39. But as there are many who, though they acquit Constantius of the above-named charge, yet do not excuse him on another count, but accuse him of stupidity in that he put power into the hands of one most ill-disposed towards himself (nay, rather his mortal foe); and, first of all, made the same person his enemy, and then made him strong, laying the foundations of his enmity by the execution of his brother [Gallas], and then furnishing the strength by the conferring of the imperial rank----it is necessary for me to go a little into particulars upon this subject, and to show that his kindness was not entirely without reason, nor foreign to the magnanimity and forethought befitting an emperor; for we should be ashamed if, after receiving so much honour at his hands, and being firmly convinced of his eminent piety, we did not state what is just in his defence; a thing which is due from us, the Cultivators of Reason and Truth, even to those who have conferred no benefits upon us; and, all. the more so, after his departure from this world, when we have escaped all appearance of being flatterers and our statements are no longer exposed to injurious suspicion.

ΛΘʹ. Ἐπεὶ δέ εἰσί τινες, οἳ, κἂν ταύτης ἡμᾶς ἀπολύσωσι τῆς αἰτίας, ἑτέρας οὐκ ἀφιέντες, ἀλλὰ κατηγοροῦντες εὐήθειαν, ὅτι τῷ δυσμενεστάτῳ καὶ πολεμιωτάτῳ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐνεχείρισε, καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐχθρὸν πρότερον, εἶτα ἰσχυρὸν κατεσκεύασε, τὴν μὲν ἔχθραν διὰ τῆς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σφαγῆς προκαταβαλόμενον, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν διὰ τῆς βασιλείας προσθείς: ἀναγκαῖον καὶ περὶ τούτου βραχέα διεξελθεῖν καὶ δεῖξαι μὴ παντάπασιν ἄλογον τὸ φιλάνθρωπον, μηδὲ ἔξω τῆς βασιλικῆς μεγαλονοίας καὶ προμηθείας: καὶ γὰρ ἂν αἰσχυνοίμην, εἰ, τοιαύτης παρ' αὐτοῦ τυχόντες τιμῆς, καὶ τοσοῦτον αὐτὸν εὐσεβείᾳ διαφέρειν πεπιστευκότες, μὴ τὰ δίκαια συνηγορήσαιμεν: ὃ καὶ τοῖς μηδὲν εὐεργετηκόσιν ὀφείλεται παρ' ἡμῶν, τῶν Λόγου καὶ Ἀληθείας θεραπευτῶν: καὶ ταῦτα μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀπαλλαγὴν, ἡνίκα καὶ τὸ κολακεύειν δοκεῖν ἐκπεφεύγαμεν, καὶ πονηρᾶς ἐλεύθερος ὑπονοίας ὁ λόγος.