45

ours is the grace, so that no supply of words seems to be worthy of the present wonder; for that the token of that most holy passion, long ago hidden under the earth, should have escaped notice for so many cycles of years, until it was destined to shine forth to His own servants who had been set free through the destruction of the common enemy of all, 3.30.2 truly surpasses all astonishment. For if all who are considered wise throughout the whole world were to come together to one and the same place and wish to say something worthy of the matter, they would not be able to compete even in the smallest degree. By so much does the certainty of this wonder surpass every capacity of human reasoning, as heavenly things are established to be more powerful than human 3.30.3 things. Therefore, this is always my first and only aim, that just as the faith of the truth displays itself daily with newer wonders, so also the souls of all of us may become more earnest concerning the holy law with all soundness of mind and concordant 3.30.4 zeal. And what I think is clear to all, this above all I wish you to be persuaded of, that I am more concerned about all things, how we may adorn with the beauty of buildings that sacred place, which, by the command of God, I have lightened from the most shameful addition of an idol, as if from some superincumbent burden, a place made holy indeed from the beginning by the judgment of God, but revealed as holier since it brought to light the evidence of the saving passion. 3.31.1 It is fitting, therefore, for your sagacity both to so give orders and to make provision for each of the necessities, that not only the basilica be better than those everywhere else, but also that the other parts be of such a kind that all the finest things in each city be surpassed by this building. 3.31.2 And know that concerning the raising and decoration of the walls, the care has been entrusted by us to our friend Dracillianus, who administers the office of the most illustrious prefects, and to the governor of the province. For it has been ordered by my Piety that both artisans and laborers, and all things which they may learn from your sagacity to be necessary for the building, be sent at once through their provision. 3.31.3 And concerning the columns or marbles, whatever you might deem to be more precious and more useful, after you yourself have made an inspection, hasten to write to us, so that whatever number and kind we may learn to be needed from your letter, these may be transported from all quarters; for it is right that the most wonderful place in the world be beautified according to its worth. 3.32.1 But as for the vault of the basilica, whether it seems to you that it should be coffered or made by some other kind of work, I wish to learn from you. For if it is 3.32.2 to be coffered, it will also be able to be adorned with gold. As for the rest, may your Holiness cause to be made known to the aforementioned judges with all speed how many laborers and artisans and what expenses are needed, and hasten to report immediately to me not only concerning the marbles and columns, but also concerning the coffered ceilings, if indeed you should judge this to be better. May God preserve you, beloved brother. 3.33.1 These things the emperor wrote; and at the same time as the word, the commands were carried out in deeds, and indeed at the very martyrium of salvation the new Jerusalem was being constructed, face to face with the one renowned of old, which after the murderous defilement of the Lord-slaying, having been reduced to uttermost desolation, paid the penalty for its impious inhabitants. 3.33.2 Directly opposite this one, then, the emperor was exalting the saving victory over death with rich and lavish munificence, this being perhaps that new and recent Jerusalem proclaimed through prophetic oracles, of which 3.33.3 concerning which long discourses, prophesying countless things through the divine spirit, sing hymns of praise; and indeed, as a kind of head of the whole, first of all he adorned the sacred cave; and it was a monument full of eternal memory, containing the trophies of the great Savior over death, a divine monument, at which an angel, once flashing with light, the regeneration manifested through the Savior to all

