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having royally convened an assembly on the third day, he is illustriously venerated by the ambassadors. Therefore, while abundant silence reigned in the council, and the emperor had granted freedom of speech to the Persians, the most illustrious of the ambassadors, moistening his speech beforehand with a tear and thereby hunting after the royal pity, began these words. 4.13.4 "If the request were from our dearest friends, thrice-greatest emperor, the occasion would have its appropriateness, the manner its reasonableness, the speech its persuasiveness, the suffering its pity, the subject its justification, the necessity the swiftness of aid, the embassy its reverence, and to speak simply, our sufferings would have as much pity as the 4.13.5 misfortunes it has made its own. But since Persia has been unfortunate in all these things, along with the others, it remains either for philanthropy from your virtue to be poured out upon Chosroes, or for the Medes to overthrow a great empire at the hands of 4.13.6 tyrants. Someone might say, I know well, one of those not initiated into the mysteries of understanding, that it is advantageous for the Roman empire for the Babylonian and our race to go wailing to perdition, having lost its kingdom and power and great strength, and for the Roman power to be left in some unopposed tranquility, wrongly knowing what is not expedient for the 4.13.7 Roman power. For it is not possible for one monarchy anywhere to embrace the infinite cares of the world's order and for all the creation that the sun looks upon to be governed by one rudder of a heart. 4.13.8 For not like the unity of the divine and first sovereignty is it ever possible for the earth also to produce a state contrary to the celestial hierarchy, governed by men who are by nature unstable and in judgment most untrustworthy because of their inclination toward the worse, at different times in different ways 4.13. toward instability. Therefore, even if the Persians should be deposed from power, the power will immediately pass to others; for affairs will not tolerate being without a leader, nor will so great a fortune be without one who mounts it. For just as there will not be thoughts without sleepless cares, so too the greatest sovereignties in the world will not anywhere be orphans of one who will govern. 4.13.10 Or did not the Medes from the Babylonians, and from the Medes the Persians, and after them the Parthians, as if by some sequence of succession, acquire the prosperity of the Chaldeans? But that not by one single pipe breathing a pastoral melody does the whole flock follow, this has become obvious to shepherds and goatherds alike. Something of this sort is wont to happen also in human affairs. 4.13.11 And sufficient to prove this is the frenzied and irrational desire of a certain Macedonian stripling. For Alexander, having become a premature plaything of fortune and being mockingly cheered on by her for a short time, boasted of ruling Europe while attempting to rule the sea, and he loved to hold the scepters of the Babylonians, and he longed for the power of India, and he threatened Libya to obey, and he strove to increase his empire as far as the air is poured, and the rays of the sun's gaze illuminate with flashes 4.13.12 of light. He longed to enslave the world beneath the moon into a single and sole power. But his ambition was extinguished faster than this, along with his authority, and affairs, being divided, again proceeded toward a many-tyrannied sovereignty, so to speak; for it is not in the nature of the harmonious ever to be joined with the discordant. 4.13.13 To what state of happiness, therefore, would affairs turn out for the Romans, if the Persians were stripped of their power, but passed on their tyranny to another race? And what mark of good repute would the Roman race put upon itself, by rejecting a suppliant king, the most illustrious and bravest of all on earth? 4.13.14 Or what acropolis of piety will you have after despising the unfortunate? And when, O emperor, taking up the contests for justice, will you move arms to war, when you are surely lacking this cause? And when for you will the beauty of your religion be adorned, if not

