having something contentious and stubborn in his nature, resisting the signs that had appeared from the gods, he would ask for and demand 23.2.2 other signs; but Chrysanthius, using the first things observed, little by little, by a process of reasoning, proceeded to act upon what was given; then perhaps he succeeded, but having failed, he applied human counsel to what had appeared. 23.2.3 Thus, for instance, when the emperor Julian summoned them both with a single summons, and the soldiers who were sent brought Thessalian compulsion with honor, it seemed good to consult the gods about the matter openly, so that even a private citizen and a craftsman could interpret the signs. The god having forbidden the journey, Maximus clung to the rites, and supplicating over what was being done, he persisted with lamentations, begging the gods to obtain other signs and for what was fated to be 23.2.4 changed; and as he insisted many times on many points and turned aside, as Chrysanthius explained, his will at last judged the phenomena, and what he wished 23.2.5 appeared in the rites, not what had appeared was accepted. Thus, therefore, the one set out on that journey and sojourn that was the beginning of evils, while Chrysanthius remained where he was. And at first the emperor was grieved at his remaining, and he also suspected something of the truth, that Chrysanthius would not have refused the summons 23.2.6 unless he had seen some difficulty in the future. Therefore he wrote again summoning him, and the entreaties were not to him alone; but he urged the wife to persuade her husband through his letters. And again there was a consultation of the divine on the part of Chrysanthius, and the things from the gods did not cease to concur to the same 23.2.7 point. And when this happened many times and the emperor ceased being a suppliant, Chrysanthius, having taken the high priesthood of the whole nation, and knowing the future clearly, was not harsh in his authority, neither raising up temples, as all were running together warmly and ardently for these things, nor troubling any of the Christians excessively; 23.2.8 but so great was the simplicity of his character, that throughout Lydia the restoration of the temples almost went unnoticed. So when things first went in another direction, nothing revolutionary seemed to have been done, nor did anything great and sudden by way of change appear, but all things were reasonably brought together into a kind of evenness and stillness, and he alone was admired, since all others were being moved as if in a storm, some having suddenly been cowed, and others, previously humble, having been raised up; 23.2.9 He was admired, then, for these things, as one not only skilled in foreseeing the future, but also in using what was known. 23.3.1 His entire character was of such a kind, either because he was naturally like the Platonic Socrates, or had been conformed to him through a certain zeal and imitation that had come to him from childhood. For an indescribable simplicity and artlessness was present in his words, and the charm of his phrases on these occasions would bewitch 23.3.2 the listener. He was gracious to all in his company, and each of those departing went away convinced that he was being especially 23.3.3 honored. Just as, therefore, the most beautiful and sweetest of melodies flow down and slip gently and calmly to every ear, even reaching the irrational creatures, as they say of Orpheus, so also was the speech of Chrysanthius harmonious to all, and it was suited and fitted to so many differences of character. 23.3.4 But he was reluctant to engage in debates and contentions, supposing that on these points especially men are exasperated; 23.3.5 nor would one easily have heard him showing off the learning which he had, and on this account being puffed up and swollen with pride towards others, but he would admire the things said by them, even if they were said poorly, and he would praise opinions that were badly formed, as if not hearing them at all, but having become agreeable so as not to cause pain. 23.3.6 But if anyone, of the first in wisdom
