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Will you then speak a clear proof of this? {MESSENGER} An army of guards, remaining through the whole darkness and watching the tomb with sure diligence, now at night, streaming together in an uproar, ran to the priests in great trembling, and seemed by their fear to reveal a new rumor; and they were wakeful as if they were terrified. Not for nothing, then, did the phalanx tremble; but I learned the cause beyond expectation, having come by night into the city within the walls; and having learned this, I came with quiet step, listening to the words of the army behind me. One spoke thus, with fearful boldness, vehemently speaking of all the wonders of the tomb: he spoke, then, he spoke to the elders and chief priests, the contrivers of the murder, who were gathered together and considering the matter: ‘O you who have wrought this dreadful fate, company of scribes and elders, I have come to tell you and the city many strange things, how all are new and worthy of wonder, which the corpse has shown, of whom I was appointed guard by night, and even now I still tremble; so that if you had been present, this man whom you quickly sent us to guard at the tomb as a corpse, you would have approached with prayers, seeing strange things. But I wish to hear whether I should tell you what happened there with boldness, or if we should restrain our speech. For I fear to speak the words before the ruler, dreading the quickness of his mind, his sharp temper and his excessive pride.’ These things the phalanx said to the elders. And they, turning to themselves, both spoke thus and addressed them wretchedly: ‘Already this outrage of Jesus is kindling near, like a fire, and now our fear is great. But we must not care, but win over the army.’ And again turning to the phalanx they said these things: ‘Listen, phalanx, as I have my opinion: whatever you have to say that is not to our liking, hide it; for through me you will be free of all blame, saying that his followers stole the corpse secretly; and I will give you also the finest gifts; for it is not right for you to tell these things to the ruler, which tend to the glory of the buried one, but bring dejection upon us, and mightily kindle the anger of the crowd, and bring the indignation of all upon us.’ The phalanx of the guards answered this: ‘For my part, I will not say any of the things I know, since it seems good to you and you say you will save me from the ruler; but to you nevertheless it shall be told. This man seems inferior to no god from the wonders he performed before and now; who, rising up while the stone lay on the tomb and the seals still remained, and while we sleepless ones were sitting around, lit up all things, and with trembling made us like dead men, out of our minds; for the earth’s foundation was shaken with an irresistible turmoil, and suddenly the stone was