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Having hidden these men in the hedges at the foot of the hill, he came, leading the prostitute. And having uttered the prearranged signal and learned that the accomplices in the drama were present, he came to the courtyard door of the lodging of those men. And finding it open (for he had persuaded one of the servants with money to do this), he brought the woman inside. And having pointed out the door of the room where one of the high priests happened to be sleeping, he ordered her to go inside, while he himself went out to call the rioters. Now it happened that Euphratas (for that was the name of the elder) was sleeping in the vestibule, while Vincentius (for so the other was named) was staying in the inner chamber. When the prostitute was inside the doors, Euphratas, hearing the sound of feet (for it was dark), asked who was walking. And when she spoke, Euphratas was filled with alarm, suspecting it to be a demon imitating a woman's voice, and immediately called on Christ the Savior for help. But Onager (for so the leader of the wicked band was called, since he used his hands and feet as weapons against the pious) entered with his band, calling lawless those who expected to be judges of lawlessness. And when a great shout arose, the servants ran together, and Vincentius also rose up. And having shut the courtyard door, they were able to seize seven of the rioters (but Onager escaped with the others), and the woman was guarded with them. And at dawn, having roused the general who had arrived with them, they occupied the palace. And crying out against the audacious acts of Stephen, they said that his lawless deeds required no trial or torture. But the general shouted vehemently, imploring 121 the emperor to command that the lawless deed be examined not in a synod but in a court of law, and he promised to hand over the bishops' clergy first for torture, and that Stephen's servants should also suffer these things. But when he shamelessly objected and said that clergy ought not to endure scourging, it seemed good to the emperor and the rulers that the investigation of the matter should take place inside the palace. And first they asked the woman who had brought her to the bishops' lodging. She said that a certain young man had come to her and spoken of the arrival of strangers and their need, and how he came in the evening and led her to the lodging, and having sought his own company and found it, he brought her inside the courtyard door and instructed her to enter the vestibule. She also added the bishop's question and the fear that arose and his prayer and the assault of those who rushed in. Having learned these things, the judges bring the youngest of those who had been seized into their midst. He, not waiting for the compulsion of the whips, laid bare the contrived drama, and confessed that Onager had done all these things. And when he was brought, he said that Stephen had ordered these things. Thus having learned of the wickedness of Stephen, they permitted the bishops then present to depose him and they expelled him from the church. The church, however, was not entirely freed from the Arian outrage. For Leontius obtained the presidency after him, a man Phrygian by race, but of a dissembling mind and imitating hidden reefs. But I will relate the things concerning him a little later. Then Constantius, having learned by experience the plots being hatched against the bishops, wrote to Athanasius the 122 Great once and twice and even a third time, urging him to return from the West. I shall insert the middle letter, being a short one, into my history. "Constantius Victor Augustus to Athanasius. "Although in former letters we have already signified that you should "come to our court without anxiety, since it is our chief desire "that you be sent back to your own see, yet we have now also these "letters given to your Steadfastness; by which we also "urge you, without any distrust or fear