βασιλικῶς ἐκκλησίαν τρίτῃ συγκροτήσας ἡμέρᾳ ἐπιφανῶς προσκυνεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν πρέσβεων. σιωπῆς τοίνυν δαψιλευομένης τῷ συνεδρίῳ, καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἄδειαν λόγων ἐκθέσεως ἀποδεδωκότος τοῖς Πέρσαις, ὁ τῶν πρέσβεων ἐπιφανέστερος προπιαίνων τῷ δακρύῳ τὸν λόγον κἀντεῦθεν τοὺς βασιλικοὺς οἰκτειρμοὺς ἀποθηρώμενος τῶνδε τῶν λόγων ἀπήρξατο. 4.13.4 "Εἰ μὲν παρὰ τῶν προσφιλεστάτων ἦν ἡ ἀξίωσις, τρισμέγιστε βασιλεῦ, εἶχεν ἂν τὸ μὲν πρόσφορον ὁ καιρός, ὁ δὲ τρόπος τὸ εὔλογον, ὁ δὲ λόγος τὸ πείθειν, τὸ πάθος τὸν ἔλεον, τὴν πρόφασιν ἡ ὑπόθεσις, ἡ ἀνάγκη τὸ τῆς ἐπικουρίας ὀξύρροπον, τὸ δ' αἰδέσιμον ἡ πρεσβεία, καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν, τοσούτους εἶχον τοὺς οἰκτειρμοὺς τὰ παθήματα, ὁπόσας καὶ 4.13.5 τὰς συμφορὰς ᾠκειώσατο. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ τούτων πάντων μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἡ Περσὶς διητύχησεν, λείπεται ἢ φιλανθρωπίαν ἐκ τῆς σῆς ἀρετῆς περιχεῖσθαι Χοσρόῃ, ἢ Μήδους ὑπὸ 4.13.6 τυράννων μεγάλην ἀρχὴν καταστρέψασθαι. φαίη δ' ἄν τις, εὖ οἶδα, τῶν μὴ συνέσεως μεμυημένων μυστήρια, λυσιτελεῖν τῇ ῾Ρωμαίων ἀρχῇ τὸ Βαβυλώνιον καὶ ἡμέτερον φῦλον μακρὰν οἰμώξειν ἐς κόρακας βασιλείαν καὶ κράτος καὶ ῥώμην μεγάλην ἀποβαλόμενον, καὶ ἀνανταγωνίστῳ ἡσυχίᾳ τινὶ τὸ ῾Ρωμαϊκὸν κράτος καταλιπαίνεσθαι, κακῶς εἰδὼς τὸ μὴ συνοῖσον τῇ 4.13.7 ῾Ρωμαίων δυνάμει. οὐ γὰρ τὰς ἀπείρους φροντίδας τῆς περὶ τὸν κόσμον συντάξεως μίαν που μοναρχίαν δυνατὸν ἐγκολπώσασθαι καὶ ἑνὶ πηδαλίῳ καρδίας ὅσην ἥλιος ἐφορᾷ διιθύνε4.13.8 σθαι κτίσιν. οὐ γὰρ καθάπερ τὸ ἑνιαῖον τῆς θείας καὶ πρώτης ἡγεμονίας ἔνεστι πώποτε καὶ τὴν γῆν ἀπενέγκασθαι ἀντιθέτως ἔχουσαν τῆς ἄνω ταξιαρχίας κατάστασιν, ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων τὴν μὲν φύσιν ῥευστῶν, τὴν δὲ γνώμην ἀδοκιμωτάτων διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον σύννευσιν, ἄλλοτε ἄλλως 4.13. κυβερνωμένην πρὸς τὸ ἐπίσαλον. οὐκοῦν εἰ καὶ Πέρσαι τοῦ κράτους καθαιρεθείησαν, μεταβήσεται παραυτίκα πρὸς ἑτέρους τὸ κράτος· οὐ γὰρ ἀνέξεται χηρεύειν ἡγεμόνος τὰ πράγματα, ἢ ἡ τηλικαύτη τύχη τοῦ ἐπιβαίνοντος. ὡς γὰρ λογισμῶν οὐκ ἔσονται φροντίδες ἀπόκοιτοι, οὕτως οὐδ' αἱ μέγισται τῶν περὶ τὸν κόσμον ἡγεμονίαι ὀρφαναί που ἔσονται τοῦ 4.13.10 κυβερνήσοντος. ἢ οὐκ ἐκ Βαβυλωνίων Μῆδοι, ἐκ δὲ Μήδων οἱ Πέρσαι, μετὰ δὲ τούτους οἱ Πάρθοι ὥσπερ τινὶ ἀκολουθίᾳ διαδοχῆς τὴν Χαλδαίων εὐδαιμονίαν ἐκτήσαντο; ὅτι δ' οὐ μιᾷ τινι σύριγγι νόμιον μέλος πνεούσῃ οὐχ ἅπαν ἐποίει τὸ ποίμνιον, ποιμέσιν ὁμοῦ καὶ αἰπόλοις προὖπτον τοῦτο καθέστηκεν. τοιοῦτό τι καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις πράγμασι συμβαί4.13.11 νειν φιλεῖ. ἱκανὴ δὲ τεκμηριῶσαι Μακεδονικοῦ παιδαρίου τινὸς ἡ μαινόλις καὶ παράλογος ἔφεσις. τύχης γὰρ ᾿Αλέξανδρος ἄωρον γενόμενος παίγνιον καὶ μικρὰ παρ' αὐτῆς κατ' εἰρωνείαν ἱλαρυνόμενος Εὐρώπης κρατεῖν ἐβρενθύετο θαλαττοκρατεῖν ἐγχειρῶν, καὶ Βαβυλωνίων ἤρα σκήπτρων ἀντέχεσθαι, τοῦ τε ᾿Ινδικοῦ κράτους ἐγλίχετο, Λιβύην δὲ ὑπακούειν ἠπείλει, καὶ ἐς τοσοῦτον αὔξειν τὰ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐβιάζετο, ἐς ὅσον μὲν χεῖται ἀήρ, ἡλίου δ' ὄψεις ταῖς βολαῖς 4.13.12 τῆς μαρμαρυγῆς καταυγάζουσιν. εἰς ἑνιαῖον τὸ κράτος καὶ μοναδικὸν τὸν ὑπὸ σελήνην κόσμον δουλαγωγεῖν κατωρέγετο. ἀλλὰ τούτου θᾶττον ἀπέσβη μετὰ τῆς ἐξουσίας ἡ ὄρεξις, καὶ πρὸς τὴν πολυτύραννον ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν ἡγεμονίαν διαιρούμενα πάλιν προσεχώρει τὰ πράγματα· οὐ πέφυκε γὰρ συμ4.13.13 φύεσθαι τοῖς ἀσυμφώνοις ποτὲ τὸ ὁμόλογον. εἰς τί τοιγαροῦν εὐδαιμονίας ῾Ρωμαίοις περισταίη τὰ πράγματα, Περσῶν μὲν καθαιρουμένων δυνάμεως, ἑτέρῳ δὲ παραπεμπόντων φύλῳ τὸ τύραννον; εὐδοξίας δὲ τίνα χαρακτῆρα τὸ ῾Ρωμαϊκὸν περιβάλλοιτο γένος, ἱκέτην ἀπαναινόμενον βασιλέα τῶν ἁπάν4.13.14 των γῆς ἐπιφανέστατόν τε καὶ ἀλκιμώτατον; ἢ ποίαν εὐσεβείας ἀκρόπολιν ἕξετε τοὺς ἠτυχηκότας ἐξουθενήσαντες; πότε δέ, βασιλεῦ, τοὺς ὑπὲρ δικαιοσύνης ἀγῶνας ἀράμενος ὅπλα κινήσεις πρὸς πόλεμον ταύτης που χηρεύων τῆς ὑποθέσεως; πότε δέ σοι τὸ τῆς θρησκείας κάλλος ὡραϊσθήσεται, εἰ μή