45

ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἡ χάρις, ὡς μηδεμίαν λόγων χορηγίαν τοῦ παρόντος θαύματος ἀξίαν εἶναι δοκεῖν· τὸ γὰρ γνώρισμα τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου ἐκείνου πάθους ὑπὸ τῇ γῇ πάλαι κρυπτόμενον τοσαύταις ἐτῶν περιόδοις λαθεῖν, ἄχρις οὗ διὰ τῆς τοῦ κοινοῦ πάντων ἐχθροῦ ἀναιρέσεως ἐλευθερωθεῖσι τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ θεράπουσιν ἀναλάμπειν ἔμελλε, 3.30.2 πᾶσαν ἔκπληξιν ὡς ἀληθῶς ὑπερβαίνει. εἰ γὰρ πάντες οἱ διὰ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης εἶναι δοκοῦντες σοφοὶ εἰς ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συνελθόντες ἄξιόν τι τοῦ πράγματος ἐθέλωσιν εἰπεῖν, οὐδ' ἂν πρὸς τὸ βραχύτατον ἁμιλληθῆναι δυνήσονται. ἐπὶ τοσούτῳ πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνου λογισμοῦ χωρητικὴν φύσιν ἡ τοῦ θαύματος τούτου πίστις ὑπερβαίνει, ὅσῳ τῶν ἀνθρω3.30.3 πίνων τὰ οὐράνια συνέστηκεν εἶναι δυνατώτερα. διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν οὗτος ἀεὶ καὶ πρῶτος καὶ μόνος μοι σκοπός, ἵν' ὥσπερ ἑαυτὴν ὁσημέραι καινοτέροις θαύμασιν ἡ τῆς ἀληθείας πίστις ἐπιδείκνυσιν, οὕτω καὶ αἱ ψυχαὶ πάντων ἡμῶν περὶ τὸν ἅγιον νόμον σωφροσύνῃ πάσῃ καὶ ὁμογνώμονι 3.30.4 προθυμίᾳ σπουδαιότεραι γίγνωνται. ὅπερ δ' οὖν πᾶσιν εἶναι νομίζω φανερόν, ἐκεῖνο μάλιστά σε πεπεῖσθαι βούλομαι, ὡς ἄρα πάντων μοι μᾶλλον μέλει, ὅπως τὸν ἱερὸν ἐκεῖνον τόπον, ὃν θεοῦ προστάγματι αἰσχίστης εἰδώλου προσθήκης ὥσπερ τινὸς ἐπικειμένου βάρους ἐκούφισα, ἅγιον μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς θεοῦ κρίσει γεγενημένον, ἁγιώτερον δ' ἀποφανθέντα ἀφ' οὗ τὴν τοῦ σωτηρίου πάθους πίστιν εἰς φῶς προήγαγεν, οἰκοδομημάτων κάλλει κοσμήσωμεν. 3.31.1 Προσήκει τοίνυν τὴν σὴν ἀγχίνοιαν οὕτω διατάξαι τε καὶ ἑκάστου τῶν ἀναγκαίων ποιήσασθαι πρόνοιαν, ὡς οὐ μόνον βασιλικὴν τῶν ἁπανταχοῦ βελτίονα ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τοιαῦτα γίνεσθαι, ὡς πάντα τὰ ἐφ' ἑκάστης καλλιστεύοντα πόλεως ὑπὸ τοῦ κτίσματος τούτου νικᾶσθαι. 3.31.2 καὶ περὶ μὲν τῆς τῶν τοίχων ἐγέρσεώς τε καὶ καλλιεργίας ∆ρακιλλιανῷ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ φίλῳ, τῷ διέποντι τὰ τῶν λαμπροτάτων ἐπάρχων μέρη, καὶ τῷ τῆς ἐπαρχίας ἄρχοντι παρ' ἡμῶν ἐγκεχειρίσθαι τὴν φροντίδα γίνωσκε. κεκέλευσται γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐμῆς εὐσεβείας καὶ τεχνίτας καὶ ἐργάτας καὶ πάνθ', ὅσα περ εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν ἀναγκαῖα τυγχάνειν παρὰ τῆς σῆς καταμάθοιεν ἀγχινοίας, παραχρῆμα διὰ τῆς ἐκείνων προνοίας ἀπο3.31.3 σταλῆναι. περὶ δὲ τῶν κιόνων εἴτ' οὖν μαρμάρων, ἃ δ' ἂν νομίσειας εἶναι τιμιώτερά τε καὶ χρησιμώτερα, αὐτὸς συνόψεως γενομένης πρὸς ἡμᾶς γράψαι σπούδασον, ἵν' ὅσων δ' ἂν καὶ ὁποίων χρείαν εἶναι διὰ τοῦ σοῦ γράμματος ἐπιγνῶμεν, ταῦτα πανταχόθεν μετενεχθῆναι δυνηθῇ· τὸν γὰρ τοῦ κόσμου θαυμασιώτερον τόπον κατ' ἀξίαν φαιδρύνεσθαι δίκαιον. 3.32.1 τὴν δὲ τῆς βασιλικῆς καμάραν πότερον λακωναρίαν ἢ δι' ἑτέρας τινὸς ἐργασίας γενέσθαι σοι δοκεῖ, παρὰ σοῦ γνῶναι βούλομαι. εἰ γὰρ λακω3.32.2 ναρία μέλλοι εἶναι, δυνήσεται καὶ χρυσῷ καλλωπισθῆναι. τὸ λειπόμενον, ἵν' ἡ σὴ ὁσιότης τοῖς προειρημένοις δικασταῖς ᾗ τάχος γνωρισθῆναι ποιήσῃ, ὅσων τ' ἐργατῶν καὶ τεχνιτῶν καὶ ἀναλωμάτων χρεία, καὶ πρὸς ἐμὲ εὐθέως ἀνενεγκεῖν σπουδάσῃ οὐ μόνον περὶ τῶν μαρμάρων τε καὶ κιόνων, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν λακωναριῶν, εἴγε τοῦτο κάλλιον ἐπικρίνειεν. Ὁ θεός σε διαφυλάξοι, ἀδελφὲ ἀγαπητέ. 3.33.1 Ταῦτα μὲν ἔγραφε βασιλεύς· ἅμα δὲ λόγῳ δι' ἔργων ἐχώρει τὰ προστεταγμένα, καὶ δὴ κατ' αὐτὸ τὸ σωτήριον μαρτύριον ἡ νέα κατεσκευάζετο Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἀντιπρόσωπος τῇ πάλαι βοωμένῃ, ἣ μετὰ τὴν κυριοκτόνον μιαιφονίαν ἐρημίας ἐπ' ἔσχατα περιτραπεῖσα δίκην ἔτισε δυσσεβῶν οἰκητόρων. 3.33.2 ταύτης δ' οὖν ἄντικρυς βασιλεὺς τὴν κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου σωτήριον νίκην πλουσίαις καὶ δαψιλέσιν ἀνύψου φιλοτιμίαις, τάχα που ταύτην οὖσαν τὴν διὰ προφητικῶν θεσπισμάτων κεκηρυγμένην καινὴν καὶ νέαν Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἧς 3.33.3 πέρι μακροὶ λόγοι μυρία δι' ἐνθέου πνεύματος θεσπίζοντες ἀνυμνοῦσι· καὶ δὴ τοῦ παντὸς ὥσπερ τινὰ κεφαλὴν πρῶτον ἁπάντων τὸ ἱερὸν ἄντρον ἐκόσμει· μνῆμα δ' ἦν αἰωνίου μνήμης γέμον, τοῦ μεγάλου σωτῆρος τὰ κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου περιέχον τρόπαια, μνῆμα θεσπέσιον, παρ' ᾧ φῶς ἐξαστράπτων ποτ' ἄγγελος τὴν διὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐνδεικνυμένην παλιγγενεσίαν τοῖς πᾶσιν