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a standard out of cowardice in battle and then hand it over to another, so that he might escape the war. And as the one received it, and the other, stepping back, was outside the guard of the standard, a dart was hurled and fixed in his belly and took away his life. 2.9.2 But he, having paid the penalty for cowardice and faithlessness, lay there dead, while for the one who bore the saving trophy it became a protection for his life, so that although many darts were sent against him, the bearer was saved, while the shaft of the trophy received the missiles. And this was indeed beyond all wonder, how the enemies’ darts, striking the very small circumference of the shaft, were fixed and stuck fast in it, but kept the bearer free from death, so that nothing ever touched those who performed this 2.9.3 service. But this story is not ours, but the emperor’s own again, who related this among other things to our ears; 2.9.4 and when, by the power of God, he had won the first victories, he then advanced forward, moving his army in order. 2.10.1 The leaders of the opposing faction, not withstanding the first assault of these, threw down their weapons with both hands and submitted themselves at the feet of the emperor; and he received them all safely, rejoicing in the safety of the men. 2.10.2 But others remained under arms and engaged in the conflict of battle; and when the emperor, having made friendly overtures to them, saw that they were not persuaded, he sent forth his army. They immediately turned their backs and fled. Then some of them were slain according to the law of war when they were overtaken, while others, falling upon one another, were struck down by their own swords. 2.11.1 And the ruler of these, being dismayed at these things, when he saw himself stripped of the aid of his own men, and the great multitude of the army and allies he had assembled was gone, and the hope of the gods whom he trusted was proven by experience to be nothing, then he endured a most shameful flight. For fleeing with a few men, he crossed over to the interior of his dominion and was in safety, since the God-beloved one commanded his own men not to pursue him on his heels, so that the fugitive might find safety. For he hoped that he, perceiving to what evils he was coming, would cease from his mad audacity, and change his mind to better reason. 2.11.2 But he, with an excess of philanthropy, considered these things and wished to forbear and grant pardon to the unworthy one; but the other did not abstain from wickedness, but piling evils upon evils, he undertook worse deeds of daring, and indeed again, trying the evil arts of sorcerers, he grew bold; and it was also with him, so to speak, as with the ancient tyrant, that "6God hardened his heart"6. 