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him from the summit of the mountain, as if a writ had been issued against him. And while the mystical liturgy was in progress, he brings him to the altar and enrolls him among the priests. But when the liturgy came to an end and someone informed him of this—for he was completely ignorant of what had happened—at first he began to revile and assailed everyone with words; but later, taking his staff—for he was accustomed to walk leaning on it because of old age—he pursued both the high priest himself and the others who were present; for he supposed that the ordination would deprive him of the mountain summit and of his desired way of life. But then, indeed, some of his companions with difficulty calmed his indignation; but when the cycle of the week was completed and the day of the Lord's festival came again, the great Flavian sent for him again, urging him to share in the festival with them. And he said to those who had come: "Is what has already happened not enough for you," he said, "but you wish to appoint me a presbyter again?" And when they said that it is not possible for the same ordination to be imposed on one man twice, he did not yield nor did he come until time and his companions taught him this many times. 13.5 I know, then, that to many this story will not seem admirable; but I have set it down, thinking it to be worthy of memory as sufficient to demonstrate both simplicity of mind and purity of soul. And to such as these the Lord promised the kingdom of heaven; "For amen," he said, "I say to you, unless you turn and become like these children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Since, therefore, in summary we have shown the character of his soul, come, let us also show the confidence that comes from his virtue. 13.6 A certain general, who delighted in hunting, went up to the mountain to hunt; and there followed him both dogs and soldiers and whatever is suitable for a hunt. And when from a distance he saw the man and learned from his companions who he was, immediately leaping down from his horse, he both approached and addressed him and asked what he was doing, spending his time there. But he asked in return: "And you, what have you come up here to do?" And when the general said, "To hunt"; "I too," he said, "am hunting my God and I long to catch Him and I desire to behold Him and I will not abstain from this good hunt." Having heard these things, the general, and having marveled, as was likely, departed. 13.7 And at another time, when the city was driven to a frenzy by some evil demon and in its madness had acted against the imperial statues, the highest generals arrived bearing a sentence of utter destruction against the city; but this man, having come down from the mountain, stopped both the generals as they were passing through the marketplace. And they, having learned who he was, both leaped down from their horses and grasped his hands and knees and promised salvation. And he charged them to say to the emperor that he was a human being and had the same nature as those who had committed the outrage; and although it was necessary to measure his anger by nature, he was using immoderate wrath and for the sake of his own images he was handing over the divine images to slaughter, and in place of bronze statues he was sending bodies to death; "And for us," he said, "to recast and reshape the bronze ones is both easy and simple; but for you, even being an emperor, it is impossible to bring the slaughtered bodies back to life. And why do I say bodies? For not even a single hair is it possible for you to fashion." These things he said, using the Syriac tongue; and they, as the interpreter translated it into the Greek language, both listened and shuddered and promised to convey them to the emperor. 13.8 And I think that all would agree these words to be of the grace of the divine Spirit. For how else could a man of all education indeed have uttered these things

