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threatening. 46.7 But God, the worker of wonders, put this into their minds; 46.8 for if they had dared to cross over decisively as soon as they reached us, we too would have suffered no less the destruction that lay before us. 46.9 Meanwhile, during the pause caused by their divided counsels, each of us, having stripped our souls of fear, was considering in our minds what useful thing might need to be done at this critical moment. 46.10 So, as fast as I could, I leaped up, scorning death and not giving the slightest thought to what was hanging over my head, and positioning myself at the very entrance of the tower, I was about to go through the wooden structure toward the barbarians. 46.11 And when they saw me coming over to them so boldly, unarmed and carrying nothing for defense, but having something important to say, they too came forward, having arranged themselves in a line and raised their right hands, and posturing to bring their swords down upon my head. 46.12 But since even this did not for the moment make me cower (for my whole mind was occupied with what I wanted to say), one of the Ethiopians, and of these especially the nobler and bolder one, who surpassed the rest in size, came toward me and tried to bring his sword down on my forehead. 46.13 But I, raising my hands, said, "Do not do this, since you will deprive yourself and those with you of much money." 47.1 Thus I happened to speak, and by the boldness of my bearing I for the moment checked the Ethiopian's impulse from striking the blow, and hiding my left hand inside my tunic and quickly bringing out some golden ornaments and placing them in his palm, "Let these be," I said, "a pledge for my life. 47.2 But if you wish to obtain much more than these, for my father and my brothers, and also for my father's brother," turning and pointing out with my finger the place where they were, "guarantee that they will not be killed, and I will provide you useful gifts, laid away beforehand in certain hidden places in anticipation of you, which we alone know and which we will readily show you if we obtain our safety. 47.3 But if we die, those things are lost, having both escaped your hands and perished along with our lives," 47.4 with these words I checked the barbarian's anger, and by the gift of the ornaments I cast his mind into suspicion of what I had just said, during which I variously composed myself in a posture of supplication. 