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of skilled "calligraphers who accurately understand their art to write, "I mean the divine Scriptures, the preparation and use of which you know to be most "necessary for the purposes of the church. "And letters have been sent from our Clemency to the "financial administrator of the diocese, so that he might take care to provide all the things suitable for their "preparation. For it will be the work of your diligence that the "written volumes be prepared as quickly as possible. "For it is also fitting for you to receive from the authority of this our letter the use of two public carriages for "their transport. "For thus the beautifully written volumes might most easily be conveyed "even for our own eyes, this duty being fulfilled by one "of the deacons of your church, who, when he has come to us, "will experience our benevolence. May God preserve you, beloved "brother." 61 Now these things are sufficient to prove, or rather to teach clearly, how the all-praised emperor transferred all his zeal to divine things. But I will nevertheless add to what has been said the things accomplished by him concerning the Savior's tomb. For having learned how those who celebrate Corybantic rites and are frantic in the worship of idols had buried the Master's tomb, striving to consign to oblivion the memory of our salvation, and had built on it a temple to the licentious demon, mocking the virginal birth-pangs, he ordered that the abominable structure be demolished, and that that earth, which had been polluted with impious sacrifices, be carried away and cast somewhere far from the city, and then that a very great and most beautiful temple be built. And the letter which he sent to the president of that church shows these things more clearly. This was Macarius, whom we have also mentioned before, who had also taken part in the great council and had contended against the blasphemy of Arius with the others. "Victor Constantinus, Maximus Augustus, to Macarius. "Such is the grace of our Savior, that no supply of words seems to be "worthy of the present wonder. For that the token "of that most holy passion, long hidden under the earth, "should have remained unknown for so many cycles of years, until, through the removal of the common "enemy of all, it was about to shine forth to his servants who have been "set free, truly surpasses all amazement. For if "all who are considered to be wise men throughout the whole world were to come together to one 62 and the same place and wish to say something worthy of the event, "they would not be able to contend even in the smallest degree. To such an extent "does the certainty of this wonder surpass every capacity of human reasoning, "by as much as heavenly things are established "to be more powerful than human things. For this reason, therefore, this is always my first and "only aim, that just as the faith of the truth demonstrates itself daily with newer "wonders, so also the souls of all "of us may become more earnest concerning the holy law with self-control and like-minded "eagerness. And since I think this is clear to all, "I especially wish you to be persuaded of this, that it is my concern more than all other "things that we should adorn with the beauty of buildings that holy place, which, by the command "of God, I have lightened of the most shameful addition of an idol, as of a certain superincumbent "weight, a place made holy from the beginning by the judgment of God, but revealed as more "holy since it brought to light the evidence of the Savior's passion. "It is fitting, therefore, for your sagacity so to arrange and "to make provision for each of the necessary things, that not only the basilica "be better than those everywhere else, but also that the other parts be of such a kind "that all the most beautiful things in every city may be surpassed by this "building. And concerning the raising and decoration "of the walls, know that the care has been entrusted by us to Dracillianus our "friend, who administers the office of the most illustrious 63 prefects, and to the governor of the province. "For it has been ordered by my "Piety both artisans and

