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every age of men, condemned by a single vote to death by the sword and with the others deprived of burial. 54.10 And wine, flowing down, was poured out in every narrow street, 54.10 and mingling with the blood of the fallen, it drenched the entire ground of the city. 54.11 So as we passed by we looked, and if somewhere we recognized with certainty any of our former acquaintances or friends among the other corpses, we would point him out to one another only quietly with groans. 54.12 But there was no leisure either to mourn him or to bestow anything useful at that moment from our former friendship; but only after grieving in vain for the one lying there, we would again consider our own situation. 55.1 And when we had already reached the harbor, we were brought before the tyrant, at the time when, having assembled the captains of the ships, he was practicing the impiety of the so-called prayer; who, after the completion of that ceremony, ordered those in charge to bring us before his face. 55.2 So when we were brought, he asked my father, “Are you,” he says, “the bishop of this city?” 55.3 For he inferred as much from his clothing, that it was in no way inconsistent with that dignity. 55.4 But he said, “I am not, but a cleric and one in need of their prayers.” 55.5 And another, standing nearby, who was the commander of the other army, said to him, “This man is not a bishop, but he has been allotted a rank in no way different from theirs; for we know him to be the exarch of all Greece, in no way inferior to them in honor.” 55.6 “And who is this?” indicating me with his finger. 55.7 “He is the son of this man,” the bystander said again, “a cleric himself too, and one of those assigned to the imperial household. 55.8 And these are his brothers,” he said, pointing out the two after me, “both sons of this prelate, born to him at different times, and also being of a different age.” 55.9 “And this old man with them, who might he be?” the terrible judge asked again. 55.10 “My brother,” my father answered, speaking first, instructing that man also with a nod to agree with his response. 55.11 And when he had heard these things, he ordered everyone to be seated, and separating himself from the others, he spoke quietly to us: 55.12 “I wish you to be free from all evil suspicion; for both your encountering the captors unarmed and the amount of money now set before my eyes have granted you your lives, for which many have despaired; and for the future there is for you no suspicion of death by treachery, nor any other harm from my subjects. 55.13 But go, taking counsel for your own advantage, and embracing good hopes. 55.14 For thus it will be possible for us to reach Syria, and I will immediately send you to Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, to be kept with those guarded there until the expected reconciliation, having as a ransom our fellow Hagarenes who have been captured by the Romans on not a few occasions, upon whose arrival you too will be released from your bonds and each will recover his own property.” 