History of the Arians

 a wild beast has come forth upon the earth, this heresy. For not only does it harm the innocent with its words as with teeth, but it has also hired ex

 Nevertheless, since Eusebius was lusting after and wanting to seize the episcopate of the city (for thus also he had moved from Berytus to Nicomedia),

 seeing themselves, who happened to be suspected in all things, not prevailing in an ecclesiastical judgment, they approach Constantius alone and then

 you deemed them worthy to have communion from them, they were not worthy of blows but if you were beating them as wicked men, why were you summoning

 of the accusers, as they themselves had suborned everything and contrived such things. Seeing these things, although they had come with haste, thinkin

 deeds to be revealed. For since those in Adrianople did not wish to have communion with them, as men who had fled from the Synod and had become liable

 wonderful and daring in all things, as they have seen them in Antioch, they plotted together, but Stephen alone undertook the drama as being well-suit

 the people of Alexandria. Making our aim your good order in all things ... (This too was likewise written in the same 65th oration and because it vari

 having received letters from him. And having gone up also to Rome, they were repenting, confessing that everything whatsoever they had done and said a

 present, not with palace officials or notaries having been sent, such as they themselves now do, but not even when the emperor was present, nor having

 the emperor commanded.” How many were harassed by them in every city, so that they might not 31.6 condemn them as friends of the bishops. For letters

 Lucifer the bishop from the metropolis of Sardinia, and Eusebius from Vercelli in Italy, and Dionysius 33.7 from Milan, which is also a metropolis of

 Accept these things.” 36.1 But the bishop, persuading by speech, was teaching: “How is it possible for this to happen against Athanasius? For how can

 of the gates, so that no orthodox person, entering, might see Liberius? Rome also had experience of the Christ-fighters and knew at last what it had n

 with 40.3 Constantius’ soldiers. Truly, wickedness is blind for in that by which they thought to vex the confessors by separating them from one anoth

 he might write against us, but hold communion with the Arians. 43.2 But the old man, finding the hearing of it unpleasant and being grieved that he sh

 What courtier of his compelled him to subscribe against anyone, that Valens and his party should say such things? Cease, I beseech you, and remember t

 (for he was now a hundred years old) the heartless one was put to shame. For the new Ahab, another Belshazzar who had arisen among us, overlooked all

 he writes evil things again to the council and the people of Alexandria, inciting the younger men, so that they all might come together and either exp

 to Felicissimus, the then duke, and to Nestorius the prefect, so that if either Philip the prefect or anyone else should dare to plot against Athanasi

 ordered the church to be handed over.” And while all were marveling at this and nodding to one another and saying, “Has Constantius become a heretic?”

 the miracle had a more manifest proof. For a certain licentious young man, running in and daring to do so, sat upon the throne. And sitting down, the

 And to their women they have given authority to abuse whomever they wish. And the respectable and faithful women would turn aside and yield the way to

 And they, seeing the man blind from birth now seeing, and the man who had been a paralytic for a long time made well, they accused the Lord who had do

 the evils that have come to pass, after the persecution which occurred through Heraclius, they again do not cease slandering to the emperor. For they

 the antichrist himself? For he himself, because of his heresy, was the first to hasten to rival Saul in cruelty. For that one, when the priests had gi

 writing, he repents, and repenting, he is provoked, and again he laments and not having what he should do, he shows the desolation of his soul's mind.

 For they did not even pity them when they were sick, but even drove them on when they were bearing up with difficulty on account of their weakness, so

 he is, such as that one might become. For he speaks words against the most high, being the head of the impious heresy, and he makes war against the sa

 to the man. But if you speak having heard from these men, it is just for you to believe also the things said by him, but if you do not believe him, bu

 having caused the Arian heresy to be so much as 78.5 named in it. For still only in the whole of Egypt was there freedom of speech for orthodoxy, and

 It is good to be content with the divine scripture and for all to be persuaded by it as it commands, both because of the other heresies and especially

 as the soldiers were coming on, and men were being shot with arrows and killed. And some of the soldiers also turned to plundering and stood the virgi

