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

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 virgins naked, at which time 81.8 their fear of anyone even touching them at all was greater than that of death. And the bishop sat upon the throne exhorting all to pray, while the duke was in command, having with him also Hilarius the notary, who was perpetrating such things as the end also showed. For the bishop, being dragged, was nearly torn to pieces. Indeed, having been greatly weakened and having become as one dead, we do not know where he disappeared from them; for they were eager 81.9 to kill him. And when they saw that many had died, they ordered the soldiers to make the bodies of the deceased disappear. But the most holy virgins who were left dead were buried in the tombs, having the boast that in the time of the most pious Constantius they had become martyrs. And deacons in the Lord's house itself were being cut down with blows and shut up. But the matter did not stop at these things; but after these things happened, anyone who wished from then on was breaking down and opening whatever door he wanted, and was searching and plundering the things inside, and they entered into such places into which it is not permitted even for all Christians 81.10 to enter. Gorgonius, the general of the city, also knows these things; for he was there. For it is no small proof of such a military assault that the weapons and arrows and swords of those who entered were left behind in the Lord's house; for until now they have been hung up in the church, so that they may not be able to deny it. For often he sent Dynamius of the official staff and 81.11 the general, wishing to take them away; and for the time being we did not allow it, until it should be known to all. If, therefore, it is a command that we be persecuted, we are all ready to suffer martyrdom, but if it is not a command of the Augustus, we ask the prefect of Egypt, Maximus, and all the 81.12 magistrates to demand of him that he no longer attempt such things. And we ask that this petition of ours be brought forward, so that they may not attempt to bring in any other bishop here. For we stand until death desiring him, the most reverend Athanasius, whom from the beginning God has given to us according to the succession of our fathers, whom the most 81.13 pious Augustus Constantius himself sent with letters and oaths. For we believe that if his Piety learns of it, he will be indignant at what has happened, and will do nothing contrary to his oaths, but will again command our bishop Athanasius to remain with us. 81.14 Under the consuls to be designated after the consulship of the most illustrious Arbithio and Kollianos, on Mechir 17, which is the day before the Ides of February. (The aforewritten letter to the monks everywhere ends with the events that happened in Alexandria at the ordination of George the Cappadocian from among the Arian receivers, while the next letter, narrating the synods that took place in Ariminum and in Seleucia of Isauria, says that the aforementioned George was deposed in Seleucia. So the letter to the monks is rightly placed first, although it lies second in the copy.)

