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Having outwitted his endurance with such words, I brought him the comfort of reclining. 21.8 And while he was cast upon the ground, I offered pleasant words, turning his soul to what was more cheerful. And putting my hand inside his cloak, I tried to rub his back gently; then I beheld the great weight of iron which bound both his loins and his neck; and other chains from the collar around his neck, two in front and two behind, running crosswise to the lower collar and making the shape of the letter chi, connected the two collars to each other both in front and behind; and his arms also had such bonds around the elbows. Therefore, having seen this burden of many talents, I begged him to relieve his weary body, which was unable to bear at the same time both the voluntary burdens and the involuntary illness. "For now," I said, "O father, the fever does the work of the iron. And when it subsides, then we will again place the labor of the iron on your body." He yielded in this also, charmed by many such incantations. 21.9 But at that time indeed, having been ill for a few days, he easily recovered. But later on, he fell into a more severe illness. And when many people had gathered from all directions to seize his body, the people of the city, having learned of it, all ran together, both soldiers and civilians, some taking up their military gear, others using whatever weapons came to hand; and having formed a company they fought, both shooting arrows and slinging stones, not so as to strike, but only so as to frighten; and thus having driven out the neighbors, placing the five-fold champion on a litter, who was not at all aware of what was happening—for he did not even feel his hair being pulled by the country-folk—they went to the city. 21.10 And having arrived at the prophetic shrine, they laid down the litter in the monastery neighboring it. And someone came to Beroea—for I happened to be there—indicating what had happened and bringing the news of his death. Therefore, having run immediately and having spent the whole night in travel, I found after dawn the divine man, neither speaking nor able to recognize any of those present. But when I spoke to him and said that the great Acacius was addressing him, he immediately opened his eyes and asked how he was and inquired when I had arrived. And when I had answered these things, he again closed his eyes. And when three days had passed, in the evening he asked where he was; and upon learning, he was greatly distressed and asked to be carried back to the mountain immediately. And wishing to care for him in all things, I immediately ordered them to bring the litter and carry him away to the place he longed for. 21.11 Then I saw the freedom from ambition of that head, venerable to me. For on the next day I brought him barley-gruel, having cooled it; for he could not bear to partake of anything hot, having completely renounced the use of fire. And when he did not want to partake, I said, "Grant us all some consideration, O father. For we consider your health a common salvation. For not only are you set before us as a model of benefit, but you also defend us by your prayers and procure for us the divine favor. But if the unfamiliarity wears you out, endure this also," I said, "O father; for this too is a form of philosophy. For just as when you were healthy, desiring food, you conquered the desire with endurance, so now, desiring it not at all, show the endurance of partaking." As I was saying these things, the man of God, Polychronius, was also present, who, striving along with my speech, himself first

