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a spark of goodwill and of warm disposition would be; but I was deceived in my hope. For though I have already written twice, I have not received a reply; and by a royal decree I have been forbidden to cross the borders of the territory of Cyrrhus. No cause is attached to this seeming punishment, but that I gather episcopal synods. And with no indictment shown, no prosecutor appearing, and no defendant convicted, the decree was passed. And we accept this, knowing the rewards for those who are wronged. I know, however, Festus—and he was a Roman ruler entrusted with the good order of the Jews—when the Jews had asked for the slaughter of the divine Paul, he said outright: "It is not the custom of us Romans to give up any man, before the accused has met his accusers face to face, and has had an opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge." And this was said by a man who had not believed in the Lord Christ, but was a slave to polytheistic error. But I, without being asked whether I convene synods or not, and for what reasons I convene them, and what harm this does either to ecclesiastical or to public affairs, like those who have committed the greatest transgressions, am barred from other cities; or rather, while every city is open to all others, not only to those who hold the opinions of Arius and Eunomius, but also to Manichaeans, and Marcionites, and those who are sick with the errors of Valentinus and Montanus, and indeed also to Greeks and Jews; but I, who contend for the evangelical doctrines, am barred from every city. But some say that we hold contrary opinions. Then let a council be held, let those of the most God-beloved bishops who know how to judge be present, let those in authority and office who have been instructed in divine matters be present; let us say what we believe, and let the judges say which belief agrees with the teaching of the apostles. But I have written these things, neither desiring to see the greatest city, nor longing to depart to another. For in truth I rather embrace the quiet of those wishing to administer the Churches in monastic guise. For let your greatness know that neither in the time of the most blessed Theodotus of holy memory, nor in that of John of blessed memory, nor in that of the most holy bishop the lord Domnus, did I willingly enter Antioch; but being called five and six times I barely obeyed; and I obeyed, being persuaded by the ecclesiastical canon, which commands the one who is called to a synod and is unwilling to attend to be in danger. And upon entering, what have we done that is displeasing to God? that we separated so-and-so and so-and-so, who had dared to commit transgressions worthy of silence, from the sacred rolls? that we bring forward for ordination to the priesthood those who are praised and adorned by their life? that we offer the evangelical teaching to the people? If these things are worthy of indictment and punishment, we most gladly accept even greater punishments for them. But the slanderers compel me. And before my very conception, my parents promised to offer me to God, and from my swaddling clothes they dedicated me according to their promises, and deemed me worthy of such an upbringing. Having spent the time before my episcopate in a monastery, I unwillingly received ordination to the episcopate. I have passed twenty-five years, neither being accused by anyone, nor accusing another. Not one of the most devout clergy under me has attended a court of law in so many years. I have not received an obol, nor a cloak from anyone. Not one of my household has ever received a single loaf or an egg. Except for the rags I am clothed in, I have endured to possess nothing. I have erected public porticoes from the revenues of the church; I built two very large bridges, I took care of public baths; finding the city not supplied with water from the river flowing by, I constructed the aqueduct, and filled the waterless city with water. And that

