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they were doing what was commanded; but many, doing what was customary, offered worship as if to one of the other idols; and there were those who, in fear of the pyre, gave up their souls, and being pricked by their conscience, transferred divine worship to the image. But those noble men, Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, nurtured by the law, heirs of the Abrahamic faith, athletes of piety, forerunners of grace, champions of the faith, slaves in their bodies, but free in their minds, captives, and yet higher in their souls than kings, not only did not willingly worship the image, but also when they were accused, for not having done what was commanded, they offer no defense at all, but openly forbid the worship, and cry out with a loud voice: “There is a God in heaven, whom we serve, who is able to rescue us from the burning fiery furnace, and from your hands, O king, he will rescue us. And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor do we worship the golden image that you have set up.” For we do not serve the one who made us for a wage, nor do we purchase our salvation with piety, nor do we desire to attain life by any means; but we cherish the will of the Master; and if he delivers us from terrible things, we give thanks; and if he allows us to fall into them, we worship. For that he is able to make us stronger than the threatened punishments, we know clearly and in no way doubt; but whether he also wills it, we do not know. For the abyss of divine Providence is unreachable. Therefore, do not delay, but send us to the prepared punishments; for death with piety is sweeter to us than life with impiety. 83.713 So they said these things, and he did not delay, but sent the youths bound into the furnace. And the fire loosened the iron bond, but preserved the flammable nature of their hair; it could not bear to touch the food given to it, but it fled, and turned its back, and went against its own worshipers, but kept the servants of God unharmed. And a new and paradoxical wonder occurred. For those who were in the midst of the pyre, and walking upon coals, did not experience the flame; but those standing around outside, and supplying the food for the furnace, became food for the fire. And the ones were crying out as they were being burned, while the others within were singing hymns and dancing, and they called all of creation into fellowship with their hymnody, and they commanded the elements worshiped by the foolish to praise the benefactor. And so great was the power of that miraculous work, that the arrogant and raving tyrant himself ran to them, and worshiped those who had refused to worship the image, and he sent letters to all his subjects, to honor their God. Thus the great Daniel, having endured the same misfortune as these men, and having been captured by the spear, and forced to live among barbarians, accurately kept the law of his fathers, and living according to it, he kept his soul pure and unadulterated, and he sent forth such a radiance of virtue, as to astonish even the beastly tyrant with such flashes of lightning; and first to make plain the unknown dreams, and then to explain what was needful, and to point out and advise what would be advantageous. And why must I tell of all the brilliant things done by him? How the king forbade praying and supplicating God; and how this man, who previously prayed according to the law and did so in secret, when the impious law was established, continued to entreat God openly, mocking the law and despising the lawgiver. How he was delivered to the lions; how he struck even them with awe with the rays of his piety, and bound them as if with some muzzles by the marks of the divine image

