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the emperor's will by this very action, providing some with the authority of the public post, and others with abundant services of pack animals. And a city was also designated, fitting for the synod, 3.6.2 named after victory, Nicaea in the nation of the Bithynians. Therefore, as the command went forth everywhere, all ran with the utmost eagerness, as if from a starting line. For the hope of good things drew them, both the participation in peace, and the spectacle of the strange wonder of the sight of so great an emperor. Therefore, when all had come together, the event taking place was now seen to be a work of God. For those who were separated very far from one another not only in soul but also in body, and in countries, places, and nations, were brought together, and one city received them all; it was therefore possible to see a very great crown of priests, as if it were one artfully woven from beautiful flowers. 3.7.1 For indeed from all the churches which filled all Europe, Libya, and Asia, the first-fruits of the ministers of God were brought together, and one house of prayer, as if widened by God, held within it at the same time Syrians and Cilicians, Phoenicians and Arabians and Palestinians, and in addition to these, Egyptians, Thebans, Libyans, and those who came from the midst of the rivers; already even a Persian bishop was present at the synod, nor was a Scythian absent from the company, and Pontus and Galatia, Cappadocia and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia provided their chosen ones; but also Thracians and Macedonians, Achaeans and Epirotes, and those living even farther away than these were present, and even the very famous one of the Spaniards was there, 3.7.2 sitting together with the many. But the prelate of the imperial city was absent on account of old age, but presbyters from him were present and filled his place. Such a crown, joined by the bond of peace, Constantine, the one emperor alone since the beginning of time, dedicated to Christ his savior as a thank-offering worthy of God for his victory over his enemies and foes, having established this in our time as an image of the apostolic company. 3.8.1 For in those days also it is said that "6from every nation under heaven"6 "6devout men"6 were gathered, among whom were "6Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs"6, except in so far as it was inferior to that one, in that not all were ministers of God; but in the present company the multitude of bishops exceeded the number of two hundred and fifty, while of the presbyters and deacons and very many other attendants who followed them, there was no number to be ascertained. Of the ministers of God, some were distinguished for their word of wisdom, others for the strictness of their life and the endurance of hardship, and others were adorned by a moderate manner. And of these, some were honored for their length of years, others shone with youth and vigor of soul, and others had just entered upon the course of their ministry; to all of whom the emperor had ordered that daily rations be supplied abundantly. When the day appointed for the synod, on which it was necessary to put a resolution to the disputes, was at hand, each one was present for it in the very central hall of the palace, which indeed seemed to surpass all the others in size, and with many rows of seats placed on each side of the hall, those who had been summoned entered and all took their proper seat. 3.10.2 But when the whole synod was seated with fitting decorum, silence held them all in expectation of the emperor's arrival, and first one, then a second and a third of the emperor's attendants entered. Others also led the way, not of the usual men-at-arms and bodyguards, but only of his faithful friends. 3.10.3 And when all had risen at a signal which announced the emperor's entrance, he himself at last passed through the midst like some heavenly angel of God, his bright robe glittering as if with flashes of light, gleaming with the fiery rays of a purple garment, and of gold and stones

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αὐτῇ πράξει τὸ βασιλέως νεῦμα, οἷς μὲν ἐξουσίαν δημοσίου παρέχον δρόμου, οἷς δὲ νωτοφόρων ὑπηρεσίας ἀφθόνους. ὥριστο δὲ καὶ πόλις ἐμπρέπουσα τῇ συνόδῳ, 3.6.2 νίκης ἐπώνυμος, κατὰ τὸ Βιθυνῶν ἔθνος ἡ Νίκαια. ὡς οὖν ἐφοίτα πανταχοῦ τὸ παράγγελμα, οἷά τινος ἀπὸ νύσσης οἱ πάντες ἔθεον σὺν προθυμίᾳ τῇ πάσῃ. εἷλκε γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἀγαθῶν ἐλπίς, ἥ τε τῆς εἰρήνης μετουσία, τοῦ τε ξένου θαύματος τῆς τοῦ τοσούτου βασιλέως ὄψεως ἡ θέα. ἐπειδὴ οὖν συνῆλθον οἱ πάντες, ἔργον ἤδη θεοῦ τὸ πραττόμενον ἐθεωρεῖτο. οἱ γὰρ μὴ μόνον ψυχαῖς ἀλλὰ καὶ σώμασι καὶ χώραις καὶ τόποις καὶ ἔθνεσι πορρωτάτω διεστῶτες ἀλλήλων ὁμοῦ συνήγοντο, καὶ μία τοὺς πάντας ὑπεδέχετο πόλις· ἦν οὖν ὁρᾶν μέγιστον ἱερέων στέφανον οἷόν τινα ἐξ ὡραίων ἀνθέων καταπεποικιλμένον. 3.7.1 Τῶν γοῦν ἐκκλησιῶν ἁπασῶν, αἳ τὴν Εὐρώπην ἅπασαν Λιβύην τε καὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν ἐπλήρουν, ὁμοῦ συνῆκτο τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ λειτουργῶν τὰ ἀκροθίνια, εἷς τ' οἶκος εὐκτήριος ὥσπερ ἐκ θεοῦ πλατυνόμενος ἔνδον ἐχώρει κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ Σύρους ἅμα καὶ Κίλικας, Φοίνικάς τε καὶ Ἀραβίους καὶ Παλαιστινούς, ἐπὶ τούτοις Αἰγυπτίους, Θηβαίους, Λίβυας, τούς τ' ἐκ μέσης τῶν ποταμῶν ὁρμωμένους· ἤδη καὶ Πέρσης ἐπίσκοπος τῇ συνόδῳ παρῆν, οὐδὲ Σκύθης ἀπελιμπάνετο τῆς χορείας, Πόντος τε καὶ Γαλατία, Καππαδοκία τε καὶ Ἀσία, Φρυγία τε καὶ Παμφυλία τοὺς παρ' αὐτοῖς παρεῖχον ἐκκρίτους· ἀλλὰ καὶ Θρᾷκες καὶ Μακεδόνες, Ἀχαιοί τε καὶ Ἠπειρῶται, τούτων θ' οἱ ἔτι προσωτάτω οἰκοῦντες ἀπήντων, αὐτῶν τε Σπάνων ὁ πάνυ βοώμενος εἷς ἦν 3.7.2 τοῖς πολλοῖς ἅμα συνεδρεύων. τῆς δέ γε βασιλευούσης πόλεως ὁ μὲν προεστὼς διὰ γῆρας ὑστέρει, πρεσβύτεροι δ' αὐτοῦ παρόντες τὴν αὐτοῦ τάξιν ἐπλήρουν. τοιοῦτον μόνος ἐξ αἰῶνος εἷς βασιλεὺς Κωνσταντῖνος Χριστῷ στέφανον δεσμῷ συνάψας εἰρήνης, τῷ αὐτοῦ σωτῆρι τῆς κατ' ἐχθρῶν καὶ πολεμίων νίκης θεοπρεπὲς ἀνετίθει χαριστήριον, εἰκόνα χορείας ἀποστολικῆς ταύτην καθ' ἡμᾶς συστησάμενος. 3.8.1 Ἐπεὶ καὶ κατ' ἐκείνους συνῆχθαι λόγος "6ἀπὸ παντὸς ἔθνους τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν"6 "6ἄνδρας εὐλαβεῖς"6 ἐν οἷς ἐτύγχανον "6Πάρθοι καὶ Μῆδοι καὶ Ἐλαμῖται, καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν Μεσοποταμίαν Ἰουδαίαν τε καὶ Καππαδοκίαν, Πόντον καὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν, Φρυγίαν τε καὶ Παμφυλίαν, Αἴγυπτον καὶ τὰ μέρη τῆς Λιβύης τῆς κατὰ Κυρήνην, οἵ τ' ἐπιδημοῦντες Ῥωμαῖοι, Ἰουδαῖοί τε καὶ προσήλυτοι, Κρῆτες καὶ Ἄραβες"6, πλὴν ὅσον ἐκείνοις ὑστέρει τὸ μὴ ἐκ θεοῦ λειτουργῶν συνεστάναι τοὺς πάντας· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς παρούσης χορείας ἐπισκόπων μὲν πληθὺς ἦν πεντήκοντα καὶ διακοσίων ἀριθμὸν ὑπερακοντίζουσα, ἑπομένων δὲ τούτοις πρεσβυτέρων καὶ διακόνων ἀκολούθων τε πλείστων ὅσων ἑτέρων οὐδ' ἦν ἀριθμὸς εἰς κατάληψιν. Τῶν δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ λειτουργῶν οἱ μὲν διέπρεπον σοφίας λόγῳ, οἱ δὲ βίου στερρότητι καὶ καρτερίας ὑπομονῇ, οἱ δὲ τῷ μέσῳ τρόπῳ κατεκοσμοῦντο. ἦσαν δὲ τούτων οἱ μὲν χρόνου μήκει τετιμημένοι, οἱ δὲ νεότητι καὶ ψυχῆς ἀκμῇ διαλάμποντες, οἱ δ' ἄρτι παρελθόντες ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς λειτουργίας δρόμον· οἷς δὴ πᾶσι βασιλεὺς ἐφ' ἑκάστης ἡμέρας τὰ σιτηρέσια δαψιλῶς χορηγεῖσθαι διετέτακτο. Ἐπεὶ δ' ἡμέρας ὁρισθείσης τῇ συνόδῳ, καθ' ἣν ἐχρῆν λύσιν ἐπιθεῖναι τοῖς ἀμφισβητουμένοις, παρῆν ἕκαστος ταύτην ἄγων, ἐν αὐτῷ δὴ τῷ μεσαιτάτῳ οἴκῳ τῶν βασιλείων, ὃς δὴ καὶ ὑπερφέρειν ἐδόκει μεγέθει τοὺς πάντας, βάθρων τ' ἐν τάξει πλειόνων ἐφ' ἑκατέραις τοῦ οἴκου πλευραῖς διατεθέντων, εἴσω παρῄεσαν οἱ κεκλημένοι καὶ τὴν προσήκουσαν ἕδραν οἱ πάντες ἀπελάμ3.10.2 βανον. ἀλλ' ὅτε δὴ σὺν κόσμῳ τῷ πρέποντι ἡ πᾶσα καθῆστο σύνοδος, σιγὴ μὲν τοὺς πάντας εἶχε προσδοκίᾳ τῆς βασιλέως παρόδου, εἰσῄει δέ τις πρῶτος κἄπειτα δεύτερος καὶ τρίτος τῶν ἀμφὶ βασιλέα. ἡγοῦντο δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι οὐ τῶν συνήθων ὁπλιτῶν τε καὶ δορυφόρων, μόνων δὲ τῶν πιστῶν φίλων. 3.10.3 πάντων δ' ἐξαναστάντων ἐπὶ συνθήματι, ὃ τὴν βασιλέως εἴσοδον ἐδήλου, αὐτὸς δὴ λοιπὸν διέβαινε μέσος οἷα θεοῦ τις οὐράνιος ἄγγελος, λαμπρὰν μὲν ὥσπερ φωτὸς μαρμαρυγαῖς ἐξαστράπτων περιβολήν, ἁλουργίδος δὲ πυρωποῖς καταλαμπόμενος ἀκτῖσι, χρυσοῦ τε καὶ λίθων