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in fear they entered the church, dissembling for the occasion, since the law also prescribed that the men's books should be investigated, and they were caught pursuing forbidden evil arts, for which reason they did everything with dissimulation, securing their salvation, while others, perhaps with a true conviction, deserted to the hope of the better. 3.66.2 The presidents of the churches, making a distinction among these with exactness, kept those who tried to approach deceitfully far from the flock of God, like wolves hidden in sheep's fleeces, but those doing this with a pure soul, they tested over time and after 3.66.3 sufficient trial, enrolled them in the multitude of those being brought in. These things, then, were done in the case of the ill-reputed heretics. But those who bore nothing impious in the teaching of their doctrines, but were otherwise separated from the common assembly on account of schismatic men, they received without delay. And they, returning in droves as if from a colony, regained their own fatherland, and recognized their mother, the church, from which they had long been straying, they made their return to her with gladness and joy. And the members of the common body were united and joined together in one harmony, and only the catholic church of God, gathered into itself, shone forth, with no heretical or schismatic system left anywhere on earth. And for this great achievement alone, the emperor, beloved of God, alone of all who ever were, claimed the credit. 4.t.1 BOOK 4 4.1.1 While the emperor was doing such things for the building up and glory of the church of God, and accomplishing everything for the good report of the Savior's teaching, he did not neglect external affairs either, and in these too he continually bestowed successive and continuous benefactions of all kinds upon all who dwelt in every nation, on the one hand showing a common fatherly care for all, on the other hand honoring each of those known to him with various dignities, and bestowing all things on all people with a magnanimous disposition. Nor was it possible for one asking a favor from the emperor to miss his aim, nor did anyone who hoped to receive good things fail of what was expected, 4.1.2 but some obtained an abundance of money, others of possessions, others praefectural offices, others the honor of the senate, others that of the consuls. And many were appointed governors, and of the counts, some were deemed worthy of the first rank, others of the second, and others of the third. And countless others likewise partook of the most distinguished and very many other dignities. For the emperor devised different ranks in order to honor more people. 4.2.1 And how he also prepared the common mass of men to be of good cheer, one might see from a single example, beneficial to life and known to all even now. Having removed the fourth part of the annual taxes levied on the land, he gifted this to the owners of the fields, so that to one calculating the annual remission, it came to pass that every four years the owners of the fields became tax-exempt. This, being confirmed by law, prevailed also for the time to come, not only for those then present, but also for their children and their successors, and provided the emperor's favor as something unforgotten and everlasting. And when others found fault with the land surveys of the previous rulers, alleging that their land had been overburdened, again in this matter too he sent out men by a decree of justice as equalizers, who would provide indemnity to those who requested it. When the emperor judged other cases, so that the party who lost before him might depart rejoicing no less than the one who won, he would give to the defeated from his own resources, sometimes property, sometimes money, causing the defeated to rejoice equally with the victor, as if they had been deemed worthy of his presence; for it was not otherwise permitted for one who had stood before so great an emperor to depart downcast and sorrowful. And so, both would leave the judgment with bright and smiling faces. And amazement at the emperor's magnanimity seized everyone. But why must I make it a digression of my account, how the barbarian

