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leaping down, and again embracing my father and brother with both hands, he came up to us. 52.11 And so great was the mist of those sights that terrified our souls, both of what we saw in them and what we conjectured in ourselves, that having alone escaped death in such great destruction, we did not let go of any of our gloom, but only stared into each other's faces, as if astonished and not permitted by the event to utter a sound. 52.12 And that imposing man, cutting off the greater number of the barbarians, mounted a waiting horse and flew from our midst, ordering them to seize us again and to run with haste to the city's harbor; 52.13 for he said that he himself was also hurrying there. 53.1 Therefore, taking us, they led us as quickly as possible, providing for us all safety from every side. 53.2 And in many places along the way we encountered great multitudes of barbarians streaming in, all breathing murder; and it was no small task to escape their notice, even though the Ethiopians who had captured us were also of great bodily strength and well-prepared, and there was nothing that could make them cower or give way at all in their purpose. 53.3 Nevertheless, not without some toil and anxiety, we reached the aforementioned harbor of the city. 53.4 For the leader of the enemy army happened to be there, to whom indeed our situation was reported by the accompanying barbarians, who also made known the reason why they had saved us alone out of all they had encountered. 53.5 Who, immediately making one of those with him rise from his seat and adding him to those standing by, gave him such a verdict concerning us: that if all that we had promised the barbarians at the wall should prove true, fulfilling the pledges by the deeds themselves, we were to be deemed worthy of mercy and to return again to him; 53.6 but if they should find that no such thing was truly said, but that we had either already lost the money, or, fearing death, had lied about everything and had contrived, as it were, to ward off the first encounter because of the necessity of the moment, they were to cut each one down with their swords right there and dispatch him from life. 53.7 Therefore, straightway taking us in their midst again, they were ordered to lead us to where, they said, the money was previously indicated by you to be stored, stating also the decision rendered against us, and that if anything of what was said should happen not to be brought to fruition, it would be decided by these swords. 53.8 Therefore, fear came upon us then even more than before, lest perhaps one of the servants or of those who had previously tried the place, having encountered a similar necessity and also wishing to escape destruction, had already revealed the abundance of what was hidden, and we should be found to have preserved our own lives by so many devices in vain. 54.1 But not yet having time to consider these things for certain, we arrived at the place, finding it just as we had noted at the time of its safeguarding; 54.2 for we, as many as were close by kinship, had profitably resolved to store away beforehand each his own things in a certain secret chamber, as if divining the future. 54.3 And having pointed out its entrance to the barbarians, which was secured with a stone slab, we stood there, having rid our souls of our many anxieties. 54.4 For we knew that we had nothing further to fear on account of our promise, but on the contrary, that we would even receive sympathy for the abundance of the contribution. 54.5 For when they came upon the hidden things, they immediately changed from being angry to being overjoyed and ordered us to be of good cheer. 54.6 «For with these,» they said, «you have guaranteed your safety, and through these, life has been granted to you today. 54.7 But let us go now to the leader of the army, so that from him also you may receive complete assurance.» 54.8 So they led us again from there to him, and we came upon certain fearful and strange sights. 54.9 For the bodies of the slain lay there still dripping with gore, a dreadful sight, every