55.15 Thus he spoke, and turning back again to those under him he explained the matters concerning us, speaking for the most part in a foreign tongue. 55.16 But for the time being nothing escaped our notice, as the one who had saved us at the beginning was still leading us about in their midst, and we were learning everything from him. 56.1 He ordered that we be securely guarded, having been seated in a certain place washed on all sides by the sea. 56.2 And when this was done, we first completely turned our souls from the expectation of death and entrusted the future to divine providence. 56.3 But then there came upon our thoughts, as if we were just now reviewing the beginning of the evil, concern for our household, pricking our hearts more than the surrounding swords, wondering how indeed or in what manner they had died, or which of them, having escaped the danger, were condemned to a captivity like ours. 56.4 Nevertheless we were not able to know anything for certain about these matters, because the enemy's entry had happened recently, and everything was taking place with indistinct shouting and confusion, and a great multitude was milling about inside the harbor, both of those from

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ἡλικία τῶν ἀνθρώπων μιᾷ ψήφῳ τὸν διὰ ξίφους κατακριθεῖσα θάνατον καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ ταφῆς ἀμοιροῦσα. 54.10 κατεχεῖτο δὲ κατὰ παντὸς στενωποῦ περιρρέων ὁ οἶνος 54.10 καὶ τοῖς αἵμασι τῶν πεπτωκότων ἀνακιρνώμενος ἅπαν τὸ ἔδαφος τῆς πόλεως κατεμέθυσκεν. 54.11 παριόντες οὖν ἐσκοποῦμεν, καὶ εἴ πού τινα τῶν ποτε γνωρίμων ἢ φίλων μεταξὺ τῶν ἄλλων νεκρῶν ἀπηκριβωσάμεθα, ἠρέμα μόνον τοῖς στεναγμοῖς πρὸς ἀλλήλους τοῦτον διεσημαίνομεν. 54.12 σχολὴ δ' οὐκ ἦν ἢ θρηνῆσαι τοῦτον ἢ χαρίσασθαί τι τῆς ποτε φιλίας τῷ καιρῷ χρήσιμον· ἀλλ' ἢ μόνον ἄπρακτα τῷ κειμένῳ περιαλγήσαντες πάλιν περὶ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἐσκεπτόμεθα. 55.1 Ἤδη δὲ φθασάντων ἡμῶν τὸν λιμένα παρέστημεν τῷ τυράννῳ, ὅτε καὶ τοὺς τῶν νηῶν ἀρχηγέτας ἐκκλησιάσας τῆς καλουμένης εὐχῆς ἐθρήσκευε τὴν δυσσέβειαν· ὃς μετὰ τὴν συμπλήρωσιν ἐκείνης τῆς τελετῆς ἀχθῆναι ἡμᾶς κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῖς ἐφεστῶσι διεκελεύσατο. 55.2 ὡς οὖν ἤχθημεν, ἐπυνθάνετο τὸν πατέρα, «εἰ ἐπίσκοπός» φησι «τυγχάνεις τῆσδε τῆς πόλεως;» 55.3 ἐτεκμαίρετο γὰρ ὅσον ἐκ τῆς ἐσθῆτος οὐδὲν ἀλλοῖον ἔχειν τοῦ ἀξιώματος. 55.4 ὁ δέ «οὔκ εἰμι» ἔφη «κληρικὸς δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐκείνων εὐχῆς προσδεόμενος.» 55.5 ἄλλος δέ τις ἐγγύθεν ἑστώς, ὃς ἦν ἀρχηγὸς τοῦ ἑτέρου στρατοῦ, πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔφη «ἐπίσκοπος μὲν οὔκ ἐστιν οὗτος, κατ' οὐδὲν δὲ διαφέροντα βαθμὸν ἐκείνοις κεκλήρωται· ἔξαρχον γὰρ αὐτὸν ἴσμεν τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἁπάσης, οὐδὲν τῆς τιμῆς ἐκείνων καθυστερίζοντα.» 