the antichrist himself? For he himself, because of his heresy, was the first to hasten to rival Saul in cruelty. For that one, when the priests had given provisions to David, gives the command and they are all killed, being three hundred and five in number, but this one, since all flee the heresy, and the sound faith in the Lord was confessed, destroys a whole synod of three hundred bishops. And he exiles the bishops themselves, but prevents the people from practicing piety and praying to 67.4 God, forbidding their assemblies. And just as Saul destroyed "Nob, the city of the priests," so this one, increasing the evil even more, has handed over the churches to the impious; and as that one preferred Doeg the slanderer over the true priests and persecuted David, paying attention to the Ziphites, so this one prefers the heretics over the pious, and still persecutes those who flee him, paying attention to his own eunuchs, who also slander the orthodox, not perceiving that whatever things he does and writes on behalf of the Arian heresy, these are an attack against the Savior. 68.1 Ahab was not so against the priests of God as this one has dared to be against the bishops. For that one, when Naboth was murdered, "was pierced to the heart," and having seen Elijah, he was afraid, but this one did not reverence the great Hosius, nor after exiling so many bishops did he stop or was even pierced to the heart, but like another Pharaoh, being rather 68.2 afflicted, he is hardened and devises worse things daily. And this is a paradox of his wickedness. For while the bishops were being exiled, it also happened that certain others, for crimes of murder or sedition or theft, received condemnation according to the nature of the crime, and these, after a few months, when he was asked, he released, as Pilate did Barabbas, but he would not release the servants of Christ, but rather condemned them mercilessly in their exiles, becoming an immortal evil to them. For he was a friend to those because of their character, but an enemy to the orthodox because of their piety toward Christ. 68.3 Therefore, did he not clearly show to all by this that the Jews of that time, who asked for Barabbas but crucified the Lord, were of the same sort as the Christ-fighters with Constantius are now? And perhaps this one is more bitter than Pilate. For that one at least washed his hands, perceiving the injustice, but this one rather gnashes his teeth while exiling the saints. 69.1 And what wonder is it if, having been led astray into impiety, he is so cruel against the bishops, when as a man he did not even spare his own kindred? For he slaughtered his uncles and killed his cousins, and his father-in-law, even while he was married to his daughter, and he did not pity his suffering relatives, but he has also always been a breaker of oaths to all. For thus he also dared to act impiously toward his brother; and he pretends to build a monument for him, but he has given his betrothed, Olympias, to barbarians, whom that one protected until 69.2 his death and raised as his own wife for himself. And he attempted to subvert his will, whose heir he also prays to be, writing such things, at which anyone with even a little sense would have been ashamed. But I, comparing his letters, find that this man does not possess his senses naturally, but is moved only by those who suggest things to him, and has no mind of his own at all. Solomon therefore says: "If a king hearkens to an unjust word, all under him are transgressors," but this one, from what he does, shows himself to be that unjust one, and those around him to be transgressors. 70.1 When, then, can such a man, who rejoices in such things, think anything just or according to reason? a man bound by the lawlessness of his companions, and these being enchanters, who have their brain rather trampled down in their heels. For this reason he also writes and