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φόβῳ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ὑπεδύοντο, τὸν καιρὸν κατειρωνευόμενοι, ἐπεὶ καὶ διερευνᾶσθαι τῶν ἀνδρῶν τὰς βίβλους διηγόρευεν ὁ νόμος, ἡλίσκοντό τ' ἀπειρημένας κακοτεχνίας μετιόντες, οὗ δὴ χάριν πάντ' ἔπραττον εἰρωνείᾳ τὴν σωτηρίαν ποριζόμενοι, οἱ δὲ καὶ σὺν ἀληθεῖ τάχα που λογισμῷ ηὐτομόλουν ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ 3.66.2 κρείττονος ἐλπίδα. τούτων δὲ τὴν διάκρισιν οἱ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν πρόεδροι σὺν ἀκριβείᾳ ποιούμενοι, τοὺς μὲν ἐπιπλάστως προσιέναι πειρωμένους μακρὰν εἶργον τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ποίμνης οἷα λύκους κωδίοις ἐγκρυπτομένους προβάτων, τοὺς δὲ ψυχῇ καθαρᾷ τοῦτο πράττοντας δοκιμάζοντες χρόνῳ μετὰ τὴν 3.66.3 αὐτάρκη διάπειραν τῷ πλήθει τῶν εἰσαγομένων κατέλεγον. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τῶν δυσφήμων ἑτεροδόξων ἐπράττετο. τοὺς δέ γε μηδὲν δυσσεβὲς ἐν δογμάτων διδασκαλίᾳ φέροντας, ἄλλως δὲ τῆς κοινῆς ὁμηγύρεως ἀνδρῶν σχισματικῶν αἰτίᾳ διεστῶτας ἀμελλήτως εἰσεδέχοντο. οἱ δ' ἀγεληδὸν ὥσπερ ἐξ ἀποικίας ἐπανιόντες τὴν αὐτῶν ἀπελάμβανον πατρίδα, καὶ τὴν μητέρα, τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἐπεγίνωσκον, ἧς ἀποπλανηθέντες χρόνιοι σὺν εὐφροσύνῃ καὶ χαρᾷ τὴν εἰς αὐτὴν ἐπάνοδον ἐποιοῦντο, ἡνοῦτό τε τὰ τοῦ κοινοῦ σώματος μέλη καὶ ἁρμονίᾳ συνήπτετο μιᾷ, μόνη τε ἡ καθολικὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησία εἰς ἑαυτὴν συνεστραμμένη διέλαμπε, μηδαμοῦ γῆς αἱρετικοῦ συστήματος μηδὲ σχισματικοῦ λειπομένου. καὶ τούτου δὲ μόνου τοῦ μεγάλου κατορθώματος μόνος τῶν πώποτε τὴν αἰτίαν ὁ τῷ θεῷ μεμελημένος βασιλεὺς ἐπεγράφετο. 4.t.1 ΛΟΓΟΣ ∆ 4.1.1 Τοσαῦτα πράττων βασιλεὺς ἐπ' οἰκοδομῇ καὶ εὐδοξίᾳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ θεοῦ, πάντα τε πρὸς εὔφημον ἀκοὴν τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος διδασκαλίας ἐκτελῶν, οὐδὲ τῶν ἐκτὸς κατωλιγώρει πραγμάτων, κἀν τούτοις δ' ἐπαλλήλους καὶ συνεχεῖς ὁμοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς κατ' ἔθνος οἰκοῦσι παντοίας διετέλει παρέχων εὐεργεσίας, ὧδε μὲν κοινὴν πρὸς ἅπαντας ἐνδεικνύμενος πατρικὴν κηδεμονίαν, ὧδε δὲ τῶν αὐτῷ γνωριζομένων ἕκαστον διαφόροις τιμῶν ἀξιώμασι, πάντα τε τοῖς πᾶσι μεγαλοψύχῳ διανοίᾳ δωρούμενος, οὐδ' ἦν σκοποῦ διαμαρτεῖν τὸν παρὰ βασιλέως χάριν αἰτοῦντα, οὐδέ τις ἐλπίσας ἀγαθῶν τυχεῖν τοῦ 4.1.2 προσδοκηθέντος ἠστόχησεν, ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν χρημάτων, οἱ δὲ κτημάτων περιουσίας ἐτύγχανον, ἄλλοι ὑπαρχικῶν ἀξιωμάτων, οἱ δὲ συγκλήτου τιμῆς, οἱ δὲ τῆς τῶν ὑπάτων, πλείους δ' ἡγεμόνες ἐχρημάτιζον, κομήτων δ' οἱ μὲν πρώτου τάγματος ἠξιοῦντο, οἱ δὲ δευτέρου, οἱ δὲ τρίτου, διασημοτάτων θ' ὡσαύτως καὶ ἑτέρων πλείστων ἄλλων ἀξιωμάτων μυρίοι ἄλλοι μετεῖχον· εἰς γὰρ τὸ πλείονας τιμᾶν διαφόρους ἐπενόει βασιλεὺς ἀξίας. 4.2.1 Ὅπως δὲ καὶ τὸ κοινὸν τῶν ἀνθρώπων εὐθυμεῖσθαι παρεσκεύαζε, σκοπήσειεν ἄν τις ἐξ ἑνὸς βιωφελοῦς καὶ διὰ πάντων ἐλθόντος εἰσέτι νῦν γνωριζομένου παραδείγματος. τῶν κατ' ἔτος εἰσφορῶν τῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς χώρας συντελουμένων τὴν τετάρτην ἀφελὼν μοῖραν, τοῖς τῶν ἀγρῶν δεσπόταις ἐδωρεῖτο ταύτην, ὡς τῷ λογιζομένῳ τὴν κατ' ἔτος ἀφαίρεσιν διὰ τεττάρων συμβαίνειν ἐνιαυτῶν ἀνεισφόρους γίγνεσθαι τοὺς τῶν ἀγρῶν κτήτορας. ὃ δὴ νόμῳ κυρωθὲν κρατῆσάν τε καὶ εἰς τὸν μετέπειτα χρόνον οὐ τοῖς παροῦσι μόνοις, καὶ παισὶν αὐτῶν διαδόχοις τε τοῖς τούτων ἄληστον καὶ διαιωνίζουσαν παρεῖχε τὴν βασιλέως χάριν. ἐπεὶ δ' ἕτεροι τὰς τῶν πρότερον κρατούντων τῆς γῆς καταμετρήσεις κατεμέμφοντο, βεβαρῆσθαι σφῶν τὴν χώραν καταιτιώμενοι, πάλιν κἀνταῦθα θεσμῷ δικαιοσύνης ἄνδρας ἐξισωτὰς κατέπεμπε τοὺς τὸ ἀζήμιον τοῖς δεηθεῖσι παρέξοντας. ἄλλοις δικάσας βασιλεύς, ὡς ἂν μὴ τὸ ληφθὲν παρ' αὐτῷ μέρος ἧττον ἀπαλλάττοιτο χαῖρον τοῦ νενικηκότος, ἐξ οἰκείων ἐδωρεῖτο τοῖς νενικημένοις ἄρτι μὲν κτήματα ἄρτι δὲ χρήματα, τοῦ κρατήσαντος δίκην ἐξ ἴσου χαίρειν τὸν ἡττηθέντα παρασκευάζων ὡς ἂν τῆς αὐτοῦ θέας ἀξιωθέντα· μὴ γὰρ ἐξεῖναι ἄλλως τοσούτῳ βασιλεῖ παραστάντα κατηφῆ τινα καὶ λυπηρὸν ἀπαλλάττεσθαι. οὕτω δ' οὖν ἄμφω φαιδροῖς καὶ μειδιῶσι προσώποις ἀνέλυον τῆς δίκης. θαῦμα δ' ἐκράτει τοὺς πάντας τῆς βασιλέως μεγαλονοίας. Τί δέ με χρὴ λόγου πάρεργον ποιεῖσθαι, ὡς τὰ βάρβαρα