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αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ὄρους κορυφῆς ὡς γραφῆς κατ' αὐτοῦ γενομένης. Τῆς δὲ μυστικῆς προκειμένης ἱερουργίας προσάγει τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἐγκαταλέγει. Ὡς δὲ τέλος ἔλαβεν ἡ λειτουργία καί τις αὐτῷ τοῦτο μεμήνυκε-πάμπαν γὰρ ἠγνόει τὸ γεγονός-, τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐλοιδορεῖτο καὶ λόγοις ἔβαλλεν ἅπαντας· ὕστερον δὲ τὴν βακτηρίαν λαβών-εἰώθει γὰρ σκηριπτόμενος διὰ τὸ γῆρας βαδίζειν-, ἐδίωκεν αὐτόν τε τὸν ἀρχιερέα καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ὅσοι παρῆσαν· ὑπελάμβανε γὰρ τὴν χειροτονίαν τῆς τοῦ ὄρους αὐτὸν κορυφῆς καὶ τῆς ποθουμένης διαίτης ἀποστερήσειν. Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν αὐτὸν μόλις τινὲς τῶν συνήθων ἀγανακτοῦντα κατέπαυσαν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ τῆς ἑβδομάδος συνεπεράνθη κύκλος καὶ ἧκε πάλιν τῆς δεσποτικῆς ἑορτῆς ἡ ἡμέρα, αὖθις αὐτὸν ὁ μέγας Φλαβιανὸς μετεπέμπετο τῆς πανηγύρεως κοινωνῆσαι σφίσι παρακαλῶν. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἀφικομένους· "Οὐκ ἀπόχρη ὑμῖν, ἔφη, τὰ ἤδη γεγενημένα, ἀλλὰ πάλιν με βούλεσθε προβαλέσθαι πρεσβύτερον;" Τῶν δὲ λεγόντων ὡς οὐ δυνατὸν ἑνὶ δὶς τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπιτεθῆναι χειροτονίαν, οὐκ εἶξεν οὐδὲ ἀφίκετο ἕως αὐτὸν ὁ χρόνος καὶ οἱ συνήθεις τοῦτο πολλάκις ἐδίδαξαν. 13.5 Οἶδα μὲν οὖν ὡς οὐ πολλοῖς τοῦτο ἀξιάγαστον εἶναι τὸ διήγημα δόξει· τέθηκα δὲ αὐτὸ ἀξιομνημόνευτον εἶναι νομίζων ὡς ἱκανὸν τεκμηριῶσαι καὶ διανοίας ἁπλότητα καὶ ψυχῆς καθαρότητα. Τοῖς δὲ τοιούτοις ὁ δεσπότης τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν ὑπέσχετο βασιλείαν· "Ἀμὴν γάρ, ἔφη, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ στραφέντες γένησθε ὡς τὰ παιδία ταῦτα, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν". Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἐν κεφαλαίῳ καὶ τὸν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐδείξαμεν χαρακτῆρα, φέρε καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς αὐτοῦ δείξωμεν παρρησίαν. 13.6 Στρατηγός τις κυνηγεσίοις χαίρων θηρεύσων εἰς τὸ ὄρος ἀνῆλθεν· εἵποντο δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ κύνες καὶ στρατιῶται καὶ ὅσα εἰς θήραν ἐστὶν ἐπιτήδεια. Ὡς δὲ πόρρωθεν εἶδε τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ παρὰ τῶν συνόντων ἔμαθεν ὅστις εἴη, εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἵππου καταπηδήσας, προσῆλθέ τε καὶ προσεῖπε καὶ ἤρετο τί ποιῶν ἐνταῦθα διάγοι. Ὁ δὲ ἀντήρετο· "Σὺ δὲ τί ποιήσων ἐνταῦθα ἀνελήλυθας;" Εἰρηκότος δὲ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ὅτι θηρεῦσαι· "Κἀγώ, ἔφη, τὸν ἐμὸν θηρεύω θεὸν καὶ λαβεῖν ἐφίεμαι καὶ θεωρῆσαι ποθῶ καὶ τῆς καλῆς ταύτης οὐκ ἀφέξομαι θήρας". Τούτων ἀκούσας ὁ στρατηγὸς καὶ θαυμάσας, ὡς εἰκός, ἀπελήλυθεν. 13.7 Ἄλλοτε δὲ τῆς πόλεως ὑπό τινος πονηροῦ δαίμονος βακχευθείσης καὶ τῇ μανίᾳ κατὰ τῶν βασιλικῶν χρησαμένης στηλῶν ἀφίκοντο μὲν οἱ ἄριστοι τῶν στρατηγῶν πανωλεθρίας ψῆφον κατὰ τῆς πόλεως φέροντες· καταβὰς δὲ οὗτος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους ἄμφω κατέσχε κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν παριόντας τοὺς στρατηγούς. Οἱ δὲ τίς εἴη μεμαθηκότες κατεπήδησάν τε ἀπὸ τῶν ἵππων καὶ χειρῶν ἥπτοντο καὶ γονάτων καὶ σωτηρίαν ἐπήγγελον. Ὁ δὲ φάναι τῷ βασιλεῖ παρηγγύα ὅτι ἄνθρωπος εἴη καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχοι φύσιν τοῖς ὑβρικόσι· καὶ τῇ φύσει μετρεῖν τὴν ὀργὴν δέον, ἀμέτρῳ κέχρηται τῷ θυμῷ καὶ τῶν εἰκόνων εἵνεκα τῶν οἰκείων τὰς θείας εἰκόνας σφαγῇ παραδίδωσι καὶ ἀντὶ χαλκῶν στηλῶν σώματα παραπέμπει θανάτῳ· "Καὶ ἡμῖν μέν, ἔφη, τὰς χαλκᾶς ἀναπλάσαι τε καὶ ἀναμορφῶσαι ῥᾴδιόν τε καὶ εὐπετές· σοὶ δὲ καὶ βασιλεῖ ὄντι ἀδύνατον τὰ κατασφαγέντα σώματα ἐπαναγαγεῖν εἰς ζωήν. Καὶ τί λέγω σώματα; οὐδὲ γὰρ τρίχα μίαν σοι δυνατὸν διαπλάσαι". Ταῦτα τῇ σύρᾳ κεχρημένος ἔλεγε γλώττῃ· οἱ δὲ τοῦ ἑρμηνέως εἰς τὴν ἑλλάδα φωνὴν μεταφέροντος, ἐπήκουόν τε καὶ ἔφριττον καὶ διαπορθμεύειν αὐτὰ ἐπηγγέλλοντο τῷ βασιλεῖ. 13.8 Ἐγὼ δὲ νομίζω πάντας ἂν ὁμολογῆσαι τῆς τοῦ θείου πνεύματος εἶναι ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα χάριτος. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν ἄλλως ταῦτα ἐφθέγξατο ἀνὴρ παιδείας μὲν ἁπάσης