XXIII.

After many days Araches brought them to the king, and declared their case. Then he set them before the bitterly incensed king: and he, when he saw them, boiled over with fury and was like to one mad. He ordered them to be beaten without mercy, and, when he saw them cruelly mangled with scourges, could scarcely restrain his madness, and order the tormentors to cease. Then said he unto them, "Why bear ye about these dead men's bones? If ye carry these bones through affection for those men to whom they belong, this very hour I will set you in their company, that ye may meet your lost friends and be duly grateful to me." The captain and leader of that godly band, setting at naught the king's threats, showing no sign of the torment that he had undergone, with free voice and radiant countenance that signified the grace that dwelt in his soul, cried out, "We carry about these clean and holy bones, O king, because we attest in due form our love of those marvellous men to whom they belong: and because we would bring ourselves to remember their wrestlings and lovely conversation, to rouse up ourselves to the like zeal; and because we would catch some vision of the rest and felicity wherein they now live, and thus, as we call them blessed, and provoke one another to emulate them, strive to follow in their footsteps: because moreover, we find thereby that the thought of death, which is right profitable, lendeth wings of zeal to our religious exercises; and lastly, because we derive sanctification from their touch."

Again said the king, "If the thought of death be profitable, as ye say, why should ye not reach that thought of death by the bones of the bodies that are now your own, and are soon to perish, rather than by the bones of other men which have already perished?"

The monk said, "Five reasons I gave you, why we carry about these relics; and you, making answer to one only, art like to be mocking us. But know you well that the bones of them, that have already departed this life, bring the thought of death more vividly before us than do the bones of the living. But since you judgest otherwise, and since the bones of your own body are to you a type of death, why dost you not recollect your latter end so shortly to come, and set your house in order, instead of giving up your soul to all kinds of iniquities, and violently and unmercifully murdering the servants of God and lovers of righteousness, who have done you no wrong, and seek not to share with you in present goods, nor are ambitious to rob you of them?"

Said the king, "I do well to punish you, ye clever misleaders of the folk, because ye deceive all men, counselling them to abstain from the enjoyments of life; and because, instead of the sweets of life and the allures of appetite and pleasure, ye constrain them to choose the rough, filthy and squalid way, and preach that they should render to Jesus the honour due unto the gods. Accordingly, in order that the people may not follow your deceits and leave the land desolate, and, forsaking the gods of their fathers, serve another, I think it just to subject you to punishment and death."

The monk answered, "If you are eager that all should partake of the good things of life, why dost you not distribute dainties and riches equally amongst all? And why is it that the common herd are pinched with poverty, while you addest ever to your store by seizing for thyself the goods of others? Nay, you carest not for the weal of the many, but fattenest your own flesh, to be meat for the worms to feed on. Wherefore also you hast denied the God of all, and called them gods that are not, the inventors of all wickedness, in order that, by wantonness and wickedness after their example, you mayest gain the title of imitator of the gods. For, as your gods have done, why should not also the men that follow them do? Great then is the error that you hast erred, O king. Thou fearest that we should persuade certain of the people to join with us, and revolt from your hand, and place themselves in that hand that holdeth all things, for you willest the ministers of your covetousness to be many, that they may be miserable while you reapest profit from their toil; just as a man, who keepeth hounds or falcons tamed for hunting, before the hunt may be seen to pet them, but, when they have once seized the quarry, takes the game with violence out of their mouths. So also you, willing that there should be many to pay you tribute and toll from land and water, pretendest to care for their welfare, but in truth bringest on them and above all on thyself eternal ruin; and simply to pile up gold, more worthless than dung or rottenness, you hast been deluded into taking darkness for light. But recover your wits from this earthly sleep: open your sealed eyes, and behold the glory of God that shineth round about us all; and come at length to thyself. For says the prophet, 'Take heed, ye unwise among the people, and, O ye fools, understand at last.' Understand you that there is no God except our God, and no salvation except in him."