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ζώπυρον εὐνοίας καὶ θερμῆς ἔσεσθαι διαθέσεως· ἐψεύσθην δὲ τῆς ἐλπίδος. ∆ὶς μὲν γὰρ ἤδη γεγραφώς, ἀντιγράφων οὐκ ἔτυχον· βασιλικῇ δὲ ψήφῳ τῆς Κυρρεστῶν χώρας τοὺς ὅρους ὑπερβαίνειν κεκώλυμαι. Αἰτία δὲ οὐδεμία τῇ δοκούσῃ πρόσκειται τιμωρίᾳ, ἀλλ' ὅτι συνόδους ἐπισκοπικὰς συναθροίζω. Καὶ οὔτε γραφῆς δεικνυ μένης, οὔτε τοῦ διώκοντος φαινομένου, οὔτε τοῦ φεύγοντος ἐλεγχθέντος, ἡ ψῆφος ἐξηνέχθη. Καὶ στέργομεν ταύτην, τῶν ἀδικουμένων τὰς ἀντιδόσεις εἰδότες. Οἶδα μέντοι τὸν Φῆστον - ̔Ρωμαίων δὲ οὗτος ἦν ἡγεμὼν τὴν Ἰουδαίων εὐταξίαν πεπιστευμένος-, ᾐτηκότων τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὴν τοῦ θεσπεσίου Παύλου σφαγήν, ἄντικρυς εἰρηκότα· Οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν Ῥωμαίοις οὖσι χαρίζεσθαι ἄνθρωπον, πρὶν ἂν ὁ κατηγορούμενος κατὰ πρόσωπον σχοίη τοὺς κατηγό ρους, τόπον τε ἀπολογίας λάβοι περὶ τοῦ ἐγκλήμα τος . Καὶ ταῦτα ἔλεγεν ἄνθρωπος οὐ πεπιστευκὼς τῷ ∆εσπότῃ Χριστῷ, ἀλλὰ τῇ πολυθέῳ πλάνῃ δουλεύων. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὔτε ἐρωτηθεὶς εἴτε συνάγω συνόδους, εἴτε μή, καὶ ἐπὶ τίσι συνάγω, καὶ τί τοῦτο λυμαίνεται ἢ τοῖς ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς, ἢ τοῖς κοινοῖς, τοῖς τὰ μέγιστα παρανομήσασι παραπλησίως τῶν ἄλλων εἴργομαι πόλεων· μᾶλλον δὲ τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις ἅπασι πᾶσα πόλις ἀνέῳ κται, οὐ μόνον τοῖς τὰ Ἀρείου καὶ Εὐνομίου φρονοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ Μανιχαίοις, καὶ Μαρκιωνισταῖς, καὶ τοῖς τὰ Βαλεντίνου καὶ Μοντανοῦ νοσοῦσι, καὶ μέντοι καὶ Ἕλλησι καὶ Ἰουδαίοις· ἐγὼ δέ, τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν ὑπεραγωνιζόμενος δογμάτων, πάσης εἴργομαι πόλεως. Ἀλλ' ἐναντία φρονεῖν ἡμᾶς φασί τινες. Οὐκοῦν γενέσθω συνέδριον, παρέστωσαν τῶν θεοφιλεστάτων ἐπισκόπων οἱ κρίνειν εἰδότες, παρέστωσαν τῶν ἐν τέλει καὶ ἀξιωμάτων οἱ τὰ θεῖα πεπαιδευμένοι· εἴπωμεν ἃ φρονοῦμεν, εἰπάτωσαν οἱ κρίνοντες, ποῖον φρόνημα συμβαίνει τῇ τῶν ἀποστόλων διδασκαλίᾳ. Ἀλλά γε ταῦτα γέγραφα, οὔτε τὴν μεγίστην πόλιν ἰδεῖν ἐφιέμενος, οὔτε εἰς ἄλλην ἀπᾶραι γλιχόμενος. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ μᾶλλον ἀσπάζομαι τὴν ἡσυχίαν τῶν ἐν μοναχικῷ προσχήματι τὰς Ἐκκλησίας οἰκονομεῖν βουλομένων. Ἴστω γὰρ ὑμῶν τὸ μέγεθος, ὡς οὔτε ἐπὶ τοῦ μακαριωτάτου καὶ ἐν ἁγίοις Θεοδό του, οὔτε ἐπὶ τοῦ τῆς μακαρίας μνήμης Ἰωάννου, οὔτε ἐπὶ τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου ἐπισκόπου τοῦ κυρίου ∆όμνου, ἑκὼν εἰς τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν εἰσῄειν· ἀλλὰ καὶ πεντάκις καὶ ἑξάκις καλούμενος μόλις ὑπήκουον· καὶ ὑπήκουον τῷ ἐκκλησιαστικῷ κανόνι πειθόμενος, ὃς κινδυνεύειν παρακελεύεται τὸν καλούμενον εἰς σύνοδον, καὶ παραγίνεσθαι μὴ βουλόμενον. Εἰσίοντες δὲ τί τῶν ἀπαρεσκόντων Θεῷ πεποιήκαμεν; ὅτι τὸν δεῖνα καὶ τὸν δεῖνα σιγῆς ἀξίας παρανομίας τετολμηκότας τῶν ἱερῶν ἐχω ρίσαμεν καταλόγων; ὅτι τοὺς ἐπαινουμένους καὶ βίῳ κοσμου μένους τῇ τῆς ἱερωσύνης χειροτονίᾳ προσάγομεν; ὅτι τοῖς λαοῖς τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν διδασκαλίαν προσφέρομεν; Εἰ ταῦτα γραφῆς ἄξια καὶ τιμωρίας, καὶ τὰς μείζους ὑπὲρ τούτων ἥδιστα τιμωρίας δεχόμεθα. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀναγκάζουσί με οἱ συκοφάνται. Καὶ πρὸ αὐτῆς τῆς συλλήψεως ὑπέσχοντό με τῷ Θεῷ προσφέρειν οἱ φύσαντες, καὶ ἐκ σπαργάνων κατὰ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἀνέθηκαν, τροφῆς τοιαύτης ἠξίωσαν. Ἐν μοναστηρίῳ τὸν πρὸ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς διατελέσας χρόνον, ἄκων τὴν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἐδεξάμην χειρο τονίαν. Πέντε καὶ εἴκοσι διετέλεσα ἔτη, οὔτε κατεντευχθεὶς ὑπό τινος, οὔτε αἰτιασάμενος ἕτερον. Οὐ προσήδρευσέ τις δικαστηρίῳ τῶν ὑπ' ἐμὲ εὐλαβεστάτων κληρικῶν ἐν τοσούτοις ἔτεσιν. Οὐκ ὀβολόν, οὐχ ἱμάτιον παρά τινος ἐδεξάμην. Ἕνα ἄρτον ἢ ὠὸν οὐδεὶς τῶν ἐμῶν συνοίκων ἐδέξατο πώποτε. Πλὴν τῶν ῥακίων ὧν περιβέβλημαι, οὐδὲν κτήσασθαι ἠνεσχόμην. ∆ημοσίας στοὰς ἐκ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν προσόδων ἀνέστησα· γεφύρας δύο μεγίστας ᾠκοδόμησα, λουτρῶν ἐπεμελήθην κοι νῶν· ἐκ τοῦ παραρρέοντος ποταμοῦ τὴν πόλιν <μὴ> ὑδρευο μένην εὑρών, τὸν ἀγωγὸν κατεσκεύασα, καὶ τὴν ἄνυδρον πόλιν ὑδάτων ἐπλήρωσα. Καὶ ἵνα