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τούτους ἐν ταῖς κατὰ τὴν ὑπώρειαν αἱμασιαῖς κατακρύψας, ἧκεν ἄγων· τὴν χαμαιτύπην· καὶ τὸ συγκείμενον ἐπι φθεγξάμενος σύνθημα καὶ μαθὼν ὡς πάρεισι τοῦ δράματος οἱ συν ίστορες, ἧκε παρὰ τὴν αὔλιον θύραν τῆς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων κατα γωγῆς. καὶ ταύτην ἀνεῳγυῖαν εὑρὼν (ἕνα γὰρ τῶν οἰκετῶν τοῦτο δρᾶσαι χρήμασιν ἐπεπείκει) εἰσήγαγε τὴν γυναῖκα· καὶ τοῦ οἴκου τὴν θύραν ἐπιδείξας, ἔνθα δὴ καθεύδειν θάτερον τῶν ἀρχιερέων συνέ βαινεν, εἴσω γενέσθαι προσέταξεν, αὐτὸς δὲ τοὺς στασιώτας καλέσων ἐξῆλθεν. συνέβη δὲ τὸν μὲν Εὐφρατᾶν (τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν ὄνομα τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ) ἐν τῷ προδόμῳ καθεύδειν, ὁ δὲ Βικέντιος (οὕτως γὰρ ὁ ἕτερος ὠνομάζετο) ἐν τῷ ἐνδοτέρῳ θαλάμῳ κατέμενεν. εἴσω δὲ τῶν θυρῶν τῆς χαμαιτύπης γενομένης, τοῦ κτύπου τῶν ποδῶν ὁ Εὐφρατᾶς αἰσθόμενος (σκότος δὲ ἦν) ἤρετο τίς ὁ βαδίζων· φθεγξα μένης δὲ ἐκείνης, θορύβου μεστὸς ὁ Εὐφρατᾶς ἐγένετο, δαίμονα τοπάσας εἶναι γυναικείαν φωνὴν μιμησάμενον, καὶ παραυτίκα τὸν σωτῆρα Χριστὸν εἰς ἐπικουρίαν ἐκάλει. ὁ δὲ Ὄναγρος (οὕτω γὰρ ὁ τοῦ πονηροῦ στίφους ἡγεμονεύων προσηγορεύετο, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς ταῖς χερσὶ καὶ τοῖς ποσὶν ὅπλοις κατὰ τῶν εὐσεβούντων ἐκέχρητο) μετὰ τοῦ στίφους εἰσελήλυθε, παρανόμους ἀποκαλῶν τοὺς παρανομίας δι καστὰς ἔσεσθαι προσδοκῶντας. βοῆς δὲ πλείστης γενομένης, συνέ δραμον μὲν οἱ οἰκέται, ἐξανέστη δὲ καὶ ὁ Βικέντιος. καὶ τὴν αὔλιον ἀποκλείσαντες θύραν, ἑπτὰ μὲν τῶν στασιωτῶν συλλαβεῖν ἠδυνή θησαν (ὁ δέ γε Ὄναγρος σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀπέδρα), ἐφρουρεῖτο δὲ σὺν ἐκείνοις καὶ ἡ γυνή. ὑπὸ δὲ τὴν ἕω τὸν σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀφικόμενον διαναστήσαντες στρατηγὸν κατέλαβον τὰ βασίλεια· καὶ τῶν Στεφάνου τολμημάτων καταβοῶντες ἔλεγον μὴ δεῖσθαι δίκης μηδὲ βασάνου τὰ τούτου παρανομήματα. ὁ δέ γε στρατηγὸς διαφερόντως ἐβόα, ἀντι 121 βολῶν κελεῦσαι τὸν βασιλέα μὴ συνοδικῶς ἀλλὰ δικαστικῶς ἐξετα σθῆναι τὸ παράνομον τόλμημα, καὶ τοὺς τῶν ἐπισκόπων κληρικοὺς ὑπισχνεῖτο πρώτους εἰς αἰκίαν ἐκδώσειν, χρῆναι δὲ καὶ τοῦ Στεφάνου τοὺς ὑπηρέτας ταῦτα παθεῖν. ἐκείνου δὲ ἀναίδην ζυγομαχοῦντος καὶ λέγοντος μὴ δεῖν κληρικοὺς ὑπομεῖναι πληγάς, ἔδοξε καὶ βασιλεῖ καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἔνδον ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις τοῦ πράγματος γενέσθαι τὴν βάσανον. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἤροντο τὴν γυναῖκα, τίς αὐτὴν εἰς τὴν τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἀπήγαγε καταγωγήν. ἡ δὲ ἔφη νέον τινὰ πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀφικόμενον τὴν τῶν ξένων ἐπιδημίαν καὶ χρείαν εἰπεῖν, καὶ ὡς ἑσπέρας ἀφικόμενος ἀπήγαγέ τε εἰς τὴν καταγωγήν, καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον ἐπιζητήσας λόχον καὶ τοῦτον εὑρὼν εἴσω τε τῆς αὐλίου θύρας εἰσήγαγε καὶ εἰς τὸν πρόδομον εἰσελθεῖν παρηγγύησε. προσε τίθει δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου τὴν πεῦσιν καὶ τὸ γενόμενον δέος καὶ τὴν εὐχὴν καὶ τῶν ἐπεισελθόντων τὴν ἔφοδον. ταῦτα μεμαθηκότες οἱ δικασταὶ τῶν συνειλημμένων εἰς μέσον ἄγουσι τὸν νεώτατον· ὃς οὐκ ἀναμείνας τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν μαστίγων ἀνάγκην τὸ συντεθὲν ἐγύ μνωσε δρᾶμα, καὶ τὸν Ὄναγρον ταῦτα πάντα δεδρακέναι καθω μολόγησεν· ἀχθεὶς δὲ ἐκεῖνος τὸν Στέφανον ἔφη ταῦτα προσ τεταχέναι. Οὕτω τοῦ Στεφάνου τὴν πονηρίαν μεμαθηκότες, τοῖς τηνικαῦτα παροῦσι τῶν ἐπισκόπων καθελεῖν τοῦτον ἐπέτρεψαν καὶ τῆς ἐκ κλησίας ἐξήλασαν. οὐ μὴν παντάπασιν ἡ ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἀρειανικῆς ἠλευθερώθη λώβης. Λεόντιος γὰρ μετ' ἐκεῖνον τῆς προεδρίας ἔτυχεν, ἀνὴρ Φρὺξ μὲν τὸ γένος, τὴν δὲ γνώμην κρυψίνους καὶ τὰς ὑφάλους πέτρας μιμούμενος. ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν κατὰ τοῦτον μικρὸν ὕστερον διηγήσομαι. τότε δὲ ὁ Κωνστάντιος, τὰ κατὰ τῶν ἐπι σκόπων τυρευόμενα τῇ πείρᾳ μεμαθηκώς, ἐπέστειλεν Ἀθανασίῳ τῷ 122 μεγάλῳ καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ μέντοι καὶ τρίς, προτρέπων ἐκ τῆς Ἑσπέρας ἐπανελθεῖν. ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν μέσην ἐπιστολὴν μικρὰν οὖσαν ἐνθήσω τῇ συγγραφῇ. "Κωνστάντιος Νικητὴς Αὔγουστος Ἀθανασίῳ. "Εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα διὰ προτέρων γραμμάτων ἐδηλώσαμεν ὅπως "ἀμερίμνως εἰς τὸ ἡμέτερον κομιτάτον παραγένῃ διὰ τὸ μάλιστα "βούλεσθαι ἡμᾶς ἀποστεῖλαί σε εἰς τὰ ἴδια, ὅμως καὶ νῦν ταῦτα τὰ "γράμματα πρὸς τὴν σὴν στερρότητα δεδώκαμεν· δι' ὧν καὶ προ "τρεπόμεθα χωρίς τινος ἀπιστίας καὶ φόβου