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to have said these things to him: 'It is not a hard thing, nor worthy of grief, O Didymus, that you lack eyes, which lizards and mice and the most insignificant animals possess; but it is blessed and a thing of grace that you have eyes like the angels, by which you clearly perceive the divine and accurately see the true knowledge.' 3.15.6 Moreover, among the Italians and those living in this subject territory, Eusebius and the aforementioned Hilary were distinguished for their excellence in the ancestral doctrines, of whom they say that esteemed treatises concerning the faith and against the heretics are in circulation, and Lucifer, whom they say became the founder of the heresy of the same name. 3.15.7 At this time also Aetius was admired by the heretics, being a certain dialectician and skilled in syllogistic reasoning and having devoted himself to verbal contentions and simply pursuing these things. Indeed, since he discoursed so easily about 3.15.8 God, he was called an atheist by the majority. They say that he was at first a physician in Syrian Antioch, and by diligently frequenting the churches and discoursing on the sacred scriptures he became known to Gallus, who was Caesar at that time, who made much account of religion and greatly delighted in those who cared for piety; and that, as is likely, having become a friend to him on the pretext of such discussions, he practiced this type of discourse, in order to be more pleasing. For it was said that he had also come through the studies of Aristotle and had attended their teachers in Alexandria. 3.15. And besides these there were a multitude of others in the churches, capable of teaching and discoursing on the sacred scriptures; but to enumerate them all 3.15.10 is a task. Let it not seem troublesome to anyone that I have praised some who became either leaders or adherents of the aforementioned heresies; for I agree that they were admirable on account of their eloquence and their skill in discourse, but concerning their doctrines, let those judge for whom it is lawful to do this; for I have not proposed to write these things, nor is it fitting for history, whose task is only to relate what has happened, introducing nothing of its own. As many, then, of those whom we have received, who at that time, using the Greek and Roman tongue, became most famous for learning and letters, let them be placed among those who have been mentioned. 3.16.1 Ephraim the Syrian seemed to surpass all in reputation and to adorn the universal church in the highest degree; who traced his lineage from Nisibis or the regions thereabouts, and having trained his life in monastic philosophy, though neither having learned nor been expected to be such, suddenly advanced so far in learning in the Syrian language, that he attained the highest theorems of philosophy, and in fluency and splendor of speech and in the density and soundness of his thoughts surpassed the most esteemed writers among the Greeks. 3.16.2 Thus, if someone should translate the writings of some into the Syrian or another language and take away the seasoning, so to speak, of the Greek idioms, he is immediately exposed and flows away from his former grace; but it is not so with the discourses of Ephraim. For both while he was still alive and even now, they translate what he wrote into the Greek language, and it falls not far short of the excellence which it naturally has; but even when read in Greek, he is admired as much as when he is Syrian. 3.16.3 Indeed, Basil, who afterwards was bishop of the metropolis of Cappadocia, was delighted with the man and admired his learning; so that it seems just to me that Ephraim carried off this testimony in common from those who were then admired among the Greeks for their eloquence, a testimony borne by the voice of Basil, who is acknowledged to have become the most learned of all his contemporaries. 3.16.4 It is said that he wrote in all about three million verses, and that he had many disciples who zealously emulated his teaching, the most notable being Abbas and Zenobius, and Abraham and Maras and Simeon, in whom the children of the Syrians and as many as have perfected the learning among them take great pride. Likewise they praise Paulonas and Aranad for their eloquence; but they say that they erred from the sound doctrines.