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καταπηδήσαντα, καὶ πάλιν τὸν ἐμὸν πατέρα καὶ ἀδελφὸν ἑκατέραις χερσὶν ἐναγκαλισάμενον γενέσθαι μέχρις ἡμῶν. 52.11 τοσαύτη δὲ ἦν ἡ ἐκδειματώσασα τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν τῶν θεαμάτων ἐκείνων ἀχλύς, ὧν τε ἐν ἐκείνοις κατείδομεν καὶ ὧν ἐν ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ἐτοπάσαμεν, ὡς ἐν τοσαύτῃ πανολεθρίᾳ μόνοι διαφυγόντες τὸν θάνατον μηδέν τι τοῦ σκυθρωποῦ καθυφεῖναι, ἀλλὰ μόνον τοῖς προσώποις ἀλλήλων ἐνατενίζειν, ὥσπερ ἐκπληττόμενοι καὶ μηδὲ φωνὴν ἀφεῖναι τῷ πράγματι συγχωρούμενοι. 52.12 τοὺς πλείονας δὲ τῶν βαρβάρων ὁ σοβαρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἀποτεμόμενος, ἵππῳ ἐπιβὰς ἐφεστῶτι διέπτη ἐκ μέσου ἡμῶν, προστάξας καὶ αὖθις συλλαβεῖν ἡμᾶς καὶ πρὸς τὸν λιμένα τῆς πόλεως σπουδῇ θέειν· 52.13 αὐτόθι γὰρ κατασπεύδειν καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἔφη. 53.1 Παραλαβόντες οὖν ἡμᾶς ἦγον ὡς τάχιστα, πᾶσαν ἡμῖν πανταχόθεν ἀσφάλειαν περιποιούμενοι. 53.2 καὶ πολλαχοῦ τῆς ὁδοῦ περιεπίπτομεν πολλοῖς πλήθεσι τῶν εἰσρεόντων βαρβάρων, πάντων φόνον πνεόντων· καὶ οὐ μικρὸν ἦν ἔργον λανθάνειν τούτους, εἰ καὶ ὅτι ῥώμῃ πολλῇ σωμάτων καὶ οἱ προειληφότες ἡμᾶς Αἰθίοπες ὑπῆρχον ἀνεσταλμένοι, καὶ οὐδὲν ἦν ὃ καταπτῆξαι ἢ τῆς ὁρμῆς αὐτοὺς ἐνδοῦναι τὸ παράπαν δυνάμενον. 53.3 πλὴν οὐ μετ' ὀλίγου καμάτου καὶ ἀγωνίας τὸν ῥηθέντα λιμένα τῆς πόλεως κατελάβομεν. 53.4 αὐτόθι γὰρ ἔτυχεν ὢν καὶ ὁ τῶν πολεμίων τοῦ στρατοῦ καθηγούμενος, ᾧ δὴ καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τῶν συνόντων βαρβάρων, γνωρισάντων καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν δι' ἣν μόνους ἡμᾶς ἐκ πάντων τῶν προστυχόντων περιεσώσαντο. 53.5 ὃς ἐξ αὐτῆς ἕνα τινὰ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ τῆς καθέδρας ἐξαναστήσας καὶ τοῖς ἑστῶσιν ἐπισυνάψας τοιαύτην δέδωκε καθ' ἡμῶν αὐτῷ ψῆφον, ὡς εἰ μὲν ἀληθῆ φανεῖεν ὅσα τοῖς βαρβάροις ἐν τῷ τείχει προϋπεσχόμεθα, ἔργοις αὐτοῖς πληρούντων τὰς ὑποθήκας, καὶ φειδοῦς ἀξιωθῆναι καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν πάλιν ἀνθυποστρέψαι· 53.6 εἰ δέ γε μηδὲν τοιοῦτον ἀληθῶς λεχθὲν εὕροιεν, ἀλλ' ἢ προαπολωλεκότας τὰ χρήματα, ἢ τὸν θάνατον δεδιότας ἅπαντα ψευσαμένους καὶ ὥσπερ τὴν πρώτην ἔντευξιν ἀποκρούσασθαι διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην τοῦ καιροῦ σοφισαμένους, τοῖς ξίφεσιν ἕνα ἕκαστον ἐκεῖσε διελόντας τῆς ζωῆς ἀπαλλάξαι. 53.7 παραχρῆμα οὖν καὶ πάλιν μέσους ἡμᾶς διαλαβόντες ἄγειν ἐπέταττον, ἔνθα δὴ τεταμιεῦσθαί φασιν ὑφ' ὑμῶν προεδηλώθη τὰ χρήματα, ἐξειπόντες καὶ τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν ἐξενεχθεῖσαν ἀπόφασιν, καὶ ὡς εἴ τι τυχὸν τῶν λεχθέντων μὴ πρὸς ἔργον ἀχθείη, τοῖς ξίφεσι τούτοις διακριθήσεται. 53.8 δέος οὖν ἡμῶν καὶ τότε μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον ἐπεισῄει, τάχα μή πού τις τῶν οἰκετῶν ἢ τῶν προπειραθέντων τοῦ τόπου, παραπλησίᾳ περιτυχὼν ἀνάγκῃ καὶ θέλων καὶ αὐτὸς τὸν ὄλεθρον ἐκφυγεῖν, προεσήμανε τὴν δαψίλειαν τῶν κεκρυμμένων, καὶ μάτην εὑρέθημεν ἡμεῖς τοσαύταις μηχαναῖς τὴν ἑαυτῶν ζωὴν συντηρούμενοι. 54.1 Ἀλλ' οὔπω ταῦτα βεβαίως ἔχοντες σκοπεῖν, πεφθάκαμεν τὸν τόπον οὕτως ἔχοντα καθὼς ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς φυλακῆς ἐσημειωσάμεθα· 54.2 ὑφ' ἑνὶ γάρ τινι κρυφιώδει ταμείῳ, ὅσοιπερ ἂν ἦμεν κατὰ συγγένειαν ἀγχιστεύοντες, προαποθεῖναι τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ἕκαστος, ὥσπερ τοῦ μέλλοντος μαντευόμενοι, συμφερόντως ἐβουλευσάμεθα. 54.3 οὗ καὶ τὴν ἔξοδον τοῖς βαρβάροις καθυποδείξαντες, ἥτις ἦν λιθίνῃ πλακὶ κατησφαλισμένη, ἱστάμεθα τῶν πολλῶν λογισμῶν τὰς ψυχὰς περιάραντες. 54.4 ᾔδειμεν γὰρ μηδὲν τοῦ λοιποῦ δεδιέναι χάριν τῆς ὑποσχέσεως, τοὐναντίον μὲν οὖν καὶ συμπαθείας τυχεῖν τῷ πλήθει τῆς ἐπιδόσεως. 54.5 ὡς γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι τῶν κρυφίων ἐπέτυχον, εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀργίλου πρὸς τὸ περιχαρὲς μετεβάλλοντο καὶ ἡμῖν διευθυμεῖσθαι προσέταττον. 54.6 «τούτοις γὰρ» ἔφασκον «κατηγγύησθε τὴν σωτηρίαν, καὶ διὰ τούτων ὑμῖν τὸ ζῆν κεχάρισται σήμερον. 54.7 ἀλλ' ἀπέλθωμεν δὴ καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἡγούμενον τοῦ στρατοῦ, ὡς ἂν καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ τελείαν δέξησθε τὴν ἀσφάλειαν.» 54.8 ἦγον οὖν πάλιν ἡμᾶς ἐκεῖθεν τὴν ὡς αὐτόν, περιεπίπτομεν δὲ φοβεροῖς τισι καὶ παραδόξοις θεάμασιν. 54.9 ἔκειντο γὰρ τὰ σώματα τῶν ἀνῃρημένων ἔτι τοῦ λύθρου ἐναποστάζοντα, φρικτὸν ὅραμα, πᾶσα