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Τοιούτοις λόγοις αὐτοῦ τὴν καρτερίαν κατα σοφισάμενος τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνακλίσεως αὐτῷ παραψυχὴν προσενήνοχα. 21.8 Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ ἐδάφους ἐρριμμένῳ προσέφερον λόγους χαριέντας, ἐπὶ τὸ θυμηρέστερον τὴν ψυχὴν μεταφέρων. Εἴσω δὲ τοῦ ἱματίου τὴν χεῖρα βαλὼν ἐπειρώμην μετρίως ἀποτρίβειν τὰ νῶτα· τότε τὸ πολὺ τοῦ σιδήρου φορτίον ἐθεασάμην ὃ καὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν ἐδέσμει καὶ τὸν αὐχένα· καὶ ἕτεραι δὲ ἀλύσεις ἀπὸ τοῦ περὶ τὸν αὐχένα κύκλου, δύο μὲν ἔμπροσθεν, δύο δὲ ὄπισθεν, εἰς τὸν κάτω κύκλον ἐγκάρσιαι διήκουσαι καὶ τοῦ χῖ στοιχείου τὸ σχῆμα ποιοῦσαι ἔμπροσθέν τε καὶ ὄπισθεν τοὺς δύο κύκλους ἀλλήλοις συνέδεον· καὶ ἑτέρους δὲ αἱ χεῖρες ἔνδον περὶ τοὺς ἀγκῶνας εἶχον τοιούτους δεσμούς. Τὸ πολυτάλαντον οὖν τοῦτο θεασάμενος φορτίον ἱκέτευον ἐπικουρῆσαι τῷ σώματι κάμνοντι καὶ φέρειν οὐ δυναμένῳ κατὰ ταὐτὸν καὶ τὰ ἐθελούσια φορτία καὶ τὴν ἀκούσιον ἀρρωστίαν. "Νῦν μὲν γάρ, ἔφην, ὦ πάτερ, ὁ πυρετὸς τὰ τοῦ σιδήρου ποιεῖ. Ὅταν δὲ οὗτος λωφήσῃ, τηνικαῦτα τῷ σώματι τὸν ἐκ σιδήρου πάλιν ἐπιθήσομεν πόνον." Εἶξε καὶ τοῦτο πολλαῖς τοιαύταις καταθελχθεὶς ἐπῳδαῖς. 21.9 Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν ὀλίγας ἀρρωστήσας ἡμέρας ῥᾳδίως ἐρράϊσεν. Χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον χαλεπωτέρᾳ περιέπεσε νόσῳ. Πολλῶν δὲ πολλαχόθεν συνεληλυθότων ὡς ἁρπασομένων τὸ σῶμα, πυθόμενοι οἱ τοῦ ἄστεως συνέδραμον ἅπαντες καὶ στρατιῶται καὶ ἰδιῶται, οἱ μὲν τὴν πολεμικὴν ἀναλαβόντες σκευήν, οἱ δὲ ὅπλοις τοῖς προστυχοῦσι χρησάμενοι· καὶ συσπειρα θέντες ἐμάχοντο καὶ βέλη ἀφιέντες καὶ λίθους σφενδονῶντες οὐχ ὡς πλήξοντες, ἀλλ' ὡς φοβήσοντες μόνον· καὶ οὕτω τοὺς περιοίκους ἐξελάσαντες, τῇ κλίνῃ τὸν πένταθλον ἀγωνιστὴν ἐπιθέντες, τῶν γιγνομένων οὐδαμῶς αἰσθανόμενον -οὐδὲ γὰρ τῆς κόμης αὐτοῦ τιλλομένης ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγροίκων ἐπῄσθετο-ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ᾔεσαν. 21.10 Εἰς δὲ τὸν προφητικὸν ἀφικόμενοι σηκὸν εἰς τὸ τούτῳ πελάζον φροντιστήριον τὴν κλίνην ἀπέθεντο. Ἧκε δέ τις εἰς τὴν Βέροιαν-ἐκεῖ γὰρ ὢν ἐτύγχανον-τὰ γεγενημένα σημαίνων καὶ τῆς τελευτῆς κομίζων τὴν ἀγγελίαν. Τοιγάρτοι παραυτίκα δραμὼν καὶ τὴν νύκτα πᾶσαν εἰς ὁδοιπορίαν καταναλώσας, κατέλαβον μετὰ τὴν ἕω τὸν θεῖον ἄνθρωπον οὔτε φθεγγόμενον οὔτε τινὰ τῶν παρόντων ἐπιγινώσκειν δυνάμενον. Ὡς δέ γε προσεῖπον καὶ τὸν μέγαν Ἀκάκιον προσφθέγγεσθαι αὐτὸν ἔφην, ἀνέῳξέ τε παραχρῆμα τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ ὅπως ἔχοι ἤρετο καὶ πότε εἴην ἐληλυθὼς ἐπυνθάνετο. Ἐμοῦ δὲ πρὸς ταῦτα ἀπο κριναμένου, πάλιν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔμυσεν. Τριῶν δὲ διελθουσῶν ἡμερῶν ἑσπέρας ἤρετο ὅπου εἴη· μαθὼν δὲ ἤχθετο λίαν καὶ ἠξίου παραυτίκα εἰς τὸ ὄρος ἀποκομίζεσθαι. Θεραπεύειν δὲ αὐτὸν διὰ πάντων ἐθέλων εὐθὺς τὴν κλίνην παρηγγύησα φέρειν καὶ εἰς τὸ ποθούμενον χωρίον ἀποκο μίζειν. 21.11 Τότε τῆς σεβασμίας ἐμοὶ κεφαλῆς τὸ ἀφιλότιμον εἶδον. Τῇ γὰρ ὑστεραίᾳ πτισάνης αὐτῷ χυλὸν προσενήνοχα καταψύξας· θερμοῦ γὰρ οὐδενὸς μεταλαγχάνειν ἠνείχετο, παντελῶς τοῦ πυρὸς τὴν χρείαν ἀπαρνησάμενος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ μεταλαμβάνειν οὐκ ἤθελε· "Πᾶσιν ἡμῖν, ἔφην, ὦ πάτερ, μετάδος φειδοῦς. Κοινὴν γὰρ σωτηρίαν τὴν σὴν ὑγίειαν ἡγούμεθα. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ὠφελείας ἀρχέτυπον πρόκεισαι ἀλλὰ καὶ προσευχόμενος ἐπαμύνεις καὶ τὴν θείαν ἡμῖν εὐμένειαν προξένεις. Εἰ δέ σε ἀποκναίει τὸ ἄηθες, καὶ τοῦτο, ἔφην, ὦ πάτερ, καρτέρησον· εἶδος γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο φιλοσοφίας. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὑγιαίνων τροφῆς ἐφιέμενος ἐνίκας τῇ καρτερίᾳ τὴν ἔφεσιν, οὕτως νῦν ἥκιστα ὀρεγόμενος τὴν τῆς μεταλήψεως καρτερίαν ἐπίδειξαι". Ταῦτά μοι λέγοντι παρῆν καὶ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος Πολυχρόνιος ὃς τῷ λόγῳ συναγωνιζόμενος, αὐτὸς πρῶτος