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τάδε πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν· «οὐ χαλεπὸν οὐδὲ λύπης ἄξιον, ὦ ∆ίδυμε, ὀφθαλμῶν ἀπορεῖν σε, ὧν μέτεστι σαύραις καὶ μυσὶ καὶ τοῖς εὐτελέσι ζῴοις· μακάριον δὲ καὶ χάριεν, ὅτι παραπλησίως ἀγγέλοις τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχεις, δι' ὧν τὸ θεῖον τρανῶς κατανοεῖς καὶ τὴν ἀληθῆ γνῶσιν ἀκριβῶς ὁρᾷς.» 3.15.6 Οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ ᾿Ιταλοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἀνὰ τόδε τὸ ὑπήκοον οἰκοῦσιν ἐπὶ ἀρετῇ πατρίων λόγων διέπρεπον Εὐσέβιος καὶ ῾Ιλάριος ὁ δηλωθείς, οὗ περὶ πίστεως καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἑτεροδόξους φασὶν εὐδοκίμους φέρεσθαι λόγους, καὶ Λουκίφερ, ὃν εὑρετὴν γενέσθαι λέγουσι τῆς ὁμωνύμου αἱρέσεως. 3.15.7 ᾿Εν τούτῳ δὲ καὶ ᾿Αέτιος πρὸς τῶν ἑτεροδόξων ἐθαυμάζετο, διαλεκ-τικός τις ὢν καὶ συλλογίζεσθαι ἱκανὸς καὶ περὶ τὰς ἔριδας τῶν λόγων ἐσχολακὼς καὶ ἀτεχνῶς ταῦτα σπουδάζων. ἀμέλει τοι ὡς ῥᾳδίως περὶ 3.15.8 θεοῦ διαλεγόμενος ἄθεος παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν ὠνομάζετο. φασὶ δὲ αὐτὸν ἰατρὸν ὄντα τὰ πρῶτα ἐν ᾿Αντιοχείᾳ τῇ Σύρων, σπουδαίως δὲ ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις φοιτῶντα καὶ περὶ τῶν ἱερῶν γραφῶν διαλεγόμενον γνώριμον γενέσθαι Γάλλῳ, Καίσαρι ὄντι τότε, πολὺν ποιουμένῳ λόγον τῆς θρησκείας καὶ τοῖς εὐσεβείας ἐπιμελουμένοις εἰσάγαν χαίροντι· ὡς δὲ εἰκὸς προφάσει τοιούτων διαλέξεων φίλον αὐτῷ γενόμενον ἀσκηθῆναι τοῦτο τὸ εἶδος τῶν λόγων, ἵνα μᾶλλον ἀρέσκοι. ἐλέγετο γὰρ καὶ διὰ τῶν ᾿Αριστοτέλους μαθημάτων ἐλθεῖν καὶ ἐν ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ φοιτῆσαι τοῖς τούτων διδασκάλοις. 3.15. Καὶ ἕτεροι δὲ παρὰ τούτους πλῆθος ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἦσαν, ἱκανοὶ διδάσκειν καὶ διαλέγεσθαι περὶ τῶν ἱερῶν γραφῶν· ἀπαριθμήσασθαι δὲ πάν3.15.10 τας ἔργον. μή τῳ δὲ χαλεπὸν εἶναι δόξῃ, ὅτι τινὰς τῶν εἰρημένων αἱρέσεων ἢ ἀρχηγοὺς ἢ σπουδαστὰς γενομένους ἐπαινέσας ἔχω· εὐγλωττίας γὰρ ἕνεκεν καὶ τῆς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις δεινότητος θαυμασίους εἶναι σύμφημι, δογμάτων δὲ πέρι κρινέτωσαν οἷς τοῦτο ποιεῖν θέμις· οὐ γὰρ τάδε συγγράφειν προὐθέμην οὔτε ἱστορίᾳ πρέπον, ᾗ ἔργον μόνα τὰ ὄντα ἀφηγεῖσθαι μηδὲν οἰκεῖον ἐπεισαγούσῃ. ὅσοι μὲν δὴ τότε ὧν παρειλήφαμεν τῇ ῾Ελλήνων καὶ ῾Ρωμαίων φωνῇ κεχρημένοι ἐπὶ παιδεύσει καὶ λόγοις ἐνδοξότατοι ἐγένοντο, ἐν τοῖς εἰρημένοις τετάχθων. 