rolled away from the tomb; and this, as it seems, so that everyone seeing the tomb might be able to see and understand. And from the aether a voice, as one might guess, God the Father, sounded with a strange cry; and with it he thundered and set a light of holy fire toward the heavens and the earth; and the aether fell silent, and the woody glen held its leaves in silence, and nowhere could you have heard a sound. This man, then, whoever he is, O friends, receive him even now; for in all things he seems great. And they say this of him, as I hear, that he gave to mortals the gift that ends evils, and that without this nothing good could ever be or come to be; and if the story is true, I would rather sacrifice to him than, being angry, kick against the goads, a mortal against a god.’ {CHIEF PRIESTS} You have slept a lot and speak dreams. The disciples stole the corpse while you slept, and say this and only this to the ruler; but what is not pleasing to us, you keep silent; keeping silent about this, you will now receive rewards, or else you willingly sold the corpse, and if you are not silent, the ruler will learn this. {GUARD} You are persuaded to hear none of my words; but I, although I hear ill from you, say that you should no longer be lifted up, but be still; a god will not endure it. And that we sold nothing, the seal of the tomb showed clearly, and you have no pretext; for while it was being guarded, and the stone was in place, O dreadful wonder, he rose from the tomb. {CHIEF PRIESTS} Let be the many words and accept the gifts. {GUARD} Since you are not persuaded by my words, I for my part will be persuaded by yours, as you say. But you consider how you will save me from the ruler. {CHIEF PRIESTS} Let there be no concern for you about this; for I will persuade him now to think in a way that is favorable to you, so that

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ἄρ' ἐναργὲς τοῦδ' ἐρεῖς τεκμήριον; {ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ} Στρατὸς φυλάκων πᾶσαν ἀν' ὄρφναν μένων καὶ τάφον ἀθρῶν ἀσφαλεῖ προθυμίᾳ, νῦν ἐννύχιος ἐν θορύβῳ συρρέων πρὸς ἱερεῖς ἔδραμεν ἐν πολλῷ τρόμῳ, νέαν δ' ἔδοξε βάξιν ἐμφαίνειν φόβῳ· νυκτηγοροῦντές τ' ἦσαν ὡς πεφρικότες. Οὐκ εἰς κενὸν δ' ἄρ' ἡ φάλαγξ ὑπέτρεμε· ἐγὼ δ' ἔμαθον αἰτίαν παρ' ἐλπίδα, νύκτωρ κατ' ἄστυ τειχέων εἴσω μολών· καὶ τήνδε μαθών, ἧκον ἡσύχῳ βάσει, στρατοῦ κατόπιν ἀκροώμενος λόγων. Ὅδ' εἶπεν οὕτως, ἐμφόβῳ τολμηρίᾳ λαβραγορῶν ἅπαντα θάμβη τοῦ τάφου· εἴρηκεν οὖν, εἴρηκε πρὸς πρεσβυτέρους ἀρχιερεῖς τε, δραματουργοὺς τοῦ φόνου συνηγμένους τε καὶ σκοποῦντας τοῦ πέρι· «Ὦ τὸν φρικώδη πότμον ἐξειργασμένε, γραμματέων ὅμιλε καὶ πρεσβυτέρων, ἥκω φράσαι σοι καὶ πόλει πολλὰ ξένα, ὡς καινὰ πάντα θαυμάτων τ' ἐπάξια, ἅπερ νέκυς δέδειχεν, οὗ νύκτωρ φύλαξ ἐγὼ τέταγμαι, καὶ νῦν εἰσέτι τρέμω· ὥστ' εἰ παρῆσθα, τοῦτον ὃν τάχ' ὡς νέκυν ἡμᾶς φυλάττειν ἐξέπεμψας τῷ τάφῳ, εὐχαῖσιν ἂν μετῆλθες, εἰσορῶν ξένα. Θέλω δ' ἀκοῦσαι