2.12.1 But he, entangling himself in such things, was pushing himself down into the pits of destruction, while the emperor, when he saw that a second battle array was needed against him, dedicated his leisure to his Savior, pitching the tent of his army outside and very far away, and there using a holy and pure way of life and rendering his prayers to God, according to that same ancient prophet of God, whom the divine oracles confirm pitched his tent outside the camp. And a few who had been approved by him for their faith and devotion to God persevered with him. This was his custom to do whenever else he set out to engage in battle array. 2.12.2 For he was slow for the sake of safety, and thought it right to do all things by the counsel of God. And at his leisure, making his supplications to his God, he certainly also obtained a theophany, and then, as if moved by a more divine inspiration, leaping up suddenly from the tent, he would immediately command the troops to move and not to delay but to take up their swords at that very hour. And they, attacking all at once, would cut them down from their youth, until, having secured the victory in the brief turn of an hour, they raised victory trophies against the enemy. 2.13.1 Thus indeed the emperor was accustomed long before to lead both himself and his army in the battle arrays of wars, always his own God before his soul

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σημεῖον ὑπὸ δειλίας ἐν ἀγῶνι γενέσθαι κἄπειτα μεταπαραδοῦναι αὐτὸ ἑτέρῳ, ὡς ἂν διαφύγοι τὸν πόλεμον. ὡς δ' ὁ μὲν ὑποδέδεκτο, ὁ δ' ὑποβὰς ἐκτὸς ἐγένετο τῆς τοῦ σημείου φυλακῆς, βέλος ἀκοντισθὲν αὐτοῦ κατὰ τῆς νηδύος πήγνυται καὶ τὴν ζωὴν 2.9.2 ἀφαιρεῖται αὐτοῦ. ἀλλ' αὐτὸς μὲν δειλίας καὶ ἀπιστίας δίκην ἐκτίσας ἐνταυθοῖ νεκρὸς ἔκειτο, τοῦ δὲ τὸ σωτήριον τρόπαιον αἰωροῦντος ζωῆς ἐγίνετο φυλακτήριον, ὡς πολλάκις βελῶν κατ' αὐτοῦ πεμπομένων τὸν μὲν φέροντα διασῴζεσθαι, τὸ δὲ τοῦ τροπαίου δόρυ δέχεσθαι τὰ βαλλόμενα. καὶ ἦν γε τοῦτο παντὸς ἐπέκεινα θαύματος, ὡς ἐν βραχυτάτῃ περιφερείᾳ τοῦ δόρατος ἱκνούμενα τὰ τῶν πολεμίων βέλη ἐν αὐτῷ μὲν πηγνύμενα κατεπείρετο, ἠλευθέρου δὲ θανάτου τὸν φέροντα, ὡς μηδὲν ἅπτεσθαι τῶν ταύτην ποιου2.9.3 μένων τὴν διακονίαν πώποτε. οὐχ ἡμέτερος δ' ὁ λόγος ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ πάλιν βασιλέως εἰς ἡμετέρας ἀκοὰς πρὸς ἑτέροις καὶ τοῦτον ἀπομνημονεύσαντος· 2.9.4 ὃς ἐπειδὴ θεοῦ δυνάμει τὰς πρώτας ἤρατο νίκας, ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσω λοιπὸν ἤλαυνε, τὸ στρατιωτικὸν ἐν τάξει κινήσας. 2.10.1 Τούτων δὲ τὴν πρώτην ὁρμὴν οἱ τῆς ἐναντίας προκατάρχοντες λήξεως οὐχ ὑποστάντες, τοῖν χεροῖν ῥίψαντες τὰ ὅπλα προσεχώρουν τοῖς βασιλέως ποσίν, ὁ δὲ τοὺς πάντας σώους ὑπεδέχετο τῇ τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀσμενίζων σωτηρίᾳ. 