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αὐτὸν τὸν ἀντίχριστον; αὐτὸς γὰρ διὰ τὴν αἵρεσιν ἐσπούδασε πρῶτον καὶ τὸν Σαοὺλ ἐν ὠμότητι ζηλῶσαι. ἐκεῖνος μὲν γάρ, ἐπειδὴ δεδώκασιν οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐπισιτισμὸν τῷ ∆αυίδ, κελεύει καὶ ἀναιροῦνται πάντες τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὄντες τριακόσιοι καὶ πέντε, οὗτος δέ, ἐπειδὴ τὴν μὲν αἵρεσιν πάντες φεύγουσιν, ἡ δὲ ὑγιαίνουσα πίστις ἡ εἰς τὸν κύριον ὡμολογήθη, τριακοσίων ὅλων σύνοδον ἐπισκόπων ἀναιρεῖ. καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐπι σκόπους αὐτοὺς ἐξορίζει, τοὺς δὲ λαοὺς ἐμποδίζει μελετᾶν τὴν εὐσέβειαν καὶ εὔχεσθαι τῷ 67.4 θεῷ κωλύων αὐτῶν τὰς συναγωγάς. καὶ ὥσπερ Σαοὺλ κατέσκαψε «τὴν Νομβὰ τὴν πόλιν τῶν ἱερέων», οὕτως οὗτος καὶ πλέον τὸ κακὸν αὐξάνων τὰς ἐκκλησίας τοῖς ἀσεβοῦσι παραδέδωκε καὶ ὡς ἐκεῖνος ∆ωὴκ τὸν διαβαλόντα προτετίμηκε τῶν ἀληθῶς ἱερέων τόν τε ∆αυὶδ ἐδίωκε προσέχων τοῖς Ζιφαίοις, οὕτως οὗτος τοὺς μὲν αἱρετικοὺς προκρίνει τῶν εὐ σεβῶν, τοὺς δὲ φεύγοντας αὐτὸν ἔτι διώκει προσέχων τοῖς θλαδίαις ἑαυτοῦ, τοῖς καὶ δια βάλλουσι τοὺς ὀρθοδόξους μὴ συνορῶν, ὡς ὅσα δ' ἂν ὑπὲρ τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν Ἀρειανῶν πράττῃ τε καὶ γράφῃ, ταῦτα κατὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἔχει τὴν ἐπιχείρησιν. 68.1 Οὐχ οὕτως Ἀχαὰβ κατὰ τῶν ἱερέων τοῦ θεοῦ γέγονεν, ὡς οὗτος κατὰ τῶν ἐπισκό πων τετόλμηκεν. ὅλως γὰρ ἐκεῖνος καὶ φονευθέντος τοῦ Ναβουθαὶ «κατενύγη» καὶ τὸν Ἠλίαν ἑωρακὼς ἐφοβήθη, οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲ τὸν τηλικοῦτον Ὅσιον ᾐδέσθη οὐδὲ τοὺς τοσούτους ἐπισκόπους ἐξορίσας ἐνάρκησεν ἢ κἂν κατενύγη, ἀλλ' ὡς ἄλλος Φαραὼ μᾶλλον 68.2 ἐπιτριβόμενος σκληρύνεται καὶ χείρονα καθημέραν ἐπενόει. καὶ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ τοῦτο παράδοξον τῆς πονηρίας. τῶν γὰρ ἐπισκόπων ἐξοριζομένων συνέβαινε καὶ ἄλλους τινὰς δι' ἐγκλήματα φόνου ἢ στάσεως ἢ κλοπῆς κατὰ τὴν τοῦ ἐγκλήματος ποιότητα λαμβάνειν τὴν καταδίκην, καὶ τούτους μὲν μετὰ μῆνας ὀλίγους ἀξιούμενος ὡς τὸν Βαραββᾶν Πιλᾶτος ἀπέλυε, τοὺς δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δούλους οὐκ ἠφίει, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ἀνηλεῶς κατεδίκαζεν ἐν τοῖς ἐξορισμοῖς ἀθάνατον κακὸν γιγνόμενος εἰς αὐτούς. τῶν μὲν γὰρ διὰ τὸν τρόπον φίλος ἦν, τῶν ὀρθοδόξων δὲ διὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν εὐσέβειαν 68.3 ἐχθρὸς ἐτύγχανεν. ἆρ' οὖν οὐ πᾶσιν ἐκ τούτου λευκῶς ἐδείκνυεν ὅτι καὶ τότε οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τὸν μὲν Βαραββᾶν αἰτησάμενοι, τὸν δὲ κύριον σταυρώσαντες τοιοῦτοι ἦσαν, οἷοι καὶ νῦν οἱ μετὰ Κωνσταντίου χριστομάχοι; καὶ τάχα πικρότερος οὗτος ἢ Πιλᾶτος. ὁ μὲν γὰρ κἂν ἐνίψατο συνορῶν τὴν ἀδικίαν, οὗτος δὲ καὶ μᾶλλον τρίζει τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐξορίζων τοὺς ἁγίους. 69.1 Τί δὲ θαυμαστόν, εἰ πλανηθεὶς εἰς ἀσέβειαν οὕτω κατὰ τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἐστιν ὠμός, ὅπου γε οὐδὲ τῆς ἰδίας συγγενείας ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἐφείσατο; τοὺς μὲν γὰρ θείους κατέσφαξε καὶ τοὺς ἀνεψίους ἀνεῖλε, καὶ πενθερὸν μέν, ἔτι τὴν θυγατέρα γαμῶν αὐτοῦ, συγγενεῖς δὲ πάσχοντας οὐκ ἠλέησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅρκων ἀεὶ πρὸς πάντας παραβάτης γέγονεν. οὕτω γὰρ καὶ εἰς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἀσεβεῖν τετόλμηκε· καὶ προσποιεῖται μὲν οἰκοδομεῖν αὐτῷ μνημεῖον, τὴν δὲ μνηστὴν αὐτοῦ τὴν Ὀλυμπιάδα βαρβάροις ἐκδέδωκεν, ἣν ἐκεῖνος μέχρι 69.2 τελευτῆς ἐφύλαττε καὶ ὡς ἰδίαν ἀνέτρεφεν ἑαυτῷ γυναῖκα. καὶ τὴν γνώμην δὲ αὐτοῦ παραλύειν ἐπεχείρησεν, οὗ καὶ κληρονόμος εὔχεται εἶναι γράφων τοιαῦτα, ἐφ' οἷς καὶ ὀλίγην αἴσθησιν ἔχων ἄν τις ᾐσχύνθη. ἐγὼ δὲ συμβάλλων αὐτοῦ τὰς ἐπιστολὰς εὑρίσκω τοῦτον μὴ κατὰ φύσιν ἔχοντα τὰς φρένας, ἀλλὰ μόνον πρὸς τοὺς ὑποβάλλοντας κινού μενον, ἴδιον δὲ νοῦν καθόλου μὴ ἔχοντα. ὁ μὲν οὖν Σολομών φησι· «βασιλέως ὑπακούοντος λόγον ἄδικον, πάντες οἱ ὑπ' αὐτὸν παράνομοι», οὗτος δὲ ἐξ ὧν ποιεῖ, δείκνυσιν ἑαυτὸν ἐκεῖνον εἶναι τὸν ἄδικον καὶ τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν παρανόμους. 70.1 Πότε οὖν οὗτος τοιοῦτος ὢν καὶ τοιούτοις χαίρων δύναταί τι δίκαιον ἢ κατὰ λόγον φρονῆσαι; ἄνθρωπος δεδεμένος τῇ τῶν συνόντων παρανομίᾳ καὶ τούτων ὄντων ἐπᾳ δόντων, οἵτινες τὸν ἐγκέφαλον μᾶλλον ἐν ταῖς πτέρναις καταπεπατημένον ἔχουσι. διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ γράφει καὶ

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