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they tore down their temples and wooden images and built houses of prayer. 2.6.1 As the church was increasing in this way throughout the whole Roman world, the religion also spread among the barbarians themselves. For already the tribes about the Rhine were becoming Christians, both the Celts and the most distant of the Gauls who dwell near the ocean, and the Goths, and as many as were formerly their neighbors about the banks of the river Ister, having long since partaken of the faith in Christ, adapted themselves to a more civilized and rational life. 2.6.2 For nearly all the barbarians, the occasion for embracing the doctrine of the Christians was the wars which occurred from time to time between the Romans and the foreigners during the reign of Gallienus and the emperors after him. For when at that time an unspeakable multitude of mixed nations, having crossed over from Thrace, overran Asia, and other barbarians elsewhere did the same to the neighboring Romans, many of the priests of Christ, having become captives, were with 2.6.3 them. And as they healed the sick among them and cleansed those possessed by demons, naming only Christ and calling upon the Son of God, and moreover lived a blameless life and by their virtues conquered reproach, the barbarians, marveling at the men for their life and their wondrous works, understood that it was wise, and that they would have God be merciful, if they would imitate those who appeared to be better and in like manner worship the higher power. Therefore, putting them forward as teachers of what should be done, they were taught and were baptized, and afterwards they assembled in church. 2.7.1 During the aforesaid reign it is said that the Iberians came to know Christ. This is a great and very warlike barbarian nation, and it dwells inland from the Armenians toward the north. A captive Christian woman prepared them to despise their ancestral religion; who being most faithful and exceedingly God-fearing, did not neglect her customary manner of life even among foreigners. Fasting was a dear thing to her, and to pray night and day and to bless God. The barbarians inquired for what reason she endured this; and when she said rather simply that one must so worship Christ the Son of God, both the name of the one worshipped 2.7.2 and the manner of the worship seemed strange to them. It happened that a little boy there was terribly ill, and his mother, carrying him around to each house, showed him; for it is the custom of the Iberians to do this, so that if any physician for the disease might be found, deliverance from the affliction might become 2.7.3 readily available to the sick. But when, having been treated nowhere, the child was brought to the captive woman, "Of remedies," she said, "whether ointments or plasters, I have neither knowledge nor experience; but I believe that Christ whom I worship, the true and great God, will become the savior of your child, O woman." And immediately, having prayed for him, she delivered him from the 2.7.4 disease, though he was expected to die at any moment. And not long after, the wife of the ruler of the nation, who was about to perish from an incurable affliction, she saved in the same manner, and she taught the knowledge of Christ, introducing him as the steward of health and life and kingship and lord of all. And she, by the experience of what had happened to her, believing the words of the captive woman to be true, embraced the religion of the Christians 2.7.5 and held the woman in great honor. The king, marveling at the quick and extraordinary faith and healing, learned the cause from his wife and commanded that the captive woman be rewarded with gifts. "But of these things," said the queen, "she takes little account, even if they are considered very valuable; she esteems only the worship of her own God. If, therefore, we wish to show her favor and are eager to act safely and well, come, let us also worship this one, being a mighty God and Savior and one who makes kings, if he wishes, remain in their state, and again, one who is able to easily make the great small and the obscure illustrious and