But the king said, "Cease this foolish babbling, and anon discover to me Barlaam: else shalt you taste instruments of torture such as you hast never tasted before." That noble-minded, great-hearted monk, that lover of the heavenly philosophy, was not moved by the king's threats, but stood unflinching, and said, "We are not commanded to fulfil your hest, O king, but the orders of our Lord and God who teacheth us temperance, that we should be lords over all pleasures and passions, and practise fortitude, so as to endure all toil and all ill-treatment for righteousness' sake. The more perils that you subjectest us to for the sake of our religion, the more shalt you be our benefactor. Do therefore as you wilt: for we shall not consent to do aught outside our duty, nor shall we surrender ourselves to sin. Deem not that it is a slight sin to betray a fellow-combatant and fellow-soldier into your hands. Nay, but you shalt not have that scoff to make at us; no, not if you put us to ten thousand deaths. We be not such cowards as to betray our religion through dread of your torments, or to disgrace the law divine. So then, if such be your purpose, make ready every weapon to defend your claim; for to us to live is Christ, and to die for him is the best gain."

Incensed with anger thereat, the monarch ordered the tongues of these Confessors to be rooted out, and their eyes digged out, and likewise their hands and feet lopped off. Sentence passed, the henchmen and guards surrounded and mutilated them, without pity and without ruth. And they plucked out their tongues from their mouths with prongs, and severed them with brutal severity, and they digged out their eyes with iron claws, and stretched their arms and legs on the rack, and lopped them off. But those blessed, shamefast, noble-hearted men went bravely to torture like guests to a banquet, exhorting one another to meet death for Christ his sake undaunted.

In such divers tortures did these holy monks lay down their lives for the Lord. They were in all seventeen. By common consent, the pious mind is superior to sufferings, as has been said by one, but not of us, when narrating the martydom of the aged priest, and of the seven sons with their equally brave mother when contending for the law of their fathers: whose bravery and lofty spirit, however, was equalled by these marvellous fathers and citizens and heirs of Hierusalem that is above.

XXIII

Δι' ἡμερῶν δὲ οὐκ ὀλίγων προσάγει τούτους τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ τὰ κατ' αὐτοὺς δῆλα τίθησιν. εἶτα παριστᾷ κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ δεινὰ θυμομαχοῦντος. καὶ ὃς ἰδὼν αὐτούς, τῷ θυμῷ ὑπερζέσας, μαινομένῳ ἐῴκει. τύπτεσθαί τε αὐτοὺς ἀνηλεῶς κελεύσας, ὡς εἶδε ταῖς πληγαῖς χαλεπῶς κατακοπέντας, μόλις τῆς πολλῆς ἀνενεγκὼν μανίας, παύσασθαι τοὺς τύπτοντας κελεύει. καί φησι πρὸς αὐτούς: Τί τὰ ὀστᾶ ταῦτα τῶν τεθνεώτων περιφέρετε; εἰ, ὧν τὰ ὀστᾶ εἰσι ποθοῦντες, ταῦτα βαστάζετε, ταύτῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ θήσομαι καὶ ὑμᾶς μετ' αὐτῶν, ἵνα, τῶν ποθουμένων τυχόντες, χάριν μοι ὁμολογήσητε. ὁ δὲ τῆς θείας ἐκείνης φάλαγγος ἔξαρχος καὶ καθηγητὴς παρ' οὐδὲν τὰς τοῦ βασιλέως τιθέμενος ἀπειλάς, ὡς μηδενὸς αὐτῷ συμβεβηκότος ἀνιαροῦ, ἐλευθέρᾳ φωνῇ καὶ λαμπροτάτῳ προσώπῳ καὶ τὴν ἐνοικοῦσαν τῇ ψυχῇ σημαίνοντι χάριν ἔφη: Τὰ ὀστᾶ ταῦτα τὰ καθαρὰ καὶ ἅγια περιφέρομεν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, τὸν πόθον τε ἀφοσιούμενοι ὧν εἰσι θαυμασίων ἀνδρῶν, καὶ τῆς ἀσκήσεως αὐτῶν καὶ θεοφιλοῦς πολιτείας εἰς μνήμην ἑαυτοὺς ἄγοντες καὶ πρὸς τὸν ὅμοιον διεγείροντες ζῆλον, τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν τε ἐνοπτριζόμενοι καὶ τρυφὴν ἐν ᾗ νῦν διάγουσι: καὶ τούτους μὲν μακαρίζοντες, ἀλλήλους δὲ παραθήγοντες τοῖς αὐτῶν ἐξακολουθεῖν ἴχνεσι σπεύδομεν. πρὸς δέ, καὶ τὴν τοῦ θανάτου ἑαυτοῖς περιποιούμεθα μνήμην, πάνυ ὠφέλιμον οὖσαν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς τῆς ἀσκήσεως ἀγῶνας προθύμως ἀναπτεροῦσαν, καὶ ἁγιασμὸν δὲ τῇ τούτων ἀρυόμεθα προσψαύσει.