47.5 For being a barbarian he did not know what I was saying to him, but only seemed to marvel at my boldness and the contrived assurance being effected in every way. 48.1 At this point another man came near and spoke out, "Why are you doing this, detaining the Ethiopian with supplications, when you can speak to me? And if there is any need, I will help you." 48.2 And I, taking more courage and being moved to greater confidence by the man's presence, cried out, "Save us," I said, "whoever you are, sent to us by God in our need at this time, and rescue us from our present necessity. 48.3 And for this favor you will receive from us a ransom worthy of our lives, the equal of which will not be found among any others in this whole city which you have captured." 48.4 He then said, "Take courage, and put aside the thought of death, and compose yourselves to be more cheerful. 48.5 "And I," he says, "will persuade the Ethiopians to agree to the same things with me, and I will lead you to the very commander of the whole army, so that you may receive from him also the assurance of your life. 48.6 Only you yourselves resolve among one another to fulfill what has been promised; for if any of the things said by you are not put into effect, it will be judged by these swords." 48.7 So when he said these things, my father, together with the two aforementioned brothers, came to us, and pressing their heads to his feet, they begged to receive the same assurance as I did, confirming that they would readily fulfill all that I had stated beforehand. 48.8 Therefore he quickly all that from

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ἐπαπειλοῦντος. 46.7 τοῦτο δὲ ὁ τῶν θαυμασίων θεὸς ταῖς αὐτῶν διανοίαις ὑπέβαλεν· 46.8 εἰ γὰρ ἅμα τῷ πρὸς ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι τομῶς τῆς διαβάσεως κατετόλμησαν, οὐδὲν ἧττον καὶ ἡμεῖς τῶν κειμένων τὸν ὄλεθρον ὑπεμένομεν. 46.9 τῆς σχολῆς τέως τῆς τῶν λογισμῶν αὐτῶν διαιρέσεως, τοῦ φόβου τὰς ψυχὰς ἕκαστος ἡμῶν περιάραντες, εἴ τι καὶ δέοι πράττειν τῷ καιρῷ χρήσιμον ταῖς φρεσὶ κατεμεριζόμεθα. 46.10 ὡς οὖν εἶχον ἐγὼ τάχους ἀναπηδήσας καὶ θανάτου καταφρονήσας καὶ μηδ' ὅ τι κατὰ κόρρης ἐφέστηκε τὸ παράπαν εἰς νοῦν θέμενος, κατ' αὐτὴν γενόμενος τοῦ πύργου τὴν εἴσοδον ἔμελλον διὰ τῶν ξύλων πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους χωρεῖν. 46.11 οἱ δ' ἐπειδὴ οὕτω με θαρσαλέως πρὸς αὐτοὺς κατεῖδον αὐτομολήσαντα, ἄοπλον μὲν καὶ πρὸς ἄμυναν οὐδὲν ἐπιφερόμενον, ἔχοντα δέ τι σπουδαῖον εἰπεῖν, ἐπῆλθον καὶ αὐτοὶ στοιχηδὸν ἀλλήλους συντάξαντες καὶ τὰς δεξιὰς ἀνατείναντες, τάς τε μαχαίρας κατὰ τῆς ἐμῆς κορυφῆς ἐπαγαγεῖν σχηματισάμενοι. 46.12 ὡς δ' οὐδὲ τοῦτό με τέως καταπτῆξαι πεποίηκεν (ὅλον γὰρ εἶχον τὸν νοῦν πρὸς ἅπερ ἤθελον λέγειν ἠσχολημένον), εἷς τις τῶν Αἰθιόπων, καὶ τούτων μάλιστα ὁ γενναιότερός τε καὶ εὐτολμότερος, μεγέθει τῶν λοιπῶν διενηνοχώς, κατ' ἐμὲ γενόμενος ἐπεχείρει μοι τὴν μάχαιραν κατενεγκεῖν τῷ μετώπῳ. 46.13 ἐγὼ δὲ τὰς χεῖρας ἀνασχών «μὴ τοῦτο πράξῃς» εἶπον, «ἐπεὶ πολλῶν χρημάτων σεαυτὸν καὶ τοὺς περὶ σὲ ζημιοῖς.» 