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our king Nebuchadnezzar "you made." Liberius: "No, but you condemn unreasonably a man whom 134 we have not judged. But I also demand that first an ecumenical signature be produced, confirming the faith that was set forth at Nicaea, so that, when our brothers have thus been recalled from exile and restored to their own places, if those who are now creating disturbances in the churches should be seen to assent to the apostolic faith, then all of us, having met at Alexandria, where the accused and the accusers are, and he who supports them, having examined the matters concerning them, we may come to an agreement." Epictetus the bishop said: "But the public post will not support the need for the bishops' travel." Liberius: "Ecclesiastical affairs have no need of the public post; for the churches are able to send their own bishops as far as the sea." The emperor: "It is not possible for things that have already taken form to be undone; for the vote of the majority of bishops ought to prevail. You alone are the one who lays claim to the friendship of that impious man." Liberius said: "Emperor, we have never heard, with the accused not being present, of a judge denouncing impiety, bringing a private enmity against the man." The emperor: "He has wronged all in common, but no one so much as me. For not being content with the destruction of my elder brother, he did not even cease from provoking the blessed Constans to enmity with us, if we had not with greater gentleness endured the inclination of the one provoking and the one being provoked. And no 135 such success is mine, not even that against Magnentius and Silvanus, as that polluted man being removed from ecclesiastical affairs." Liberius: "Do not defend your enmity through the bishops, emperor. For the hands of ecclesiastics ought to be at leisure for consecrating. Wherefore, if it seems good to you, order the bishops to be recalled to their own places. And if they should be seen to be of one mind with the one who today lays claim to the orthodox faith set forth at Nicaea, then coming together in the same place they might see to the peace of the world, so that a man who has not sinned may not be approved to be branded." The emperor: "One thing is sought. For I wish you, having embraced communion with the churches, to be sent back to Rome. Therefore, be persuaded to peace, and having signed, return to Rome." Liberius: "I have already taken leave of the brothers in Rome. For the ecclesiastical ordinances are greater than a stay in Rome." The emperor: "Then you have a period of three days for consideration; if you wish, having signed, return to Rome, or consider to what place you wish to be transferred." Liberius: "The period of three days does not change a resolution; therefore send me wherever you wish." The emperor, after two days, when Liberius had been judged and had not changed his resolution, said he was to be exiled to Beroea in Thrace. 136 And when Liberius went out, the emperor sent him five hundred solidi for expenses. Liberius said to the one who brought them: "Go, give them to the emperor; for he has need to give them to his soldiers." Likewise the empress sent him the same amount. Liberius said: "Give them back to the emperor; for he has need of them for the payment of his soldiers. And if the emperor has no need, let him give them to Auxentius and Epictetus; for they have need of them." And when he did not receive them from these, Eusebius the eunuch offers him others. But Liberius said to him: "You have laid waste the churches of the world, and you offer me alms as to a condemned man? Go, first become a Christian." And after three days, having accepted nothing, he was exiled. So then the victorious champion of the truth occupied Thrace as he was ordered. And when two years had passed, Constantius arrived in Rome; and the wives of those in office and dignities begged their husbands to beseech Constantius to give back the pastor to the

