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he was proclaiming the good news. 3.34.1 This, therefore, first, as if the head of the whole, the emperor's munificence embellished with choice columns and much adornment, making the venerable cave brilliant with all sorts of beautiful objects. It proceeded next to an immense space, opened up to the pure air, which a bright stone, laid as pavement on the ground, adorned, being enclosed on three sides by long colonnades of porticoes. For on the side opposite the cave, which indeed faced the rising sun, the basilica was attached, an extraordinary work raised to an immense height and extending to a great length and breadth; the interior of which structure was covered with slabs of variegated marble, while the exterior surface of the walls, being brightened with polished stone closely fitted at each joint, 3.36.2 presented a marvelous specimen of beauty, in no way inferior to the appearance of marble. Above, on the roof, the outer covering was a material of lead that fenced it in, a secure defense against winter rains, while the inner roof was finished with carved coffers and, like a great sea over the whole basilica, stretched out in continuous interlacings with one another, and being covered throughout with brilliant gold, made the whole temple flash as with rays of light. 3.37.1 And on both sides, of double porticoes, upper and lower, twin colonnades extended along the length of the temple, their ceilings also embellished with gold; of which those in the front of the structure rested on immense columns, while those inside the front ones were raised on piers arrayed with much external adornment. And three gates, well-situated toward the rising sun itself, received the crowds of those entering. Opposite these, the chief part of the whole was the hemisphere set at the top of the basilica, which indeed twelve columns crowned, equal in number to the apostles of the Savior, their capitals adorned with very large bowls made of silver, which indeed the emperor himself gifted as a most beautiful offering to his God. Thence, for those proceeding to the entrances situated before the temple, another atrium intervened. There were exedrae here on either side, and a first court and porticoes upon it, and above all the court gates, after which, in the very middle of the wide marketplace, the propylaea of the whole complex, beautifully wrought, afforded to those making their way from outside an astonishing view of the things seen within. This temple, then, the emperor raised up as a clear testimony of the Savior's resurrection, making the whole brilliant with a rich and royal structure, and he adorned it with the indescribable beauties of as many votive offerings as possible, of gold and silver and precious stones in different materials, the particular workmanship of which, artfully wrought in size and number and variety, there is not now leisure to detail in this account. And having set apart here another area honored by two mystic caves, he adorned these also with rich munificence; on the one hand, to the cave of the Savior's first theophany, where indeed he also underwent the things of the incarnate birth, bestowing the appropriate honors, and on the other hand, to that of the ascension into heaven, venerating the memorial on 3.41.2 the summit of the mountain. And these things he also honored beautifully, immortalizing 3.42.1 the memory of his mother, who ministered so great a good to the life of men. For since she had made it her business to render the debt of a pious disposition to God the universal king, on behalf of so great an emperor son and his most God-beloved sons the Caesars, her own descendants, she thought it necessary to fulfill her thank-offerings through prayers, the aged woman came, indeed, hastening with youthful energy, with surpassing understanding to investigate the admirable land and the eastern nations and districts 3.42.2 and peoples alike to visit with imperial foresight. And as she rendered the fitting worship to the 3.42.2 saving footsteps, in accordance with the prophetic word, which says, "6Let us worship at the place where his feet stood"6, she immediately left behind the fruit of her own piety also for those who came after.

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εὐηγγελίζετο. 3.34.1 Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν πρῶτον ὡσανεὶ τοῦ παντὸς κεφαλὴν ἐξαιρέτοις κίοσι κόσμῳ τε πλείστῳ κατεποίκιλλεν ἡ βασιλέως φιλοτιμία, παντοίοις καλλωπίσμασι τὸ σεμνὸν ἄντρον φαιδρύνουσα. διέβαινε δ' ἑξῆς ἐπὶ παμμεγέθη χῶρον εἰς καθαρὸν αἰθέρα ἀναπεπταμένον, ὃν δὴ λίθος λαμπρὸς κατεστρωμένος ἐπ' ἐδάφους ἐκόσμει, μακροῖς περιδρόμοις στοῶν ἐκ τριπλεύρου περιεχόμενον. τῷ γὰρ καταντικρὺ πλευρῷ τοῦ ἄντρου, ὃ δὴ πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον ἑώρα, ὁ βασίλειος συνῆπτο νεώς, ἔργον ἐξαίσιον εἰς ὕψος ἄπειρον ἠρμένον μήκους τε καὶ πλάτους ἐπὶ πλεῖστον εὐρυνόμενον· οὗ τὰ μὲν εἴσω τῆς οἰκοδομίας ὕλης μαρμάρου ποικίλης διεκάλυπτον πλακώσεις, ἡ δ' ἐκτὸς τῶν τοίχων ὄψις ξεστῷ λίθῳ ταῖς πρὸς ἕκαστον ἁρμογαῖς συνημμένῳ λαμπρυνομένη ὑπερφυές τι χρῆμα κάλλους τῆς ἐκ μαρμάρου προσόψεως οὐδὲν ἀποδέον 3.36.2 παρεῖχεν. ἄνω δὲ πρὸς αὐτοῖς ὀρόφοις τὰ μὲν ἐκτὸς δώματα μολίβου περιέφραττεν ὕλη, ὄμβρων ἀσφαλὲς ἔρυμα χειμερίων, τὰ δὲ τῆς εἴσω στέγης γλυφαῖς φατνωμάτων ἀπηρτισμένα καὶ ὥσπερ τι μέγα πέλαγος καθ' ὅλου τοῦ βασιλείου οἴκου συνεχέσι ταῖς πρὸς ἀλλήλας συμπλοκαῖς ἀνευρυνόμενα, χρυσῷ τε διαυγεῖ δι' ὅλου κεκαλλυμμένα, φωτὸς οἷα μαρμαρυγαῖς τὸν πάντα νεὼν ἐξαστράπτειν ἐποίει. 3.37.1 Ἀμφὶ δ' ἑκάτερα τὰ πλευρὰ διττῶν στοῶν, ἀναγείων τε καὶ καταγείων, δίδυμοι παραστάδες τῷ μήκει τοῦ νεὼ συνεξετείνοντο, χρυσῷ καὶ αὗται τοὺς ὀρόφους πεποικιλμέναι· ὧν αἱ μὲν ἐπὶ προσώπου τοῦ οἴκου κίοσι παμμεγέθεσιν ἐπηρείδοντο, αἱ δ' εἴσω τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ὑπὸ πεσσοῖς ἀνηγείροντο πολὺν τὸν ἔξωθεν περιβεβλημένοις κόσμον. πύλαι δὲ τρεῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον εὖ διακείμεναι τὰ πλήθη τῶν εἴσω φερομένων ὑπεδέχοντο. τούτων δ' ἄντικρυς τὸ κεφάλαιον τοῦ παντὸς ἡμισφαίριον ἦν ἐπ' ἄκρου τοῦ βασιλείου οἴκου τεταγμένον, ὃ δὴ δυοκαίδεκα κίονες ἐστεφάνουν, τοῖς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀποστόλοις ἰσάριθμοι, κρατῆρσι μεγίστοις ἐξ ἀργύρου πεποιημένοις τὰς κορυφὰς κοσμούμενοι, οὓς δὴ βασιλεὺς αὐτὸς ἀνάθημα κάλλιστον ἐδωρεῖτο τῷ αὐτοῦ θεῷ. ἔνθεν δὲ προϊόντων ἐπὶ τὰς πρὸ τοῦ νεὼ κειμένας εἰσόδους αἴθριον διελάμβανεν ἄλλο. ἐξέδραι δ' ἦσαν ἐνταυθοῖ παρ' ἑκάτερα, καὶ αὐλὴ πρώτη στοαί τ' ἐπὶ ταύτῃ, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν αἱ αὔλειοι πύλαι, μεθ' ἃς ἐπ' αὐτῆς μέσης πλατείας ἀγορᾶς τὰ τοῦ παντὸς προπύλαια φιλοκάλως ἠσκημένα τοῖς τὴν ἐκτὸς πορείαν ποιουμένοις καταπληκτικὴν παρεῖχον τὴν τῶν ἔνδον ὁρωμένων θέαν. Τόνδε μὲν οὖν τὸν νεὼν σωτηρίου ἀναστάσεως ἐναργὲς ἀνίστη μαρτύριον βασιλεύς, πλουσίᾳ καὶ βασιλικῇ κατασκευῇ τὸν σύμπαντα καταφαιδρύνας, ἐκόσμει δ' αὐτὸν ἀδιηγήτοις κάλλεσι πλείστων ὅσων ἀναθημάτων, χρυσοῦ καὶ ἀργύρου καὶ λίθων πολυτελῶν ἐν διαλλαττούσαις ὕλαις, ὧν τὴν κατὰ μέρος ἐπισκευὴν φιλοτέχνως εἰργασμένην μεγέθει τε καὶ πλήθει καὶ ποικιλίαις οὐ σχολὴ νῦν ἐπεξιέναι τῷ λόγῳ. Ἀπολαβὼν δ' ἐνταυθοῖ χώρας ἑτέρας δυσὶν ἄντροις μυστικοῖς τετιμημένας, πλουσίαις καὶ ταῦτα φιλοτιμίαις ἐκόσμει· τῷ μὲν τῆς πρώτης τοῦ σωτῆρος θεοφανείας ἄντρῳ, ἔνθα δὴ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἐνσάρκου γενέσεως ὑπέστη, τὰς καταλλήλους νέμων τιμάς, τῷ δὲ τῆς εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀναλήψεως τὴν ἐπὶ 3.41.2 τῆς ἀκρωρείας μνήμην σεμνύνων. καὶ ταῦτα δὲ φιλοκάλως ἐτίμα, τῆς αὐτοῦ μητρός, ἣ τοσοῦτον ἀγαθὸν τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων διηκονήσατο βίῳ, διαιωνίζων 3.42.1 τὴν μνήμην. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὕτη τῷ παμβασιλεῖ θεῷ τὸ τῆς εὐσεβοῦς διαθέσεως ἀποδοῦναι χρέος ἔργον ἐποιήσατο, ἐφ' υἱῷ τε βασιλεῖ τοσούτῳ παισί τε αὐτοῦ καίσαρσι θεοφιλεστάτοις, ἑαυτῆς ἐκγόνοις, τὰ χαριστήρια δεῖν ᾤετο δι' εὐχῶν ἀποπληρῶσαι, ἧκε δὴ σπεύδουσα νεανικῶς ἡ πρέσβυς, ὑπερβαλλούσῃ φρονήσει τὴν ἀξιάγαστον ἀνιστορήσουσα γῆν ἔθνη τε τὰ ἑῷα καὶ δήμους 3.42.2 ὁμοῦ καὶ λαοὺς βασιλικῇ προμηθείᾳ ἐποψομένη. ὡς δὲ τοῖς βήμασι τοῖς 3.42.2 σωτηρίοις τὴν πρέπουσαν ἀπεδίδου προσκύνησιν, ἀκολούθως προφητικῷ λόγῳ, φάντι "6προσκυνήσωμεν εἰς τὸν τόπον, οὗ ἔστησαν οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ"6, τῆς οἰκείας εὐσεβείας καρπὸν καὶ τοῖς μετέπειτα παραχρῆμα κατελίμπανεν.