Αὖθις δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς, Εἰ ὠφέλιμος, φησίν, ἡ τοῦ θανάτου μνήμη, καθώς φατε, τί μὴ τοῖς ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν ὑμῶν ὀστέοις τὴν τούτου ὑποδέχεσθε μνήμην, τοῖς οἰκείοις ὑμῖν καὶ ὅσον οὔπω φθαρησομένοις, ἤπερ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις τούτοις καὶ διεφθαρμένοις;

Καὶ ὁ μοναχός, Πέντε μέν, φησίν, ἐμοῦ εἰρηκότος αἰτίας τῆς τῶν λειψάνων περιφορᾶς, πρὸς μίαν αὐτὸς ἀνταποκρινόμενος, χλευάζειν ἡμᾶς δοκεῖς: ἀλλ' ἐναργέστερον, εὖ ἴσθι, τὰ τῶν προτετελευτηκότων ὀστᾶ τὴν τοῦ θανάτου παριστῶσι μνήμην, ἤγε τῶν ζώντων. ἀλλ', ἐπείπερ ταῦθ' οὕτως εἶναι γινώσκεις καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ σαρκί σου ὀστᾶ τὸν θάνατόν σοι ὑποτυποῦσι, τί μὴ καὶ αὐτός, τῆς ὅσον οὔπω ἐλευσομένης μνημονεύων τελευτῆς, εὖ τὰ σεαυτοῦ διατίθης, ἀλλὰ πάσαις μὲν τὴν ψυχήν σου ἐκδέδωκας παρανομίαις, βιαίως δὲ καὶ ἀνηλεῶς ἀναιρεῖς τοὺς λατρευτὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐραστάς, τοὺς μηδέν σοι ἠδικηκότας, μηδέ σοι τῶν παρόντων τι συμμεριζομένους ἢ ἀφελέσθαι φιλονεικοῦντας;

Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἔφη: Τοὺς δεινοὺς ὑμᾶς καὶ λαοπλάνους εἰκότως κολάζω, ὅτι πάντας ἀπατᾶτε, ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν τερπνῶν τοῦ βίου ὑποτιθέμενοι, καί, ἀντὶ τῆς γλυκείας ζωῆς καὶ τῆς ποθεινοτάτης ἐπιθυμίας καὶ ἡδονῆς, τὴν σκληρὰν καὶ ῥυπώδη ταύτην καὶ πιναρὰν ἐκλέγεσθαι ἀγωγὴν ἐκβιάζεσθε, καὶ τὴν τῶν θεῶν τιμὴν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἀπονέμειν κηρύττετε. ἵνα οὖν μή, τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ἀπάτῃ ἐξακολουθοῦντες, οἱ λαοὶ ἔρημον τὴν γῆν καταλίπωσι, καί, τῶν πατρίων ἀποστάντες θεῶν, ἀλλοτρίῳ λατρεύσωσι, τιμωρίαις ὑμᾶς καὶ θανάτοις ὑποβαλεῖν δίκαιον ἔκρινα.