2.10.2 ἄλλοι δ' ἐπὶ τοῖς ὅπλοις μείναντες ἐνεχείρουν τῇ τοῦ πολέμου συμβολῇ· οἷς ἐπειδὴ προκλήσεις φιλικὰς προϊσχόμενος βασιλεὺς οὐ πειθομένους ἔγνω, τὸν στρατὸν ἠφίει. οἱ δ' αὐτίκα νῶτα δόντες εἰς φυγὴν ἐτράποντο. εἶθ' οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν νόμῳ πολέμου ἐκτείνοντο καταλαμβανόμενοι, ἄλλοι δ' ἐπ' ἀλλήλοις πίπτοντες τοῖς οἰκείοις κατεβάλλοντο ξίφεσιν. 2.11.1 Ἐκπλαγεὶς δ' ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ τούτων ἐξάρχων, ἐπειδὴ τῆς παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων βοηθείας γυμνωθέντα συνεῖδεν ἑαυτόν, φροῦδόν τ' ἦν αὐτῷ τὸ πολὺ πλῆθος τῆς συνειλεγμένης αὐτῷ στρατιᾶς τε καὶ συμμαχίας, ἥ τε ὧν ᾤετο θεῶν ἐλπὶς τὸ μηθὲν οὖσα πείρᾳ διηλέγχετο, τηνικαῦτα δρασμὸν αἴσχιστον ὑπομένει· φεύγων δῆτα σὺν βραχέσιν ἐπὶ τὰ εἴσω τῆς ὑπηκόου διέβαινεν ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ τ' ἐγίγνετο, τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς μὴ κατὰ πόδας διώκειν τοῖς οἰκείοις ἐγκελευομένου, ὡς ἂν τύχοι σωτηρίας ὁ φεύγων. ἤλπιζε γάρ ποτε αὐτόν, συναισθόμενον οἷ κακῶν ἴοι, λῆξαι μὲν τῆς μανιώδους θρασύτητος, ἐπὶ τὸν 2.11.2 κρείττονα δὲ λογισμὸν μεταβαλεῖσθαι τὴν γνώμην. ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν φιλανθρωπίας ὑπερβολῇ ταῦτα διενοεῖτο ἀνεξικακεῖν τ' ἤθελεν καὶ νέμειν τῷ μὴ ἀξίῳ συγγνώμην, ὁ δ' οὐκ ἀπείχετο μοχθηρίας, κακὰ δ' ἐπὶ κακοῖς σωρεύων χειρόνων ἥπτετο τολμημάτων, καὶ δὴ πάλιν γοήτων κακοτέχνοις ἐπιτηδεύμασιν ἐγχειρῶν ἐθρασύνετο· ἦν δὲ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ, ὡς ἄρα "6ὁ θεὸς ἐσκλήρυνε τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ"6 παλαιῷ τυράννῳ παραπλησίως, φάναι. 2.12.1 Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν τοιούτοις ἐμπλέκων ἑαυτὸν κατὰ βαράθρων ἀπωλείας ὤθει, βασιλεὺς δ' ἐπεὶ ἑώρα δευτέρας αὐτῷ δεῖσθαι πολέμου παρατάξεως, τῷ αὐτοῦ σωτῆρι τὴν σχολὴν ἀνετίθει, τοῦ μὲν στρατοῦ τὴν σκηνὴν ἐκτὸς καὶ πορρωτάτω πηξάμενος, ἁγνῇ δ' ἐνταυθοῖ χρώμενος καὶ καθαρᾷ διαίτῃ τῷ τε θεῷ τὰς εὐχὰς ἀποδιδούς, κατ' αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον τὸν παλαιὸν τοῦ θεοῦ προφήτην, ὃν τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἐκτὸς πήξασθαι τὴν σκηνὴν τὰ θεῖα πιστοῦνται λόγια. προσεκαρτέρουν δ' αὐτῷ βραχεῖς οἱ πίστει καὶ θεοσεβείας εὐνοίᾳ παρ' αὐτῷ δεδοκιμασμένοι. τοῦτο δ' αὐτῷ σύνηθες ἦν πράττειν καὶ εἴποτε ἄλλοτε παρατάξει πολέμων ὡρμᾶτο συμβαλεῖν. βραδὺς μὲν γὰρ ἦν δι' ἀσφά2.12.2 λειαν, θεοῦ δὲ βουλῇ πάντα πράττειν ἠξίου. ἐπὶ σχολῆς δὲ τῷ αὐτοῦ θεῷ τὰς ἱκετηρίας ποιούμενος πάντως που καὶ θεοφανείας ἐτύγχανεν, εἶθ' ὥσπερ θειοτέρᾳ κινηθεὶς ἐμπνεύσει, τῆς σκηνῆς ἀναπηδήσας ἐξαίφνης, κινεῖν αὐτίκα τὰ στρατιωτικὰ καὶ μὴ μέλλειν ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῆς ὥρας ξιφῶν ἅπτεσθαι παρεκελεύετο. οἱ δ' ἀθρόως ἐπιθέμενοι ἡβηδὸν ἔκοπτον, ἔστ' ἂν τὴν νίκην ἐν ὥρας ἀκαρεῖ ῥοπῇ ἀπολαβόντες τρόπαια κατ' ἐχθρῶν ἀνίστων ἐπινίκια. 2.13.1 Οὕτω μὲν δὴ βασιλεὺς ἄγειν ἑαυτόν τε καὶ τὸν αὐτοῦ στρατὸν ἐν ταῖς τῶν πολέμων παρατάξεσι καὶ πάλαι πρότερον εἰώθει, τὸν ἑαυτοῦ θεὸν πρὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀεὶ