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immediately one who will depose you by my command and remove you from your see.” 2.22.6 But since Athanasius, by writing, was persuading the emperor that communion ought not to be granted to the party of Arius with the catholic church, Eusebius, perceiving that he would not attain his object while Athanasius was zealously opposing it, thought it necessary to get him out of the way by every possible artifice. But not having a sufficient pretext for so great a plot, he promised to support the partisans of Meletius before the emperor and those in power around him, if they would be willing to accuse Athanasius. 2.22.7 And from this he endured a first charge, that he had imposed a tax of linen tunics on the Egyptians and had exacted such a tribute from his accusers. But there Apis and Macarius, presbyters of the church of Alexandria, happening to be present, zealously proved the accusation to be false. 2.22.8 and when Athanasius was summoned on this charge, they accused him again, alleging that, plotting against the sovereign, he had sent a coffer of gold to a certain Philumenus. But when the emperor condemned the calumny of the accusers, he permitted Athanasius to return home; and he wrote to the people of Alexandria, testifying to his great forbearance and orthodox faith, and that he had gladly met with him and was persuaded that he was a divine man; and that, having endured the charge 2.22. out of envy, he had appeared superior to his accusers. And learning that many of the Egyptians were still contending on the pretext of Arius and Meletius, through his own letter he exhorted the people to look to God and to take His judgment to mind, to be well-disposed to one another and to pursue with all their strength those who were plotting against their concord. And the emperor, writing thus to the public, called everyone to concord, and was eager that the church not be divided. 2.23.1 But the Meletians, having failed in their former attempt, wove other charges against Athanasius: one, that he had broken a sacred chalice; the other, that having killed a certain Arsenius, he had cut off his arm and kept it with him for purposes of sorcery. And this Arsenius, who was said to be a cleric, having fallen into some sin, was in hiding; for he was apprehensive of suffering punishment, being called to account by the bishop. 2.23.2 But those who were plotting against Athanasius fabricated what had happened in this way into an extreme slander. And having diligently searched for Arsenius, they found him, and after treating him kindly and promising to provide him all goodwill and safety, they secretly led him to one of their associates who was zealous in the same cause; his name was Prines, a presbyter of a monastery. And having hidden Arsenius there, they went about zealously through the marketplaces and the assemblies of the magistrates, spreading the rumor that he had been murdered by Athanasius. And a certain monk, John, called 2.23.3 Archaph, had been prepared for such an accusation. And when this disgraceful rumor had been spread among so many to such an extent, as even to reach the ears of the emperor, Athanasius, seeing that, if it should happen that he endure a charge on this account as well, it would be difficult to defend himself before judges prepossessed by such rumors, he counter-plotted against the artifices of his enemies, and, assuring everyone as much as was possible, 2.23.4 he labored so that the truth would not be concealed by their slanders. But it was in fact difficult to persuade the multitude, while Arsenius was not to be seen. Therefore, reasoning that he could not otherwise clear himself of the suspicion, unless he could prove that the one said to be dead was alive, he sent a certain most faithful deacon from among his followers to search for him. And he, having arrived in the Thebaid, learned from the report of some monks where he was staying. And when he came to Prines, with whom he was being hidden, he did not find Arsenius himself; for having learned beforehand of the 2.23.5 arrival of the deacon, they had moved him to Lower Egypt. And having seized Prines, he brought him to Alexandria, and along with him also Elias, one of his companions, who was said to have moved Arsenius elsewhere. And both having been brought before the magistrate of the

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παραχρῆμα τὸν καθαιρήσοντά σε ἐξ ἐμῆς κελεύ"7σεως καὶ τῶν τόπων μεταστήσοντα.» 2.22.6 ᾿Επεὶ δὲ γράφων ᾿Αθανάσιος καὶ τὸν βασιλέα ἔπειθε μὴ μεταδοτέον κοινωνίας τοῖς ᾿Αρείου πρὸς τὴν καθόλου ἐκκλησίαν, συνιδὼν Εὐσέβιος ὡς οὐκ ἐπιτεύξεται τοῦ σκοποῦ, ᾿Αθανασίου τἀναντία σπουδάζοντος, ᾠήθη δεῖν πάσῃ μηχανῇ ἐκποδὼν αὐτὸν ποιῆσαι. πρόφασιν δὲ μὴ ἔχων ἱκανὴν πρὸς τοσαύτην ἐπιβουλήν, ὑπέσχετο τοῖς Μελιτίου συλλαμβάνεσθαι πρὸς βασιλέα <καὶ> τοὺς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν δυναμένους, ἢν ἐθέλωσιν ᾿Αθανασίου κατη2.22.7 γορεῖν. ἐντεῦθέν τε πρώτην ὑπομένει γραφὴν ὡς χιτωνίων λινῶν φόρον ἐπιθεὶς Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ παρὰ τῶν κατηγόρων τοιοῦτον δασμὸν εἰσπραξάμενος. παρατυχόντες <δὲ> αὐτόθι ῎Απις καὶ Μακάριος, πρεσβύτεροι τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρέων ἐκκλησίας, ψευδῆ τὴν κατηγορίαν ἐσπούδασαν διελέγξαι. 2.22.8 ἐκ ταύτης τε τῆς αἰτίας μετακληθέντα ᾿Αθανάσιον πάλιν ἐγράψαντο, ὡς ἐπιβουλεύων τῷ κρατοῦντι λάρνακα χρυσίου Φιλουμενῷ τινι πέπομφεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ συκοφαντίαν κατέγνω τῶν κατηγόρων ὁ βασιλεύς, ἐπέτρεψεν ᾿Αθανασίῳ ἐπανελθεῖν οἴκαδε· καὶ τῷ λαῷ τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἔγραψε μαρ-τυρήσας αὐτῷ πολλὴν ἐπιείκειαν καὶ πίστιν ὀρθήν, ἀσμένως τε αὐτῷ συντετυχηκέναι καὶ θεῖον εἶναι ἄνδρα πεπεῖσθαι· φθόνου τε χάριν τὴν γραφὴν 2.22. ὑπομείναντα κρείττω φανῆναι τῶν αὐτοῦ κατηγόρων. πυθόμενός τε πολλοὺς ἔτι ἀπὸ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ζυγομαχεῖν ἐκ τῆς ᾿Αρείου καὶ Μελιτίου προφάσεως, διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ ἐπιστολῆς παρεκάλεσε τὸ πλῆθος εἰς θεὸν ἀπιδεῖν καὶ τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ κρίσιν εἰς νοῦν λαβεῖν, εὐνοεῖν τε ἀλλήλοις καὶ τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύοντας τῇ αὐτῶν ὁμονοίᾳ παντὶ σθένει διώκειν. καὶ ὁ μὲν βασιλεὺς ὧδέ πῃ γράφων εἰς τὸ κοινόν, πάντας εἰς ὁμόνοιαν ἐκάλει, καὶ μὴ διασπᾶσθαι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐσπούδαζε. 2.23.1 Μελιτιανοὶ δὲ τῆς προτέρας ἀποτυχόντες πείρας ἑτέρας ὕφαινον κατὰ ᾿Αθανασίου γραφάς, τὴν μὲν ὡς ποτήριον ἱερὸν συνέτριψε, τὴν δὲ ὡς ᾿Αρσέ-νιόν τινα κτείνας ἐξέτεμεν αὐτοῦ τὸν βραχίονα καὶ παρ' ἑαυτῷ ἔχει γοητείας ἕνεκεν. οἷα δὲ κληρικὸς ἐλέγετο ὁ ᾿Αρσένιος οὗτος ἁμαρτήματι περιπεσὼν κρύπτεσθαι· δίκην γὰρ ὑφωρᾶτο δώσειν παρὰ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ εὐθυνόμενος. 2.23.2 τὸ δὲ συμβὰν οὕτως εἰς ἐσχάτην διαβολὴν διεσκεύασαν οἱ ἐπιβουλεύοντες ᾿Αθανασίῳ. καὶ τὸν μὲν ᾿Αρσένιον ἐπιμελῶς ἀναζητήσαντες εὗρον, καὶ φιλο-φρονησάμενοι καὶ πᾶσαν εὔνοιαν καὶ ἀσφάλειαν παρέξειν αὐτῷ ὑποσχόμενοι ἄγουσι λάθρα πρός τινα τῶν αὐτοῖς συνήθων καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ σπουδαζόντων· Πρίνης ὄνομα αὐτῷ ἦν, πρεσβύτερος μοναστηρίου· ἐνταῦθά τε τὸν ᾿Αρσένιον κρύψαντες σπουδῇ περιῄεσαν κατὰ τὰς ἀγορὰς καὶ τοὺς συλλόγους τῶν ἐν τέλει λογοποιοῦντες τοῦτον πεφονεῦσθαι παρὰ ᾿Αθανασίου. παρεσκεύαστο δὲ πρὸς τοιαύτην κατηγορίαν καὶ ᾿Ιωάννης μοναχός τις ὁ 2.23.3 ᾿Αρχὰφ λεγόμενος. ταύτης δὲ τῆς αἰσχρᾶς φήμης εἰς πολλοὺς διασπαρείσης ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον, ὡς καὶ βασιλέως ἀκοὰς φθάσαι, ὁρῶν ᾿Αθανάσιος ὡς, εἰ συμβαίη αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ αἰτίᾳ γραφὴν ὑπομεῖναι, χαλεπόν ἐστιν ἀπολογήσασθαι παρὰ δικασταῖς τοιαύταις φήμαις προκατειλημμένοις, ἀντεστρατήγει ταῖς τῶν ἐναντίων τέχναις, καὶ ὡς ἐνεδέχετο πάντας πιστού2.23.4 μενος ἐπόνει μὴ καλύπτεσθαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ταῖς αὐτῶν διαβολαῖς. ἦν δὲ ἄρα τοὺς πολλοὺς πείθειν ἐργῶδες ᾿Αρσενίου μὴ φαινομένου. λογισάμενος οὖν ὡς οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως ἑαυτὸν καθάροι τῆς ὑπονοίας, εἰ μὴ ζῆν ἀπελέγξειε τὸν τεθνάναι λεγόμενον, πέμπει τῶν ἀμφ' αὐτὸν πιστότατόν τινα διάκονον ἀναζητήσοντα τοῦτον. ὁ δὲ παραγενόμενος εἰς Θηβαΐδα ἐξαγγειλάντων τινῶν μοναχῶν ἔγνω ὅπου διῆγεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἧκε πρὸς Πρίνην, παρ' ᾧ ἐκρύπτετο, αὐτὸν μὲν ᾿Αρσένιον οὐ καταλαμβάνει· προμαθόντες γὰρ τὴν 2.23.5 ἄφιξιν τοῦ διακόνου μετέστησαν τοῦτον εἰς τὴν κάτω Αἴγυπτον. παραλαβὼν δὲ τὸν Πρίνην ἤγαγεν εἰς ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ᾿Ηλίαν, ἕνα τῶν αὐτῷ συνόντων, ὃς ἐλέγετο τὸν ᾿Αρσένιον ἑτέρωθι μεταστῆσαι. ἄμφω τε προσαχθέντες τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν ἐν