66

and "child's play and a kingdom, short-lived indeed, but in my native 2.12.17 land?" And he, defeated and constrained by the truth of the argument, agreed to depart, though not at all willingly, and 2.12.18 bade him ask for whatever he might need. When Abgar obtained this, he asked Augustus to build him a hippodrome in the city of Edessa. And he agreed to this also. Thus Abgar, having departed from Rome, came to 2.12.19 Edessa. And the citizens there asked him if he had come bearing any good thing for them from the Emperor Augustus. But he answered and said to the Edessenes that he had brought a grief without penalty and a joy without profit, alluding to the fortune of the hippodrome. 2.12.20 But later in time, when Abgar had reached an advanced age, he was seized by an extraordinarily severe disease of gout. So, distressed by the pains and the resulting immobility, he brought the matter to the physicians. And from every land 2.12.21 he gathered all who were wise in these matters. From these he later withdrew (for they were not able to find any cure for his malady), and falling into helplessness, he lamented his present 2.12.22 fortunes. But at that time Jesus, the child of God, being in the body, was conversing with the people in Palestine, showing clearly by having never sinned at all and by working impossible things, that he was truly the child of God; 2.12.23 for he raised the dead, calling them as if from sleep, and opened the eyes of the blind who were born so, and cleansed leprous spots from the whole body, and loosed the crippling of feet, and whatever other ailments are called incurable by physicians. 2.12.24 When Abgar heard these things reported by those who journeyed from Palestine to Edessa, he took courage and, having written a letter to Jesus, he begged him to depart from Judaea and the foolish people there, and for the 2.12.25 rest to live with him. When Christ saw this letter which had been brought, he wrote back to Abgar, saying outright that he would not come, but promising him health by the letter. 2.12.26 And they say that he added this as well, that the city would never be able to be captured by barbarians. This postscript of the letter those who wrote the history of that time did not know at all; for indeed they made no mention of it anywhere; but the Edessenes say they found it with the letter, so that they have in fact made the letter, thus inscribed, a kind of amulet in place of any other at the gates of the city. 2.12.27 It did, then, come under the Medes some time later, not 2.12.28 captured, however, but in the following way. After Abgar received the letter from Christ, a little later he became free from his ailments, and having lived on for a long time in health, he died; but the one of his sons who succeeded to the kingdom, having become the most impious of all men, both committed many other sins against his subjects and, fearing punishment from the Romans, willingly went over to the 2.12.29 Persians. And a long time later