55.6 «οὗτος δὲ τίς ἐστι;» τῷ δακτύλῳ σημάνας ἐμέ. 55.7 «υἱός ἐστι τοῦδε,» καὶ αὖθις ὁ παρεστὼς ἔφη, «κληρικὸς καὶ αὐτός, καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις τῶν βασιλείων τεταγμένων εἷς. 55.8 οὗτοι δὲ ἀδελφοὶ τυγχάνουσι τοῦδε,» τοὺς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ δύο παραδηλώσας, «ἄμφω δὲ υἱοὶ τοῦδε τοῦ προεστῶτος, διαφόρως μὲν ἀποτεχθέντες αὐτῷ, ἄγοντες δὲ καὶ διάφορον ἡλικίαν.» 55.9 «ὁ δὲ συνὼν αὐτοῖς οὗτος ὁ γηραιὸς τίς ἂν εἴη;» πάλιν ὁ δεινὸς ἤρετο δικαστής. 55.10 «ἀδελφὸς ἐμός,» προλαβὼν ὁ πατὴρ ἀπεκρίνατο, νεύματι κἀκεῖνον συνθέσθαι πρὸς τὴν πεῦσιν ἀναδιδάξας. 55.11 ἐπειδὴ δὲ τούτων ἀκήκοε, καθεσθῆναι πάντας προσέταξε, καὶ ἑαυτὸν τῶν ἄλλων ἀποτεμόμενος ἡσυχῇ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἔφη: 55.12 «πάσης ὑμᾶς πονηρᾶς ὑποψίας ἐκτὸς εἶναι βούλομαι· τό τε γὰρ ἀόπλους τοῖς εἰληφόσιν ἐντυχεῖν καὶ τὸ νῦν ἐν ὄψεσι ταῖς ἐμαῖς προτεθὲν χρημάτων πλῆθος τὴν ζωὴν ὑμῖν, ἥτις δυσέλπιστός ἐστι τοῖς πολλοῖς, ἐχαρίσαντο, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὑμῖν ὑπόνοια τοῦ λοιποῦ θανάτου ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς, οὐδέ τις ἄλλη ἐπήρεια παρὰ τῶν ἐμῶν ὑπηκόων. 55.13 ἀλλ' ἄπιτε τὰ συμφέροντα συμβουλεύοντες ἑαυτοῖς, χρηστάς τε παραζευγνύντες ἐλπίδας. 55.14 οὕτω γὰρ ἡμᾶς φθάσαι τὴν Συρίαν γενήσεται, καὶ πρὸς τὴν Ταρσὸν εὐθέως πόλιν τῆς Κιλικίας ὑμᾶς διαπέμψω τηρηθησομένους σὺν τοῖς ἐκεῖ φρουρουμένοις μέχρι τῆς προσδοκωμένης καταλλαγῆς, ἀντίλυτρον ἔχοντας τοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν Ῥωμαίων καιροῖς οὐκ ὀλίγοις ἑαλωκότας ὁμοεθνεῖς ἡμῶν Ἀγαρηνούς, ὧν ἀφικομένων καὶ ὑμεῖς τῶν δεσμῶν λυθήσεσθε καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα ἕκαστος ἀπολήψεσθε.» 55.15 οὕτως ἔφη, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν πάλιν ὑποστραφεὶς τὰ περὶ ἡμῶν διεξῄει, βαρβαρίζων τὰ πλεῖστα. 55.16 οὐδὲν δὲ τέως ἐλάνθανεν ἡμᾶς, τὸν κατ' ἀρχὰς περισώσαντα εἰσέτι μέσον ἡμᾶς περιάγοντα καὶ πάντα ἐξ ἐκείνου μανθάνοντας. 56.1 Τόπῳ δέ τινι τῇ θαλάσσῃ περικλυζομένῳ καθεσθέντας ἀσφαλῶς ἡμᾶς τηρεῖσθαι προσέταξεν. 56.2 οὗ δὴ γενομένου πρῶτον τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ θανάτου τέλεον τὰς ψυχὰς μετηγάγομεν καὶ τῇ θεϊκῇ προνοίᾳ τὰ ἑξῆς ἐπετρέπομεν. 56.3 ἐπήρχετο δὲ τότε τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἡμῶν, ὥσπερ ἄρτι τοῦ κακοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀναθεωροῦσιν, ἡ τῶν οἰκείων φροντίς, νύττουσα τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν μᾶλλον ἢ τὰ κυκλοῦντα ξίφη, πῶς ἄρα ἢ κατὰ ποῖον τεθνήκασι τρόπον, ἢ τίνες αὐτῶν τοῦ κινδύνου διεκφυγόντες εἰς τὴν ὁμοίαν ἡμῖν ἀπαγωγὴν ἐκρίθησαν. 56.4 ὅμως οὐδ' οὕτως εἴχομεν ἀσφαλῶς περὶ τούτων γνῶναι διὰ τὸ πρόσφατον γεγονέναι τῶν πολεμίων τὴν εἴσοδον, καὶ πάντα μετὰ κραυγῆς ἀσήμου καὶ θορύβου τυγχάνειν, καὶ πολὺ πλῆθος εἴσω τοῦ λιμένος ἐνστρέφεσθαι τῶν τε ἐκ