ἔχων τι φιλόνεικον ἐν τῇ φύσει καὶ δυσεκβίαστον, τοῖς φανθεῖσιν σημείοις παρὰ τῶν θεῶν ἀντιβαίνων, ἕτερα 23.2.2 ᾔτει καὶ προσηνάγκαζεν· ὁ δὲ Χρυσάνθιος, τοῖς πρώτοις θεωμένοις <χρώμενος> κατὰ μικρὸν ἐκ παραγωγῆς ἐπὶ τὴν κίνησιν τῶν δοθέντων ἐβάδιζεν· εἶτα τυχὸν μὲν ἐνίκα, διαμαρτὼν δέ, τῷ φαινομένῳ τὸ παρὰ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης βουλῆς 23.2.3 ἐφήρμοζεν. οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ἡνίκα ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰουλιανὸς ἄμφω μετεκάλει διὰ μιᾶς κλήσεως, καὶ οἱ πεμφθέντες στρατιῶται μετὰ τιμῆς τὴν Θετταλικὴν ἐπῆγον πειθανάγκην, ὡς ἔδοξε κοινώσασθαι τοῖς θεοῖς τὸ ἔργον περιφανῶς, ὡς κἂν ἰδιώτην καὶ βάναυσον διακρῖναι τὰ σημεῖα, τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν ὁδὸν ἀπαγορεύσαντος, ὁ μὲν Μάξιμος ἐνεφύετο τοῖς ἱεροῖς, καὶ ποτνιώμενος ἐπὶ τοῖς δρωμένοις μετ' ὀλοφυρμῶν ἐνέκειτο, τυχεῖν ἑτέρων σημείων ἱκετεύων τοὺς θεοὺς καὶ μετα23.2.4 τεθῆναι τὰ εἱμαρμένα· καὶ πολλά γε ἐπὶ πολλοῖς αὐτῷ διατεινομένῳ καὶ παρακλίνοντι ὡς ἐξηγεῖτο Χρυσάνθιος, ἡ βούλησις τελευτῶντι τὰ φαινόμενα ἔκρινε, καὶ τὸ δοκοῦν 23.2.5 ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἐφαίνετο, οὐ τὸ φανθὲν ἐδοξάζετο. οὕτως οὖν ὁ μὲν ὥρμησε τὴν ἀρχέκακον ὁδὸν ἐκείνην καὶ ἀποδημίαν, ὁ δὲ Χρυσάνθιος ἔμεινε κατὰ χώραν. καὶ τὰ πρῶτα μὲν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἤλγησεν ἐπὶ τῇ μονῇ, καί πού τι καὶ τῶν ἀληθῶν προσυπενόησεν, ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἠρνήσατο Χρυσάνθιος τὴν κλῆσιν 23.2.6 εἰ μή τι δυσχερὲς ἐνεῖδε τοῖς μέλλουσιν. ἔγραφεν οὖν καὶ πάλιν μετακαλῶν, καὶ οὐ πρὸς αὐτὸν μόνον αἱ παρακλήσεις ἦσαν· ὁ δὲ τὴν γυναῖκα συμπείθειν τὸν ἄνδρα διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων ἐνῆγεν. καὶ πάλιν ἦν πρὸς τὸ θεῖον ἀναφορὰ παρὰ τοῦ Χρυσανθίου, καὶ τὰ παρὰ τῶν θεῶν οὐκ ἔληγεν εἰς ταὐτὸ 23.2.7 συμφερόμενα. ὡς δὲ πολλάκις τοῦτο ἦν καὶ <ἔληγεν ὢν> ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς ἐπαίτης, ὁ δὲ Χρυσάνθιος τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην τοῦ παντὸς ἔθνους λαβών, καὶ τὸ μέλλον ἐξεπιστάμενος σαφῶς, οὐ βαρὺς ἦν κατὰ τὴν ἐξουσίαν, οὔτε τοὺς νεὼς ἐγείρων, ὥσπερ ἅπαντες θερμῶς καὶ περικαῶς ἐς ταῦτα συνέθεον, οὔτε λυπῶν τινας τῶν χριστιανῶν περιττῶς· 23.2.8 ἀλλὰ τοσαύτη τις ἦν ἁπλότης τοῦ ἤθους, ὡς κατὰ Λυδίαν μικροῦ καὶ ἔλαθεν ἡ τῶν ἱερῶν ἐπανόρθωσις. ὡς γοῦν ἑτέρωσε τὰ πρῶτα ἐχώρησεν, οὐδὲν ἐδόκει πεπρᾶχθαι νεώτερον, οὐδὲ πολύ τι καὶ ἀθρόον κατὰ μεταβολὴν ἐφαίνετο, ἀλλ' ἐπιεικῶς ἐς ὁμαλότητά τινα καὶ ἀκινησίαν ἅπαντα συνέστρωντο, καὶ μόνος ἐθαυμάζετο, τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ὥσπερ ἐν κλύδωνι κινουμένων, καὶ τῶν μὲν ἐξαπιναίως κατεπτηχότων, τῶν δὲ πρότερον ταπεινῶν ἀνεστηκότων· 23.2.9 ἐθαυμάσθη γοῦν ἐπὶ τούτοις, ὡς οὐ μόνον δεινὸς τὰ μέλλοντα προνοεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς γνωσθεῖσι χρήσασθαι. 23.3.1 Ἦν δὲ τὸ πᾶν ἦθος τοιοῦτος, ἢ πρὸς τὸν Πλατωνικὸν Σωκράτην ἀναπεφυκώς, ἢ κατά τινα ζῆλον καὶ μίμησιν ἐκ παιδὸς αὐτῷ γενομένην ἐς ἐκεῖνον συνεσχηματισμένος. τό τε γὰρ ἐπιφαινόμενον ἁπλοῦν καὶ ἀφελὲς ἀδιήγητον ἐπεκάθητο τοῖς λόγοις, ἥ τε ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀφροδίτη τῶν ῥημάτων 23.3.2 κατέθελγε τὸν ἀκροώμενον. πᾶσίν τε εὔνους ἦν κατὰ τὴν συνουσίαν, καὶ τῶν ἀπιόντων ἕκαστος, ὅτι φιλοτιμοῖτο 23.3.3 μᾶλλον, ἀπῄει πεπεισμένος. ὥσπερ οὖν τὰ κάλλιστα καὶ γλυκύτερα τῶν μελῶν πρὸς πᾶσαν ἀκοὴν ἡμέρως καὶ πρᾴως καταρρεῖ καὶ διολισθαίνει καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἀλόγων διϊκνούμενα, καθάπερ φασὶ τὸν Ὀρφέα, οὕτω καὶ Χρυσανθίου λόγος πᾶσιν ἦν ἐναρμόνιος, καὶ τοσαύταις διαφοραῖς ἠθῶν ἐνέ23.3.4 πρεπεν καὶ καθηρμόζετο. δυσκίνητος δὲ ἦν περὶ τὰς διαλέξεις καὶ φιλονεικίας, ἐπὶ τούτοις μάλιστα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους 23.3.5 ὑπολαμβάνων ἐκτραχύνεσθαι· οὐδ' ἂν ῥᾳδίως ἤκουσέ τις αὐτοῦ τὴν παιδείαν ἣν εἶχεν ἐπιδεικνυμένου, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους οἰδοῦντος καὶ διογκυλλομένου, ἀλλὰ τά τε λεγόμενα ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἐθαύμαζεν, εἰ καὶ φαύλως ἐλέγετο, καὶ τὰ δοξαζόμενα κακῶς ἐπῄνει, καθάπερ οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀκούων, ἀλλὰ ἐς τὸ συμφατικὸν διὰ τὸ μὴ λυπεῖν γεγονώς. 23.3.6 εἰ δέ πού τις, τῶν ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ πρώτων