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the lovers of truth cast their vote. But when the other high priests (for not a few were present, both champions of the apostolic doctrines and completely ignorant of the things that had been plotted) were openly speaking against it and preventing the great Eustathius from accepting that unlawful vote, those who had put together the drama 72 went with all speed to the emperor, and having persuaded him that the indictment was true and the vote of deposition was just, they contrived for the champion of piety and self-control to be driven out as both an adulterer and a tyrant. And he was led away through Thrace to a city of Illyricum. But these men first ordained Eulalius in his place. But when he had survived a short time, they wished to transfer Eusebius of Palestine. But since he himself fled the transfer and the emperor forbade it, they put forward Euphronius. And when he had died (for he lived a year and a few months after his ordination), they handed over the presidency of that church to Flacitus. But they all alike had the plague of Arius hidden within. For this reason, therefore, very many of those who chose to be pious, both of the clergy and of the laity, having left the ecclesiastical assemblies, gathered by themselves. And everyone called them Eustathians, since they were established after his exile. That thrice-wretched little woman, however, having fallen into a most grievous and very long illness, revealed the plot and laid bare the tragedy, having taught not two or three but very many of the priests the things that had been concocted. For she said that she had dared that slander for money, but that the oath was not entirely false; for the infant had been born of a certain Eustathius, a coppersmith. These things, then, in Antioch were dared by the best confederacy. 73 But among the Indians at this time the light of the knowledge of God dawned. For since the manliness and piety of the emperor was being talked of everywhere and the surrounding barbarians had learned by experience to choose peace before war, all mingled with one another without fear. And many, on the one hand, for the sake of inquiry, and many, on the other hand, for commerce, undertook long journeys. At that time a certain Tyrian, a partaker of pagan philosophy, desiring to explore furthest India, journeyed abroad with two young nephews; and having obtained what he desired, he was returning by sea. But when the ship had put into a certain harbor for the sake of watering, barbarians fell upon them and speared some, and enslaved others. And he was numbered with the dead, but the boys were brought to the king. Of these, the one was named Aedesius, and the other Frumentius. And the ruler of that land, having gotten experience of them over time and seeing them to be clever, ordered them to take care of his household. But if anyone disbelieves what is being said, let him consider the story of Joseph and the kingdom of Egypt, and in addition to these, let him be reminded of the prophet Daniel and of those three champions of piety; for they too, having become captives of the spear, took over the rule of the Babylonians. And when the king had died, they were with his son, enjoying greater honor, and having been brought up in piety they urged the merchants arriving there to gather together according to the custom of the Romans and to perform the divine liturgies. And when much time had passed, they approach the king and as a reward for their 74 goodwill they ask for a return to the land that bore them; and having obtained this they arrived in the land of the Romans. And Aedesius, on the one hand, reached Tyre. But Frumentius preferred zeal for divine things to the sight of his parents and having reached the city of Alexander he informed the president of the church, that the Indians greatly longed to receive the intelligible light. And Athanasius at that time held the rudders of that church; who, having heard those narratives, said: “And who better than you will both scatter the mist of ignorance of the nation and bring to them the radiance of the divine preaching?” Having said these things and of the