the Edessenes, having killed the barbarian guards who were stationed among them, handed the city over to the Romans. ******** it is his concern to claim for himself, inferring from what happened in my own times, which I shall make clear in the appropriate 2.12.30 account. And the thought has sometimes occurred to me that if Christ did not write these things which have been mentioned, but because men came to this belief, for this reason he wishes to keep the city uncaptured, so that he might never give them any pretext for error. So then let these things be held and be said in whatever way is dear to God. 2.12.31 To Chosroes at that time, because of these things, it seemed advantageous to capture Edessa. And when he came to Batna, a small town and of no account, but a day's journey distant from Edessa, there he encamped for that night, and at early dawn he marched with the whole army against 2.12.32 Edessa. And it happened that, having fallen into error, they encamped in the same place on the following day; 2.12.33 which they say happened to them even twice. And they say that when Chosroes with difficulty came very near to Edessa, a flow fell upon his face and his jaw was dislocated. Therefore, he was in no way willing to make an attempt on the city, 2.12.34 but sending Paul, money

66

καὶ «παιδία καὶ βασιλεία βραχεῖα μὲν, ἀλλ' ἐν γῇ τῇ πα2.12.17 «τρῴᾳ;» καὶ ὃς τῷ ἀληθεῖ τοῦ λόγου ἡσσηθείς τε καὶ βιασθεὶς ἀπιέναι τε ξυνεχώρει οὔτι ἑκούσιος καὶ 2.12.18 προσαιτεῖσθαι ἐκέλευεν ὅτου ἂν δέηται. ἐπεὶ δὲ τούτου Αὔγαρος ἔτυχεν, Αὐγούστου ἐδεῖτο ἱπποδρόμιόν οἱ δείμασθαι ἐν πόλει Ἐδέσσῃ. ὁ δὲ ξυνεχώρει καὶ τοῦτο. οὕτω μὲν ἐκ Ῥώμης ἀπαλλαγεὶς Αὔγαρος ἐς 2.12.19 Ἔδεσσαν ἦλθε. καὶ αὐτοῦ οἱ πολῖται ἀνεπυνθάνοντο εἴ τι φέρων ἀγαθὸν σφίσιν ἐκ βασιλέως Αὐγούστου ἥκοι. ὁ δὲ ἀποκρινάμενος Ἐδεσσηνοῖς ἐνεγκεῖν ἔφη λύπην τε ἀζήμιον καὶ χαρὰν ἀκερδῆ, τὴν τοῦ ἱπποδρομίου παραδηλῶν τύχην. 2.12.20 Χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον πόρρω που ἡλικίας Αὔγαρος ἥκων νόσῳ ποδάγρας χαλεπῆς τινος ὑπερφυῶς ἥλω. ταῖς γοῦν ὀδύναις ἀχθόμενος καὶ τῇ ἐνθένδε ἀκινησίᾳ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἰατροὺς τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦγεν. ἐκ πάσης τε γῆς 2.12.21 ξυνέλεγε τοὺς περὶ ταῦτα σοφοὺς ἅπαντας. ὧν δὴ ὕστερον (οὐ γάρ οἱ ἄκεσίν τινα τοῦ κακοῦ ἐξευρεῖν ἴσχυον) ἀπέστη τε καὶ ἐς ἀμηχανίαν ἐμπεσὼν τύχας 2.12.22 τὰς παρούσας ὠδύρετο. ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν χρόνον ἐκεῖνον Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ παῖς ἐν σώματι ὢν τοῖς ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ ἀνθρώποις ὡμίλει, τῷ τε μηδὲν τὸ παράπαν ἁμαρτεῖν πώποτε, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἀμήχανα ἐξεργάζεσθαι διαφανῶς ἐνδεικνύμενος ὅτι δὴ τοῦ θεοῦ παῖς ὡς 2.12.23 ἀληθῶς εἴη· νεκρούς τε γὰρ καλῶν ἐξανίστη ὥσπερ ἐξ ὕπνου καὶ πηροῖς τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς οὕτω τεχθεῖσιν ἀνέῳγε, σώματός τε ὅλου λεύκας ἐκάθηρε καὶ ποδῶν πήρωσιν