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having reflected. 8.9 But a certain one of those who are reckoned neither among men nor among women, but have been deprived of becoming fathers in due time, and for this reason are considered to be well-disposed to the emperor and from this derive their name, this man, after reviling the divine man from the start, also threatened him with death, but not long after he paid the penalty for his insolence. For when the emperor wished to care for his body in the bath, the wretched man went in first as if to see if the tub was well mixed. But having been maimed in his mind, he jumped into the tub that received the unmixed hot water, and with no one helping—for he had entered alone as if to see if it was ready—he remained there, being boiled and dissolved. But as time was being spent in the meanwhile, the emperor sends another to call him; but this one, finding no one in any of the rooms, reports to the emperor. After this, more men ran in, searching all the tubs, and at last arriving at that one, they see him thrown in it and deprived of life. And when there was a tumult and all were lamenting, some bailed out that hot water, while others carried away the thrice-wretched body. 8.10 From this, fear fell upon the emperor and upon all those who were armed against piety. And a report resounded through the whole city of what penalties that miserable man paid for his drunken violence against Aphraates, and everyone continued to praise the God of Aphraates. This, while his opponents were pressing, prevented the man of God from being ostracized. For the emperor, being terrified, turned away from those advising these things, and held the man in reverence. 8.11 And he learned of his virtue from another source as well. A certain horse of good stock and very well taught to bear a rider was exceedingly beloved by the emperor. Something having happened to this horse distressed the emperor grievously. The excretion of its fluid wastes was restrained. For this treatment were called those who practiced this art. But when this too was defeated, the emperor was annoyed, and the one entrusted with the care of the horses lamented. But being pious and strong in the faith, in the middle of the day, he takes the horse to the lodging of the great Aphraates, and having told of the affliction and declared his faith, he begged him to release the disease with a prayer. But he, delaying not at all, but immediately beseeching God, ordered water to be drawn from the well, and having placed on this the symbol of the saving cross, he commanded it to be offered to the horse. And it drank contrary to its habit. Then, having filled oil with the invocation of the divine blessing, he anoints the belly of the horse, and by the touch of his hand the affliction was immediately released, and straightaway the excretion occurred according to nature. Rejoicing, therefore, the man took the horse and ran to the stable. 8.12 But late in the evening—for at this time the emperor was accustomed to visit the stable—he came and asked how the horse was. And when the man indicated its health and brought out the horse, strong and prancing and neighing and raising its neck proudly, he inquired the cause of its health. And as he put off speaking many times—for he was afraid to point out the healer, knowing the questioner was hostile—at last he was forced to speak the truth and explained the manner of the cure. The emperor is indeed astounded and confesses the man to be worthy of admiration; yet he was not delivered from his former madness, but persisted in raging against the Only-begotten until he became fuel for a barbarian fire, not even being deemed worthy of a burial equal to his servants or beggars.