Ὁ δὲ μοναχὸς φησίν: Εἰ πάντας μετέχειν τῶν ἀγαθῶν τοῦ βίου ὀρέγῃ, τί μὴ πᾶσιν ἐπ' ἴσης μεταδίδως τῆς τρυφῆς καὶ τοῦ πλούτου, ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν πλείους πενίᾳ ταλαιπωροῦνται, σὺ δὲ τὰ αὐτῶν προσαφαρπάζων τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ προστίθης; οὐκ ἄρα τῆς τῶν πολλῶν φροντίζεις σωτηρίας, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἰδίαν πιαίνεις σάρκα, ὕλην ἑτοιμάζων τῇ τῶν σκωλήκων καταβρώσει. διὰ τοῦτο, καὶ τὸν τῶν πάντων ἀπαρνησάμενος Θεόν, τοὺς μὴ ὄντας προσηγόρευσας θεούς, τοὺς πάσης παρανομίας ἐφευρετάς, ἵνα σοι, κατὰ μίμησιν αὐτῶν ἀσελγαίνοντι καὶ παρανομοῦντι, τὸ μιμητὴς ἀναγορεύεσθαι τῶν θεῶν σου προσγένηται. οἷα γὰρ οἱ θεοὶ ὑμῶν ἔπραξαν, πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ οἱ προσέχοντες αὐτοῖς ἄνθρωποι πράξουσι; πλάνην οὖν μεγάλην πεπλάνησαι, ὦ βασιλεῦ. δέδοικας δὲ μή τινας τοῦ λαοῦ πείσαιμεν, τοῖς ἡμετέροις συνθεμένους, ἀποστῆναί σου τῆς χειρὸς καὶ τῇ τὰ πάντα συνεχούσῃ προσοικειωθῆναι χειρί: θέλεις γὰρ πολλοὺς εἶναι τοὺς ὑπουργοὺς τῆς σῆς πλεονεξίας, ἵν' αὐτοὶ μὲν ταλαιπωρῶσι, σοὶ δὲ τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν προσγένοιτο κέρδη. ὃν τρόπον κύνας τις τρέφων ἢ ὄρνεα εἰς θήραν τιθασσευόμενα, πρὸ μὲν τῆς θήρας κολακεύων ταῦτα φαίνοιτο, ἡνίκα δὲ κατάσχωσί τι τῶν θηρευομένων, βιαίως αὐτῶν τοῦ στόματος τὸ θηρευθὲν ἀφαρπάζει: οὕτω δὴ καὶ σύ, πολλοὺς θέλων ἔχειν τοὺς φόρους σοι καὶ τέλη ἐκ γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης κομίζοντας, λέγεις μὲν τῆς αὐτῶν φροντίζειν σωτηρίας, ἀπώλειαν δὲ αὐτοῖς προξενῶν αἰώνιον, πρὸ δὲ πάντων σεαυτῷ, ἵνα μόνον σοι ὁ σκυβάλων καὶ σαπριῶν ἀχρηστότερος βρίθοιτο πλοῦτος, λέληθας σκότος ἀντὶ φωτὸς κατέχων. ἀλλ' ἀνάνηψον τοῦ καταχθονίου ὕπνου τούτου, διάνοιξόν σου τοὺς μεμυκότας ὀφθαλμούς, καὶ ἴδε τὴν περιλάμπουσαν πᾶσι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν δόξαν: καὶ σύ ποτε σεαυτοῦ γενοῦ: Σύνετε γάρ, ἄφρονες ἐν τῷ λαῷ, καὶ μωροί ποτε φρονήσατε, φησὶν ὁ προφήτης: σύνες ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι θεός, πλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι σωτηρία, εἰ μὴ ἐν αὐτῷ.

Ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς: Τῆς μωρᾶς σου ταύτης φλυαρίας παυσάμενος, τὸν Βαρλαὰμ αὐτίκα μοι ὑπόδειξον, ἢ πειρασθήσῃ κολαστηρίων ὀργάνων, ὧν οὐδέποτε πεῖραν εἴληφας. ὁ μεγαλόφρων οὖν καὶ γενναιότατος ἀσκητὴς καὶ τῆς οὐρανίου φιλοσοφίας ἐραστὴς κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον ταῖς τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπειλαῖς μετετρέπετο: ἀλλ' ἀτρέμας ἑστὼς ἔλεγεν: Οὐ τὰ παρὰ σοῦ θεσπιζόμενα ποιεῖν, ὦ βασιλεῦ, προστετάγμεθα, ἀλλὰ τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου ἡμῶν καὶ Θεοῦ κεκελευσμένα, ὃς σωφροσύνην ἡμᾶς ἐκδιδάσκει τοῦ πασῶν τῶν ἡδονῶν καὶ ἐπιθυμιῶν κρατεῖν, καὶ ἀνδρείαν ἐξασκεῖν, ὥστε πάντα πόνον καὶ πᾶσαν κάκωσιν ὑπὲρ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὑπομένειν. ὅσα γοῦν ἐπάξεις ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας δεινὰ μᾶλλον εὐεργετήσεις. ποίει οὖν ὃ βούλει: ἡμεῖς γὰρ ἔξω τοῦ καθήκοντος πρᾶξαί τι οὐκ ἀνεξόμεθα, οὐδὲ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδώσομεν. μὴ μικρὰν γὰρ ταύτην νομίσῃς ἁμαρτίαν, εἰ τὸν συναγωνιστὴν ἡμῶν καὶ συστρατιώτην εἰς τὰς σὰς προδώσομεν χεῖρας. ἀλλ' οὐ γὰρ γελάσεις καθ' ἡμῶν τὸν γέλωτα τοῦτον, κἂν μυρίοις ἡμᾶς περιβάλῃς θανάτοις: οὐχ οὕτως γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἄνανδροι, ὡς φόβῳ τῶν σῶν βασάνων τὴν ἡμετέραν προδοῦναι φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ ἀνάξιόν τι δρᾶσαι τῆς θείας νομοθεσίας. πρὸς ταῦτα πᾶν, εἴ τι γινώσκεις, ἀμυντήριον εὐτρέπιζε ὄργανον: ἡμῖν γὰρ τὸ ζῆν Χριστός ἐστι, καὶ τὸ θανεῖν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ κέρδος ἄριστον.

Ἐπὶ τούτοις θυμῷ ἐξαφθείς, ὁ κρατῶν ἐκέλευσε τὰς μὲν θεολόγους αὐτῶν ἐκκοπῆναι γλώσσας ἐξορυχθῆναι δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, χεῖράς τε ὁμοῦ ἀποτμηθῆναι καὶ πόδας. τῆς δ' ἀποφάσεως δοθείσης, οἱ μὲν ὑπασπισταὶ περιστάντες αὐτοῖς καὶ δορυφόροι μισανθρώπως καὶ ἀνηλεῶς ἠκρωτηρίαζον: καὶ τὰς μὲν γλώσσας ὀγκινίσκοις τῶν στομάτων ἐξελκύσαντες, θηριωδῶς ἀπέτεμνον, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς δὲ σιδηροῖς ἐξώρυττον ὄνυξιν, ἀρθρεμβόλοις δὲ ὀργάνοις τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἐξαρθροῦντες ἀπέτεμνον. οἱ δὲ μακάριοι ἐκεῖνοι καὶ αἰδήμονες καὶ γενναῖοι τὸν λογισμόν, ὡς πρὸς εὐωχίαν καλούμενοι, ἀνδρείως προσήρχοντο ταῖς βασάνοις, ἀλλήλους παραθήγοντες καὶ πρὸς τὸν διὰ Χριστὸν θάνατον ἀφόβως χωροῦντες.

Ἐν τοιαύταις οὖν πολυειδέσι τιμωρίαις τὰς καρτερικὰς αὐτῶν ψυχὰς τῷ Κυρίῳ παρέθεντο οἱ ἱεροὶ ἀσκηταί, ἑπτακαίδεκα τὸν ἀριθμὸν τελοῦντες. ὁμολογουμένως οὖν αὐτοκράτωρ ἐστὶ τῶν παθῶν ὁ εὐσεβὴς λογισμός, καθάπερ τις τῶν οὐχ ἡμετέρων ἔφησεν, ἄθλους διηγούμενος πρεσβύτου ἱερέως καὶ παίδων ἑπτὰ σὺν ὁμόφρονι μητρί, τοῦ πατρῴου ὑπεραθλησάντων νόμου, ὧν τῆς καρτερίας καὶ μεγαλοψυχίας οὐδὲν καθυστέρησαν οἱ θαυμάσιοι οὗτοι πατέρες καὶ τῆς ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ πολῖται καὶ κληρονόμοι.