ἔλυσε, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ἰατροῖς πάθη ἀνίατα 2.12.24 ὠνομασμένα ἐστί. ταῦτα ἀπαγγελλόντων Αὔγαρος τῶν ἐκ Παλαιστίνης ἐς τὴν Ἔδεσσαν ἐπιχωριαζόντων ἀκούσας ἐθάρσησέ τε καὶ γράμματα πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν γράψας ἐδεῖτο αὐτοῦ ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι μὲν τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα ἀγνωμόνων ἀνθρώπων, αὐτῷ δὲ τὸ 2.12.25 λοιπὸν ξυμβιοτεύειν. ἐπεὶ ταῦτα ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπενεχθέντα εἶδεν, ἀντέγραψε πρὸς τὸν Αὔγαρον, ὡς μὲν οὐκ ἀφίξεται ἄντικρυς ἀπολέγων, τὴν δὲ ὑγίειαν τῷ γράμματι 2.12.26 ὑποσχόμενος. φασὶ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸν ἐπειπεῖν, ὡς οὐδὲ ἡ πόλις ποτὲ βαρβάροις ἁλώσιμος ἔσται. τοῦτο τῆς ἐπιστολῆς τὸ ἀκροτελεύτιον οἱ μὲν ἐκείνου τοῦ χρόνου τὴν ἱστορίαν ξυγγράψαντες οὐδαμῆ ἔγνωσαν· οὐ γὰρ οὖν οὐδέ πη αὐτοῦ ἐπεμνήσθησαν· Ἐδεσσηνοὶ δὲ αὐτὸ ξὺν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ εὑρέσθαι φασὶν, ὥστε ἀμέλει καὶ ἀνάγραπτον οὕτω τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀντ' ἄλλου του φυλακτηρίου ἐν ταῖς τῆς πόλεως πεποίηνται πύλαις. 2.12.27 γέγονε μὲν οὖν ὑπὸ Μήδοις χρόνῳ τινὶ ὕστερον, οὐχ 2.12.28 ἁλοῦσα μέντοι, ἀλλὰ τρόπῳ τοιῷδε. ἐπειδὴ τὸ γράμμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ Αὔγαρος ἔλαβε, κακῶν μὲν ὀλίγῳ ὕστερον ἀπαθὴς γέγονε, συχνὸν δὲ τῇ ὑγιείᾳ ἐπιβιοὺς χρόνον ἐτελεύτησεν· ὅστις δὲ διεδέξατο τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν αὐτοῦ παίδων, ἀνοσιώτατος γεγονὼς ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων, ἄλλα τε πολλὰ ἐς τοὺς ἀρχομένους ἐξήμαρτε καὶ τὴν ἐκ Ῥωμαίων δεδιὼς τίσιν προσεχώρησεν ἑκούσιος 2.12.29 Πέρσαις. χρόνῳ τε πολλῷ Ἐδεσσηνοὶ ὕστερον ἀνελόντες τῶν βαρβάρων τοὺς σφίσιν ἐνδημοῦντας φρουροὺς ἐνέδοσαν Ῥωμαίοις τὴν πόλιν. ******** αὐτῷ προσποιεῖσθαι ἐπιμελές ἐστι, τεκμαιρόμενος οἷς ἐν τοῖς κατ' ἐμὲ χρόνοις γέγονεν, ἅπερ ἐν τοῖς καθή2.12.30 κουσι λόγοις δηλώσω. καί μοί ποτε ἔννοια γέγονεν ὡς εἰ μὴ ταῦτα, ἅπερ ἐρρήθη, ὁ Χριστὸς ἔγραψεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐς τοῦτο δόξης ἄνθρωποι ἦλθον, φυλάξαι διὰ τοῦτο ἀνάλωτον ἐθέλει τὴν πόλιν, ὡς μήποτε αὐτοῖς πλάνης τινὰ σκῆψιν διδοίη. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὅπη τῷ θεῷ φίλον, ταύτῃ ἐχέτω τε καὶ λεγέσθω. 2.12.31 Χοσρόῃ δὲ τότε προὔργου διὰ ταῦτα ἔδοξεν εἶναι Ἔδεσσαν ἐξελεῖν. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐς Βάτνην ἀφίκετο, πόλισμα μὲν βραχὺ καὶ λόγου οὐδενὸς ἄξιον, ἡμέρας δὲ ὁδῷ Ἐδέσσης διέχον, ἐνταῦθα μὲν τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην ηὐλίσατο, ὄρθρου δὲ βαθέος παντὶ τῷ στρατῷ ἐπὶ 2.12.32 τὴν Ἔδεσσαν ἤλαυνε. καὶ αὐτοῖς ξυνέβη πλάνῃ περιπεσοῦσι τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἐς τὸν αὐτὸν αὐλίζεσθαι χῶρον· 2.12.33 ὅπερ αὐτοῖς λέγουσι καὶ δὶς ξυμβῆναι. μόλις δὲ ἄγχιστα Ἐδέσσης γενομένῳ Χοσρόῃ ῥεύματός φασιν ἐς τὸ πρόσωπον ἐπιπεσόντος ἐπῆρθαι τὴν γνάθον. διὸ δὴ τῆς μὲν πόλεως ἀποπειρᾶσθαι οὐδαμῆ ἤθελε, 2.12.34 Παῦλον δὲ πέμψας χρήματα