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βασιλέα ἡμῶν Ναβουχοδονόσορ "ἐποίησας." Λιβέριος· "Οὐχί, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἀλόγως καταδικάζεις ἄνθρωπον ὃν 134 "οὐκ ἐκρίναμεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐγὼ ἀξιῶ πρότερον οἰκουμενικὴν ὑπο "γραφὴν προχειρίσαι βεβαιοῦσαν τὴν πίστιν τὴν κατὰ Νίκαιαν ἐκ "τεθεῖσαν, ἵν' οὕτως ἀνακληθέντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ "ἐξορισμοῦ καὶ ἀποκατασταθέντων τοῖς ἰδίοις τόποις, εἰ ὀφθείησαν "οἱ νῦν θορύβους ἐγγεννῶντες ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις συγκατατιθέμενοι τῇ "ἀποστολικῇ πίστει, τότε ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀλεξανδρέων οἱ πάντες ἀπαντή "σαντες, ἔνθα ὁ ἐγκαλούμενος καὶ οἱ ἐγκαλοῦντές εἰσι καὶ ὁ ἀντι "ποιούμενος αὐτῶν, ἐξετάσαντες τὰ περὶ αὐτῶν συμπεριενεχθῶμεν." Ἐπίκτητος ἐπίσκοπος εἶπεν· "Ἀλλ' ὁ δρόμος τῶν δημοσίων οὐχ "ὑποστήσεται τὴν χρείαν τῆς τῶν ἐπισκόπων παρόδου." Λιβέριος· "Οὐ χρείαν ἔχει τὰ ἐκκλησιαστικὰ δημοσίου δρόμου· αἱ "γὰρ ἐκκλησίαι ἱκαναί εἰσιν ἕως τῆς θαλάσσης διαπέμψασθαι τοὺς "ἑαυτῶν ἐπισκόπους." Ὁ βασιλεύς· "Τὰ ἤδη τύπον ἐσχηκότα ἀναλύεσθαι οὐ δυνατόν "ἐστι· τῶν γὰρ πλειόνων ἐπισκόπων ἡ ψῆφος ἰσχύειν ὀφείλει. σὺ "μόνος εἶ ὁ ἀντιποιούμενος τῆς φιλίας τοῦ ἀνοσίου ἐκείνου." Λιβέριος εἶπεν· "Βασιλεῦ, οὐδέ ποτε ἠκούσαμεν, μὴ παρόντος τοῦ "ἐγκαλουμένου, κριτοῦ ἀνοσιότητα καταγγέλλοντος, ἰδίαν ἔχθραν εἰσφέ "ροντος πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον." Ὁ βασιλεύς· "Πάντας μὲν κοινῶς ἠδίκησεν, οὐδένα δὲ οὕτως ὡς "ἐμέ. ὅστις μὴ ἀρκεσθεὶς ἐπὶ τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ τοῦ μειζοτέρου μου ἀδελ "φοῦ, οὐδὲ τὸν μακαρίτην Κώνσταντα ἐπαύσατο παροξύνων εἰς ἡμε "τέραν ἔχθραν, εἰ μὴ ἡμεῖς πλείονι ἡμερότητι ὑπηνέγκαμεν τὴν "τοῦ παροξύνοντος καὶ τοῦ παροξυνομένου ῥοπήν. οὐδὲν δέ μοι 135 "τοιοῦτον κατόρθωμα, οὐδὲ τὸ κατὰ Μαγνέντιον καὶ Σιλβανόν, "ὡς τοῦ μιαροῦ ἐκείνου περιαιρουμένου τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν πραγ "μάτων." Λιβέριος· "Μὴ διὰ τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἀμύνου τὴν ἔχθραν, βασιλεῦ. "αἱ γὰρ χεῖρες τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν εἰς τὸ ἁγιάζειν εὐκαιρεῖν ὀφεί "λουσιν. ὅθεν, εἴ σοι δοκεῖ, κέλευσον ἀνακληθῆναι τοὺς ἐπισκόπους "εἰς τοὺς ἰδίους τόπους. καὶ εἰ ὀφθείησαν ὁμόφρονες τοῦ σήμερον "ἀντιποιουμένου τῆς κατὰ Νίκαιαν ἐκτεθείσης ὀρθοδόξου πίστεως, "τότε συνελθόντες ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἴδοιεν ὑπὲρ εἰρήνης τοῦ κόσμου, ἵνα "μὴ τὸν μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντα ἄνδρα χαραχθῆναι δοκιμασθῇ." Ὁ βασιλεύς· "Ἕν ἐστι τὸ ζητούμενον. βούλομαι γάρ σε ἀσπασά "μενον τὴν πρὸς τὰς ἐκκλησίας κοινωνίαν πάλιν εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἀπο "στεῖλαι. διὰ τοῦτο πείσθητι τῇ εἰρήνῃ καὶ ὑπογράψας ὑπόστρεψον "εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην." Λιβέριος· "Ἤδη τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ἐν Ῥώμῃ ἀπεταξάμην. μείζους "γάρ εἰσιν οἱ ἐκκλησιαστικοὶ θεσμοὶ τῆς ἐν Ῥώμῃ διατριβῆς." Ὁ βασιλεύς· "Οὐκοῦν τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἔχεις σκέψεως διάστημα· εἰ "βούλει, ὑπογράψας ὑπόστρεψον εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην, ἢ ἐννόησον ἐν ποίῳ "τόπῳ μετατεθῆναι βούλει." Λιβέριος· "Τὸ τῶν τριῶν ἡμερῶν διάστημα οὐ μετατίθησι λο "γισμόν· ὅθεν ὅπου βούλει ἀπόστειλόν με." Ὁ βασιλεύς, μετὰ δύο ἡμέρας κριθέντος Λιβερίου καὶ μὴ μετα τεθέντος τοῦ λογισμοῦ, εἶπεν ἐξορισθῆναι εἰς τὴν Βέροιαν τῆς Θρᾴκης. 136 ἐκβάντος δὲ Λιβερίου, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπέστειλεν αὐτῷ πεντακοσίους ὁλο κοτίνους εἰς δαπάνας. Λιβέριος εἶπε τῷ προσκομίσαντι· "ἄπελθε, δὸς αὐτὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ· χρείαν γὰρ ἔχει δοῦναι τοῖς στρατιώταις αὐτοῦ". ὁμοίως ἡ βασίλισσα ἔπεμψεν αὐτῷ τὰ αὐτά. Λιβέριος εἶπεν· "ἀπόδος αὐτὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ· χρείαν γὰρ αὐτῶν ἔχει εἰς τὴν τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐξοδίασιν. ἐὰν δὲ μὴ χρείαν ἔχῃ ὁ βασιλεύς, δότω αὐτὰ Αὐξεντίῳ καὶ Ἐπικτήτῳ· χρείαν γὰρ ἔχουσιν αὐτῶν". ὡς δὲ παρ' αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔλαβεν, Εὐσέβιος ὁ εὐνοῦχος προσφέρει αὐτῷ ἑτέρους. Λιβέριος δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· "τὰς ἐκκλησίας τῆς οἰκουμένης ἠρήμωσας, καὶ ὡς κατα δίκῳ ἐλεημοσύνην μοι προσφέρεις; ἄπελθε, πρῶτον γενοῦ Χριστιανός". καὶ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας μηδὲν δεξάμενος ἐξωρίσθη. Ὁ μὲν δὴ νικηφόρος τῆς ἀληθείας ἀγωνιστὴς τὴν Θρᾴκην ὡς προσετάχθη κατέλαβεν. δύο δὲ διεληλυθότων ἐτῶν, ὁ μὲν Κων στάντιος εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἀφίκετο· αἱ δὲ τῶν ἐν τέλει καὶ ἀξιωμάτων ὁμόζυγοι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐλιπάρουν ἱκετεῦσαι τὸν Κωνστάντιον ἀπο δοῦναι τὸν νομέα τῇ