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τεχνιτῶν "καλλιγράφων καὶ ἀκριβῶς τὴν τέχνην ἐπισταμένων γραφῆναι κελεύ "σειας, τῶν θείων δηλαδὴ γραφῶν, ὧν μάλιστα τήν τε ἐπισκευὴν "καὶ τὴν χρῆσιν τῷ τῆς ἐκκλησίας λόγῳ ἀναγκαίαν εἶναι γινώσκεις. "ἀπέσταλται δὲ γράμματα παρὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἡμερότητος πρὸς τὸν "τῆς διοικήσεως καθολικόν, ὅπως ἂν πάντα τὰ πρὸς τὴν ἐπισκευὴν "αὐτῶν ἐπιτήδεια παρασχεῖν φροντίσειεν. ἵνα γὰρ ὡς τάχιστα τὰ "γραφέντα σωμάτια κατασκευασθείη, τῆς σῆς ἐπιμελείας ἔργον τοῦτο "γενήσεται. καὶ γὰρ δύο δημοσίων ὀχημάτων ἐξουσίαν εἰς διακομιδὴν "ἐκ τῆς αὐθεντίας τοῦ γράμματος ἡμῶν τούτου λαβεῖν σε προσήκει. "οὕτω γὰρ ἂν μάλιστα τὰ καλῶς γραφέντα καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἡμετέρων "ὄψεων ῥᾷστα διακομισθείη, ἑνὸς δηλαδὴ τοῦτο πληροῦντος τῶν ἐκ "τῆς σῆς ἐκκλησίας διακόνων, ὃς ἐπειδὰν ἀφίκηται πρὸς ἡμᾶς, τῆς "ἡμετέρας πειραθήσεται φιλανθρωπίας. ὁ θεός σε διαφυλάξει, ἀδελφὲ "ἀγαπητέ." 61 Ἱκανὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ταῦτα τεκμηριῶσαι, μᾶλλον δὲ διδάξαι σαφῶς, ὅπως ὁ πανεύφημος βασιλεὺς πᾶσαν εἰς τὰ θεῖα μετατέθεικε τὴν σπουδήν. Προσθήσω δὲ ὅμως τοῖς εἰρημένοις τὰ περὶ τὸν σωτήριον αὐτῷ τάφον κατωρθωμένα. μαθὼν γὰρ ὡς οἱ κορυβαντιῶντες καὶ περὶ τὴν τῶν εἰδώλων θεραπείαν βεβακχευμένοι τὸν μὲν δεσποτικὸν κατέ χωσαν τάφον, λήθῃ παραδοῦναι φιλονεικοῦντες τῆς σωτηρίας τὴν μνήμην, ἐπὶ τούτῳ δὲ νεὼν τῆς ἀκολάστου δαίμονος ἐδομήσαντο, ταῖς παρθενικαῖς ὠδῖσιν ἐπιτωθάζοντες, καταλυθῆναι μὲν προσέταξε τὸ μυσαρὸν οἰκοδόμημα, τὸν δὲ χοῦν ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἐναγέσι μολυνθέντα θυσίαις ἐκφορηθῆναι καὶ πόρρω που ῥιφῆναι τοῦ ἄστεος, εἶτα νεὼν οἰκοδομηθῆναι μέγιστόν τε καὶ κάλλιστον. δηλοῖ δὲ ταῦτα σαφέ στερον ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἣν πρὸς τὸν πρόεδρον τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐκείνης ἐπέστειλεν. Μακάριος δὲ ἦν οὗτος, οὗ καὶ πρόσθεν ἐμνήσθημεν, ὃς καὶ τῆς μεγάλης κεκοινωνήκει συνόδου καὶ τὴν Ἀρείου σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις κατηγωνίσατο βλασφημίαν. "Νικητὴς Κωνσταντῖνος Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς Μακαρίῳ. "Τοσαύτη τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἡ χάρις ὡς μηδεμίαν λόγων "χορηγίαν τοῦ παρόντος θαύματος ἀξίαν εἶναι δοκεῖν. τὸ γὰρ γνώ "ρισμα τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου ἐκείνου πάθους ὑπὸ τῇ γῇ πάλαι κρυπτόμενον "τοσαύταις ἐτῶν περιόδοις λαθεῖν, ἄχρις οὗ διὰ τῆς τοῦ κοινοῦ πάν "των ἐχθροῦ ἀναιρέσεως ἐλευθερωθεῖσι τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ θεράπουσιν ἀνα "λάμπειν ἔμελλε, πᾶσαν ἔκπληξιν ὡς ἀληθῶς ὑπερβαίνει. εἰ γὰρ "πάντες οἱ διὰ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης εἶναι δοκοῦντες σοφοὶ εἰς ἓν 62 "καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συνελθόντες ἄξιόν τι τοῦ πράγματος ἐθέλωσιν εἰπεῖν, "οὐδ' ἂν πρὸς τὸ βραχύτατον ἁμιλληθῆναι δυνήσονται. ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον "πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνου λογισμοῦ χωρητικὴν φύσιν ἡ τοῦ θαύματος "τούτου πίστις ὑπερβαίνει ὅσῳ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων τὰ οὐράνια συνέ "στηκεν εἶναι δυνατώτερα. διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν οὗτος ἀεὶ καὶ πρῶτος καὶ "μόνος ἐστί μοι σκοπός, ἵν' ὥσπερ ἑαυτὴν ὁσημέραι καινοτέροις θαύ "μασιν ἡ τῆς ἀληθείας πίστις ἐπιδείκνυσιν, οὕτως καὶ αἱ ψυχαὶ πάν "των ἡμῶν περὶ τὸν ἅγιον νόμον σωφροσύνῃ καὶ ὁμογνώμονι προ "θυμίᾳ σπουδαιότεραι γίγνωνται. ὅπερ ἐπειδὴ πᾶσιν εἶναι νομίζω "φανερόν, ἐκεῖνο μάλιστά σε πεπεῖσθαι βούλομαι, ὡς ἄρα πάντων "μοι μᾶλλον μέλει ὅπως τὸν ἱερὸν ἐκεῖνον τόπον, ὃν θεοῦ προστάγ "ματι αἰσχίστης εἰδώλου προσθήκης ὥσπερ τινὸς ἐπικειμένου βάρους "ἐκούφισα, ἅγιον μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς θεοῦ κρίσει γεγενημένον, ἁγιώτερον "δὲ ἀποφανθέντα ἀφ' οὗ τὴν τοῦ σωτηρίου πάθους πίστιν εἰς φῶς "προήγαγεν, οἰκοδομημάτων κάλλει κοσμήσωμεν. "Προσήκει τοίνυν τὴν σὴν ἀγχίνοιαν οὕτως διατάξαι τε καὶ "ἑκάστου τῶν ἀναγκαίων ποιήσασθαι πρόνοιαν, ὡς οὐ μόνον βασιλι "κὴν τῶν πανταχοῦ βελτίονα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τοιαῦτα γενέσθαι "ὡς πάντα τὰ ἐφ' ἑκάστης καλλιστεύοντα πόλεως ὑπὸ τοῦ κτίσματος "τούτου νικᾶσθαι. καὶ περὶ τῆς τῶν τοίχων ἐγέρσεώς τε καὶ καλ "λιεργίας ∆ρακιλλιανῷ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ φίλῳ, τῷ διέποντι τῶν λαμπρο 63 "τάτων ἐπάρχων μέρη, καὶ τῷ τῆς ἐπαρχίας ἄρχοντι παρ' ἡμῶν "ἐγκεχειρίσθαι τὴν φροντίδα γίνωσκε. κεκέλευσται γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐμῆς "εὐσεβείας καὶ τεχνίτας καὶ