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φιλα λήθεις τὴν ψῆφον ἐξήνεγκαν. τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ἀρχιερέων (παρῆσαν γὰρ οὐκ ὀλίγοι καὶ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ὑπερμαχοῦντες δογμάτων καὶ τὰ τυρευθέντα παντάπασιν ἀγνοοῦντες) προφανῶς ἀντιλεγόντων καὶ τὸν μέγαν Εὐστάθιον τὴν ψῆφον ἐκείνην τὴν παράνομον δέξασθαι κωλυόντων, πρὸς βασιλέα τὴν ταχίστην οἱ τὸ δρᾶμα συντεθεικότες 72 ἀπῆλθον, καὶ πείσαντες αὐτὸν ὡς ἀληθὴς ἡ γραφὴ καὶ δικαία τῆς καθαιρέσεως ἡ ψῆφος, ὡς μοιχὸν ὁμοῦ καὶ τύραννον ἐξελαθῆναι παρασκευάζουσι τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας καὶ σωφροσύνης ἀγωνιστήν. Καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὲν διὰ τῆς Θρᾴκης εἰς Ἰλλυρικὴν πόλιν ἀπήχθη. οὗτοι δὲ πρῶτον μὲν ἀντ' αὐτοῦ χειροτονοῦσιν Εὐλάλιον. τούτου δὲ ὀλίγον ἐπιβιώσαντος χρόνον, Εὐσέβιον μεταθεῖναι τὸν Παλαιστῖνον ἠθέλησαν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔφυγε τὴν μετάθεσιν καὶ βασιλεὺς διεκώλυσεν, Εὐφρόνιον προεβάλοντο. καὶ τούτου δὲ τελευτήσαντος (ἐνιαυτὸν γὰρ καὶ μῆνας ὀλίγους μετὰ τὴν χειροτονίαν ἐβίω), Φλακίτῳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐκείνης τὴν προεδρίαν παρέδοσαν. πάντες δὲ ὁμοίως τὴν Ἀρείου λώβην εἶχον ἐγκεκρυμμένην. διά τοι τοῦτο πλεῖστοι τῶν εὐσεβεῖν προαιρουμένων καὶ τῶν ἱερωμένων καὶ τῶν πολλῶν, τοὺς ἐκκλησιαστικοὺς καταλελοιπότες συλλόγους, πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς συνηθροί ζοντο. Εὐσταθιανοὺς δὲ τούτους ὠνόμαζον ἅπαντες, ἐπειδὴ μετὰ τὴν ἔξοδον τὴν ἐκείνου συνέστησαν. τὸ μέντοι τρισάθλιον ἐκεῖνο γύναιον, νόσῳ χαλεπωτάτῃ καὶ μακροτάτῃ περιπεσόν, ἐξέφηνε τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν καὶ τὴν τραγῳδίαν ἐγύμνωσεν, οὐ δύο καὶ τρεῖς ἀλλὰ παμπόλλους τῶν ἱερέων τὰ τυρευθέντα διδάξασα. ἔφη γὰρ ἐπὶ χρή μασι τὴν συκοφαντίαν ἐκείνην τετολμηκέναι, τὸν μέντοι ὅρκον μὴ πάμπαν εἶναι ψευδῆ· Εὐσταθίου γάρ τινος χαλκέως γεγενῆσθαι τὸ βρέφος. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ παρὰ τῆς βελτίστης ἐτολμήθη συμμορίας. 73 Παρὰ δὲ Ἰνδοῖς κατὰ τοῦτον ἀνέτειλε τὸν χρόνον τῆς θεογνω σίας τὸ φῶς. τῆς γὰρ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀνδρίας καὶ εὐσεβείας πανταχοῦ θρυλουμένης καὶ τῶν ἐν κύκλῳ βαρβάρων τὴν εἰρήνην αἱρεῖσθαι πρὸ τοῦ πολέμου τῇ πείρᾳ μεμαθηκότων, ἀδεῶς ἀλλήλοις ἅπαντες ἐπεμίγνυντο. καὶ πολλοὶ μὲν ἱστορίας χάριν, πολλοὶ δὲ ἐμπορίας, τὰς μακρὰς ἀποδημίας ἐστέλλοντο. τότε τις Τύριος τῆς θύραθεν φιλοσοφίας μετέχων, τὴν ἐσχάτην Ἰνδίαν ἱστορῆσαι ποθήσας, σὺν δύο μειρακίοις ἀδελφιδοῖς ἐξεδήμησεν· ὧν ἐπόθησε δὲ τυχών, ναυ τιλίᾳ χρώμενος ἐπανῄει. ὑδρείας δὲ χάριν εἴς τινα λιμένα τοῦ σκάφους προσορμισθέντος, βάρβαροι προσπεσόντες τοὺς μὲν κατη κόντισαν, τοὺς δὲ ἐξηνδραπόδισαν. καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὲν τοῖς τεθνεῶσι συνηριθμήθη, τὰ δὲ μειράκια προσήχθη τῷ βασιλεῖ. τούτων ὁ μὲν Αἰδέσιος, ὁ δὲ Φρουμέντιος ὠνομάζετο. πεῖραν δὲ τούτων τῷ χρόνῳ λαβὼν ὁ τῆς γῆς ἐκείνης κρατῶν καὶ ἀγχίνους ἰδών, τῆς οἰκίας ἐπι μελεῖσθαι προσέταξεν. εἰ δέ τις ἀπιστεῖ τοῖς λεγομένοις, τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ καὶ τῆς Αἰγύπτου τὴν βασιλείαν σκοπησάτω, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ τοῦ προφήτου ἀναμιμνησκέσθω ∆ανιὴλ καὶ τῶν τριῶν ἐκείνων τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγωνιστῶν· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι δορυάλωτοι γε νόμενοι τὴν Βαβυλωνίων ἡγεμονίαν παρέλαβον. τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως τετελευτηκότος, τῷ παιδὶ τῷ ἐκείνου συνῆσαν πλείονος τιμῆς ἀπο λαύοντες, εὐσεβείᾳ δὲ συντεθραμμένοι τοὺς αὐτόσε τῶν ἐμπόρων ἀφικνουμένους κατὰ τὸ Ῥωμαίων ἔθος συναγείρεσθαί τε καὶ τὰς θείας ἐπιτελεῖν λειτουργίας προέτρεπον. Χρόνου δὲ συχνοῦ διελθόντος, προσίασι τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τῆς 74 εὐνοίας ἀπαιτοῦσι μισθὸν τὴν εἰς τὴν ἐνεγκοῦσαν ἐπάνοδον· τούτου δὲ τυχόντες εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀφίκοντο γῆν. καὶ ὁ μὲν Αἰδέσιος τὴν Τύρον κατέλαβεν. ὁ δὲ Φρουμέντιος τὴν περὶ τὰ θεῖα σπουδὴν τῆς τῶν γεγεννηκότων προτετίμηκε θέας καὶ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρου κατα λαβὼν πόλιν τὸν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐδίδαξε πρόεδρον, ὡς Ἰνδοὶ λίαν ποθοῦσι τὸ νοερὸν εἰσδέξασθαι φῶς. Ἀθανάσιος δὲ τηνικαῦτα τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐκείνης κατεῖχε τοὺς οἴακας· ὃς τῶν διηγημάτων ἐκείνων ἀκούσας· "καὶ τίς σου", ἔφη, "ἄμεινον καὶ τῆς ἀγνοίας τὴν ἀχλὺν ἀπο σκεδάσει τοῦ ἔθνους καὶ τοῦ θείου κηρύγματος αὐτοῖς ἀποίσει τὴν αἴγλην;" ταῦτα εἰπὼν καὶ τῆς