πότερά σοι παρρησίᾳ φράσω τἀκεῖθεν, ἢ λόγον στειλώμεθα. Ταρβῶ γὰρ εἰπεῖν τοὺς λόγους ἐναντίον πρὸς τὸν τύραννον, τὸ φρενῶν πτήσσων τάχος τό τ' ὀξύθυμον καὶ τὸ λίαν ἠρμένον.» Ταῦθ' ἡ φάλαγξ ἔφησε πρὸς πρεσβυτέρους. Οἵδε στραφέντες καθ' ἑαυτούς, τοιάδε ἔλεξαν ἄμφω καὶ προσεῖπον ἀθλίως· «Ἤδη τόδ' ἐγγὺς ὥστε πῦρ ὑφάπτεται ὕβρισμ' Ἰησοῦ, νῦν φόβος θ' ἡμῖν μέγας. Ἀλλ' οὐ μέλειν δεῖ, δεξιοῦσθαι δὲ στρατόν.» Αὖ δὲ στραφέντες πρὸς φάλαγγ' εἶπον τάδε· «Ἄκουε, φάλαγξ, ὡς ἔχω γνώμης ἐγώ· ὅσ' οὐ κατὰ γνώμην ἐρεῖν ἡμῶν ἔχεις, κρύφθ'· ὡς ἀθῷος δι' ἐμοῦ πάντων ἔσῃ, ἐροῦσ' ὀπαδοὺς τὸν νέκυν κλέψαι λάθρα· δώσω δέ σοι καὶ δῶρ' ἃ καλλιστεύεται· οὐ γὰρ χρεὼν ἄνακτι ταῦτά σε φράσαι, ἃ πρὸς κλέος ῥέπουσι τοῦ τεθαμμένου, ἄμμιν δὲ κατήφειαν εἰσφέρουσί που ὄχλου τε θυμὸν ὑπανάπτουσι σφόδρα, πάντων τ' ἀγανάκτησιν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἄγει.» Ἥδ' ἀντέφησεν ἡ φάλαγξ τῶν φυλάκων· «Ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἐρῶ τι τῶν ἐγνωσμένων, ἐπεὶ δοκεῖ σοι καί με ῥύεσθαι λέγεις, πρὸς τὸν τύραννον· σοὶ δ' ὅμως εἰρήσεται. Ἀνὴρ ὅδ' ἥσσων οὐδενὸς θεοῦ δοκεῖ ἐξ ὧν τε πρὶν πέπραχε καὶ νῦν θαυμάτων· ὃς ἐξαναστὰς κειμένου λίθου τάφῳ καὶ τῶν σφραγίδων ἐμμενουσῶν εἰσέτι, ἡμῶν τ' ἀΰπνων ἐγκαθημένων κύκλῳ, τὰ πάντα κατηύγασεν, ἡμᾶς δὲ τρόμῳ ὡσεὶ νεκροὺς τέθεικεν ἐξεστηκότας· γῆς γεῖσσ' ἐσαλεύθη γὰρ ἀσχέτῳ κλόνῳ, αἴφνης δ' ὁ λίθος ἐκκεκύλισται τάφου· καὶ τοῦτο δ', ὡς ἔοικεν, ὡς ὁρᾶν ἔχῃ συνιέναι τε πᾶς θεωρῶν τὸν τάφον. Ἐκ δ' αἰθέρος φωνή τις, ὡς μὲν εἰκάσαι, Θεὸς πατὴρ ἤχησεν ἐν βοῇ ξένῃ· ταύτῃ θ' ἅμ' ἐβρόντησε καὶ πρὸς τὸν πόλον καὶ γαῖαν ἐστήριξε φῶς σεμνοῦ πυρός· σίγησε δ' αἰθήρ, σῖγα δ' ὕλιμος νάπη φύλλ' εἶχε, καί ποθ' οὐκ ἂν ἤκουσας ψόφον. Τὸν ἄνδρα γοῦν τόνδ', ὅστις ἐστίν, ὦ φίλοι, δέχεσθε κἂν νῦν· πάντα γὰρ δοκεῖ μέγας. Κἀκεῖνό φασιν αὐτόν, ὡς ἐγὼ κλύω, τὴν παυσίκακον δωτίνην δοῦναι βροτοῖς, καὶ τοῦδ' ἄνευ μηδὲν καλόν τ' εἶναί ποτε μήτ' αὖ γενέσθαι· κἂν ἀληθεύῃ λόγος, θύοιμ' ἂν αὐτῷ μᾶλλον, ἢ θυμούμενος πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζοιμι, θνητὸς ὢν θεῷ.» {ΑΡΧΙΕΡΕΙΣ} Σὺ πόλλ' ὕπνωσας καὶ λαλεῖς ὀνείρατα. Ἔκλεψαν, ὡς ὕπνωσας, μύσται τὸν νέκυν, καὶ τοῦτο πρὸς τύραννον εἰπὲ καὶ μόνον· ὃ δ' οὐ καταθύμιον ἡμῖν, σὺ σίγα· σιγῶν δὲ τοῦτο, δεξιώσεις νῦν λάβῃς, ἢ γοῦν ἑκόντες ἐπράσατε τὸν νέκυν, κἂν μὴ σιγήσῃς, τοῦτο τύραννος μάθῃ. {ΚΟΥΣΤΩ∆ΙΑ} Πείθῃ μὲν οὐδὲν τῶν ἐμῶν κλύειν λόγων· ἐγὼ δέ, καίπερ πρὸς σέθεν κακῶς κλύων, οὔ φημι χρῆναι κατεπαίρεσθαί σ' ἔτι, ἀλλ' ἡσυχάζειν· οὐ θεὸς ἀνέξεται. Ὡς δ' οὐδὲν ἐπράσαμεν, ἡ σφραγὶς τάφου ἔδειξε σαφῶς, καὶ πρόφασιν οὐκ ἔχεις· τηρουμένης γάρ, κειμένου τε τοῦ λίθου, ὢ θαῦμα φρικτόν, ἐξανέστη τοῦ τάφου. {ΑΡΧΙΕΡΕΙΣ} Ἔα τὰ πολλὰ καὶ δέχου τὰς δωτίνας. {ΚΟΥΣΤΩ∆ΙΑ} Ἐπείπερ οὐ πείθῃ σὺ τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις, ἔγωγε τοῖς σοῖς, ὡς λέγεις, πεισθήσομαι. Σὺ δὲ σκόπει τὸ πῶς με τυράννου ῥύσῃ. {ΑΡΧΙΕΡΕΙΣ} Μή σοι μέλησις τοῦδέ τις ἔστω πέρι· πείσω γὰρ αὐτὸν νῦν φρονεῖν ἀδελφά σοι, ὡς