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αὐτοῖς ναοὺς καὶ ξόανα καθεῖλον καὶ εὐκτηρίους οἴκους ᾠκοδόμησαν. 2.6.1 Πληθυνούσης δὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ῾Ρωμαίων οἰκουμένην, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τῶν βαρβάρων ἡ θρησκεία ἐχώρει. ἤδη γὰρ τά τε ἀμφὶ τὸν ῾Ρῆνον φῦλα ἐχριστιάνιζον, Κελτοί τε καὶ οἳ Γαλατῶν ἔνδον τελευταῖοι τὸν ὠκεανὸν προσοικοῦσι, καὶ Γότθοι, καὶ ὅσοι τούτοις ὅμοροι τὸ πρὶν ἦσαν ἀμφὶ τὰς ὄχθας ῎Ιστρου ποταμοῦ, πάλαι μετασχόντες τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως ἐπὶ τὸ ἡμερώτερον καὶ λογικὸν μεθηρμόσαντο. 2.6.2 πᾶσι δὲ βαρβάροις σχεδὸν πρόφασις συνέβη πρεσβεύειν τὸ δόγμα τῶν Χριστιανῶν οἱ γενόμενοι κατὰ καιρὸν πόλεμοι ῾Ρωμαίοις καὶ τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις ἐπὶ τῆς Γαλλιήνου ἡγεμονίας καὶ τῶν μετ' αὐτὸν βασιλέων. ἐπεὶ γὰρ τότε πλῆθος ἄφατον μιγάδων ἐθνῶν ἐκ τῆς Θρᾴκης περαιωθὲν τὴν ᾿Ασίαν κατέδραμεν ἄλλοι τε ἀλλαχῇ βάρβαροι ταὐτὸν εἰργάσαντο τοὺς παρακειμένους ῾Ρωμαίους, πολλοὶ τῶν ἱερέων τοῦ Χριστοῦ αἰχμάλωτοι γενόμενοι σὺν 2.6.3 αὐτοῖς ἦσαν. ὡς δὲ τοὺς αὐτόθι νοσοῦντας ἰῶντο καὶ τοὺς δαιμονῶντας ἐκάθαιρον Χριστὸν μόνον ὀνομάζοντες καὶ υἱὸν θεοῦ ἐπικαλούμενοι, προσέτι δὲ καὶ πολιτείαν ἄμεμπτον ἐφιλοσόφουν καὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς τὸν μῶμον ἐνίκων, θαυμάσαντες οἱ βάρβαροι τοὺς ἄνδρας τοῦ βίου καὶ τῶν παραδόξων ἔργων εὖ φρονεῖν συνεῖδον καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἵλεων ἔχειν, εἰ τοὺς ἀμείνους φανέντας μιμήσαιντο καὶ ὁμοίως αὐτοῖς τὸ κρεῖττον θεραπεύοιεν. προβαλλόμενοι οὖν αὐτοὺς τοῦ πρακτέου καθηγητὰς ἐδιδάσκοντο καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο, καὶ ἀκολούθως ἐκκλησίαζον. 2.7.1 ᾿Επὶ δὲ τῆς προκειμένης βασιλείας λέγεται τοὺς ῎Ιβηρας τὸν Χριστὸν ἐπιγνῶναι. ἔθνος δὲ τοῦτο βάρβαρον μέγα τε καὶ μαχιμώτατον, οἰκεῖ δὲ τῆς ᾿Αρμενίων ἐνδότερον πρὸς ἄρκτον. παρεσκεύασε δὲ αὐτοὺς τῆς πατρῴας θρησκείας ὑπεριδεῖν Χριστιανὴ γυνὴ αἰχμάλωτος· ἣ δὴ πιστοτάτη καὶ θεοσεβὴς ἄγαν οὖσα οὐδὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις καθυφῆκε τῆς συνήθους πολιτείας. φίλον δέ τι αὐτῇ χρῆμα ἐτύγχανε νηστεία καὶ νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν εὔχεσθαι καὶ τὸν θεὸν εὐλογεῖν. οἱ δὲ βάρβαροι ἐπυνθάνοντο μὲν ὅτου χάριν τοῦτο ὑπομένοι· τῆς δὲ ἁπλούστερον λεγούσης οὕτω χρῆναι σέβειν τὸν Χριστὸν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, ξένον αὐτοῖς ἐδόκει καὶ τοῦ θρησκευο2.7.2 μένου τὸ ὄνομα καὶ τῆς θρησκείας ὁ τρόπος. συμβὰν δὲ μειράκιον ἐνταῦθα δεινῶς ἀσθενεῖν, περιφέρουσα καθ' ἕκαστον οἶκον ἡ μήτηρ ἐπεδείκνυ· ἔθος γὰρ ῎Ιβηρσι τοῦτο ποιεῖν, ἵν' εἴ τις εὑρεθείη τοῦ νοσήματος ἰατρός, εὐπό2.7.3 ριστος γένηται τοῖς κάμνουσιν ἡ τοῦ πάθους ἀπαλλαγή. ἐπεὶ δὲ μηδαμοῦ θεραπευθὲν καὶ παρὰ τὴν αἰχμάλωτον ἐκομίσθη τὸ παιδίον, «φαρμάκων μέν», ἔφη, «οὔτε χριστῶν οὔτε ἐπιπλάστων εἴδησιν ἢ πεῖραν ἔχω· πιστεύω δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν ὃν σέβω, τὸν ἀληθινὸν καὶ μέγαν θεόν, σωτῆρα τοῦ σοῦ παιδὸς γενέσθαι, ὦ γύναι.» παραχρῆμά τε ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ εὐξαμένη τῆς 2.7.4 νόσου ἀπήλλαξεν αὐτὸν ὅσον οὔπω τεθνήξεσθαι προσδοκώμενον. οὐ πολλῷ δὲ ὕστερον καὶ τὴν γαμετὴν τοῦ κρατοῦντος τοῦ ἔθνους ἀνιάτῳ πάθει διόλλυσθαι μέλλουσαν τῷ ἴσῳ τρόπῳ διέσωσε, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ γνῶσιν ἐπαίδευσεν, ὑγείας ταμίαν καὶ ζωῆς καὶ βασιλείας καὶ πάντων κύριον αὐτὸν εἰσηγουμένη. καὶ ἡ μὲν τῇ πείρᾳ τοῦ ἐπ' αὐτῇ συμβεβηκότος ἀληθεῖς εἶναι πιστεύσασα τοὺς τῆς αἰχμαλώτου λόγους, τὴν Χριστιανῶν θρησκείαν ἐπρέ2.7.5 σβευε καὶ διὰ πολλῆς τιμῆς εἶχε τὴν ἄνθρωπον. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς θαυμάσας τὸ ταχὺ καὶ παράδοξον τῆς πίστεως καὶ ἰάσεως ἔμαθε τὴν αἰτίαν παρὰ τῆς γαμετῆς καὶ δώροις ἐκέλευσεν ἀμείβεσθαι τὴν αἰχμάλωτον. «ἀλλὰ τούτων», ἔφη ἡ βασιλίς, «ὀλίγος αὐτῇ λόγος, κἂν πάνυ τίμια νομίζηται· μόνην δὲ περὶ πολλοῦ ποιεῖται τὴν εἰς τὸν ἴδιον θεὸν θεραπείαν. ἢν οὖν αὐτῇ χαριεῖσθαι βουλοίμεθα καὶ ἀσφαλῶς πράττειν καὶ καλῶς σπουδάζοιμεν, ἄγε δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦτον σεβώμεθα, κραταιὸν θεὸν ὄντα καὶ σωτῆρα καὶ βασιλέας, ἢν βούληται, ἐν οἷς εἰσι διαμένειν ποιοῦντα, πάλιν τ' αὖ ἱκανὸν ῥᾳδίως τοὺς μεγάλους μικροὺς ἀποφαίνειν καὶ τοὺς ἀδόξους ἐπιφανεῖς καὶ