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The survivors sufficed for the burials of the departed. But the attack of the evil did not come upon the people unexpectedly; but some apparition would appear to the house that was about to be destroyed, and thus the destruction would follow. Therefore, when the cause of the disease became clear to all, that the demon invoked by them was evilly fulfilling the prayer of the foolish, creating this wicked spaciousness in the city from the suffering; then they became suppliants of the great man, asking him to stop the onslaught of the evil through the God known and proclaimed by him, whom alone they confessed to be truly God, and to have power over all things. For since that apparition appeared before the coming destruction to the house, and immediately caused despair for one's life, there was one way of salvation for those in danger: for the great Gregory to be within that house, and through prayer to drive away the affliction that had assailed the house. And when the report of such salvation quickly spread to everyone from those who had first obtained it, everything that they had formerly pursued out of vanity was idle—oracles and purifications, and their occupation with idols—as everyone looked to the great priest, and each one drew him to himself for the salvation of his whole family. And his reward from those who were saved was the salvation of their souls. For with the piety of the priest being revealed by such an experience, there was no longer any delay toward assent to the mystery for those who were taught the power of the faith by his works. Thus for those people the disease became stronger than health. For as much as they were weak in their reasonings toward the acceptance of the mystery while in health, so much were they strengthened toward the faith by the bodily disease. And so, with the error concerning idols having been refuted, all were converted to the name of Christ, some being led by the hand to the truth through the disease that had come upon them; and others putting forward their faith in Christ as a defense against the plague. And there are also other miracles of the great Gregory preserved in memory to this day, which, sparing the unbelieving ear, we have not added to what has been written, lest those be harmed who think the truth a lie because of the greatness of the things being said. But to Christ, who works such wonders through his servants, is due glory, honor, and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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τοὺς περιόντας ἐξαρκεῖν ταῖς τῶν κατοιχομένων ταφαῖς. Γενέσθαι δὲ οὐκ ἀδόκητον τοῦ κακοῦ τὴν προσβολὴν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ἀλλά τινος φάσματος ἐπιγινομένου τῇ μελλούσῃ καταφθείρεσθαι οἰκίᾳ, οὕτως ἐπακολουθεῖν τὴν φθοράν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν πᾶσι καταφανὴς ἐγένετο ἡ αἰτία τῆς νόσου, ὅτι τὸ ἐπικληθὲν παρ' αὐτῶν δαιμόνιον κακῶς ἐπλήρου τὴν εὐχὴν τῶν ματαίων, τὴν πονηρὰν ταύτην ἐκ τοῦ πάθους εὐρυχωρίαν ἐμποιοῦν τῇ πόλει· ἔνθα ἱκέται γίνονται τοῦ μεγάλου, στῆσαι δεόμενοι τοῦ κακοῦ τὴν φορὰν διὰ τοῦ παρ' αὐτοῦ γινωσκομένου τε καὶ κηρυττομένου Θεοῦ, ὃν μόνον ὡμολόγουν ἀληθῶς εἶναι Θεὸν, καὶ κατὰ πάντων τὸ κράτος ἔχειν. Τοῦ γὰρ φάσματος ἐκείνου πρὸ τῆς ἐσομένης τῷ οἴκῳ διαφθορᾶς προφαινομένου, καὶ παραχρῆμα τὴν ἀπόγνωσιν τῆς ζωῆς ἐμποιοῦντος, εἷς ἐγίνετο τοῖς κινδυνεύουσι σωτήριος τρόπος, τὸ ἐντὸς ἐκείνου γενέσθαι τοῦ οἴκου τὸν μέγαν Γρηγόριον, καὶ δι' εὐχῆς τὸ ἐνσκῆψαν τῷ οἴκῳ πάθος ἀπώσασθαι. Ταχείας δὲ διὰ τῶν τετυχηκότων ἐν πρώτοις τῆς τοιαύτης σωτηρίας ἐπὶ πάντας τῆς φήμης διαδραμούσης, πάντα ἀργὰ ἦν, ἃ πρότερον ὑπὸ ματαιότητος αὐτοῖς ἐσπουδάζετο, χρηστήριά τε καὶ καθάρσια, καὶ ἡ ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλοις διατριβὴ, πάντων πρὸς τὸν μέγαν ἱερέα βλεπόντων, καὶ ἑκάστου πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ παντὸς τοῦ γένους ἐφελκομένου. Μισθὸς δὲ ἦν αὐτῷ παρὰ τῶν σωζομένων ἡ τῶν ψυχῶν σωτηρία. Τῇ γὰρ τοιαύτῃ πείρᾳ τῆς εὐσεβείας τοῦ ἱερέως φανερουμένης, οὐκέτι ἦν ἀναβολὴ πρὸς τὴν συγκατάθεσιν τοῦ μυστηρίου, τοῖς διὰ τῶν ἔργων διδασκομένοις τὴν τῆς πίστεως δύναμιν. Οὕτως ἐγένετο τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐκείνοις ἰσχυροτέρα τῆς ὑγείας ἡ νόσος. Ὅσον γὰρ ἐν τῇ ὑγιείᾳ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ μυστηρίου παραδοχὴν τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἀσθενοῦντες ἦσαν, τοσοῦτον τῇ σωματικῇ νόσῳ πρὸς τὴν πίστιν ἐῤῥώσθησαν. Καὶ οὕτω τῆς περὶ τὰ εἴδωλα πλάνης ἐλεγχθείσης, πάντες πρὸς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ μετετίθεντο, οἱ μὲν διὰ τῆς ἐπιγενομένης νόσου χειραγωγηθέντες πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν· οἱ δὲ καὶ προφυλακὴν τοῦ λοιμοῦ, τὴν πίστιν τὴν εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν προβαλλόμενοι. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλα τῇ μνήμῃ μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο διασωζόμενα τοῦ μεγάλου Γρηγορίου θαύματα, ἅπερ φειδόμενοι τῆς ἀπιστούσης ἀκοῆς, ὡς ἂν μὴ βλαβεῖεν οἱ τὸ ἀληθὲς ἐν τῷ μεγέθει τῶν λεγομένων ψεῦδος οἰόμενοι, τοῖς γεγραμμένοις οὐ προσεθήκαμεν. Χριστῷ δὲ τῷ τοιαῦτα διὰ τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ τερατουργοῦντι πρέπει δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.