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κελευόμενον ἐποίουν· πολλοὶ δὲ τὰ συν ήθη δρῶντες, ὡς ἑνὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἰδώλων τὸ σέβας προσέφερον· ἦσαν δὲ, οἳ φόβῳ τῆς πυρᾶς προΐεντο τὰς ψυχὰς, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ συνειδότος κεντούμενοι, τὸ θεῖον σέβας ἐπὶ τὴν εἰκόνα μετέφερον. Οἱ δὲ γεννά δαι ἐκεῖνοι, Ἀνανίας, Ἀζαρίας, καὶ Μισαὴλ, οἱ τοῦ νόμου τρόφιμοι, οἱ τῆς Ἀβραμιαίας πίστεως κληρο νόμοι, οἱ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀθληταὶ, οἱ τῆς χάριτος πρόδρομοι, οἱ τῆς πίστεως πρόμαχοι, οἱ δοῦλοι τὰ σώματα, καὶ τὰ φρονήματα ἐλεύθεροι, οἱ αἰχμάλω τοι, καὶ βασιλέων τὰς ψυχὰς ὑψηλότεροι, οὐ μόνον ἑκόντες οὐ προσεκύνησαν τῇ εἰκόνι, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατ ηγορηθέντες, ἅτε δὴ τὸ κελευσθὲν οὐ ποιήσαντες, ἀπολογίαν μὲν οὐδεμίαν προσφέρουσιν, ἄντικρυς δὲ ἀπαγορεύουσι τὴν προσκύνησιν, καὶ μεγάλῃ βοῶσι φωνῇ· «Ἔστι Θεὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ, ᾧ ἡμεῖς λατρεύομεν, ὃς δύναται ῥύσασθαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς καμίνου τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς καιομένης, καὶ ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν σου, βασιλεῦ, ῥύσεται ἡμᾶς. Καὶ ἐὰν μὴ, γνωστὸν ἔστω σοι, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ὅτι τοῖς θεοῖς σου οὐ λατρεύομεν, καὶ τῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ, ᾗ ἔστησας, οὐ προσκυνοῦμεν.» Οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ μισθῷ τῷ πεποιηκότι δουλεύομεν, οὐδὲ τῇ εὐ σεβείᾳ τὴν σωτηρίαν ὠνούμεθα, οὐδὲ ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου ζωῆς τυχεῖν ἐφιέμεθα· ἀλλὰ στέργομεν τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὸ βούλημα· κἂν ἀπαλλάξῃ τῶν δεινῶν, χάριν ὁμολογοῦ μεν· κἂν τούτοις περιπεσεῖν συγχωρήσῃ, προσκυ νοῦμεν. Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ δύναται κρείττους ἡμᾶς ἀπο φῆναι τῶν ἀπειλουμένων τιμωριῶν, ἴσμεν σαφῶς καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἀμφιβάλλομεν· εἰ δὲ καὶ βούλεται, ἀγνοοῦμεν. Ἀνέφικτος γὰρ ὁ τῆς θείας Προμηθείας βυθός. Μὴ τοίνυν μέλλε, ἀλλὰ ταῖς ηὐτρεπισμέ ναις παράπεμπε τιμωρίαις· ἡδίων μὲν γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ μετ' εὐσεβείας θάνατος, τῆς σὺν ἀσεβείᾳ ζωῆς. 83.713 Οἱ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα ἔλεγον, ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἔμελλεν, ἀλλὰ τῇ καμίνῳ τοὺς νεανίας πεπεδημένους παρέπεμπε. Τὸ δὲ πῦρ ἔλυσε μὲν τὸν ἐκ σιδήρου δεσμὸν, τὴν εὐέμπρηστον δὲ τῶν τριχῶν ἐφύ λαξε φύσιν· ἅψασθαι δὲ τῆς δοθείσης οὐκ ἠνέσχετο τροφῆς, ἔφυγε δὲ, καὶ τὰ νῶτα δέδωκε, καὶ κατὰ τῶν οἰκείων ἐχώρει προσκυνητῶν, τοὺς δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ θεράποντας ἀκηράτους ἐφύλαττε. Καὶ καινὸν καὶ παράδοξον ἐγένετο θαῦμα. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐν μέσῳ τῆς πυρᾶς ὄντες, καὶ ἐπ' ἀνθράκων βαδίζοντες, πεῖραν τῆς φλογὸς οὐκ ἐλάμβανον· οἱ δὲ περιεστῶ τες ἔξωθεν, καὶ τῇ καμίνῳ τὴν τροφὴν χορηγοῦντες, τροφὴ τοῦ πυρὸς ἐγίνοντο. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀνῴμωζον ἐμπιπράμενοι, οἱ δὲ ἔνδον ὑμνοῦντες ἐχόρευον, καὶ τὴν κτίσιν ἅπασαν εἰς κοινωνίαν τῆς ὑμνῳδίας ἐκά λουν, καὶ τοῖς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνοήτων προσκυνουμένοις στοιχείοις ὑμνεῖν τὸν εὐεργέτην ἐκέλευον. Τοσαύτη δὲ ἦν τῆς θαυματουργίας ἐκείνης ἡ δύναμις, ὡς αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον δραμεῖν παρ' αὐτοὺς τὸν ἀλαζόνα καὶ μεμηνότα τύραννον, καὶ προσκυνῆσαι τοὺς τὴν τῆς εἰκόνος παραιτησαμένους προσκύνησιν, καὶ πᾶσιν ἐπιστεῖλαι τοῖς ὑπηκόοις, τὸν τούτων γεραίρειν Θεόν. Οὕτως ὁ μέγας ∆ανιὴλ τὴν αὐτὴν τούτοις συμφορὰν ὑπομείνας, καὶ δορυάλωτος γεγονὼς, καὶ μετὰ βαρ βάρων βιοτεύειν ἠναγκασμένος, τὸν πατρῷον ἀκρι βῶς διεφύλαττε νόμον, καὶ κατ' ἐκεῖνον πολιτευόμε νος, καθαρὰν καὶ ἀκίβδηλον ἐφύλαττε τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ τοσαύτην ἠφίει τῆς ἀρετῆς τὴν αἴγλην, ὡς καὶ τὸν θηριώδη τύραννον ταῖς τοιαύταις ἀστραπαῖς κα ταπλῆξαι· καὶ πρῶτον μὲν δήλους τοὺς ἀγνοουμένους ὀνείρους καταστῆσαι, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τὸ δέον εἰσηγήσασθαι, καὶ τὸ συνοίσειν μέλλον ὑποδεῖξαι καὶ παραινέσαι. Καὶ τί δεῖ πάντα λέγειν τὰ ὑπ' ἐκείνου γεγενημένα λαμπρῶς; Ὅπως μὲν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ προσ εύχεσθαι καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετεύειν ἀπηγόρευσεν· ὅπως δὲ οὗτος πρότερον ἐννόμως εὐχόμενος, καὶ κρύβδην τοῦτο ποιῶν, ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ δυσσεβὴς νόμος ἐτέθη, προ φανῶς τὸν Θεὸν ἀντιβολῶν διετέλει, τοῦ νόμου κα ταγελῶν, καὶ τοῦ νομοθέτου καταφρονῶν. Ὅπως παρεδόθη τοῖς λέουσιν· ὅπως κἀκείνους κατέπληξε ταῖς τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀκτῖσι, καὶ οἷόν τισι κημοῖς τοῖς τῆς θείας εἰκόνος χαρακτῆρσιν ἐπέδησεν