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συλλογισθείς. 8.9 Εἷς δέ τις τῶν οὔτε εἰς ἄνδρας, οὔτε εἰς γυναῖκας τελούντων, ἀλλ' ἀφῃρημένων τὸ τῷ χρόνῳ γενέσθαι πατέρες, καὶ τούτου εἵνεκα εὐνοεῖν βασιλεῖ νομιζομένων καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν ἐντεῦθεν καρπουμένων, οὗτος ἄνωθεν τῷ θείῳ ἀνθρώπῳ λοιδορησάμενος καὶ θάνατον προσηπείλησεν, ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ἔτισε τῆς θρασύτητος δίκην. Τοῦ γὰρ βασιλέως βαλανείῳ τὸ σῶμα θεραπεῦσαι θελήσαντος, προεισῆλθε μὲν ὁ δείλαιος ὡς τὴν πύελον ὀψόμενος εἰ εὖ κεκραμένη εἴη. Πηρωθεὶς δὲ τὰς φρένας τῇ τὸ ἄκρατον δεχομένῃ θερμὸν ὕδωρ ἐπεπήδησεν ἀσαμίνθῳ καὶ οὐδενὸς ἐπαρήγοντος-μόνος γὰρ ὡς ὀψόμενος εἰ εὐτρεπὴς εἴη εἰσεληλύθει-διέμεινεν ἑψούμενος καὶ διαλυόμενος. Χρόνου δὲ μεταξὺ τριβομένου, εἰσπέμπει ἄλλον ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκεῖνον καλέσοντα· οὐδένα δὲ οὗτος ἐν οὐδενὶ τῶν οἴκων εὑρών, ἀπαγγέλλει τῷ βασιλεῖ. Ἐκ τούτου πλείους εἰσέθεον τὰς πυέλους ἁπάσας διερευνώμενοι καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον εἰς ἐκείνην ἀφικόμενοι ὁρῶσιν αὐτὸν ἐρριμμένον καὶ τῆς ζωῆς ἐστερη μένον. Θορύβου δὲ γενομένου καὶ πάντων ὀδυρομένων, οἱ μὲν τὸ θερμὸν ἐκεῖνο ἐξήντλησαν ὕδωρ, οἱ δὲ τὸ τρισάθλιον ἀνεκόμισαν σῶμα. 8.10 Ἐντεῦθεν δέος ἐπιπίπτει τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς κατὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας ὁπλιζομένοις. Φήμη δὲ διὰ πάσης ἠχεῖτο τῆς πόλεως οἵας ἐκεῖνος ὁ ταλαίπωρος τῆς κατὰ Ἀφραάτου παροινίας ἔτισε δίκας καὶ πάντες τὸν Ἀφραάτου διετέλουν ὑμνοῦντες θεόν. Τοῦτο, τῶν ἐναντίων ἐπικειμένων, ἐξοστρα κισθῆναι τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπον διεκώλυσεν. Ἐκδειματωθεὶς γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοὺς μὲν ταῦτα παραινοῦντας ἀπεστρέφετο, ἐν αἰδοῖ δὲ τὸν ἄνδρα εἶχεν. 8.11 Ἔμαθε δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ ἑτέρωθεν. Ἵππος τις τῶν εὖ πεφυκότων καὶ φέρειν εὖ μάλα δεδιδαγ μένος ἐπέραστος ἦν λίαν τῷ βασιλεῖ. Τούτῳ πάθος τι συμβὰν ἀνιαρῶς διετίθει τὸν βασιλέα. Ἐπείχετο δὲ αὐτοῦ τῶν ὑγρῶν περιττωμάτων ἡ ἔκκρισις. Πρὸς ταύτην ἐκαλοῦντο τὴν θεραπείαν οἱ ταύτην ἠσκημένοι τὴν τέχνην. Ἡττωμένης δὲ καὶ ταύτης, ἠνιᾶτο μὲν ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὠλοφύρετο δὲ ὁ τῶν ἵππων πεπιστευμένος τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν. Εὐσεβὴς δὲ ὢν καὶ κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ἐρρωμένος, μεσούσης ἡμέρας, καταλαμβάνει σὺν τῷ ἵππῳ τοῦ μεγάλου Ἀφραάτου τὸ καταγώγιον καὶ τὸ πάθος εἰπὼν καὶ τὴν πίστιν δηλώσας ἱκέτευε προσευχῇ λῦσαι τὴν νόσον. Ὁ δὲ οὐδὲν μελλήσας, ἀλλὰ παραυτίκα τὸν θεὸν ἱκετεύσας, ὕδωρ ἐκέλευσεν ἐκ τοῦ φρέατος ἀνιμή σασθαι, καὶ τούτῳ τοῦ σωτηρίου σταυροῦ τὸ σύμβολον ἐπιθεὶς προσφέρειν τῷ ἵππῳ προσέταξεν. Ὁ δὲ παρὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ἔπιεν. Εἶτα ἔλαιον τῇ ἐπικλήσει τῆς θείας πληρώσας εὐλογίας, ἐπιχρίει τὴν τοῦ ἵππου γαστέρα καὶ τῇ ἁφῇ τῆς χειρὸς εὐθὺς ἐλύθη τὸ πάθος καὶ παραχρῆμα ἡ ἔκκρισις κατὰ φύσιν ἐγένετο. Γεγηθὼς τοίνυν ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸν ἵππον λαβὼν ἐπὶ τὸν ἱππῶνα ἔτρεχεν. 8.12 ∆είλης δὲ ὀψίας-κατὰ τοῦτον γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν καιρὸν εἰώθει παρὰ τὸν ἱππῶνα φοιτᾶν-, ἧκέ τε καὶ ἤρετο ὅπως ἔχοι ὁ ἵππος. Τοῦ δὲ τὴν ὑγιείαν σημάναντος καὶ τὸν ἵππον ἐξαγαγόντος ἐρρωμένον τε καὶ γαυριῶντα καὶ χρεμε τίζοντα καὶ τὸν αὐχένα σοβαρῶς ἀνατείνοντα, τῆς ὑγιείας τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπυνθάνετο. Ὡς δὲ πολλάκις εἰπεῖν ἀναβαλλόμενος -ἐδεδίει γὰρ ὑποδεῖξαι τὸν ἰατρόν, δυσμενῆ τὸν ἐρόμενον ἐπιστάμενος-, ὀψέ ποτε τἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν ἐβιάσθη καὶ τῆς θεραπείας τὸν τρόπον ἐδίδαξεν. Ἐκπλήττεται μὲν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἀξιάγαστον εἶναι τὸν ἄνδρα καθομολογεῖ· οὐ μὴν τῆς προτέρας ἀπηλλάγη μανίας, ἀλλ' ἐπέμενε κατὰ τοῦ μονογε νοῦς λυττῶν ἕως ὅτου βαρβαρικοῦ πυρὸς ἐγένετο παρανάλωμα, οὐδὲ ταφῆς ἶσα τοῖς οἰκέταις ἢ προσαίταις ἀξιωθείς.