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ἐπερχομένων τῶν στρατιωτῶν, καὶ ἄνδρες τοξευόμενοι ἐθανατοῦντο. ἔνιοι δὲ τῶν στρατιωτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ διαρπάζειν ἐτρέποντο καὶ γυμνὰς ἵστων τὰς παρθένους, ὁπότε 81.8 φόβος ἦν αὐταῖς μείζων τοῦ θανάτου τὸ κἂν ὅλως ἅπτεσθαί τινας αὐτῶν. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐπίσκοπος ἐκάθητο ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου προτρέπων πάντας εὔχεσθαι, ὁ δὲ δοὺξ ἐστρατήγει ἔχων μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ Ἱλάριον τὸν νοτάριον ἐνεργοῦντα τοιαῦτα, οἷα καὶ τὸ τέλος ἔδειξεν. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐπίσκοπος ἑλκόμενος παρ' ὀλίγον διεσπάσθη. παραλυθεὶς γοῦν μεγάλως καὶ ὡς νεκρὸς γενόμενος, οὐκ οἴδαμεν, ποῦ γέγονεν ἀφανὴς παρ' αὐτῶν· ἀποκτεῖναι γὰρ αὐτὸν 81.9 ἐσπούδαζον. οἱ δὲ ὡς εἶδον πολλοὺς ἀποθανόντας, προσέταττον τοῖς στρατιώταις ἀφανῆ τὰ σώματα καταστῆσαι τῶν τετελευτηκότων. αἱ δὲ καταλειφθεῖσαι νεκραὶ ἁγιώταται παρθένοι ἐτάφησαν ἐν τοῖς μνήμασιν ἔχουσαι καύχημα, ὅτι ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου Κωνσταντίου γεγόνασι μάρτυρες. διάκονοι δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ κυριακῷ κατεκόπ τοντο πληγαῖς καὶ συνεκλείοντο. οὐκ ἄχρι δὲ τούτων ἔστη τὸ πρᾶγμα· ἀλλὰ γὰρ μετὰ τὸ ταῦτα γενέσθαι ὁ βουλόμενος λοιπὸν ἣν ἠβούλετο θύραν κατεάσσων ἤνοιγε καὶ ἠρεύνα καὶ ἥρπαζε τὰ ἔνδον, καὶ εἰς τοιούτους τόπους εἰσήρχοντο, εἰς οὓς οὐδὲ πᾶσι τοῖς Χριστια81.10 νοῖς ἔξεστιν εἰσελθεῖν. οἶδε ταῦτα καὶ ὁ στρατηγὸς τῆς πόλεως Γοργόνιος· ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἦν. οὐ μικρὸς γὰρ ἔλεγχος τῆς τοιαύτης πολεμικῆς ἐφόδου τὸ ἐν τῷ κυριακῷ καταλιπεῖν τὰ παρὰ τῶν εἰσελθόντων ὅπλα καὶ βέλη καὶ ξίφη· μέχρι γὰρ νῦν ἐκρεμάσθη ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἵνα μηδὲ ἀρνήσασθαι δυνηθῶσι. καὶ γὰρ πολλάκις ἀπέστειλε τὸν τῆς τάξεως ∆υνάμιον καὶ 81.11 τὸν στρατηγὸν θέλων αὐτὰ ἆραι· καὶ τέως οὐ συνεχωρήσαμεν, ἕως πᾶσι γνωσθῇ. εἰ μὲν οὖν πρόσταγμά ἐστι διώκεσθαι ἡμᾶς, ἕτοιμοι πάντες μαρτυρῆσαι, εἰ δὲ μὴ ἔστι τοῦ Αὐγούστου πρόσταγμα, ἀξιοῦμεν τὸν ἔπαρχον τῆς Αἰγύπτου Μάξιμον καὶ τοὺς πολι81.12 τευτὰς πάντας ἀξιῶσαι αὐτὸν μηκέτι τοιαῦτα ἐπιχειρῆσαι. ἀξιοῦμεν δὲ καὶ ταύτην ἡμῶν τὴν δέησιν ἀνενεχθῆναι, ἵνα μὴ ἄλλον τινὰ ἐπίσκοπον ἐπιχειρήσωσιν εἰσαγαγεῖν ὧδε. μέχρι γὰρ θανάτου ἑστήκαμεν αὐτὸν ἐπιθυμοῦντες τὸν αἰδεσιμώτατον Ἀθανάσιον, ὃν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ θεὸς ἡμῖν δέδωκε κατὰ διαδοχὴν τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ὃν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ εὐσε81.13 βέστατος Αὔγουστος Κωνστάντιος μετὰ γραμμάτων καὶ ὅρκων ἀπέστειλε. πιστεύομεν γάρ, ὅτι, ἐὰν μάθῃ ἡ εὐσέβεια αὐτοῦ, ἀγανακτήσει μὲν ἐπὶ τοῖς γενομένοις, οὐδὲν δὲ παρὰ τοὺς ὅρκους ποιήσει, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλιν κελεύσει τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἡμῶν Ἀθανάσιον μένειν μεθ' ἡμῶν. 81.14 Τοῖς μετὰ τὴν ὑπατείαν Ἀρβαιθίωνος καὶ Κολλιανοῦ τῶν λαμπροτάτων ἀποδειχθησομένοις ὑπάτοις Μεχιρ ιζʹ, ἥτις ἐστὶ τῇ πρὸ μιᾶς εἰδῶν Φευρουαρίων. (Ἡ μὲν προγεγραμμένη πρὸς τοὺς ἁπανταχοῦ μοναχοὺς ἐπιστολὴ τελευτᾷ εἰς τὰ γεγενημένα ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ ἐπὶ τῇ χειροτονίᾳ Γεωργίου τοῦ Καππάδοκος ἀπὸ ὑποδεκτῶν τοῦ Ἀρειανοῦ, ἡ δὲ ἑξῆς ἐπιστολὴ περὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἀριμίνῳ καὶ ἐν Σελευκείᾳ τῆς Ἰσαυρίας γεγενημένων συνόδων διηγουμένη τὸν προειρημένον Γεώργιον ἐν τῇ Σελευκείᾳ καθῃρῆσθαί φησιν. ὥστε καλῶς πρώτη τέτακται ἡ πρὸς τοὺς μοναχοὺς ἐν τῷ ἀντιγράφῳ δευτέρα κειμένη.)

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