47.1 Οὕτως ἔτυχον εἰπών, καὶ τῷ πεπαρρησιασμένῳ τοῦ σχήματος τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ Αἰθίοπος τέως πρὸς τὸ μὴ τὴν τομὴν ἐνεγκεῖν ἀνακόψας, τὴν λαιὰν δὲ τῶν χειρῶν ἐγκρύψας εἴσω τοῦ κόλπου καί τινα χρύσεα κόσμια τὸ τάχος ἐξενεγκὼν καὶ τῇ παλάμῃ τούτου ἐνθέμενος, «ἔστωσάν σοι ταῦτα» ἔφην «ἐνέχυρα τῆς ζωῆς τῆς ἐμῆς. 47.2 εἴπερ δὲ πολὺ πλείονα 47.2 τούτων εὐπορῆσαι βούλει, τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τἀδελφῷ τοῦ πατρός», ἐπιστραφεὶς καὶ τούτους ἐν ᾧπερ ἦσαν τόπῳ τῷ δακτύλῳ καθυποδείξας, «τὸ μὴ θανεῖν κατεγγύησαι, καὶ παρέξομαί σοι χρήσιμα δῶρα, τῇ προσδοκίᾳ ὑμῶν ἔν τισιν ἀφανέσι τόποις προαποτεθειμένα, οὓς ἡμεῖς τε μόνοι διαγινώσκομεν καὶ ὑμῖν προθύμως σωτηρίας τυγχάνοντες ὑποδείξομεν. 47.3 εἰ δέ γε θάνωμεν, διόλωλεν ἐκεῖνα, τάς τε ὑμῶν διεκφυγόντα χεῖρας καὶ τῆς ζωῆς τῆς ἡμετέρας συναπολήξαντα,» 47.4 τούτοις τὸν θυμὸν παρακατασχὼν τοῦ βαρβάρου, καὶ τῇ ἐπιδόσει τῶν κοσμίων εἰς ὑπόνοιαν ὧν φθάσας εἶπον τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτοῦ ἐμβαλών, ἐν οἷς ποικίλως ἑαυτὸν πρὸς ἱκεσίαν κατεσχημάτιζον. 47.5 οὐδὲ γὰρ ᾔδει βάρβαρος ὢν ἃ πρὸς αὐτὸν διελεγόμην, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνον ἐφαίνετο θαυμάζων τὴν παρρησίαν καὶ τὸ σεσοφισμένον τῆς πληροφορίας παντὶ τρόπῳ κατενεργούμενον. 48.1 Ἐν τούτοις ἕτερός τις ἐγγύθεν ἐλθὼν ἀφῆκε φωνήν, «τί ταῦτα οὕτως ποιεῖς, καὶ τὸν Αἰθίοπα ταῖς ἱκεσίαις παρακατέχεις, ἐξὸν εἰπεῖν πρὸς ἐμέ; καὶ εἴ τι καὶ δέοι, συναντιλήψομαί σοι.» 48.2 ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ πλέον θαρσήσας καὶ τῇ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς παρουσίᾳ πρὸς τὸ εὐθυμότερον μετατεθεὶς ἀνέκραγον, «σῶσον» εἰπών, «ὅστις εἶ, πρὸς θεοῦ ἡμῖν ἐν τούτοις χρειωδῶς ἀπεσταλμένε, καὶ τῆς παρούσης ἀνάγκης ἐξάρπασον. 48.3 λήψῃ δὲ παρ' ἡμῶν ταύτης τῆς χάριτος ἕνεκεν ἄξια τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν λύτρα, καὶ ὧν οὐδὲν ἐξ ἴσου κατὰ πᾶσαν ἣν ἥλωτε τήνδε τὴν πόλιν ἐν ἄλλοις τισὶν εὑρεθήσεται.» 48.4 ἐκεῖνος οὖν «θαρσεῖτε» ἔφη, «καὶ τοῦ θανάτου τῆς ἐννοίας ἀπόσχεσθε, καὶ πρὸς τὸ εὐθυμότερον ἑαυτοὺς μεθαρμόσατε. 48.5 ἐγὼ δέ» φησι «καὶ τοὺς Αἰθίοπας πείσω τὰ αὐτά μοι συνθέσθαι, καὶ μέχρις αὐτοῦ τοῦ καθηγουμένου παντὸς τοῦ στρατοῦ ὑμᾶς ἀπάξω πρὸς τὸ καὶ ὑπ' ἐκείνου λαβεῖν τὴν περὶ τοῦ ζῆν πληροφορίαν. 48.6 μόνον αὐτοὶ τὰ ὑποσχεθέντα πληρῶσαι πρὸς ἀλλήλους διανοήθητε· εἰ γάρ τι τῶν παρ' ὑμῶν λεχθέντων μὴ πρὸς ἔργον ἀχθῇ, ταῖς μαχαίραις ταύταις κριθήσεται.» 48.7 ὡς οὖν ταῦτα ἔλεγεν, εὐθὺς ὁ πατὴρ ὁ ἐμὸς σὺν τοῖς ῥηθεῖσι δυσὶν ἀδελφοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς γενόμενοι, καὶ τοῖς ποσὶ τούτου τὰς κεφαλὰς προσερείσαντες, ἐδέοντο τὴν αὐτὴν ἐμοὶ πληροφορίαν λαβεῖν, βεβαιούμενοι πληρώσειν ἑτοίμως ὅσα ἐγὼ προκατεῖπον. 48.8 θᾶττον οὖν ἐκεῖνος πάντα ἃ παρ'