταῦτα πληρωθῆναι δυνηθῇ. Τῇ μὲν οὖν σῇ εὐσεβείᾳ χάρις, ὅτι κατηξίωσεν, ὡς ἐμοῦ γράψαντος, ἐπινεῦσαι, καὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ πρόνοιαν πεποίηκεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ταύτην ἐλθεῖν καὶ ἀκμητὶ διανῦσαί με· τοὺς δὲ ψευσαμένους τὰς σὰς ἀκοὰς τεθαύμακα πάλιν μὴ φοβηθέντας, ὅτι τὸ ψεῦδος ἴδιόν ἐστι τοῦ διαβόλου, καὶ οἱ ψευδόμενοι ἀλλότριοί εἰσι τοῦ λέγοντος· «Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια». Οὐ γὰρ ἔγραψα οὐδὲ τοιαύτην ἐπιστολὴν εὑρεῖν ὁ κατήγορος δυνήσεται. Εἰ καὶ ἔδει με γράφειν καθημέραν, ἵνα τὴν ἀγαθήν σου πρόσοψιν θεωρῶ· ἀλλ' οὔτε τὰς Ἐκκλησίας καταλιμπάνειν ὅσιον οὐδὲ δι' ὄχλου τῇ σῇ εὐσεβείᾳ γίνεσθαι δίκαιον ἦν· μάλιστα ὅτι καὶ ἀπόντων ἡμῶν ἐπινεύεις ταῖς ἐκκλησιαστικαῖς ἀξιώσεσιν. Ἃ μὲν οὖν ἐκέλευσε Μοντάνος, κέλευσον ἀναγνῶναί με· ἔστι γὰρ ταῦτα ...