3.16.1 ᾿Εῴκει δὲ πάντας παρευδοκιμεῖν καὶ ἐς τὰ μάλιστα τὴν καθόλου ἐκκλησίαν σεμνύνειν ᾿Εφραὶμ ὁ Σύρος· ὃς ἐκ Νισίβεως ἢ τῶν τῇδε χωρίων τὸ γένος εἶχεν, ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ δὲ μοναστικῇ τὸν βίον ἐξασκήσας, οὔτε μαθὼν οὔτε προσδοκηθεὶς τοιοῦτος εἶναι, ἐξαπίνης ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον παιδείας κατὰ τὴν Σύρων φωνὴν ἐπέδωκεν, ὡς φιλοσοφίας μὲν τῶν ἄκρων ἐφικέσθαι θεωρημάτων, εὐκολίᾳ δὲ καὶ λαμπρότητι λόγου καὶ τῷ πυκνῷ καὶ σώφρονι τῶν νοημάτων ὑπερβαλέσθαι τοὺς παρ' ῞Ελλησιν εὐδοκιμωτάτους συγγραφέας. 3.16.2 οὕτω γοῦν τῶν μὲν εἴ τις πρὸς τὴν Σύρων ἢ ἑτέραν γλῶσσαν μεταβάλλοι τὰ γράμματα καὶ τὴν καρυκείαν, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἀφέλοιτο τῶν ῾Ελληνικῶν γλωττισμάτων, αὐτίκα φωρᾶται καὶ τῆς προτέρας ἀπορρεῖ χάριτος· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ᾿Εφραὶμ λόγων οὐχ οὕτως. περιόντος τε γὰρ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰσέτι νῦν ἃ συνεγράψατο πρὸς ῾Ελληνίδα φωνὴν ἑρμηνεύουσι, καὶ οὐ πολὺ ἀποδεῖ τῆς ἐν ᾧ πέφυκεν ἀρετῆς· ἀλλὰ καὶ ῞Ελλην ἀναγινωσκόμενος ἐπίσης τῷ Σύρος 3.16.3 εἶναι θαυμάζεται. ἀμέλει τοι καὶ Βασίλειος ὁ τὴν Καππαδοκῶν μητρόπολιν μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπισκοπήσας ἠγάσθη τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τῆς παιδεύσεως ἐθαύμασεν· ὥστε μοι δικαίως καταφαίνεται κοινῇ παρὰ τῶν τότε παρ' ῞Ελλησιν ἐπὶ λόγοις θαυμαζομένων ταύτην τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἀπενέγκασθαι τὸν ᾿Εφραὶμ διὰ τῆς Βασιλείου φωνῆς ἐξενεχθεῖσαν, ὃς τῶν κατ' αὐτὸν πάντων ἐλλογιμώτερος γεγενῆσθαι συνωμολόγηται. 3.16.4 Λέγεται δὲ τὰς πάσας ἀμφὶ τὰς τριακοσίας μυριάδας ἐπῶν συγγράψαι, καὶ μαθητὰς ἐσχηκέναι πολλοὺς σπουδῇ τὴν αὐτοῦ παίδευσιν ζηλώσαντας, ἐπισημοτάτους δὲ ᾿Αββᾶν καὶ Ζηνόβιον, ᾿Αβραάμ τε καὶ Μαρᾶν καὶ Συμε-ῶνα, ἐφ' οἷς μεγαλαυχοῦσιν οἱ Σύρων παῖδες καὶ ὅσοι τὴν παρ' αὐτοῖς παιδείαν ἠκρίβωσαν. ἐπίσης δὲ Παυλωνᾶν καὶ ᾿Αρανὰδ ἐπαινοῦσιν ἐπὶ εὐγλωττίᾳ· φασὶ δὲ τῶν ὑγιῶν δογμάτων διαμαρτεῖν αὐτούς.